RILEY Men of Clifton Montana by Susan Fisher-Davis FINAL (1)

by Susan Fisher-Davis

  Pouring them each a glass, Kaitlyn handed Barbara hers. She took it, her hand still shaking. Kaitlyn gave her a smile and handed Riley his. He looked down at it then to Kaitlyn. “Lemonade, Riley.” She pressed the glass into his hand then looked to Barbara. “I’m Kaitlyn Parker, by the way.”

  Riley took a sip and handed it back to her. She sighed, and drank from the same glass then elbowed Riley—hard.

  He let out a grunt and glared at her. She tightened her lips and shifted her eyes toward his mother. Kaitlyn watched as he swallowed hard then faced his mother.

  “Why did you leave me?” he blurted out. Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. Men.

  “I didn’t want to…” Barbara began.

  “But you did,” Riley said, his voice tense, and Kaitlyn noted how a muscled ticked in his cheek. Kaitlyn put her hand on his arm and he turned to face her.

  “This isn’t the way to do this, Riley.”

  “Really? Then what is a good way, Katie?” He glared at her, his nostrils flaring as he bit back his anger.

  “It’s all right. I can understand his anger,” Barbara said.

  Riley stood in one fluid motion. “Can you?”

  “Riley, sit down.” Kaitlyn grabbed the hem of his T-shirt.

  “No. I’m done,” he hissed, shaking his head.

  Kaitlyn stood. “No. You are not done. Sit down and we’ll talk about this.” She watched as he took deep breaths, and then the fight seemed to go out of him as he sat back down.

  “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to snap,” Riley muttered as he stared at his mother. “Tell me why.”

  Barbara cleared her throat several times before beginning, looking down at her hands. “I had an affair before Roscoe and I married.” Still wringing her hands, she hesitated then lifted her gaze to Riley. “Roscoe isn’t your father.”

  “What?” Riley roared as he stood again but Kaitlyn grasped his hand, and tugged on it. He sat back down.

  “Roscoe thought he was, until he found your birth certificate. I had it hidden but had to get it out so you could go to school.” Barbara dabbed at her eyes. “He found it and went crazy. He told me to get out, only without my bastard son. He said since I’d stolen his son from him, he was keeping you from me.” She gave Riley an apologetic look. “Roscoe said if I didn’t leave, he would kill us both. I wasn’t sure what he’d do and I couldn’t take a chance that he’d do what he said. I didn’t care about me, but I didn’t want him doing anything to you. He was a mad man once he found out you weren’t his son. It was his way of torturing me, I suppose.”

  “Do you know how he tortured me? He beat me on a regular basis.”

  Barbara went so white, Kaitlyn thought the woman was going to pass out.

  “No…” she whispered.

  “Yes,” Riley hissed. “Almost every fucking day, he beat me…until I finally got big enough to hit back. I have no idea why I put up with his shit for as long as I did. I guess a part of me thought somewhere deep down he loved me and that if we worked the ranch together, he’d come to at least, respect me.” Riley shook his head. “I stayed there until I was twenty-three and what good did it do me? The bastard hated me and it wasn’t even my fault, and for all the hate he heaped on me, all he left me was a rundown worthless ranch.”

  “Left you?” Barbara asked him.

  “Yes. He’s dead, and I hope he’s rotting in hell.” Riley flew to his feet and stormed out.

  ****

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Price. He’s upset right now.” Kaitlyn tried to placate the woman.

  Barbara turned tear-filled eyes towards her. “I never knew…” She started sobbing.

  Kaitlyn moved to sit on the arm of the woman’s chair and put her arm around Barbara. “How could you know? Roscoe wasn’t like that before, was he?”

  “Oh God, no…he’d never laid a hand on Riley or me. He hit me the day he found out, but I never thought…my poor baby. If Roscoe wasn’t dead, I’d kill him myself.” She gazed up at Kaitlyn. “Are you his wife?”

  “No. We’re…friends.”

  Barbara nodded. “Friends. You must be a very good friend to do this with him.”

  “He asked me to, so…” Kaitlyn didn’t elaborate. “I’ll be right back. I want to check on him.” She stood when Barbara nodded.

  Kaitlyn headed out to the truck. Riley sat in it with his head back against the seat, his sunglasses covering his eyes. She couldn’t begin to wonder what was going through his mind. Opening the door, she climbed in and sat quietly. Waiting. He sighed and turned his head toward her.

  “I’m sorry I stormed out,” Riley murmured.

  “It’s not me you need to apologize to. Her heart is breaking because of the way he treated you. She had no idea, Riley. Roscoe never laid a hand on either of you until he found out you weren’t his son.” Kaitlyn sighed. “She’s blaming herself. It’s not her fault, Riley. She said if Roscoe wasn’t already dead, she’d kill him.” Kaitlyn turned to face him. “Remember the letters. She wanted you back but he refused to let her come get you.”

  “There were times I thought he was going to kill me.” Riley clenched his jaw. “I hated him so much and felt guilty about it. I’m so glad he wasn’t my father. I’d never want to be like him, and I always feared…” He suddenly pushed the truck door open and stepped out.

  “Are you ready to go back inside now?”

  Nodding, he glanced at her. “I want to know who my real father is.”

  Without warning, he marched up the walk.

  “Aw hell,” Kaitlyn muttered then got out, and ran after him. She caught him just as Barbara opened the door to him. His mother must have been watching for them to return.

  Riley strode into the room then spun around to face her. “Who is my father?”

  Barbara stopped mid-stride. “I don’t think…”

  “I don’t care what you think. Who is he?” Riley demanded. “Does he even know about me?”

  “He…no, he doesn’t know,” Barbara whispered.

  “Why not?”

  “He was married at the time.”

  “Where is he?” Riley asked.

  “I–I…” Barbara stuttered.

  “Babs? I’m home, hon,” a male voice called from the back of the house.

  Kaitlyn watched as a tall man entered the living room. He smiled at them, and Kaitlyn threw her hand over her mouth to cover her gasp when she saw his eyes. Whiskey colored eyes. Glancing to Riley, she saw him run his eyes over the man then shift his gaze to Barbara.

  “You’re married to him now but you still haven’t told him?” Riley growled. Kaitlyn had to admit that was strange as she stared at Barbara.

  “Who is this, Babs?” the man asked coming to stand protectively near his wife.

  “This is Kaitlyn Parker…” Barbara spoke barely above a whisper. “This is my husband, Jordon Price.”

  Jordon nodded then shifted his gaze to Riley. The smile left his face as he stared into eyes the same color as his own. He quickly turned to his wife.

  “Barbara? What is this?”

  “This is your son,” Riley hissed.

  Jordon took a few steps back. “What?”

  “Jordon…I never told you…” Barbara burst into tears.

  “You never told me I had a son? A son with you?” He turned to Riley. “Where have you been?”

  “Living in hell.” Riley turned toward the door to leave, but Kaitlyn stepped in front of him. He glared at her, and she glared back. Yes, she could be as stubborn as Sam was any day.

  “We are not leaving here until all of this is straightened out.”

  “It’s already straightened out. My mother slept with a married man who had no idea he had knocked her up, and then she married a man who liked to use me as a punching bag. Then she married the man who knocked her up, but she still didn’t tell him about me.” He threw his hands up in the air. “What the hell else needs straightening out?” Riley started to move around h
er but she didn’t budge.

  “No! You came all this way. We are going to sit down and talk this out because if you leave, Riley, you’ll regret it.”

  “Riley? Your name is Riley?” Jordon turned to Barbara with a questioning expression. “You gave him my middle name?”

  Barbara nodded with tears rolling down her face. “It was the only way I could keep you a part of me.”

  “Christ. It just keeps getting better,” Riley muttered. Kaitlyn elbowed him and in response, he raised an eyebrow at her. “What?”

  “I think we all need to sit down. All of us have had quite a shock today,” Jordon suggested.

  Riley glared at Jordon. “I found out what I needed to know. I’m leaving.”

  “Son–” Jordon started.

  Riley spun around, his fist clenched. “I am in no way your son, other than biologically.”

  Kaitlyn put her hand on Riley’s arm and he stared down at her, his chest heaving. “Stop this. Now. You’re acting like you’re the only one hurt in all of this. In case you haven’t noticed, there are two other people here and they’re hurting too. You need to talk to them.” She gazed up at him. “Please. Just sit down and listen. I’ll be right here with you.”

  Huffing out a breath, Riley hung his head. When he raised it up to look at her, she could see the pain in his eyes. Placing her hand gently on his cheek, she smiled up at him. He gave an abrupt nod and Kaitlyn knew she would never love the man more than right now. Taking his hand, she led him back to the sofa while Barbara and Jordon sat in the two chairs facing them.

  “I suppose I should start at the beginning.” Barbara volunteered. “I met and fell in love with Jordon when I was only twenty. He was married, and I worked with his wife. He’s six years older than I am. Well, one day, he came into the office and as soon as we looked at each other, we knew. We just knew.” She shook her head. “I knew it was wrong but I was in love. I was also already engaged to Roscoe. I broke it off with Jordon because he wouldn’t leave his wife, Celeste. She had cancer. I married Roscoe out of desperation because I discovered I was pregnant with you, and I needed a father for you.” She stopped when Riley snorted. “I’m sorry for everything that happened, for not standing up to him, and for not taking you with me, Riley.” She turned to Jordon. “And for not telling you about Riley, it just never seemed the right time. I can’t go back and change any of it, although I wish I could. For years, I wrote letter after letter to Roscoe begging him at the very least, to let me see you. He never wrote back. I even went to Clifton once hoping to see you. Roscoe told me you were staying at a friend’s house, and then he threatened me with a gun if I ever came back.”

  “Why didn’t you go to the authorities?” Kaitlyn asked.

  “The one time I called him about seeing Riley, I told him I’d get a lawyer. He told me if I did, he’d make Riley disappear. I believed him since he said he hated Riley and that he no longer meant anything to him. Thinking back, I wonder if he really would have harmed you that way.”

  “He tried more than enough times to kill me,” Riley mumbled.

  Barbara put her hands over her face. “Oh God, I can’t say enough how sorry I am. I should have stood up to that bastard. If I had, you wouldn’t have gone through what you did.”

  “How long have you two been married?” Kaitlyn asked Barbara.

  “We’ve only been married two years. We ran into each other here when I came for a vacation,” Barbara explained. “We were in the same restaurant and couldn’t believe it when we saw each other after all these years.” She looked to her husband. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Riley, but you still wouldn’t have left Celeste, and I never thought I’d see Riley again. Roscoe would never answer my letters.”

  Jordon reached over and took her hand in his. “We’ll get through this, Babs.”

  Kaitlyn saw Riley glance away from them—his parents. She blinked back tears thinking of the pain he went through as a child and all because a man blamed him for his wife’s secret. Taking his hand in hers, she caressed it. When he turned toward her, she saw tears glistening in his beautiful eyes. One slipped down his cheek so Kaitlyn reached out and caught it with her fingertip.

  “I should have come back for you, Riley. I’m so very sorry,” Barbara told him again.

  “If I’d known about you, I would’ve come after you myself. I’m sorry he abused you. I’d like to kill the bastard.” Jordon’s jaw clenched and Kaitlyn could see Riley in him.

  “He’s dead,” Barbara told her husband.

  “Good riddance,” Jordon stated.

  “Then your years with Roscoe weren’t bad?” Riley asked.

  “No. Believe it or not, he was a good husband and a good father to you, until he saw your birth certificate. I should’ve put him down as your father and then none of this would’ve happened. I loved Jordon so much though that when the time came, I put his name down on your birth certificate, never thinking for a minute Roscoe might see it. I told him it didn’t require his signature. He believed me.” Barbara shook her head. “I kept it hidden in a safe deposit box at the bank, in my name only, but I had to get it out to enroll you in school. I ran upstairs to get dressed and left it lying on the kitchen table with the registration forms. Roscoe was out in the west pasture, branding cattle, and I assumed he’d be out there all day. Well, he came in early, and saw it. I’ve never seen a man so angry. I tried to explain what had happened, but he wouldn’t listen to me. He hit me then dragged me out of the house and pushed me into my car. He told me to leave and never come back or he’d make sure I’d never see my son again.” She laughed bitterly. “Of course, I never saw you again anyway.”

  ****

  Riley sighed and ran his hand over his face. Jesus! What a fucking mess. When he glanced at Kaitlyn, she was gazing compassionately at him. It hit him like a ton of bricks that he was completely in love with her. Glancing over to Barbara and Jordon Price, he saw the hopeful looks they cast at him. What was he to do now? Hating them was wrong. None of it was their faults. Jordon hadn’t known he had a son at all, and was willing to forgive the woman who kept it from him…because he loved her. Riley’s eyes met his mother’s eyes. Roscoe had abused them both over the years. He’d played mind games with Barbara by threatening her with hurting her son. Roscoe had beaten Riley because he was another man’s son. Riley had believed his mother hadn’t wanted him, but he believed now that if his mother had known Roscoe was abusing him, she would’ve come back and taken him away somehow…because she loved him.

  “Why didn’t you tell anyone what you were going through, Riley?” Jordon asked in a quiet voice.

  Riley shook his head. “Too ashamed, I suppose, and Roscoe had always told me that no one would ever believe me. He’d never hit me where bruises would show. I suffered the most during the summer when I couldn’t go swimming or wear shorts because of the bruises under my clothes. He scared me into silence by telling me they’d take me away and it would be even worse for me.” His voice faded off. “Only my closest friends knew the truth as I grew older.”

  Barbara started crying again. Jordon moved to her, pulled her into his arms, and held her as she cried. “It’s all my fault. I never should’ve married Roscoe in the first place. If I hadn’t, you would’ve never been abused Riley. I’m so sorry.”

  “Hush, hon. It’s done and in the past. We can’t change anything, but if Riley’s willing to forgive us maybe we can get to know each other now.” Jordon gazed at Riley over her head.

  Jordon surprised Riley by putting himself in the wrong along with his wife when he never knew anything about his son. So Riley decided that if Jordon could forgive then he could too. Being a man like his real father was something he could strive for, he hoped. He rose from the sofa and moved to where the two people who were his parents sat. Squatting down in front of them, he reached for Barbara’s hand, and she raised her tear streaked face to look at him.

  “Jordon is right. It’s in the past
and we can’t change it. I’d…I’d like to stay in touch and get to know you both.” Riley knew he had tears in his eyes but he didn’t care. Somehow, they wouldn’t think him weak. He gazed at both of them and when they both smiled at him, he smiled too. For the first time ever in his life, he knew there was hope that everything might be all right, if only he could get past the pain that Roscoe had inflicted all those years.

  Glancing over to Kaitlyn, he saw tears rolling down her face. Straightening, he moved to stand in front of her, she looked up at him, and when he put his hand out to her, she took it and came into his arms. Riley held her tight wishing he was stronger because he knew that no matter how much he loved her and Sadie, he still couldn’t stay in Clifton.

  ****

  That evening, when Riley pulled the truck into the parking lot of the apartment complex, Kaitlyn blinked tears from her eyes, and climbed out quickly so he wouldn’t notice. After he took care of getting Sadie, who was asleep, out of her car seat, Kaitlyn removed the seat from the truck, and carried it and the diaper bag. She’d reinstall it in her car tomorrow. They walked silently inside her apartment. Once inside, Riley headed straight for Sadie’s bedroom with Kaitlyn following, after a slight hesitation. She wasn’t looking forward to what was coming, but knew she had to do it.

  “Do you need to change her first?” Riley whispered.

  “Yes. Please put her on the changing table.” Kaitlyn instructed then gazed up at him. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  Riley raised an eyebrow at her, but left the room. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and changed Sadie without waking her. After putting Sadie in her bed, Kaitlyn took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves, although it didn’t help, closed the door behind her, and headed toward the living room. Riley stood in front of the cold fireplace, staring into it. Kaitlyn cleared her throat. When he spun around, she bit back a groan.

  “It’s been a hell of a day, hasn’t it?” He smiled at her.