Love All Out - Part 4 (A Stepbrother Romance)

by Ward, Alice

  “Well, that’s exciting! Tell Stan I said hello and call me after the meeting. I can’t wait to hear about your plans.” It was obvious that after almost a week in the hospital, Daddy was getting stir crazy. I was relieved that he’d be home soon, where he could relax and heal the way he needed to.

  “I’ll call as soon as Stan leaves,” I promised. “Love you, Daddy.”

  “Love you too, pumpkin.”

  I ended the call and slid my phone into my pocket, just as Stan’s truck pulled to a stop outside the barn. I walked out to greet him, shielding my face from the sun with my left hand while offering him my right.

  “Good to see you, Willow,” Stan said with a smile.

  “You too, Stan. Thanks for coming out. I thought we’d start here and then we can ride out to my build site.”

  “That works for me,” he agreed.

  We stepped into the barn and I led him to my office. He sat down in front of my makeshift desk and I pulled two bottles of water from the mini-fridge before taking my seat across from him.

  “How’s Cole? We were all real sorry to hear about his heart attack,” Stan said, twisting the cap off of his bottle. He took a long gulp while I replied.

  “Thank you, he’s doing much better. I was just on the phone with him and the doctors say he’ll be able to come home on Monday.”

  Stan nodded. “You know a man’s done something right when his family wants to stay close by. Your new stepbrother called me yesterday, said he may be building out here too.”

  I choked on my sip of water and Stan jumped from his seat. “Are you okay?” he asked as I cleared my throat.

  “I’m fine,” I assured him. “Sorry, I guess I swallowed too quickly.”

  James has never said anything to me about building his own place… why would he even need to? If things work out between us, he can live in my house. And if things don’t… I can’t imagine he’d want to stay here.

  “That happens,” Stan said with a nod, settling back into his chair. “Anyway, let’s get down to business. What do you have in mind for the barn? It looks like you have ample space already…”

  “That’s because all of the horses are outside being worked,” I explained. “As it stands now, I don’t have a spare stall. And I plan on increasing my stock by at least double.”

  “Do you have a copy of the floor plans, as it stands now?”

  I nodded and pulled the blueprints from the drawer. “This is the entire facility, actually,” I said. “The pasture, the walkers and round pens… they’re all laid out here.”

  Stan silently studied the plans while I racked my brain, wondering why James had called the contractor.

  “I’m assuming that all of the equipment placement is flexible?” Stan asked, staring down at the blueprints.

  I cleared my throat again and nodded. “Yes, I know the only direction we can expand is into the pasture. I can move all of the outside equipment to fit the new space. And if I need to, I can push back the east fence to expand the grazing area.”

  “Perfect,” Stan announced, looking up at me. “Do you mind if I keep these?” he asked, tapping the plans.

  “Those are yours,” I assured him with a wave.

  “Great, thank you. Let me show you what immediately came to mind.” He pushed his chair away from the table and I followed him out of the office.

  “What we could do is build an addition off the back that’s not quite as long as this area, but twice as wide,” he said, gesturing to the pasture. “We could turn your current office into a storage closet and build you a proper space in the addition.”

  “It would be nice to have a professional place to meet with people,” I agreed. “I’d also like to add a bathroom.”

  “That won’t be a problem,” he assured me. “I’m assuming you’ll want plenty of sinks and wash stations as well?”

  “Definitely,” I said with a nod. Excitement coursed through me as I imagined my new barn.

  “Give me a few days and I’ll draw up some plans for the addition,” Stan said. “Once I have everything down on paper, we’ll meet again and you can make any changes.”

  “Sounds good. I’d like to get started as soon as possible. Do you have an idea of how long it will take to build?”

  “Not nearly as long as the house,” he replied. “I have a great crew. I’d say a month, six weeks tops.”

  “I can’t wait.” I beamed. “So, ready to ride out to my lot? It’s better if we take one of the ATVs. We haven’t cut a real driveway yet.”

  “No problem, lead the way,” he agreed.

  Stan followed me out of the barn and I spotted a battered red sports car coming down the driveway.

  Who the hell is that?

  “We’ll take this one here,” I told Stan, pointing at an ATV. “I’ll be with you in just a second.”

  I stepped to the edge of the driveway and the car slowed to a stop beside me. I couldn’t make out the driver until the dark tented window began to lower.

  What the fuck is she doing here?

  I plastered a fake smile across my face as I stared down at Katelyn. I hadn’t seen her since the night I walked in to the Aztec rodeo and found her attached to James’s face. “Hi… can I help you?” I asked tensely.

  “I hope so,” she replied, a look of annoyance flashing across her lovely her face. “I’m looking for James Parker. A couple of people told me I could find him here.”

  “He may be up at his cabin,” I told her. “You can park at the main house and walk around back. His place is the first on the right.”

  “Thanks,” she said, already rolling up her window. Katelyn sped up the driveway while I walked backwards towards the ATV. She pulled up next to the house and my heart hit my stomach as I watched her awkwardly climb out of the car.

  Is she…? No, she can’t be…

  “Willow, is everything okay?” Stan asked. “We can look at the house lot later if something’s come up.”

  I snapped my attention back to him. “No, it’s fine. We can go now.”

  I slid behind the steering wheel and put the ATV in reverse. We backed up, and I threw a final glance over my shoulder before putting the transmission in drive. There was no mistaking it. Katelyn had just shown up at the ranch with a tiny but obvious baby bump.

  CHAPTER 3

  I dreaded going back to the house and facing James, so I came up with excuses to linger at the build site much longer than necessary. I showed Stan exactly where I wanted my house to sit and he explained the pros and cons of each floor plan I’d picked out before our meeting. I finally decided on a very modern two story with lots of glass, natural wood, and rock.

  “We’ll be able to harvest plenty of the materials right off the land,” Stan said. “That will keep some of the costs down.”

  I glanced down at my phone. We’d been away from the main house for an hour and a half, but I wasn’t confident Katelyn would be gone yet. I looked up at Stan.

  “There are some great rock piles up in the mountains. If you want, we could ride up and look at them,” I suggested.

  He stared at the sky behind me and frowned. “I’d love to, but I think we’ll have to take a rain check… literally.”

  I turned around and saw thick, black storm clouds rolling across the horizon. “Wow, those came out of nowhere. I hope we can get home before the storm hits.”

  We slid onto the front seat of the ATV and I drove towards the main house. I was too anxious about what I’d find there to make polite conversation, but Stan seemed perfectly comfortable with the silence. Relief washed over me when we neared the house and I saw that Katelyn’s car was gone. But the relief was short lived. My stomach clenched again when I spotted James waiting on the porch. I felt his eyes on me as I pulled up outside the barn next to Stan’s truck.

  “Thanks so much for coming out today,” I said as I climbed out of the ATV.

  “Thank you for giving me the jobs,” Stan replied with a smile. “I’ll get the barn plans dra
wn up first. We can turn our attention to the house once the expansion is underway.”

  “Sounds good to me,” I agreed. We shook hands and Stan climbed in his truck. I walked straight into the barn, hoping in vain that James would leave me alone.

  I was greeted with a bark and looked down to see Frost waiting in his kennel. I walked over, dropped to my knees, and unlocked the gate. My sweet puppy jumped into my arms and covered my face with kisses.

  “Did you have fun with Dallas today?” I baby talked. “Are you learning to be a big bad dog?” He wagged his tail and licked my face again. I laughed and rocked back onto the floor.

  “Willow… you can’t avoid me.”

  I looked up and saw James standing in the doorway. His face was pale and his temples were beaded with sweat. He looked like a man who’d just been given a life sentence. I narrowed my eyes at him and then turned my attention back to Frost.

  “Ignoring this won’t make it go away,” James continued. “Katelyn told me she saw you… which means you saw her.”

  “I saw both of them,” I corrected him, still looking down at the puppy. “I guess I should congratulate you. Is that why you called Stan about building your own house?” I swallowed, feeling the knot of worry clog my throat. “Please tell me you’re not going to move Katelyn and the baby on to the ranch.” I tried to keep myself together, but tears welled in my eyes.

  “I’m not moving anyone on to the ranch,” he said, his tone defensive. He moved in front of me and sat down in the dirt, forcing me to look at him. “Yes, I called Stan and said I wanted to talk to him about building a house. But honestly…” he hesitated and ran his fingers through Frost’s silky hair. He took a deep breath and continued. “Honestly, I’ve been assuming that you and I would be building one house, together. I had a few ideas for our house, and I wanted to see if they were realistic. I swear Willow. I didn’t know Katelyn was pregnant until she showed up here.” He put a hand under my chin and lifted my eyes to his. I looked past him, unsuccessfully blinking back my tears.

  “It doesn’t matter when you found out,” I said. I couldn’t bring myself to say the rest of my thought out loud. I shook my head and pulled out of his reach. I rose to my feet, walked to the battered table, and sank down in a chair. Frost followed me and I pulled him into my lap as James crossed the dirt floor. He pulled out the chair across from me, sat down, and held his head in his hands.

  “It doesn’t matter when you found out,” I said again. “You’re having a baby with someone else.” My tears flowed freely and my body was racked with sobs.

  “Oh, baby,” James said, jumping up from his seat. He squatted in front of me and wrapped me in his arms. Part of me didn’t want his comfort. It was his fault I was hurting in the first place. But I couldn’t push him away. I needed to know that he still loved me, that there was some hope we’d get over this new obstacle.

  “How could you do this?” I sobbed into his shoulder.

  James pulled away and brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. “I didn’t do anything, I swear.” I narrowed my eyes, giving him my best skeptical look. He blushed and looked down at the dirt.

  “I mean… yes… we slept together,” he stammered, then his jaw grew tight. “But there’s no way that’s my kid. Katelyn and I were only together once and it was months ago… weeks before you and I even met.”

  “It’s been a few years since I’ve had biology, but I’m pretty sure once is all it takes,” I blubbered, pulling away from his embrace. I stood up again and leaned against the counter, Frost dancing at my feet.

  “I used protection, Willow,” he insisted. He ran his hands over his head, pulling at his hair in frustration. “Katelyn herself admits there’s only a tiny chance this baby is mine. That’s why she came out today. She’s not sure who the dad is and she wanted me to take a DNA test.”

  Maybe it’s not his baby. Please God, don’t let it be his baby.

  I studied James for a moment while he paced the floor. “Did you agree to take the test?” I finally asked.

  “Of course I did,” he snapped then released a long breath. “I’m supposed to go to a clinic on Monday and have my cheek swabbed.”

  “Daddy’s coming home on Monday,” I replied.

  Oh God, I hadn’t even thought of Daddy and Renee. If James is the baby’s father, they’ll insist that he do the right thing. He should do the right thing. And that doesn’t involve me in the slightest.

  “I’d like to keep Mom and Cole out of this until the test results come in,” he said, his voice a serious whisper.

  I looked up at him, my tears finally at bay. “What are we going to do if you are the father?” I asked, nervous to hear the answer.

  “There’s no reason to even think about that,” he insisted. “Katelyn was never exactly particular with who she went home with. She told me it’s between me and two other guys, but I’d bet there’s at least six of us.”

  “That makes me feel much better,” I snorted. The last thing I needed was a reminder of the type of girls James used to sleep with. “If she’s such a slut, why did you ever sleep with her in the first place? Oh… that’s right. You used to be just like her. How many Katelyns have there been, James?” I asked, staring straight at him.

  James’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “You knew who I was when we started this,” he reminded me. “You don’t get to throw it in my face now. I’ve never pretended to be someone I’m not.”

  I knew he was right, but I was too scared and mad at him to admit it. “Maybe I should have put a little more thought into what I was getting in to.” I turned away, unable to look at the pain my words were inflicting.

  “You don’t mean that,” he insisted, his voice both soft and firm. “You’re upset, and you have every right to be. But you don’t have the right to verbally assault people when you’re stressed.” He turned away and ran a hand through his hair. I could hear him blow out a breath before he turned back to me. “So I’m going to forget about what you just said. I think we both need some space. Once you’ve had some time to process all of this, I’m sure you’ll see that you’re making too big a deal out of it. All I have to do is go take the test. It’s an errand, really. The results will be in in a few weeks, and this will all be over.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and studied James’s face, wondering if I could trust him. “How far along is she? I mean, would the timing make it possible for you to be the dad?”

  The color drained from his face again. “The timing makes it possible, if Katelyn’s telling the truth. But that’s it Willow, I swear.”

  “And it was before we met?” I asked, needing to hear it again.

  “Weeks before we met,” he assured me. “Since the day you walked in to my life, there’s been no one else.”

  I nodded and let my arms fall to my sides, nearly too weak to hold them up. “You’re right, we could use some space. I’m going to sleep at home tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  James shifted his weight back and forth. “Actually…”

  I sighed, wondering what else he could possibly have to tell me. “Actually what?” I asked, crossing my arms again.

  He kicked at the dirt and avoided my eye. “There’s a rodeo in southern New Mexico tomorrow night. Lucas called and asked if I’d ride with him. Normally, I wouldn’t even think of going, with Cole in the hospital. But Lucas has been saving for something important and the prize money would really help him.”

  “What could possibly be so important that you’d leave, with everything that’s going on?” I demanded, moving my hands to my hips.

  James stared at me for a moment, seeming to consider his options. “Here’s the thing. I promised I wouldn’t say. I’ll only tell you if you swear you won’t tell Matt.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I seem to recall making a promise that I wouldn’t keep things from him anymore. You were there. You spilled our last secret.”

  “This is completely different, Willow. Lucas wants to propose.
I just didn’t want you to ruin the surprise.”

  “He’s going to propose?” I gasped. “But they’ve only known each other a couple of months.”

  “So have we, but I have no doubts about my feelings for you,” he said softly.

  He cannot seriously be dropping marriage hints five minutes after talking about his potential love child.

  I was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions and felt the overwhelming need to escape. I turned away from him and walked towards the door. “Go to the rodeo with Lucas. I understand. And I won’t say anything to Matt.”

  “We’re leaving around nine,” James called after me. “I’d love for you to come with us.”

  I turned and faced him. “You know I can’t leave the ranch right now. Good luck and I’ll see you on Sunday. Come on, Frost.”

  The puppy bounded up to me and together, we walked to the house.

  ***

  “It looks like they’re both going to be just fine,” Matt observed as the foals pranced around the round pen. It was Saturday afternoon and we were perched on top of a panel, watching the horses splash through a mud puddle.

  I nodded. “Dr. Moon said that their kidney panels look great. Whatever Bradley gave them, it didn’t do any lasting damage.”

  “Thank God. I’m so glad that bastard got what he deserved.”

  I nodded again, staring absent mindedly into the pasture. Matt gave me a gentle nudge with his elbow. “What’s with you today? You’ve been distracted since I got here this morning. Is everything all right with your dad?”

  “Daddy’s fine. He’ll be home on Monday,” I said quickly.

  I promised I wouldn’t tell Daddy and Renee about Katelyn. But surely James knows I’ll tell Matt. Hell, Lucas may have already filled him in.

  “I’ve been thinking about James,” I confessed. “And Katelyn.”

  Matt’s brow furrowed with confusion. “Why in the world are you thinking about Katelyn?”

  I took a deep breath. “Because she’s pregnant,” I said as I exhaled. “And there’s a small chance that James is the father.”