by HELEN HARDT
“God, I can’t.” She turned to Jeff. “Daddy. It hurts too much. And I’m so tired.”
“I know, honey, but you have to do it. Your baby needs you.” He took her clammy hand in his own again. “You’re so strong, Angie. You can do anything.”
She leaned forward and gritted her teeth, and then came the biggest scream of all.
“That’s it, Angie!” Annie’s smile spread across her whole face. “The head’s out.”
Jeff squeezed her hand and looked into his daughter’s green eyes. “You did it, honey! You did it! The head’s out. It’ll be easy from here.”
“Just give me one more,” Annie said. “You’ll have your baby.”
Angie grimaced, her face scarlet, and pushed once more.
“He’s here.” Annie smiled. “Your little boy is here and he’s perfect.”
The baby let out a howl.
“And he’s breathing!”
“Daddy, I want to see him.”
Annie held the baby so she could see. “He’s still attached to the cord inside you.”
Jeff’s head swam. His grandson. He had a grandson.
“We’re not quite done,” Annie said. “I’ll need to deliver the placenta and get him cleaned up, and then you can hold him, okay? Jeff, get me some more towels, damp this time.”
He needed every ounce of strength to leave his daughter’s side. Jeff ran to the kitchen and wet down some towels. Why hadn’t he boiled that damn water? Course it would have been too hot for the newborn baby.
Newborn baby. He hadn’t been there for his little girl, but damn it, he’d be there for her son.
When he returned to the bedroom, Annie was holding the squalling little boy. She handed him a pair of scissors from her vet bag. “Care to cut the cord, Grandpa?”
He blinked back tears as he took the scissors and cut the cord, separating his grandchild from his daughter.
Annie washed the baby with one of the damp cloths, wrapped him in a dry towel, and handed him to Angie. “Congratulations, Mom. He’s perfect.”
Angie took her baby eagerly, tears in her eyes. “Oh, thank you. Thank you, Annie. And thank you, Daddy. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t been here.”
Sirens interrupted. Within seconds, two paramedics bombarded the scene. They got Angie and the new baby onto a stretcher and out the door.
“Your husband can go in the ambulance with you, ma’am,” one of the techs said.
“He’s not here. He’s on his way.” She looked at Jeff. “Will you come with me, Daddy?”
He smiled, his heart melting. “Of course, sweetheart. Of course.”
* * *
Thirty-Three Years Earlier
“Where are we?” Maria asked, after Jeff stopped the bike. All around her were gorgeous peach trees. Palisade or Fruita, she imagined.
“Palisade. The peach trees after the harvest. I love it here.” Jeff took off his helmet and hung it by the strap on his handlebars.
Maria followed suit. She inhaled the sweet fragrance of peaches. She’d never imagined a man like Jeff would be moved by something as simple as a peach orchard, but there he stood, his eyes closed, his deep chest expanding as he inhaled the fragrant aroma.
Maria closed her eyes as well. Nothing better than a ripe western slope peach. Except maybe a ripe western slope Fuji apple. No, the peach was definitely better.
“You like peaches, Jeff?”
He opened his eyes and nodded. “We grow them on Bay Crossing, but we’re mostly beef ranchers. Our fruit can’t hold a candle to the stuff here in Palisade. Course my grandpa and brother swear we grow the best ones. Personally, I’d take a Palisade peach over a Bay Crossing peach any day.”
“Come on. I bet yours are great.”
“Well, they’re not mine, first of all. None of it’s mine anymore.”
Maria winced. She hadn’t meant to bring that up. “Then we’ll come here to get our peaches.” Oops! She clasped her hand to her mouth. She’d said too much. How presumptuous could she be? She didn’t want to scare Jeff away.
She’d fallen madly in love with Jeff in one day, but she knew better than to think he was feeling the same way.
His strong hands gripped her shoulders and his smoky gaze met hers. “Yes, we’ll get our peaches here, Mia.”
And then his lips were on hers, sliding, coaxing her open, diving in, and consuming her. She reveled in the kiss, in Jeff, in the orchard, in the vibrant blue sky. Perfection. Simply perfection.
He broke the kiss and nipped at her cheeks and her neck. “Mia,” he whispered into her ear. “How can I feel like this?”
She had no answer. After a day? To be in love with him was ridiculous. Yet she was. With all her heart. It was as true as the kiss they’d just shared. The pure truth.
“Mia,” he said again, nibbling at her earlobe, “there’s something so special about you. So perfect.”
I love you, Jeff! How she wanted to cry out the words so they floated up to the azure heavens and then rained down on the entire earth. But she couldn’t. It was too soon. She’d scare him away.
Instead, she simply sighed against his warm neck. She inhaled his musky scent. She’d never tire of his woodsy fragrance.
He found her lips once more and consumed her again.
Chapter Eleven
Once Angie was settled in her room in the hospital and her little boy had been taken to be weighed and measured, Jeff breathed a sigh of relief. Rafe was less than an hour away now. He would take good care of Angie.
Jeff walked down the hall and through the lobby to the small coffee shop near the hospital entrance. He ordered a black coffee, then stood and sipped it, staring at nothing in particular. A jolt of contentment speared through him. A grandson. Jeff Bay had a grandson.
“Hello, Jeff.”
Jeff’s eyebrows shot up at the familiar voice. He turned to regard a man he hadn’t laid eyes on in three decades. He’d put on some weight, and his hair was mostly gray now, but the hazel eyes were the same.
“Max?”
The man didn’t smile. “The one and only.”
“How are you, man?”
“Been better.”
Jeff’s heartbeat thumped. He remembered that look in Max’s eyes. This wasn’t going to lead to anything good.
“So they let you out,” Max said.
“Yup. They did. I was innocent, after all.”
“Word is that DNA evidence exonerated you.”
“Yeah. There was blood on the gun. Turns out it wasn’t mine.”
“Why would they let out a guy who pleaded guilty?”
“Because I was innocent, that’s why. I copped a plea. It happens all the time. It was a stupid decision, but I felt I had no choice at the time. Plus, I got out for good behavior and time served. I was there over thirty years, for God’s sake. I did my time. Especially considering I was innocent.”
“I think you and I both know whose blood was on that gun.”
Yes, Jeff knew. Neither sample had belonged to him. However, one sample was very similar to his—the one that had given him the chance to go to prison after he thought Mia had betrayed him, the one that he’d petitioned the court to have re-examined when DNA tests later became more accurate. The one that, even though he’d confessed at the time, had given him the ability to recant his confession and get released on parole for good behavior.
The other belonged to Max.
“What are we gonna do about this, Jeff?”
“We? You must mean the royal we. I did over thirty years’ time for a crime I didn’t fucking commit. I’m done doing anything about this.”
Max grabbed his collar. “Look, shithead, that was thirty years ago, and I’m not going down for something stupid I did then. I got out twenty-five years ago, and I’ve made a life for myself. I’ve got a family now. So you keep your fuckin’ mouth shut, got it?”
Jeff broke Max’s hold easily. Yeah, he’d learned a lot in prison, and the first lesson had been ho
w to break a hold. He clenched his teeth, his anger turning to red rage. “Don’t you dare threaten me. You have a family. I never had the chance for one. I did time for your crime, asshole. You should be down on your knees, thanking me.”
“Yeah, I never quite understood why you did that, until I heard that your brother had knocked up your little slut girlfriend. Must have been hard knowing Wayne’s dick had been inside your sweet thing.”
Rage boiled in Jeff. “You have a funny way of asking for a guy’s cooperation, friend.”
Max cleared his throat. “I’m not asking. I’m telling. You tell a goddamned soul what really went down that night, and you can kiss your sweet little Angie—and your new grandson—good-bye. As for your Mia? She’ll be a goner too, after I have my way with that hot body. Damn, she still looks good after all these years, doesn’t she?”
That was all it took. Jeff grabbed Max’s collar and was ready to smash his face in with his fist when he remembered he was in a hospital—a hospital where his daughter and grandson were. He unclamped his fists. “You’re not worth it.”
“I knew you’d see reason. But mark my words. You say anything, and your family will pay the price.”
“You’d deny me my family? After all this time? After you just told me you have one of your own?”
“Damn right. I got where I am today by looking out for number one. You’re the one who always put someone else first. It got you thirty years. I’m not going to the slammer at age fifty-six, damn it. That was a long time ago. It’s not who I am anymore.”
Right. What a crock. Jeff wanted to pummel Max’s pock-marked face. If anyone ever laid a hand on Angie or Mia…or God forbid, that beautiful baby boy… Then Jeff would actually kill someone for real. He took a deep breath and gathered his strength. It took every bit of restraint he possessed not to put his fist through Max’s teeth.
“You just threatened my daughter and her mother. I’d say you’re still very much the same person.”
“Hey, people revert to old ways when their lives are threatened.”
“Look, I didn’t rat on you all those years, why would I start now? Is your DNA on record anywhere? Has anyone come looking for you? This is old news, Max. Jesus. Let it go.”
“Well, I would, but something in my gut tells me you can’t be trusted, Bay.”
“Why the fuck would you say that? Did I mention it at all during my incarceration? Fuck you, Max. Fuck you to hell.”
“Save your swearing. Just know this. If I get any line that someone’s looking for me, or if I get called in, you’re gonna pay. Got it?”
“Yeah, right.” Jeff shook his head. He lifted his fist, inhaled, and held himself back. “Like I haven’t paid enough as it is. Get the fuck out of here, Max. If I see your ugly mug again I will turn you in. How’s that?”
Max turned and left. Jeff’s heart thudded. He didn’t trust Max. Not as far as he could throw him. And that didn’t sit well with him at all. It stuck in his craw.
Because now he had something to protect.
He had a family.
* * *
Thirty-Three Years Earlier
“Can I see you tonight? Again?”
Maria inhaled. Kissing Jeff had stolen her breath. He wanted to see her tonight? Heck, he could see her whenever he wanted. As far as she was concerned, she was his. For all time.
But Meghan…
“You mean go out?”
“Well…sure, if you want to.” He hedged a little. “But I meant, be together. You know. Like last night.”
She gulped. That’s what she’d hoped he meant. Of course it would be nice to go out too.
He smiled. “But I’d love to take you out. You want to eat somewhere?”
“Yeah. Sure. I could eat.” Though right now her tummy was in knotty flutters.
“Then maybe after…?”
She could hardly catch her breath. But no, not at her house again. Not with Meghan in the next room. Plus, she was a little sore.
“My sister,” she said. “I can’t do it with her in the next room again. I shouldn’t have last night. It was too close a call.”
“Of course. I understand.” He smiled and cupped her cheek. “I’ll take you to my apartment.”
His apartment? The thought evoked both excitement and fear. “Mom leaves for work at six, and I should be home with Meghan.”
He nodded. “I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but I understand.”
A jolt of fear struck her. What if he only wanted the sex? “You still want to have dinner?”
He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Of course. I’m not just after sex with you, Mia. Though that was sure fun.”
Yes, it had been fun. But it had been so much more than that. Had it been more for him too?
Chapter Twelve
Maria’s soft gaze met his. “Angie and Rafe want to see you.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “Everything’s fine. The baby’s fine. Go on in.”
Jeff ambled to the room, wiping all thoughts of Max and his threats from his mind. Right now, he wanted to concentrate on his daughter and new grandson.
He knocked softly and then opened the door to her room.
“Hi there.”
“Jeff, please come in,” Rafe said.
He entered.
“I haven’t had the chance to properly thank you for what you did.” Rafe grabbed him in a big bear hug.
The act of closeness startled Jeff. His family hadn’t been huggers. He’d never embraced his brother or his grandfather. Maybe his father before he’d died. He couldn’t remember.
But hugging his son-in-law—the man who took care of his daughter, who loved her, who’d helped her give him his beautiful new grandson—felt good. Felt right. He returned the affection.
“It was nothing. Anyone would have done the same.”
Rafe let him go. “I wish I’d been there. I’m just so thankful you were. None of us expected Little Jeff to come so soon.”
Jeff gasped without meaning to. Had he heard right? “Little Jeff?”
“Yes, Daddy.” Angie smiled. “We’ve decided to name the baby Jefferson Wayne Bay Grayhawk.”
“But what about your father, Rafe?”
“I explained the situation to him, and he was more than understanding. Our next baby will be Jack—or Jacqueline, if it’s a girl.”
Jeff was flummoxed, awestruck. A lump formed in his throat. “I don’t know what to say.”
Rafe smiled. “You don’t have to say anything. We want to do this. If not for you, Little Jeff might not even be here.”
Tears welled in Jeff’s eyes. For the love of God, he’d gotten through thirty years of lockdown without shedding a tear, but give him his new family, and he became the damned waterworks.
“I’m honored. Truly. Thank you. Both of you.”
Angie smiled. “Would you like to hold your namesake?”
His heart warmed. “Yes. Yes, I’d love to.”
As Rafe took the warm bundle from Angie and placed him in Jeff’s arms, a new emotion crept into Jeff’s heart. My grandson. The child was beautiful with a big head of dark hair and dark blue eyes. When those eyes opened and gazed at Jeff, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would do anything for this child. All the love and devotion he should have been able to lavish on Angie—and that his brother had lavished on her in his absence—he would lavish on Little Jeff. He’d be there for this one. Little Jeff’s grandpa might not be able to lavish money on him like Wayne had for Angie, but Little Jeff would not lack for love.
I promise you, he said silently to his grandson. I promise you everything.
* * *
A few days later, back at the ranch, Jeff was currying a horse when the wild berries and vanilla wafted to his nose. He turned.
Mia.
She was a vision. Her onyx hair hung loose around her shoulders, and she wore a simple pair of jeans and a blue-and-white checkered shirt. Her ruby-red lips w
ere curved upward in a slow smile.
“Hello, Jeff.”
He couldn’t hold back his smile. His grandson, Little Jeff, had melted away the last remaining ice around his heart.
Mia’s red lips curved upward. “You’re smiling.” Her eyes misted, and she sniffed. “That’s a real smile. You’re just as handsome as you were thirty years ago. Dear God, I thought I’d never see your smile again.”
Jeff warmed. Had he truly not smiled at Mia before now? How could he explain it to her or to himself? He couldn’t, so he simply said, “He’s beautiful, isn’t he, Mia?”
Maria wiped at her eyes. “Yes, he sure is. Just as beautiful as Angie was when she was born.”
No resentment whirled through him. Not one tiny ounce. He had let his anger at Maria dissipate a while ago, but he’d held on to a shred of it toward his dead brother. Now, he felt only gratitude toward him for taking care of Maria and Angie when he couldn’t. He had to be honest with himself. Wayne had given them both more than he could have. Even if he hadn’t lied and made a confession, he most likely would have done some time anyway, though not the thirty years he did.
He’d seen photos of Angie as a child, but he’d resisted giving more than a cursory view of all the albums. He was afraid it would hurt too much. Now, he was ready. Maybe he had some more smiles in him. “I’d like to see the pictures, Mia.”
Her smile spread across her mouth and lit up her beautiful face. “Really, Jeff?” She threw her arms around him and whispered in his ear, “Thank God. I want you to see all the pictures of her, how beautiful she was, how talented.” She backed away, continuing to chatter. “She was the youngest rodeo queen ever crowned in Bakersville, just a few days over eighteen. And so bright. Her IQ is genius level.” She tugged at his arm. “Are you done here? Let’s go to the house now. Let’s look at all the photos together.”
He nodded and put away the currycomb. “I’m done. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.”
The muscles in his arm jerked, tried to move on their own, to take Maria’s smaller hand in his. Yet he held back. Still. No more resentment, but he wasn’t a whole man. He feared he would never be. And he wasn’t ready to give himself to anyone, not even his Mia.