****
Jay pulled up to Aunt Opal's cabin. It wasn’t so bad-looking from the front, but he knew better. The roof was shabby from the last big storm they’d had, and if he knew his aunt, she hadn’t ordered more wood, which meant the sound coming from the back was someone trying to cut more. Looking at the half a pile of old logs, he knew it wouldn’t be enough for the storm, let alone the whole winter. Good thing he’d brought some to help them until they could put an order in. However, if he could have his way, he would be telling them to high-tail it back into town and stay there; it was safer, warmer, and he wouldn’t have to deal with them if the roof caved in from all the heavy snow.
Wood in hand, Jay walked around the back, stepping over the logs before watching a small woman raising an ax that looked to be ten years old and dull as dirt, splitting pieces off a small log sitting on the base. God, what was this woman thinking? One, she couldn’t cut wood with that thing—it would only get stuck, and two, she needed bigger pieces to cut up, and three, she was going to hurt herself holding an ax like that. Stupid damn movies made it look easy like anyone could do it, just lifting and bringing it down. There was a right way to chop wood without hurting oneself. No, they have men who don’t know the woods from a hole in their ass.
He watched as she did it over and over again, not making any real progress with the one single log she had been working on. At this point, it would have been easier just to burn the whole log instead.
However, something about her was vaguely familiar, he just couldn’t put his finger on it. He stood still to see what she would do next, but when she brought the ax down again, he couldn’t stop the landing. Her hands were placed all wrong, and as the ax made contact, she yelled out in pain. Dropping the wood in his hand, he ran over to her.
“You okay?” As he got closer, she turned to look at him. Those eyes. Bright green eyes pierced through him, freezing him in place.
“Winter?”
Her face pale, she held her hand as a piece of wood stuck out of it. The ax was old, which meant the handle was, too. It had a crack and when it made contact it went up and into her hand. Sadly, he learned that mistake himself a long time ago.
“Jay? What are you doing here?” Her voice shook, and he didn’t know if it was a shock, pain, or something else that made her look like she was going to be sick.
“Aunt Opal sent me to check on her latest victim. I take it you’re staying here?” He glared at her, unable to hide his disdain for the woman who haunted his dreams and had played him like a chump.
“Aunt? Shit. I didn’t know. Hell, Jay, I didn’t even know your last name until that meeting. Look, I gotta go get this out. Can I call you or something later? I need to get inside.” She dodged him, trying to head straight into the cabin, but he wasn’t going to have any of it until he looked inside and make sure the roof and the fireplace were okay. The last thing he needed was her banging on his door because she was cold or broke a nail.
She practically ran to the door and shut it behind herself. He turned the handle and instantly, she froze, blocking his way in.
“Look, I’m good, okay. I just gotta get better at chopping wood. Thanks for stopping by.”
“Let me see inside, and take a look at your hand.” The shard of wood was still lodged in it, and she was doing her best not to make it such a big deal.
“No. No, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“Come on, Winter, I won’t bite. Let me in, woman.”
“I, umm, you see. I can’t. I got, well…” but she didn’t stop him as he pushed his way inside and he froze just looking around the place. It was clean but slightly cluttered with… toys. Spinning around, he looked at her, confused. When was the last time toys had been in this house?
“Winter, you babysitting someone’s kids out here?” Her face was blank, frozen and looking past him at something, then a noise, a cry struck him. No, she was looking at someone.
Spinning, he looked around and down. Sure enough, there was a baby, well, a larger one standing in some type of baby pen, he didn’t know what it was called, looking up at him. The little boy had Winter’s green eyes, and instantly he knew why Opal had sent her up here. Winter had a kid.
“Yours?” His voice was hoarse, though he didn’t know why. It wasn’t like it was his; she had told him she was on the pill, and it was only one night.
Her whispered voice pulled at him. “Yes.”
He didn’t, couldn’t, ask. Instead, he closed his eyes, doing his best to figure all this shit out.
“I can explain, Jay.” Her voice was laced with the sound of tears; he didn’t want to hear it. Instead, he walked back to the bathroom, grabbing the first aid kit he knew was there before heading into the kitchen where Winter was trying to figure out how to get the wood out.
“Let me see.” His voice was a little gruffer than normal, but right now he needed to focus on one task at a time before moving to another. Right now, her hand.
Taking it, he looked at it before opening the box and squirting some liquid on her hand. He gripped the piece of wood and tugged it out of her palm. She yelped before the blood started to pool in the area. Yeah, it was a nasty gash, but she shouldn’t need to be stitched; some chicks seemed to need a doctor for a hangnail.
Instead of letting her get away, he held her soft hand, pouring more hydrogen peroxide on it and wrapping it up with some antibacterial cream. “You’ll need to keep this clean and take some pain killers. Get someone else to watch your kid.” Your kid. God, that was weird to say. What had he walked into? When did she have one, how old was it? No, him. Looking at his rocket-ship clothes, it was a little boy.
“Thanks, umm, but that’s okay. I got him. Thanks for the help.” She offered him a small smile while walking over to the little guy. He smiled as the kid said “Momma” over and over, reaching up for her. Instantly she picked him up, snuggling him close before kissing his scruffy hair. “But as you can see, I have more important things to do. I’ll tell your aunt you stopped by so she doesn’t worry about you.” He nodded once before looking around the place once more. She wouldn’t make it out here, he knew that.
“Look, Winter, Opal is great, but this isn’t a safe place for him. It's best if you just head home. I’m sure your parents’ fancy place is better than this run down palace.” He laughed; it was far from what she was used to.
“Can’t do that. I’m no longer family.” Her small smile drooped some as she held her son before putting him down. He looked at her bandaged hand, telling her, “Ouch.”
“Oh, well. I’m sure your boyfriend or kid’s father would keep you warmer than this.” Her face grew red.
“Look, I didn’t ask for you to tell me what I can and can’t do. I don’t have anyone, okay? I worked as an office assistant for a while, and Opal watched him for me while I worked. But now, she left, and I have to stay home. Home is no longer there, so here I am. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Whatever. Just get wood, and watch the roof, it needs to be replaced. I have a tarp in my truck I can put on for now, but it won’t hold. I wasn’t kidding when I said it wasn’t safe here, Winter.” He felt like an ass when he said it all. She had no one and nothing. And here he was practically kicking her out of the only place she could stay, and with a kid to boot.
“What about the father? Travis?” God, even saying the prick’s name made him want to punch a fucking hole in the wall.
“Travis? Oh, my God, he isn’t the father. I never slept with him.” Her voice sounded annoyed and hurt.
“Oh, well, umm.” Shit, he wasn’t good with things like this. “Do you know who the father is?” The look she gave him made him feel like a fucking dick. He’d just called her a slut who slept around and didn’t even know who fathered her kid.
“Screw you, Jay. Yes, I know who it is. Now get out.”
“Winter, look, I’m sorry.” She placed the kid back in the pen before rushing at him, shoving him out the door.
“Just get out, you asshole. I’m not some two-bit whore. Yes, we slept together pretty fast. But I don’t do things like that.”
“Umm.”
“Just get out, Jay.” She shoved him, but he only moved an inch as she opened the door.
“Look, I guess I should ask, but I think I already know the answer because you said you were on the pill.”
“You better shut up, just don’t.” Tears welled in her eyes as she pushed the door on his frame.
“Is he mine?” There, he asked it.
“What?”
“You said it was fucking okay, Winter. I wouldn’t have fucked you if you hadn’t told me you were on the pill, or I would’ve hunted down a condom. But tell me right now. Is that my kid? Did I knock you up?”
“Yes, damn it. You did, now get out. Please.” Her tears were flowing like a river as she finally got it shut. Effectively kicking him out of the small cabin.
What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened?
He had a kid, a kid from a one night stand on top of that. With her, of all people.
Fuck it. Jay dropped the wood he had brought on her front step before jumping in his truck. He needed a drink, and to think. Life had just thrown him another fucking curve ball.
Chapter Six
Winter couldn’t hide the tears from her son, no, their son. Felix was the product of both her and Jay, though she didn’t know it at the time when she returned home. She was on the pill, but little did she know that the migraine medication her mother gave her stopped her pills from working. She had suffered from migraines since she was a kid, and so it was normal to get medication from her parents, even back then. Who would have thought one stupid pill could cancel out the other? But, she wasn’t going to cry over spilled milk. If anything, she couldn’t be happier about the mix-up. She had Felix, though it was without the help of her parents who tried to “send her away,” and come back transformed or even get rid of him altogether. Hell, at one point they tried to sell her off to Travis before she started to show, and then trap him with the pregnancy.
Looking at her sweet boy, he looked so much like Jay. All but the eyes, he had her eyes, and that was the one good trait she liked about herself. He smiled and clapped his hands as he danced in the playpen. Felix was such a good baby; she couldn’t even imagine her life without him.
It wasn’t that she was upset with having him or Jay finding out about Felix. She was not happy that Jay had questioned whether she knew which he belonged to. As if she was some bar hopper who jumped from bed to bed, or to find a way to trap a man. No, if anything, she was the opposite. The shyness with her was real when it came to men. That night, she felt desperate to be rid of Travis, and to see what normal looked like without her family hovering and telling her they were beneath her.
No, she was happier now, though she was colder, and her hand hurt like hell. That would have to be something she just dealt with until Felix went back down for a nap. It was easier when she could distract him with cartoons before they moved up to the cabin, but Opal didn’t have a DVD player to play his movies.
So that meant wearing his little butt out playing before she could step outside and cut more wood. However, she wouldn’t be able to focus from the pain right then until she took something. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but Jay made her feel like a giant baby for crying out loud when the stupid wood went into her hand. She had dealt with a pregnancy that wasn’t easy and ended in a C-section, all alone, and then trying to deal with a colicky baby on top of it all. Then coming home one day to find their small studio apartment had been burglarized had sent her spiraling downhill. So, she was left with the last idea she could think of—sell everything she could and come to the first town that had made her feel safe. Who would have thought it was going to be the very place Felix was created? Subconsciously, she had known she would come here. It made her feel at peace and safe, and she wanted to start painting again.
The day Felix got sick, she was down to her last few dollars when she took him to the doctor and met Opal, who had been her saving grace. Helped find her a small job and watched him while she worked, as Winter tried to save here and there when she could. She was good with money, thanks to the years of hiding it from her parents when she wanted to buy art supplies and studio time to paint. So she cut back on things she didn’t need, such as cable, and only used the “pay by the minute” type of phone. Since it was only her, she was able to keep costs down. As long as she had internet and power, she could make it work. The good part was that Felix didn’t eat much yet, so she could live on peanut butter and jelly, and sometimes canned ravioli, too. As long as Felix had enough to eat, she would make do with what she could afford.
Felix babbled about something and ran the cars up and down the little table, laughing as he crashed into her car. He kept pointing to her hand and offering to kiss her boo boo, but she declined and offered her cheek instead. When it looked like he was getting hungry, Winter tugged out the small high chair and made him lunch of macaroni and cheese that Opal had left them.
While he ate, she tugged on her jacket, going outside to snag the few pieces of wood she had cut to keep them warm until his nap. However, when she opened the door, she was shocked to see a giant bundle of wood sitting on her step. Jay must have left it for her, and her heart softened at the gesture. It would be enough for today and tonight at least. It definitely bought her more time, for sure.
Taking the bundle inside, she placed the logs by the fireplace and sighed. Things were going to be strange, living close to Jay. And if she ever got a chance to talk to Opal, she planned on giving her a lecture about meddling with her. Opal asked many times about the father, and each time she told her she only knew his name and that was it. He hated her, and she never knew how to get in contact with him. How was she supposed to know that he was Opal’s nephew, of all people?
Smiling, she ruffled Felix’s hair. No matter what happened, she wasn’t going to fail him. Her son was her life, and if that meant dealing was his ass of a father, then she would do that, for him.
****
Winter had thrown him for a damn loop. Not only was she staying at his aunt’s rundown cabin, but she also claimed she had his kid. He’d fucking asked her about birth control. He hadn’t been with many women without a condom before, but something about her innocence and softness drew him in and made him lose his fucking mind. It couldn’t be his. Shit.
Turning his truck, he went down the path, needing a drink. He got to Woodpecker’s a short time later, parked, and made his way inside. It wouldn’t hurt to eat dinner as well.
Sitting at the bar, he placed an order for beer and burger. As he nursed the drink, he looked around. Many women started filing in like they normally did at night when looking for some company. However, he wasn’t in the mood for them. None of them had the same appeal that Winter did. They were all skinny, which isn’t a bad thing; however, it didn’t hold the same appeal it had before. He knew he liked to fuck rough, and if they couldn’t hold his interest, not only in bed but mentally, they didn’t work for him. Sure, he had done the one-night stands before, and truth be told, he didn’t care too much. Just as long as they didn’t cling to him for more. With Winter, he actually was interested in her a lot more than he probably should have been. Hell, he hadn’t even known her last name when he bedded her.
And look where that got him. He had finished his food before he decided he didn’t want to go home right then. He wanted to drink, and piss the night away. Going home would only let his mind wander with too many what if’s, and stew about how close Winter was to him again.
Jay was only down three shots and his second beer when the asshole of a prick came walking in, taking a seat next to him.
“Hey.” He said before ordering a beer. Jay nodded back, ignoring him. The tequila was starting to affect him before he ordered another. Neither man said anything until Jay couldn’t take the silence.
“Did you fuck her?” He wasn’t sure why he blurted it ou
t as he had, but Jay needed to know.
“What? Fuck who? You need to be more specific, because I have tapped just about every hot piece of ass in here, twice in some cases,” bragged Travis. Fury set in his eyes as he wanted to fuck the ever-loving shit out of the weasel. He needed to know if Winter was telling him the truth. He had seen for himself that his arms were around her when he left the last day in the hotel.
“Winter. Winter Stevens.” Throwing back another shot, he let the burn roll through him, bracing for the answer.
“Ya know, since you seem pretty shit-faced, and I don’t give a shit about you or your fucking little land, though you should’ve let them buy it already and take the money and run, but that’s your shit call. But no, that’s one piece of ass I didn’t get to. Not for lack of trying. Even took her out a few times, but in the end, she didn’t want me. I tried even kissing her, and she slapped me. Like she could find someone better than me with her looks. It doesn’t matter now, though. Heard she got kicked out of the family for something. Figured she either got into drugs, married below her class, or got knocked up. Some shit like that.” Travis kept talking as if he liked to hear the sound of his voice. However, Jay felt like a piece of shit. He just accused Winter of being a slut, when he knew in his heart she wasn’t, and now he had confirmation of it, too.
“Fuck.” He slammed his fist down on the counter, making the shot glasses jump. He needed to talk to her, apologize, and then find out what she wanted to do about the kid. No. His kid. God damn it. He had a kid. A son. He didn’t know how to be a father. What the hell was he going to do?
Throwing some cash on the bar, he paid for the drinks and walked out the door. It was dark now, and he had a few too many to make the trek back to the cabin. Woodpecker’s was known for having cabs free for men, such as himself, who needed them after a night of drinking. One reason he liked the town and the crime rate was always low. He would have to pick up his truck tomorrow morning before he made his apology to Winter. Maybe some wood would help ease the hurt he’d caused. Hell, if he had it his way, he would get them to move into town, where she and the baby would be safe.
Winter's Storm Page 4