Custody For Two (Baby Bonds #1)

by Karen Rose Smith

  Gwen’s biological parents had abandoned her, Shaye knew. They’d left her in a church and no one had ever seen them again. Then Gwen had been adopted by the Langworthys. When she was ten, her mother fell in love with another man and moved, eventually starting another family and forgetting about Gwen and her dad. Because of it, Gwen’s father had turned to alcohol. Now he was sober, but his daughter didn’t expect him to stay that way. He’d fallen off the wagon too many times. A couple of years ago she’d stopped enabling him, stopped taking care of him, had moved out of the family home into a house of her own. All of it had left its mark. Gwen was even more independent than Shaye, more assertive, more determined to make sure she didn’t need anyone.

  Now Shaye asked, “Did you push Mark away?”

  After a considering moment, her friend replied, “Not intentionally. Maybe instead of pushing him away, I just couldn’t open up enough. I don’t know. I guess I’ll never know.”

  “Do you think it’s true that opposites attract? And when they do, there are more sparks than in an easier relationship?”

  “Do you think you and Dylan have crack and sizzle because you’re opposites? I think there’s a lot more to it than that. I think great love affairs are few and far between, that most people don’t know true passion or real desire. To answer your question, I never have.”

  After Gwen stood, she picked up Timmy and lifted him high in the air. When he giggled, she smiled and brought him close to her, holding him in the crook of her arm. “So, you think Dylan is using your attraction to him to convince you to do what he wants?”

  “I don’t want to think that.”

  “Yes, I think you do,” Gwen disagreed. “If you keep questioning his motives, you won’t give in to him. If you have doubts about him, that makes it easier to push him away.”

  “What am I going to do?” It was a rhetorical question and Shaye didn’t expect an answer, but Gwen gave her one.

  “You’re going to put Timmy first and guard your heart.”

  “I can easily put Timmy first, but when I’m around Dylan, guarding my heart seems to be a monumental endeavor.”

  Gwen went completely still. “Have you fallen in love with him?”

  “I think I have,” she admitted.

  Still holding Timmy, Gwen put a hand on her shoulder. “I bought a half gallon of ice cream just for this occasion. Come on. Problems can always be solved over a good double fudge.”

  Chapter Ten

  On Saturday, as Shaye stood in the outdoor booth selling baked goods for church, she saw Dylan striding toward her. In jeans and a dark brown shirt, he looked as good as he had all week when he’d come to her town house to spend time with Timmy. As he’d visited, she’d watched from afar, pretending to be busy. They hadn’t really spoken to each other since their confrontation at Mustang Creek.

  Now, here he was at Horse and Buggy Days, standing in front of her booth, unobtrusively appraising her white-eyelet peasant blouse and long red-and-blue gingham skirt.

  “Hi,” he said, as if they were meeting for the first time in a long while.

  “Hi.” Not knowing what else to say or do, she motioned to the packages of brownies in front of her. “Want to buy baked goods for a good cause?”

  “What’s the good cause?”

  “All our donations will go for baskets for needy families over the holidays.”

  Pointing to a packet of two brownies, he took out his wallet. “I’ll take that one.”

  She was about to slip it into a bag when he shook his head.

  “I missed lunch, so I’ll eat them now.” After he handed her a few bills and told her to keep the change, she watched him unwrap the brownies.

  Traffic had slowed and she didn’t have anyone else to take her attention away from Dylan. As he ate, savoring the chocolate dessert, she couldn’t take her gaze from his lips. Those lips could give so much pleasure.

  “Have you had lunch yet?” he asked.

  “No, I haven’t. Someone’s supposed to relieve me soon.”

  “I need the main course now that I’ve had dessert. Do you want to get something together?”

  She hated the tension between them…as well as the wall. Maybe they could rediscover a friendlier footing. “That would be nice.” She motioned to her outfit. “If you don’t mind walking around with someone who escaped from another era.”

  “I don’t mind.” There was a warmer quality to his voice today that hadn’t been there all week. “Maybe we should take one of the horse and buggy rides and get into the real flavor of the day.”

  The town had gone all-out. Besides the stands selling everything from pottery to chili, activities had been organized for the whole day. There had been a baseball game that morning and games for the children as well as a petting zoo and horse and buggy rides. Also, artisans in selected shops were holding demonstrations of crafts handed down from generation to generation such as candle-making, saddle-crafting, pottery-sculpting and jewelry design. Even the waitresses at the Silver Dollar were dressed in clothes that had come from the eighteen hundreds.

  Finished with the brownies, Dylan asked, “Is Timmy at Barb’s?”

  Shaye nodded. “Randall’s here somewhere with the kids. After I pick up Timmy, Barb’s going to come into town for the evening celebration.”

  “The fiddling and the fireworks?”

  “I think there’s a country band, too.”

  “Were you planning to join them?”

  “Actually, I wasn’t.”

  “You were going to go home, give Timmy a bath and call it a night.”

  She became defensive. “Is there anything wrong with that?”

  “No. I just don’t understand why you hibernate.”

  “Maybe I prefer my own company. Maybe I just want to spend some quiet time with my…” She was about to say her son.

  “With your son,” Dylan finished. “Don’t be afraid to say it, Shaye.”

  “I’m not afraid. Damn it, Dylan, you’ve ruined a perfectly good afternoon.”

  Swearing was foreign to her and now she couldn’t believe he’d gotten her so frustrated she’d done it in front of him.

  But instead of countering her frustration with his own, he smiled. “You’re jumping to conclusions. I’m not going to ruin your afternoon. In fact, I’m going to make it better for both of us. Let’s have a late lunch, take a horse and buggy ride and go get Timmy and bring him back here. Or do you really want to spend the evening alone…with him?” he tacked on, but she knew what he meant.

  “That depends. Are we going to argue all day?”

  “No, we’re not going to argue.”

  “And I don’t want Timmy scared at the fireworks tonight.”

  “Fine. We’ll leave before the fireworks start. Music won’t hurt him, will it?” The question had a tinge of sarcasm, then he immediately raised both hands. “Sorry. I promise I won’t take swipes at the way you want to spend your time.”

  “Music will be fine, as long as it’s not too loud.”

  He laughed and shook his head in exasperation.

  Business suddenly picked up as a few passersby stopped for snacks or baked goods. As Dylan stood in the shade of the feed store’s front overhang, he watched Shaye. She looked pretty in the feminine blouse and long skirt. This week had been tense, to say the least, and although he’d enjoyed the time he’d spent with Timmy, he’d been aware that Shaye hadn’t been that far away. Her accusation that he’d used the chemistry between them to get what he wanted had cut deep…too deep. Perhaps because the accusation was partly true, he had to admit.

  If he and Shaye were on the same wavelength, in and out of bed, wouldn’t that make life easier for everybody?

  Yet, the sonar he’d developed where Shaye was concerned, the deep twisting ache in his gut whenever he was around her, the arousal he couldn’t deny, had never been part of any plan. It just was.

  When the next volunteer showed up to relieve Shaye, all Dylan knew was that he wanted a te
nsion-free afternoon with her.

  Finished at the booth, she exited the back and came over to where he was standing. “Do you still want to get something to eat?”

  “Do you think I changed my mind about being hungry, or about spending time with you?”

  “Either. Both.”

  “Once I design a plan, I don’t change my mind.”

  “Inflexible, are we?” she joked lightly.

  “I don’t know about you, but when I’m determined, I don’t let much stand in my way.”

  “I’m finding that out.” Her tone was wry, as if she didn’t appreciate that quality about him.

  He motioned to the next block and then across the street where more booths were located that were selling food.

  “So, what’s your pleasure? Chili, hot wings, corn dogs, burgers?”

  “Did you ever try Mrs. Garcia’s hot wings?” Shaye was looking across the street at a stand where a line waited to pay for their servings.

  “I don’t know if I have.”

  “Joanie Garcia caters small parties and family get-togethers. Her wings are so hot, you need a fire hydrant close by, turned on full-force.”

  “Hot wings are out?” he asked, his brows raised.

  “No, I didn’t say that. I like a good fire now and then, but—”

  When Shaye stopped midsentence, Dylan turned his attention from the line at the hot wing stand, to her. “Shaye?”

  Her eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted and she was staring across the street.

  He recognized the man. It was her father and he had his arm around a younger, very pretty blonde.

  “I don’t believe it,” Shaye murmured.

  At that moment, Carson Bartholomew leaned close to the woman as if he were whispering in her ear. The couple laughed. Carson’s arm curled around his date’s waist, and he brought her close to him as they waited their turn in the queue at the stand.

  Dylan wasn’t going to pretend he hadn’t seen what Shaye had seen. “Do you know her?”

  “No, I don’t know her. I wonder what he’s doing with her!”

  “They look as if they’ve known each other for a while.”

  “Longer than a first date.”

  “Do you want to go over there?”

  “No! That’s the last thing I want to do.”

  “Does your father dating bother you?”

  “No, I’m just surprised, that’s all. And she’s very…young. My age.”

  He couldn’t help but smile. “You can tell that from this distance?”

  “My eyesight’s twenty-twenty. I can tell by the way she moves.”

  Settling a hand on her shoulder, he nudged Shaye to face him. “Come on, let’s get some lunch. There’s a fried chicken stand in the other direction.”

  Finally nodding, Shaye responded softly, “That sounds like a good idea.”

  She was very quiet as Dylan bought two chicken dinners including biscuits, coleslaw and mashed potatoes. They headed toward picnic tables that had been set up under canopies on the town square. After they were seated, they ate and Dylan left Shaye to her thoughts.

  As residents of Wild Horse Junction milled about, sat at the other tables and left again, Dylan finally asked Shaye, “Would you like something else to drink?”

  She’d finished her lemonade and now looked at it as if she wondered where it had gone. “No, I’m fine.”

  But she wasn’t. Every once in a while she glanced down the street and he wondered if she was hoping for a confrontation with her dad…or planning to avoid it.

  About to suggest they go for that buggy ride, he gathered their plates. When he looked up, John Bartholomew saw them and waved.

  He approached with a smile that faded when Shaye asked, “Did you know Dad is dating someone?”

  With a grimace, Shaye’s brother lowered himself onto the bench across from her. “Sure you want to talk about this now?” He glanced at Dylan.

  “Yes, now is fine.”

  With a shrug, her brother answered, “Yeah, I knew. It’s been going on about a month now.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I knew you’d be upset.”

  “I’m not upset.”

  Her brother’s brows quirked up and he stared at her steadily.

  Raising her hands in a resigned gesture, she protested, “I’m not upset. I just wish he’d told me. I’m surprised, that’s all. He’s always been too busy for a personal life.”

  As he fingered a straw wrapper that had been lying loose on the table, John suggested, “That could change. He’s thinking about retiring.”

  “Oh, really? That doesn’t happen over night. When did he decide that?”

  “Around Christmas, he first mentioned it to me.”

  “Does Randall know all this?”

  Instead of his usual blustery self, John looked a bit sheepish. “Yeah, I think he does. He definitely knows Dad’s dating Nicole.”

  “Nicole who?”

  “Nicole Taylor. She’s a bigwig at the bank.”

  “How big a wig can she be when she’s probably only thirty?”

  Dylan could tell John was suppressing a grin. “She’s thirty-five.”

  “She could be his daughter.”

  “Yeah, I guess so, and that’s probably the lure. He wants to feel young again.”

  As if uncomfortable with what he’d told Shaye, or her reaction to it, John untangled his long legs from the bench and stood. “Randall and I decided we should stay out of it. You should probably do the same.”

  “Let’s see. Our father is dating a woman who could become our stepmother and you think we should pretend we don’t notice?”

  “I didn’t say we should pretend anything, but it’s his life.”

  “You know what, John? I think all protective brothers should be walked to Wild Horse Canyon and left there for a while until they realize families should communicate.”

  Raising his hands as if to ward off Shaye’s words, her brother half-teased, “That’s it. I’m out of here.” With a regretful look at Dylan that said he could deal with Shaye, John ambled down the street.

  Beside Shaye, his shoulder against hers, Dylan could feel her pent-up frustration.

  She blew out a breath. “John keeping silent doesn’t surprise me, but Randall doesn’t usually keep me in the dark.”

  “You’re assuming they kept you in the dark on purpose.”

  “Of course, they did it on purpose. They probably made a pact. They did that when they were kids. John would get a bad grade and he’d swear Randall to secrecy. Randall would buy a new stereo system with money he was supposed to be saving for college and John would help him hook it up in his closet. John would miss his curfew and Randall would tell me he was already in bed. I always caught on,” she added.

  “They knew you’d find out about this, too.”

  “Yeah, later, rather than sooner. Don’t they realize I’ve always felt as if they’ve excluded me from their club? Doesn’t Dad realize I’ve always cared about him, but he’s never acted as if he cared about me?” Immediately she looked sorry she’d said it. “Did that ever sound whiney.” She gave a fake laugh and got to her feet. “I learned a long time ago that Dad keeps his life separate from ours.”

  “Has your dad ever said ‘thank you’?” Dylan asked.

  She blinked. “For what?”

  “For you raising your brothers without his help.”

  All of Shaye’s indignation and frustration vanished in a moment and her eyes filled with tears. When she shook her head, Dylan wrapped his arm around her shoulders, wondering how much of Shaye’s upset was due to her dad dating a younger woman and her brothers cutting her out of the information loop. Or, rather, was it due to everything that had happened in the past five months? Something told him she needed a break before she went back to work. He’d been mulling over an idea for himself but maybe he needed to include Shaye.

  Turning her toward him, he asked, “How would you like to
take a break from the real world?”

  “Wouldn’t that be lovely,” she quipped.

  “I mean it. I was going camping for a couple of days. If you go along, it could just be overnight—a night without any responsibilities. I want to photograph the mustangs in the Big Horns. We could leave in the afternoon and be back the following afternoon. Twenty-four hours away from everything that makes you crazy and stressed.”

  “I can’t leave Timmy,” she protested.

  “I know you love taking care of him. But don’t you think you could use a few hours of downtime just for yourself? Once you go back to work, you’ll feel guilty you’re not with Timmy twenty-four hours a day and you’ll put even more energy into giving him what he needs. That energy has to come from somewhere. You can’t drain yourself dry, Shaye, and I think that’s what you’ve been doing.”

  Some part of her must have known he was right because she wasn’t giving him an out-and-out no. “How do you know where to find the horses?”

  “I know their watering holes. I know where they feed. Believe me, I can find them.”

  “I’ll have to ask Barb if she can take care of Timmy. Maybe I could keep my niece and nephew overnight to repay her.”

  “We could take them to the rodeo in Cody some night.”

  After she gave it a little more thought, she asked, “You think I’m rough and tough enough for a camping and hiking trip? What about the sleeping arrangements?”

  “We’ll just figure it out as we go.”

  Shaye seemed to accept that. “All right. I’ll talk to Barb when we get back. When do you want to go?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Seize the moment?” she asked, a bit uneasily.

  “The weather’s supposed to be good tomorrow. We should take advantage of it.”

  His pragmatism seemed easier for her to accept than the idea that she should be a free spirit and go where life led her. “You’re afraid I’ll change my mind?”

  “No, I’m afraid you’ll make a list of the pros and cons, and in the pro column you’ll forget to add the mountains and the canyons and the color of the horses’ manes, the air and the exercise, the stars and the sense of freedom.”

  Laughing, she protested, “Stop! Let’s take that buggy ride before I’m overwhelmed by the pros.”