The Texan's Twins

by Jolene Navarro

  Turning to face him, she tried to put distance between them. If she wanted space, she wasn’t getting it. He had her trapped against the counter. She needed to listen to him. “Dani girl, it’s going to be okay.”

  With a grumble, she ducked under his arm and started to rearrange containers. “Go see Bobby.”

  “Baby. You’re upset. I know I’m part of the problem, but you’ve been so strong for so long.” Standing next to her, he placed a hand over hers to ease the nervous moments. “If you’re mad, get mad. I can take it, then you can go back to being strong.”

  Suddenly she was in his arms, her fist hitting his chest, her face on his shoulder. Feet planted, he took the hits with his arms around her.

  “I’m tired of being the strong one. I’m tired of being responsible for everyone and everything else! You left me. You left me to take care of everyone and I...” With a sob, she collapsed against him.

  Digging his fingers into her hair, he held her close as tears saturated his shirt. His own might have joined hers. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He repeated the useless phrase over and over against the soft skin of her ear.

  Taking two hard gasping breaths, she lifted her head. Her green eyes were bright with tears. “Why? Why did you throw us away for a quick score?”

  A question that had tormented him for the last few years. There was never an answer good enough. “I lacked faith.”

  His thumb traced her bottom lip. He became fixated as memories of their first kiss rose to the forefront. She had been so sweet and tender on that cold February day. She was stronger now.

  Dropping his hands, he leaned in closer. Closer to the dream that had sustained him for the last six years. Closer to the peace she always gave him.

  Soft as he remembered, her lips gave way under his. He went deeper. His hand cupped her jaw as he explored and rediscovered the wonder of Danica, his wife.

  One step closer. He had waited for this for a lifetime. Time stood still as he claimed what had once been his.

  Danica pushed on his chest. “No.” One step and she was beyond his reach again.

  Yanked out of his dreams, he faced the cold, hard reality of his choices. He let her go.

  Moving to the other side of the room, the heated glare she shot at him made her mood clear. With the medical table between them, she brought her breathing back under control. “No. Not now. Not ever again.” Spinning around, she rubbed her face. “I had my meltdown. You need to go now. Bobby will be back soon, and he can take you to the ranch.”

  “Danica, I’m sorry.” He had to find a way to reach her.

  “Yeah, I heard you the first few hundred times. I forgive you. We’re done.” Dry-faced, she stiffened her spine and looked at him straight in the face. “I know you’re invited to our church. If you do attend, please don’t talk to the girls or me. I recommend that you stay away from everyone in my family.”

  “If I were a better man, I would without question. But I can’t ignore the part of me that wants to fight for my family. For my rights as a father.”

  The color drained from her face. “Please don’t. You’ve hurt us enough. The best thing would be for you to go. Leave before the girls learn who you are and what you’ve done.”

  “Would that be so bad?”

  “I would rather they not learn that their father transported drugs. That he comes from a line of people who took the easy path to prison. You’re not the kind of man I want in their lives.”

  Every doubt he had walloped him in the face. He grabbed the edge of the counter for support. His girls would be ashamed of him. Just as their mother was. He was the son of Calvin McAllister, and he was drenched in the sins of his father. His insides hollowed out, not an ounce of blood or a twitch of muscle was evident. It was gone. Ray had promised him God’s forgiveness if he asked for it. Forgiveness from Danica was not so easy. “I don’t even deserve it.”

  Eyes narrowed, she glared at him. “What are you talking about?”

  “Forgiveness. I know it doesn’t erase my mistakes.” His jaw hurt. “I don’t deserve you or the girls. Knowing I haven’t earned the right to have you in my life doesn’t stop the wanting. I want to be in the girls’ lives in some sort of way.”

  A few labeled containers seemed to be out of place as she turned her back to him and rearranged them again.

  He straightened. “I’ll check the cub.” He glanced at the large crate that held the still-sleeping female cat. “Do you need help releasing her?”

  He waited at the door for her to say something. What he wanted, he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want to leave her this way. Her back stayed rigid, and her usually graceful moments were stiff. She dropped a canister of swabs, and they scattered across the cold tiled floor.

  He rushed to help her.

  “Reid, just go. I can—”

  “Momma!”

  “Momma, can we see the baby bats?”

  Her head dropped, but only for a brief second. Steel in her eyes, she glared at him. “Go.”

  “Mr. McAllister!”

  “Call me Reid.” He smiled at them as he went down to their eye level. “Mr. McAllister makes me look around for my father.”

  The twins giggled. Their aunt Jackie walked up behind them, placing her hands on their shoulders. She encircled them and pulled them back a little.

  “Mr. Reid, have you seen the baby bats?”

  He rotated to face them. “Yep. Yesterday I fed them and gave them their bath.”

  They clapped and jumped. “We got to watch Momma bathe them, but we’re not allowed to play with them. They like us, though.”

  “They’re the cutest things ever!” They both turned to their mom. Identical moss gray eyes, full of wonder and all the good things in life, took his breath away. He never knew such beautiful parts of him could ever exist on God’s earth.

  “Can we see the baby bats now? We won’t touch them.”

  “No, sweethearts. They need to be free of human contact as much as possible.”

  Their sweet faces fell, and he wanted their smiles back. “I took a little video of them yesterday.” He pulled his phone from his back pocket. “Do you want to see it?”

  “Yes!” The girls echoed in stereo as they ran to him.

  “Girls!” Their mother and aunt had the same stereo effect. He couldn’t help but smile.

  “Reid.” Danica joined them, putting both of her hands on Suzie. “You can’t—”

  “It’s just a video.”

  “We want to see it,” the girls said in unison.

  He hit Play and held his phone out so the girls could see the small screen. They stood in awe, giggling and squealing each time the bats moved. He forced a smile. The longing to pull them close and take in everything about them dumbfounded him. It hurt deep in his gut.

  “Okay, girls.” Danica’s tone remained firm, the voice of a protective mother. “That’s enough. I need to feed the cub. Want to go with me?”

  “But we want to watch it again!”

  “No, we need to let Mr. McAllister get back to work.” Jumping, they went to her. It didn’t take long to lose their attention. “Come on. We need to get the formula.” She took their hands in each of hers.

  For a moment, he imagined them parenting together. She would be fussing at him for never telling the girls no. “I can text the video to you.”

  The girls cheered. Jackie rolled her eyes. “Send it to me. Danica has a lousy phone. You know, since she has to support her family on her own.”

  “Jackie!”

  Ignoring her sister, Jackie gave him her number. “Come on, girls. Let’s go.”

  Lizzy started following, but stopped and looked back at him. “Are you coming with us?”

  His heart skipped. Danica started to speak only to be cut off by Jackie as she stepped in between them. “No, he has to stay
here.” Her glare made it clear he wasn’t welcome.

  Stepping to the side, Danica looked at him, her eyes a bit softer, but not much. “Mr. McAllister has work to do here.”

  He stood and put the phone back in his pocket. He had Jackie’s number, not that it would do him any good, but it was a connection to his girls that he didn’t have before.

  Pausing at the door, Danica sent the girls ahead with Jackie. He held his breath, waiting to hear her voice. Anything to keep her in his physical world.

  “Don’t forget to record your time so I can sign it. It’s due to Officer Bolton Monday, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

  With a nod, she left and jogged to catch up with Jackie and the twins. He moved to the door. A hollow feeling settled inside him as he watched his family walk away.

  Once they were out of sight, he went to the supply room at the back of the building. His thoughts kept returning to the girls’ faces as they watched his video. They had looked at him with such excitement and love.

  In their life, they hadn’t been taught to be wary and skeptical of strangers. They had a protected life. To them, the world was a good and safe place.

  What would happen if they found out he was their father? He broke out into a cold sweat.

  Stopping at the orphaned bats’ station, he checked on them. Each was wrapped tightly in a little bright-colored towel. They were surprisingly cute. Big eyes and ears, tiny little noses, and completely dependent on the kindness of the humans in charge of them.

  One of the little guys yawned and blinked at him a couple of times before snuggling back against his brother bat. Reid took out his phone and snapped a few pictures. The girls would love it.

  With Jackie’s number already memorized, he sent the pictures to her and hoped she would share them with Suzie and Lizzy.

  Scanning the room, he noticed so many things. Old and broken-down. A forgotten forge. He figured most would find it a lost cause, but he saw potential. If he knew Danica, she thought the same thing.

  A thought occurred to him, and he got an idea. The genuine smile felt good on his face. Doing a quick search on the internet through his phone, he smiled again. Live camera feed.

  The girls might not be able to spend as much time with the baby bats as they wanted, but this way they could keep an eye on them and watch all the activities that helped the bats grow stronger.

  Looking at his phone again, he reckoned he had enough time to plan another project that he’d been considering since the first time he drove the property with Danica.

  Chapter Eight

  Danica restocked the butterscotch candy on the counter. The free sweet was a tradition going back to when the first Bergmanns ran the lumberyard.

  Growing up, she’d felt trapped by the old limestone walls. The fact her family had owned the building since the founding of Clear Water hadn’t meant anything to her then. Now it gave her comfort and a place for her daughters to belong.

  Even the family squabbles gave her a sense of comfort. At this moment, Jackie and her father were in the loft, debating a new arrangement of the store.

  She chuckled at the predictability of her family.

  The bell chimed, and she looked up to greet the customer. Her smile slipped.

  Reid. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was tormenting her. All day she had fought to keep him out of her thoughts. She wasn’t winning the battle.

  He stood at the door, not moving forward.

  Danica braced her hands on the edge of the counter. She was glad to have something between them. “What are you doing here, Reid?”

  With a frown, he looked mad at her. “What are you doing here? Don’t you work at the sanctuary during the day?”

  “Not on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I cover the—” Why was she explaining herself to him? “It’s a family business. Family has to work it.”

  “Do the girls spend time here?” He walked over to a poster and looked at the illustrations of the building from the day it was opened over one hundred years ago. Another picture was from two years ago, when it was added to the list of Texas Historical Buildings.

  He bent to get a closer look. “There’re the girls.” With just the tip of his fingers, he touched the glass. “They’ve grown since this was taken. Do you have more pictures of them?”

  “Why are you in the store?” Leaving the safety of the counter, she headed to the nail and screw aisle. She’d been sorting inventory when Jake came in for his supplies. “Did the ranch send you? They usually call in their orders ahead of time.” It would be easier to talk to him if she was busy. Someone had mixed the nails. Her father would have a fit if he saw the mess.

  “No. I came to talk to Adrian. I was told he’d be working here today. Upstairs.”

  “Oh.” Why did it matter that he hadn’t come seeking her? “Yeah, he’s with Nikki. I think they’re taping and floating the new drywall. What do you need to talk to him for?”

  “About a job.” Head tilted back, Reid looked at the decorative tin that covered the tall ceiling.

  “Already tired of wrangling for the Hausmans?” Okay, that sounded snarky. Without turning, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

  Reid shook his head and crammed his hands deep into the front pockets of his jacket. Now he studied the old wooden floor. His profile was hard and impressive, even with uncertainty etched in every line.

  “I like working with the horses. With you looking for a new vet tech, I thought I’d line up more work. Pastor Levi said Adrian might have something for me. I like staying busy. Keeps me out of trouble.”

  “It won’t be that easy. My brother-in-law is one of the hardest-working guys I know. He has a strong sense of commitment and loyalty. He doesn’t like working with people who might just up and leave, abandoning a project.”

  “Ouch.” No emotion went along with the word. His gaze stayed on the back of the store.

  “Sorry. I just don’t—”

  “Baby, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” At the counter, he picked up a flyer announcing the fund-raiser for the sanctuary.

  She knew he used the term of endearment without thinking, but it still did things to her.

  “Rodeo Bonanza? The guys were talking about this. You know I rode in prison. They held a first-class show.” He looked at her with the smile of old on his face. “I was riding the first time we met. Right after being introduced to you, I was so distracted the bull tossed me at the gate.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at the memory. “You’re still blaming that bad ride on me?” Walking to the end of the aisle, Danica crossed her arms and leaned on the endcap.

  “You were the best thing that ever—”

  “Mr. McAllister.” Her father stomped down the stairs. “Can I help you?”

  Glancing up, she found her sister on the edge of the railing, staring down at them from the loft. Her father directed a frown at Reid before he turned and made eye contact with Danica. Her twin shook her head as if disappointed.

  Now what had she done? She scowled back and shrugged. As an adult woman, if she wanted to talk to the father of her children, it was not the place of her twin to judge.

  “Sir, I came looking for Adrian. I was told he—”

  “He’s upstairs.” Standing next to Danica now, her father waved to the stairs. “It’s that way. Turn to the left. You can’t miss him.”

  “Thank you, sir.” With a respectful nod, Reid slowly took the stairs. Passing through the office loft, he greeted Jackie. She didn’t say anything, but her gaze stayed on him as if waiting for a rattlesnake to strike.

  Reid was a proud man. To keep smiling at their obvious hostility had to be a difficult hit to his pride.

  The first time Danica brought him home to meet her father, it had not gone well. Despite his promise
not to cause problems, the twenty-year-old Reid had not been able to ignore any slight that he saw as an insult to his manhood.

  It had been a week of the two men arguing and stomping around each other like two bulls in a small pen. She had been so stressed, trying to keep the peace between them. By the end of the visit, she’d just wanted to get back to school.

  Back to just the two of them. With Danica, Reid had been such a different person. When it had just been the two of them, she’d never seen the angry young man her father and sisters had.

  That should have been a warning sign, but the haze of love had been too thick for her to pay attention. The bitter truth was her father had been right.

  “Danica!” Her father said it as if he’d already called her a few times.

  “Sorry, Daddy. Did you need something?” She went back to organizing and counting nails.

  “Do you still love him?” The deep lines of his face were not from smiling.

  “Daddy.” Head down, she recounted the box.

  In silence, he stared at her for a bit.

  She gave up on her task and looked at him with her hands on her hips. “No.”

  He raised one eyebrow.

  Taking a deep breath, she stood still despite the urge to fidget with her shirt. It was not a lie. It wasn’t. Please, God, don’t let it be a lie.

  “She’s lying!” Jackie yelled from the loft, arms crossed.

  “Am not.” Great. They had dissolved into five-year-olds. All she needed to do was stomp her foot.

  “Whatever, but lying to yourself is not going to help anyone.” Jackie turned and disappeared into the office. Fine, she’d let her sister have the last word this time.

  Her father moved closer. “Be careful. You have the girls. Don’t make the mistake I did. Being with the wrong person is not worth it. God has someone for you. A Godly man who will love you and the girls the way you deserve.”

  Since her jaw was locked, she just nodded. Reid might be as selfish as Sheila, Sammi’s mother, but Danica was afraid it was already too late for her heart. Maybe she had never actually stopped loving Reid. She’d just buried it, waiting for him to come back.