Читать книгу Texas Rebels: Phoenix - Linda Warren, Linda Warren - Страница 11

Chapter Three

“Uh...”

Rosie was stunned, and she could neither speak a coherent word nor move. The last person she’d expected to run into in Walmart was Phoenix Rebel. It took a full thirty seconds for her to regain her cool. In that time she was very aware of the hand holding her elbow. The firm, callused fingers were gentle and comforting, and that threw her more than seeing him. She didn’t want to feel anything for this man. Very slowly she removed her elbow and licked her suddenly dry lips.

She’d come in the store only for a few minutes because she was out of Dixie’s treats. The dog would whine and whine until she got them. Also, Rosie had received some unsettling news and couldn’t sleep anyway. She rented ten acres with a barn and corral, where she parked her trailer. Mrs. Boyd, the owner, had called and said her daughter was moving back home and was thinking of building a house on the property. That meant Rosie would have to find another place to park her trailer and another home for Lady. Her lease was up at the first of the year so that gave her a few months, but she’d been hoping to buy the place herself one day. Now she had to change her plans.

Whenever she was in Walmart, she couldn’t resist strolling to the baby section. It was gut-wrenching, but cathartic in a way for her loss of her little girl. One day, maybe, she could stop reliving the painful memories.

“I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” Phoenix asked.

His strong tones brought her back to the present and the embarrassing situation. “No.” She made to walk off because she had nothing else to say to him.

“Hey.”

Against her better judgment, she looked back. “Am I taking up too much space?”

“I deserve that.” The corners of his mouth lifted in a cockamamy grin, which she was sure worked wonders on the opposite sex. To her dismay it was working on her, too.

She’d never seen a more handsome cowboy than Phoenix, and she hated that she noticed. In tight Wranglers, boots and a plaid shirt, he was every girl’s dream. The strong, carved facial bones that showcased a perpetual smile only added to the masculine mix. As did the Stetson and the riot of dark hair that always peeped out from under it.

“I’m really sorry for being rude in Oklahoma. I was having a very bad day.”

The apology put a dent in her already shaky composure. Walk away. Walk away. The words kept running through her mind, but her feet wouldn’t move as she stared into his dark eyes. Dark, warm, smiling eyes.

“I’m looking for a baby bed, and I could really use some help. Are you up for the job?” He tilted his head slightly, and the teasing light in his eyes did a number on her control.

Again, against her better judgment, she asked, “Why would you need a baby bed?”

“Well, you see, I just found out I’m a father.”

“Oh.” His honesty threw her, and her curiosity spiked. “And you get to be a weekend father?”

“No. Full-time.”

“You’re getting custody of a baby?”

The light in his eyes turned up a notch. “Yeah. Go figure.”

She gave up trying to make herself leave. He needed help with baby stuff, and there was nothing she would love more. It would hurt. But she just loved the punishment, she supposed.

“Girl or boy?”

“Boy.” He gave a thumbs-up sign.

“You must be excited.” At that, her guard went down so far she could no longer see it.

Suddenly a look of resignation crossed his face. “I would be lying if I said I was excited out of my mind. It’s been a shock and I’m trying to adjust. He’s twenty-five months old.”

She could have said a lot of petty things about the cowboys and the buckle bunnies around the rodeo, but she saw the hurt in his eyes. “Is the mother out of the picture?”

“Yeah. She left the boy with her grandmother and the grandmother has passed away. CPS tracked down the father, which happens to be me.”

Rosie didn’t know what else to say. It had to have been a big shock, and he seemed to be taking it well. She glanced at the row of baby beds. “If he’s twenty-five months old, you probably need something you can convert into a toddler bed.” She pointed to a box that had a picture on it. “See, there’s one. It goes from baby to toddler.”

“That looks perfect.”

She walked over to several boxes. “There are different colors. Maybe dark chocolate or warm honey. Which do you prefer?”

“Warm honey. Every time.”

She ignored the hidden reference to her in his voice. But it made her very aware of her attire: sweatpants, flip-flops and an old T-shirt. Her long hair was loose, and she brushed it away from her face in a nervous gesture. “They...they’ll probably have to load this into your truck, so it probably would be best to just take a picture with your phone and show them at checkout.”

“Now, see, that’s why women are best at this. They cover all the angles.” He took a quick photo and then looked at something on the phone. “I have to get a car seat, and she gave me the brand name.”

“She?”

“The CPS worker.”

“Oh. And you’ll need sheets, too.”

He looked at his phone again. “She didn’t say anything about sheets.”

Men! “Are you going to let him sleep on the bare mattress?”

That smile was back in place and it was lethal. “Okay, sheets it is.”

“They’re in the next aisle.” He followed her around the corner with his cart. They looked like a normal couple out shopping early in the morning. But they would never be a couple. “Here they are.” She squatted to glance through them. “There are ones with duckies, horses, dogs and...”

“Horses.”

“And cartoon characters...”

“Horses.”

“Oh, look at these John Deere ones.”

“Horses.”

“And there are solid colors...” She held up her hand before he could say the word. “I know—horses.”

“Well, he’s my kid and I like horses so he’ll like horses.”

She pulled three sets off the shelf. “You are in for a what-have-I-gotten-myself-into moment.” She stood and handed him the sheets.

Placing them in the cart, he asked, “Why do I need so many?”

“Think, cowboy. It’s a baby and babies pee. A lot. So you need extras in case of an accident.”

He reached down and grabbed two more.

After that, he followed her around the store and listed off everything on his phone. His cart was stacked high with diapers. There wasn’t room for one more thing. Actually he couldn’t even see over it.

And then they were in the toy section because he wanted to get a toy for the baby. As she walked by all the baby dolls her throat closed. It had been almost nine years and still the pain was as raw and new as the day they’d told her that her baby was dead. She stopped and stared at a doll with reddish-blond hair and couldn’t look away. She was trying not to remember. Not to feel. Not to act like a complete fool.

“I don’t think he’ll like that.” Phoenix’s words brought her out of her trance. She didn’t quite make it on the fool part because she felt sure he thought she was crazy.

“Boys play with dolls.” She tried to cover up the embarrassing moment.

“Not my boy.”

“Oh, please. Don’t tell me you’re going to be one of those fathers.”

He walked past her to the boy section, ignoring her words. “Now we’re talking.” He picked up a truck and trailer with horses. “My kid will love this.”

“You know, you’re under the impression this little boy is going to be just like you. Sometimes it doesn’t turn out that way. I’m not an expert, but I’m right on this.”

He didn’t fire any heated words back at her. He just stared down at the truck and trailer in his hands. “Yeah. I know nothing about the kid, but I hope I find a part of me in him.”

“You haven’t met him?” She couldn’t hide the shock in her words.

“No. I’m flying out to Denver tomorrow to pick him up and to meet him.”

She had no words and she wanted to ask questions, but she felt it was time to put an end to this unexpected interlude. She didn’t want to get involved in his life, and she didn’t want to know any more about him and his son.

“I have to go. I wish you the very best with your little boy.”

He looked into her eyes, and once again she felt the warmth all the way to her heart. “Thanks. May I call you Rosie?”

She shook her head. “You and I will never be on a first-name basis. Tonight was just a time out of time that neither one of us expected and will never be repeated. You know the reasons why.”

“Come on. That’s not fair. You’re not even a McCray anymore.”

“I was born a McCray and I will always be a McCray.”

“I might need more help...”

She wasn’t falling for that again. “Goodbye. I’ll see you around the rodeos.” Walking away, she felt something she couldn’t quite describe. Being lonely was just a part of her, but tonight, for a brief moment, she’d felt something special with a man she didn’t even like. She’d felt like a woman again. It was hard to describe since all they’d done was talk. Phoenix Rebel probably didn’t even want the child, but she had to admire that he was making the best of it. She would never be lucky enough to get a chance at having another child. The rest of her days, she would spend alone. But tonight she felt the wonder of it all because she couldn’t resist his dark, warm eyes.

* * *

IT WAS ALMOST 3:00 a.m. when Phoenix drove into the yard at the bunkhouse. He left everything in the truck and went inside. The door was never locked and he didn’t think anyone had a key. He was dog-tired and needed sleep. After removing his boots and belt, he fell across the bed and welcomed the blackness of his mind. But a face was there that he couldn’t shake.

Rosemary McCray’s.

He was just so shocked to see her, and when she actually melted a little and helped him, he got lost in her feminine presence. She had to be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. For those cowboys who called her Frosty, all he could say was, tough luck. They never saw her with her blue eyes sparkling and her hair all around her. Tonight it was loose, not a band, ribbon or anything in it. In his mind, he could see her that way when she went to bed. In nothing but her hair. Oh yeah, he could get lost in that dream. Or maybe a fantasy, because that was all Rosemary McCray could ever be to him.

She’d told him so.

* * *

PHOENIX WOKE UP at 5:30 a.m., showered and changed clothes. Today he put on a white shirt because it was a special occasion. He was going to meet his son.

Jericho, a ranch hand who lived with Phoenix and Paxton in the bunkhouse, was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. “Just in time,” he said.

Phoenix grabbed a glass of orange juice. He had OJ first thing every morning. It was a ritual for him, and he always carried a large carton on the road. Stuffing bacon into a biscuit, he said, “This is all I have time for. I have to go over to the house to see Mom.”

He thought about the supplies in his truck and he quickly unloaded everything into his room. Rico helped him with the bed. Rico never asked any questions, and Phoenix loved that about the man. He never interfered with other people’s business, and he didn’t judge anyone.

“I’ll have to put it together when I get back.”

“It will be done when you bring the boy home,” Rico said.

Evidently Paxton had told Rico about Jake. And now he had to tell his mother.

“Thanks, Rico. I appreciate that, but you don’t have to.”

“No problem.” The older man shook his head. If Phoenix had to guess the man’s age, he would have said somewhere in his late thirties. A scary figure to some, with his long, dark hair tied into a ponytail at his neck and a scar slashed across his face from gang fighting in Houston, he was the best friend the Rebel family ever had. He would do anything for them and they would do anything for him, too.

* * *

QUINCY’S TRUCK WAS at their mother’s. That surprised Phoenix because his brother usually spent his Sunday mornings with his wife, Jenny. As he opened the back door, he heard voices. Quincy and Grandpa were drinking coffee and eating breakfast. Jude and his new wife, Paige, and their son Zane lived in the house. But no one else was up yet.

Every time he stepped into this warm kitchen, he thought of his dad and felt at home. At peace. And then the sadness would creep in like a thief in the night, threatening to steal away those emotions. But all he had to do was look at the kitchen his dad had painstakingly built for his mother, from the large tiles on the floor to the knotty pine cabinets to the dark granite with a touch of red. His dad had given special attention to detail here, just as he had with the raising of his sons. He’d taught them so much, and yet there was still so much to learn. But he wasn’t here anymore, and Phoenix never felt that more deeply than today. He would take full responsibility for his child not only because he wanted to but also because his dad would have expected it of him.

He cleared his throat. “Morning, everyone.”

His mother turned from the stove. “Phoenix, I didn’t expect you this early. You and Paxton don’t usually come in until late Sunday. Sit down. I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”

“No, thanks. I’ve already had breakfast.” He glanced at his brother and Grandpa. “Why are y’all up so early?”

“I got up early to fix Grandpa’s breakfast and then decided to come over and eat with Mom,” Quincy explained. Elias, another brother, lived with Grandpa and usually spent Saturday nights down at Rowdy’s beer joint. Grandpa was getting a little senile, and they refused to let him use the stove anymore since he almost burned the house down twice. Elias usually looked after Grandpa unless he went out for the evening. Then Quincy took up the slack because he was a big mother hen to everyone.

Quincy eyed Phoenix’s starched shirt. “Where are you going all dressed up at this hour?”

Phoenix looked down at the hat in his hand and saw no reason not to tell the truth. “Ms. Henshaw called and had the DNA results. I’m the father and I’m going to Denver to pick up my son.”

“What? When did you get this news?” his mother asked with a lifted eyebrow.

“Last night.”

“And you’re just now telling me?”

“I didn’t want to do it over the phone. Besides, I had a lot of things to do like buying stuff that Jake will need. I left it all in my room, but I’ll sort through it when I come back.”

His mother removed her apron. “I’m going with you. You’ll need a woman to help you.”

“No.” Phoenix held up his hand. “I’m going alone. This is my child and I will handle it. I don’t need help.”

“Now that’s just silly, Phoenix.”

Quincy stood. “I’ll go. Someone needs to be with you. I’ll run home and tell Jenny.”

“I’m only going to say this one more time. I’m going alone. I do not need anyone to hold my hand. I’ve accepted that Jake is my son, and we need time to bond.”

They stared at him with shocked eyes, and he supposed he did sound grown up. He’d finally made that transformation, and he wasn’t sure if he liked it or not. He’d rather have been joking and teasing everyone. But those days were in his past now.

“Proud of you, boy. You’ve become a man.” Grandpa took a sip of his coffee. “Do you remember when your dad had the girls and sex talk with you boys?”

“Of course.”

“Well, then, I would just like to know where you, Jude and Falcon were during his delivery because, obviously, you didn’t hear a word. Were y’all hiding in the closet or something?”

“Abe, for heaven’s sake, eat your breakfast.” His mom was quick to chastise their grandfather. The two barely tolerated each other, something that had been going on ever since Phoenix could remember. It was hard on all of them, but they adjusted to the tension between their mother and their grandfather.

“Condoms are not one hundred percent safe,” Phoenix said.

Grandpa took another sip of coffee. “Now, I could tell some stories about that.”

“Later, Abe.”

Grandpa glared at their mother, and Phoenix thought it was time for him to leave. “I’ll call when I’m headed home.”

“When will that be?” his mother asked.

“I’m hoping late Monday, but like I said, I will let you know. See y’all later.” He headed for the door, and his mother followed him.

“Son...”

His brothers said that Phoenix was the favorite because he was the baby, and he realized for the first time today that they were right. His mother was having a hard time letting go. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he had to be blunt.

He looked into her worried brown eyes. “I’m okay, Mom. Please understand I have to do this alone.” He hugged her briefly, kissed her cheek and walked out the door to the new life that awaited him.

* * *

HE MADE IT to Austin in time to meet with Ms. Henshaw, and they went over the legalities of the situation and what he was to expect in Denver. Then he was on his way to the airport. The two-hour flight wasn’t bad, but it seemed to drag. He was eager to get there and to meet the boy who would now become part of his life.

Besides Jake, thoughts of Rosie occupied his mind. She was so different last night. Lovable and likable were words that came to mind. He couldn’t stop thinking about her and wondered where she lived. Probably close to Temple, where the Walmart was. What did it matter? He and Rosie had no future. He had enough to deal with without getting involved with a McCray. He’d told himself that many times since the encounter in Oklahoma, but his thoughts always winged back to her.

There was something about her expression when she was staring at the doll. Sadness mixed with a resignation she was trying to hide. He sensed she wanted to reach out and touch it and she was forcing herself not to. Why was she so mesmerized by the doll? There had to be a reason, and against every sane thought in his head, he wanted to find out why.

The plane landed at the Denver airport and his focus turned to Jake. The way it had to be.

Rosie McCray was just a passing fantasy.