Читать книгу Texas Rebels: Phoenix - Linda Warren, Linda Warren - Страница 12

Chapter Four

After landing at Denver International Airport, Phoenix called the number Ms. Henshaw had given him. Ms. Bauer, the Colorado CPS case worker, picked him up outside the terminal. She was much younger than Ms. Henshaw, somewhere in her thirties, with a friendly smile. Her blond hair was pinned back, and her blue eyes reminded him of someone else. He wondered if Rosie was thinking about him as much as he was thinking about her. Probably not.

Phoenix always enjoyed the Mile High City. Because of its elevation, some cowboys had breathing problems here, but Phoenix never did. The weather was a pleasant eighty degrees, and Ms. Bauer said it would get down into the low forties by morning. It was nice compared with the heat he’d left behind in Texas. They passed the stadium where the Denver Broncos played. Phoenix had almost forgotten football season had started.

Ms. Bauer drove to the foster home where Jake was staying. It was in a nice residential area with small brick houses. She parked behind an SUV in the driveway.

“Jake is a sweet little boy, but he has some problems,” Ms. Bauer said before getting out of the car.

“What do you mean?”

“You have to understand that he’s grieving. We’re all very patient with him. There are four other kids in the house, and he hits when he doesn’t get his way. ‘No’ is his favorite word. He’s also a runner.”

“A runner?”

“Yes. If he can get a door open, he’s gone. Mr. and Mrs. Devers are in their late fifties, and it’s hard for them to catch him. Tom, Mr. Devers, has put latches high on the doors so he can’t get out. We think he’s searching for his great-grandmother, and we believe he will settle down once he’s in a stable environment again.”

Phoenix hoped so, too. It was just like Rosie had said. He was in a what-have-I-gotten-myself-into kind of moment. But he would stand by his kid no matter what. He unfolded his body from the compact car.

“Since the Devers have four other children, we have to respect their privacy.”

“Of course. I just want to see my son.”

They walked up to the front door, and Ms. Bauer rang the bell. It opened to a middle-aged woman with graying brown hair holding a baby.

“Oh, Ms. Bauer, it’s good to see you. Come in.”

Phoenix followed Ms. Bauer into a large living area cluttered with toys. Through double windows he could see two older boys playing in the backyard. But his eyes were riveted on a little boy and a little girl sitting on the carpet playing with trucks.

“Mrs. Devers, this is Mr. Rebel, Jake’s father.”

The woman juggled the baby onto her shoulder and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Jake really needs someone. He’s been a handful crying for his greatgrandmother. He just seems very unhappy.”

Phoenix twisted his hat in his hand. “May I go over and speak to him?” It seemed odd asking to speak to his own son. He was willing to follow the rules, though.

“Sure. Just don’t be surprised if he doesn’t respond.”

“I’ll wait here,” Ms. Bauer said.

Phoenix placed his hat on the arm of the sofa, walked over and squatted beside the boy and the girl. At that moment the little girl took the truck from Jake and he shouted, “No!” and yanked it back. “Mine,” he added.

Phoenix had no idea what to say. Words were useless. He would be just another person saying something Jake didn’t understand. He had to go with his gut feeling. The problem was, his gut was saying, Run like hell. But he stayed rooted to the spot because when he’d said he’d take responsibility, he’d meant it.

Phoenix watched his son. Even thinking the word son seemed foreign to him, but he would adjust. Jake’s little hands clutched the truck. His dark hair was tousled across his forehead. He needed a haircut. He wore pull-up pants and a T-shirt, and his feet were bare. Phoenix stared at his toes. Phoenix’s toes were shaped the same way—slanted. It was a small thing, but maybe it was what he’d been looking for, a clue to show him this little boy was his.

The girl grabbed the toy again, and Jake hit her. “No!” Jake shouted.

Without thinking, Phoenix grabbed his hand before he could hit her again. “No. We don’t hit girls.”

Narrowed eyes glared at him, and Jake’s face scrunched into a frown.

Phoenix reached out, picked him up and then got to his feet, carrying him to the sofa. Sitting down with Jake on his lap, he waited for the frown to disappear. It didn’t.

“Do you know what daddy means?”

Jake pointed to the girl.

“She has a daddy?” he asked Jake, but Mrs. Devers answered.

“Yes, Allie has a daddy. He comes to visit all the time and is trying to gain custody of her and her older brother, who is playing outside. Jake knows what daddy means.”

Jake stared back at him, the frown not so intense now.

“I’m your daddy. Do you understand that, Jake?”

Jake’s eyes never wavered from Phoenix’s, but he didn’t say anything.

Phoenix touched Jake’s chest. “You’re Jake.” Then he touched his own chest. “I’m Daddy.”

The little girl came over. “Daddy.”

“No!” Jake shouted again. Yep, no was his favorite word.

“Allie, come with me.” Mrs. Devers quickly took her hand and led her into the kitchen. Jake scrambled down and picked up the truck and a stuffed brown-and-white dog with floppy ears that was lying on the floor. He came back and crawled onto Phoenix’s lap, the dog tucked under one arm and the truck in his hand.

“You like trucks?”

Jake nodded.

“I live on a big ranch and we have trucks, horses and cattle. Big trucks that you can ride in. Would you like to ride in a truck?”

Phoenix continued to talk about nonsensical things and Jake just listened. Finally, Jake rested against Phoenix’s chest, and Phoenix lost his breath at the emotions that filled him. Protective. Overpowering. Parental emotions that he hadn’t even known he possessed. He just wanted to make Jake’s world better and safer. He wanted Jake to be happy.

Mrs. Devers and Ms. Bauer walked over. Phoenix had lost track of time and he realized it was getting late.

“Mrs. Devers said if you’d like to spend the night with Jake, you’re welcome to. She can move the children around for the night. They love playing camp-out.”

“Thank you, but I don’t want to put you out.”

“It’s no problem,” Mrs. Devers said. “It’s important that Jake bonds with you before you take him home.”

It was settled. Tom Devers came in from the grocery store, and Phoenix met him. It was a lively bunch when the kids all came to the table. Jake was very quiet, sitting in his high chair. He kept looking at Phoenix.

Later, he gave Jake a bath while Mrs. Devers watched and gave instructions, which he was glad about because he wanted to do the right things.

“I have a weak stomach,” Phoenix admitted as he put a diaper on Jake.

“Then you need to do it fast, like bull riding.” She grinned at him. “Yeah, I did some checking on you. I always do that when parents take kids from my home. I want to make sure they’re well taken care of. Jake is still on a bottle, and he needs to be weaned from it soon and potty trained. Mr. Rebel, you have your work cut out for you.”

Phoenix was going to have to learn to do a lot of things besides bull riding and ranching. They wouldn’t be pleasant, either. But he would learn. With Jake tucked into bed with his dog, which Phoenix learned was called Floppy, and his favorite blanket, Phoenix removed his clothes and slipped beneath the sheet on the twin bed. He thought he wouldn’t sleep because so much was crowding in on him about how his life was changing. But he fell into a deep sleep. The next thing he knew, a little hand touched his face.

“Dad-dy.”

Tears stung the backs of Phoenix’s eyes, and he pulled his son into his side, dog and all, and covered them with the sheet and blanket. He went to sleep holding his child, and it was the most natural feeling in the world. He would remember the moment for the rest of his life when his son had called him daddy for the first time.

A stench woke him and he knew what it was—Jake had a dirty diaper. Oh, man.

“Mr. Rebel,” Mrs. Devers called from the hallway, and Phoenix quickly slipped into his jeans.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Mrs. Devers appeared in the doorway. “Are you and Jake ready for breakfast?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Phoenix thumbed toward Jake in bed, who was looking at him with big eyes. “He got out of his bed this morning.”

“Oh, yeah. He climbs right out of it. That’s why Tom put latches on all the doors. You’ll have to do the same.”

“Okay.” He wrinkled his nose. “He has a dirty diaper.”

Mrs. Devers started pulling out things and laying them on the bed. “This is a plastic bag to put it in when you remove the diaper. Helps keep the smell down.” She pointed to a trash can in the corner. “That contains another bag you put the small bag in. You can get these anyplace that sells baby supplies. I will give you a few to get you started. You need to change the big bag every day.” She looked at him, and he realized she was expecting him to do something—like change the kid’s diaper. Oh, man.

“Hold your breath, Mr. Rebel. It will be over before you know it.”

He unsnapped Jake’s pajamas between his legs, and the smell made his stomach roil. He took another deep breath and undid the diaper tabs. The stench hit him square in the face. He was going to throw up. No! He was a cowboy. He was stronger than this.

Mrs. Devers handed him another diaper. “Put this over his little wee-wee so he doesn’t pee on you.”

Phoenix did as instructed.

“Take the top of the diaper and wipe down under his wee-wee.”

He did it quickly, trying not to breathe. She handed him a baby wipe, and he wiped Jake’s bottom clean and whipped another diaper under him and had it secured in seconds. He felt like raising up his arms in victory. He hadn’t thrown up. He’d done it.

The rest of the morning was a lesson in taking care of Jake, and Phoenix listened avidly. Soon Ms. Bauer arrived, and they left to go to the hearing to make Jake legally his. As he walked to the door, a strange feeling came over him, and he glanced back at Jake, who was playing with the little girl on the floor. He didn’t want to leave his child. The parenting thing was settling in. He could do this. He could be a father.

He arrived at the hearing to learn that he had a lawyer. Rather, the deceased Mrs. Green had a lawyer and was handling Jake’s case. The lawyer had a file he presented to the judge, which contained depositions from neighbors and people who knew Valerie. The judge asked Phoenix a few questions and then terminated Valerie’s maternal rights, and Phoenix gained full custody. It didn’t take long, but it seemed like a year had passed by the time he walked out of the courtroom.

They then went to the lawyer’s office. Phoenix found out that Mrs. Green had a small savings account, and it had been put in trust for Jake’s college education. He signed papers to become executor of the trust.

As Ms. Bauer drove them to Mrs. Green’s house, she told him Valerie had almost bankrupted the old lady. The woman had to sell her home to pay off credit cards and loan sharks. She then rented a small house for herself, where Valerie stayed from time to time when she had nowhere else to go. But her grandmother absolutely refused to give her any more money.

The house was very neat, and everything was in its place. Jake’s room was blue and white, and the bed was a warm honey color. Phoenix smiled at the sight. He almost took a picture to show Rosie. But Rosie would not be interested in seeing his son’s room. A sad thought that chased the smile away.

Ms. Bauer brought a big box, and Phoenix put in a lot of toys and things he thought Jake would need, mostly clothes. Then he found Jake’s baby book. He thumbed through it, eagerly watching his son grow in the arms of an elderly woman who clearly loved him. Tears stung the backs of his eyes. He put the album and other baby photos in the box and labeled it. They carried it to the post office to mail to Texas.

He had a flight out at five, so he had to hurry to get Jake and make it to the airport. Mrs. Devers had already packed Jake’s few belongings. He thanked the Devers for taking such good care of Jake and then lifted Jake into his arms and walked out the door. He’d thought Jake would cry, but he didn’t. After strapping Jake into the car seat in Ms. Bauer’s car, they were off to the airport.

Jake did well on the flight, even though they were delayed an hour. Phoenix finally gave him the truck and trailer and horses. He didn’t want to do that at the house because he didn’t have anything for the other children. After the plane took off, the stewardess allowed Jake to play with the toy set in front of the seat because they had the front row and there was a little room. Soon Jake grew tired, and he crawled onto Phoenix’s lap as if he had done it many times before.

Phoenix gathered him close. “We’re going to Texas, son. To a big ranch with horses, cows...”

“Horse,” Jake interrupted, holding up the toy in his hand.

“Yes, horse. You’ll meet your uncles, aunts, cousins, grandpa and grandma.”

“Ma Ma,” Jake looked around the plane, and tears filled his eyes when he didn’t see his great-grandmother. “Ma Ma.”

“No, another grand—” He was afraid to say the rest of it. He didn’t want to make Jake cry. “You see, I have a mother, and she will be another grandmother for you. Do you understand?”

Jake just stared at him with sad eyes. Of course he didn’t understand. That was okay. In time he would. Phoenix felt sure of that.

Jake sat in his lap and played with the horses. A smile touched Phoenix’s lips. Rosie was wrong. His kid liked horses. He would be just like Phoenix. He was going to enjoy telling her that.

He had a window seat and looked out at the fluffy clouds. He could walk on those clouds more easily than he could change Rosie’s mind about him. Too much bad blood between the families. But he sure liked her. And he was going to introduce her to Jake just as soon as he could.