Читать книгу Texas Ranger Takes a Bride - Patricia Thayer - Страница 8

CHAPTER THREE

MALLORY WAS FUMING. How dare he?

“I didn’t think you wanted us.” She lowered her voice. “You didn’t call me, or see if I was okay.”

He glared at her for a long time. “So you just hopped into bed with another man to find a more favorable father for your baby.”

“No, it wasn’t like that. We—” She stopped. There was no reason to tell Chase about how long it took her to give herself to her husband.

“You what, Mallory?” he prodded. “Found it easy to give yourself to another man.”

“No, it wasn’t easy. You knew you were the first man…and how much I loved you.” She took a breath. “It was you who didn’t want me… And I was convinced you didn’t want our baby, either.”

He was silent as he glared at her. “If I’d known we created a child that night, I never would have left you.”

She closed her eyes. “I didn’t know that. I was young and scared, Chase. And so unsure that I could compete with your dream.” She tried to stay calm. “And you had always made it clear that avenging your uncle’s death, and being a ranger came first in your life.”

Chase’s gaze moved from hers, not before she saw a flash of his own guilt, too. So she’d hit a nerve. He wasn’t so righteous now.

“Maybe I was wrong to turn to Alan, but he said he loved me…that he’d love Ryan.” She hesitated and that caught his attention.

“What happened?” he repeated. “What did Hagan do? Did he change his mind about the boy?”

“Nothing at first, he was a good husband… and good to Ryan. But he wanted more children….”

“But what?” Chase coaxed.

“I agreed, but I never got pregnant and Alan learned he couldn’t father a child. After that our marriage was never the same. And his relationship with his son was… strained.”

“Stop calling him that,” Chase said angrily. “Ryan is my son.” His hands clenched. “What I want to know is was the boy punished for your husband’s…inadequacy?”

“No! And stop interrogating me like a criminal. Alan never lifted a hand to Ryan.” Her husband had saved that for his wife. “We separated not long after that.” Her voice softened. “About two years ago Alan was killed in an accident.”

“It still doesn’t excuse what you did, Mallory. You kept my son from me.”

She wasn’t about to tell him her recent plans to find him. He wouldn’t believe her. “And you ran out on me,” she emphasized. “I was miserable and lonely, and I turned to another man who promised to love me. I never got any promises from you.”

Chase opened his mouth to argue when a child’s cries drew their attention.

“Ryan,” Mallory gasped as she ran to the stairs and hurried up to his room. Chase was right on her heels.

She pushed open the door, rushed to the bed and eased down beside her son as he was thrashing around on the mattress. “Ryan, wake up, honey.”

The boy gasped and sat up. “Mom!” he cried and hugged her. “They’re coming after me again.”

“No, honey.” She held him close. “Those men are in jail. They can’t hurt you anymore.”

Chase stood at the door feeling awkward as he watched Mallory rock her son back and forth. This was all so new to him. How do you learn how to be a father? How do you make up all those lost years?

Maybe he should just walk away. Who would know? He saw the boy’s tears in the dim light and something tightened around his heart. Ryan had stolen that same heart the second Chase walked into the shack to find the eight-year-old trying to be so brave.

No, he was staying put. “Ryan…” He walked inside and stood at the end of the bed.

“Chase…” Ryan quickly wiped his eyes. “You’re still here.”

He nodded. “Your mom and I were talking. I wanted to make sure you were okay. Sometimes after something bad happens, people get scared again.”

“Grown-ups, too?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen grown men cry. How you acted the last two days was very brave. And a lot of people get nightmares.” He walked around to the side of the bed and sat down across from Mallory. “I’ve had a few myself.”

“Really?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you.”

That got a smile from the boy and another funny feeling erupted inside Chase.

“Ryan, you still need to go back to sleep,” his mother added. “There’s the roundup tomorrow. And if you want to help—”

“I do,” he told her, then glanced back at Chase. “Will you come, too? It’s so much fun. Grandpa can’t ride but I get to help ’cause I’m eight this year.”

“Ryan, Chase probably has to work.”

“No, as a matter of fact, I’m off for the weekend.” He smiled at Ryan. “It’s been a few years since I did any roping. Maybe you can show me some pointers.”

“Sure. So you’ll come?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

Mallory turned back to her son. “You will unless you get some sleep.” She kissed him and placed a lightweight blanket over the boy. “Good night, Ryan.”

“Good night, Mom. Good night, Chase.”

“Good night, son,” they both said in unison.

Mallory allowed Chase out first, then she flicked off the light and closed the door. Silently they walked downstairs.

“Are you angry because I said I’d come tomorrow?”

She shrugged. “I’m protective of my son.”

“Our son.”

She didn’t hide her frustration. “Okay, let’s discuss our son. You really want to be in his life?” When he started to speak, she raised her hand. “Before you answer, Chase, be sure, because once you announce you’re his father you can’t just walk away. I won’t let it happen to him, not again…and I don’t care if you are a ranger. I’ll fight you or anyone to protect that boy.”

An hour later, Chase found himself parking his truck in front of Jesse Raines’s house. Too keyed up to go home, he decided to take him up on his offer.

He walked to the door, seeing the small tricycle and toys scattered in the yard. Another pang of sadness rushed through him as he knocked, then wondered if he should have just gone for a drink by himself. He wasn’t the type of guy who shared much, especially not his feelings.

All that changed when the door opened and Jesse appeared. Dressed in nylon shorts and bare-chested, the young ranger looked as if he’d just finished a five-mile run.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Is it too late to take you up on that offer for a beer?”

Jesse smiled. “Never. Just happen to have a couple cold ones.”

Chase stepped inside the neatly kept living room. An overstuffed sofa and chair were placed in front of the large television. Next to it was an overflowing toy box. The sound of kids in the background was muffled by a closed hall door.

Jesse slipped on a T-shirt and motioned for him to follow him into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and took out a couple of long neck bottles. When Chase had transferred to Midland, Jesse had been the one who reached out to him. They had become friends.

He twisted off the caps and handed one to Chase. “How’d it go tonight?”

Chase took a long drink, then shrugged. “Ryan was happy to see me.”

“That’s a good start.” Jesse walked to the sofa. “So you’re the boy’s father?”