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Authors: Jamie Denton
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her own mounting irritation, making her voice rise.
He moved then, stepped back and dragged his hand down his face. “Then why did you come out to see me if you’re not looking for someone to take responsibility for him?”
He didn’t know, she realized. He had no idea why she’d done the single most difficult thing in her life. “You didn’t read it, did you?” She dropped the dust rag on the display case. “You didn’t even bother to read Dani’s journal, did you?”
Jed vaguely recalled throwing a package into the fire after Griffen had left his place. He’d had no idea what it contained. At the time, he hadn’t cared.
She wrapped her arms around her slim waist. The aversion in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a serenity he didn’t understand. Or maybe it was acceptance?
“Dani left the journal for Austin,” she said, her husky voice calm. “She told him about her relationship with his unnamed father. But he knows you’re his father now. The same father who rejected him, so I would appreciate it if you would please leave before he learns you’re here. I won’t have my son hurt by you again.”
So much for acceptance. Maybe she was right. Maybe he should just head out of town. “I don’t want to hurt him. I just don’t know what you expect me to do. Why did you even tell me about him?”
For an instant, fear clouded her expressive jade eyes, until she blinked and it was gone. “I came to you because my son asked me to at least tell you about him.”
Her arms dropped to her sides and she moved toward him, her steps slow and measured. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t fear in her eyes after all.
“You’re his idol.” Her voice held an odd tightness in spite of the calm, even tone. “Ever since he knew what a football was, he’s been a fan of Maitland the Maniac.” She continued forward until she was standing a foot away from him. The scent of lilac and woman swirled around him making him uncomfortably aware of her femininity.
He looked down at her, not the least surprised by the pure anger now firing in her gaze. Concentrate on the anger, Jed ol’ boy. This one is too much. Even for you.
“Do you have a clue what that means to a kid like Austin?” She placed her hands on her hips, drawing his attention to the material of her blouse outlining very full breasts.
His hands itched to test their weight.
Aw, hell .
She narrowed her gaze and advanced another step. “To him, you’re a dream come true, only it’s too bad you turned out to be such a nightmare. If I hadn’t come to you, Austin would have found a way, so don’t tell me I shouldn’t have told him the truth.”
He raised his hands, as if she held a loaded gun to his head. “Hey. Calm down, Sister.”
She took another step toward him and poked a finger at his chest. “What would you have done if a thirteen-year-old boy had come to you out of the blue and said he was your son? You would have crushed his dreams and gone on to the next game without a backward glance. That is what you would have done.”
He grabbed her hand before she drilled a hole in his chest. Bad move. Her velvety soft skin had him thinking some very inappropriate thoughts about Griffen Somerfield.
“Didn’t you realize the complications?” he asked, concentrating on the issue instead of the reckless surge of awareness making his dick twitch. “You should have left well enough alone.”
She yanked her hand from his and looked up at him, her eyes filled with fury. Damn, but this woman was exciting. And far different from his usual type.
Back off, old boy.
She had white picket fence, kids and a pair of Golden Retrievers written all over her. With little effort, he could see the dog hair and Crayon-coloring on the walls now. She was the type who believed in forever, but none of that stopped his blood pressure from hiking a few degrees.
Her breath hitched in her throat and a sheen of moisture brightened her eyes. Damn, he
He moved then, stepped back and dragged his hand down his face. “Then why did you come out to see me if you’re not looking for someone to take responsibility for him?”
He didn’t know, she realized. He had no idea why she’d done the single most difficult thing in her life. “You didn’t read it, did you?” She dropped the dust rag on the display case. “You didn’t even bother to read Dani’s journal, did you?”
Jed vaguely recalled throwing a package into the fire after Griffen had left his place. He’d had no idea what it contained. At the time, he hadn’t cared.
She wrapped her arms around her slim waist. The aversion in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a serenity he didn’t understand. Or maybe it was acceptance?
“Dani left the journal for Austin,” she said, her husky voice calm. “She told him about her relationship with his unnamed father. But he knows you’re his father now. The same father who rejected him, so I would appreciate it if you would please leave before he learns you’re here. I won’t have my son hurt by you again.”
So much for acceptance. Maybe she was right. Maybe he should just head out of town. “I don’t want to hurt him. I just don’t know what you expect me to do. Why did you even tell me about him?”
For an instant, fear clouded her expressive jade eyes, until she blinked and it was gone. “I came to you because my son asked me to at least tell you about him.”
Her arms dropped to her sides and she moved toward him, her steps slow and measured. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t fear in her eyes after all.
“You’re his idol.” Her voice held an odd tightness in spite of the calm, even tone. “Ever since he knew what a football was, he’s been a fan of Maitland the Maniac.” She continued forward until she was standing a foot away from him. The scent of lilac and woman swirled around him making him uncomfortably aware of her femininity.
He looked down at her, not the least surprised by the pure anger now firing in her gaze. Concentrate on the anger, Jed ol’ boy. This one is too much. Even for you.
“Do you have a clue what that means to a kid like Austin?” She placed her hands on her hips, drawing his attention to the material of her blouse outlining very full breasts.
His hands itched to test their weight.
Aw, hell .
She narrowed her gaze and advanced another step. “To him, you’re a dream come true, only it’s too bad you turned out to be such a nightmare. If I hadn’t come to you, Austin would have found a way, so don’t tell me I shouldn’t have told him the truth.”
He raised his hands, as if she held a loaded gun to his head. “Hey. Calm down, Sister.”
She took another step toward him and poked a finger at his chest. “What would you have done if a thirteen-year-old boy had come to you out of the blue and said he was your son? You would have crushed his dreams and gone on to the next game without a backward glance. That is what you would have done.”
He grabbed her hand before she drilled a hole in his chest. Bad move. Her velvety soft skin had him thinking some very inappropriate thoughts about Griffen Somerfield.
“Didn’t you realize the complications?” he asked, concentrating on the issue instead of the reckless surge of awareness making his dick twitch. “You should have left well enough alone.”
She yanked her hand from his and looked up at him, her eyes filled with fury. Damn, but this woman was exciting. And far different from his usual type.
Back off, old boy.
She had white picket fence, kids and a pair of Golden Retrievers written all over her. With little effort, he could see the dog hair and Crayon-coloring on the walls now. She was the type who believed in forever, but none of that stopped his blood pressure from hiking a few degrees.
Her breath hitched in her throat and a sheen of moisture brightened her eyes. Damn, he
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