Read Online Playing for Keeps (Texas Scoundrels) by Jamie Denton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jamie Denton
Ads: Link
hoped she wasn’t going to start bawling. He’d hate that.
“I did what I had to do to protect Austin. I figured you’d throw me out and that would be the end of it. Austin would be hurt for a while, but he’d get over it. I never expected you to come waltzing into Hart.”
How dare she lay the blame wholly on him. He wasn’t the one who had popped up out of nowhere with a wild story about a kid from a lost love.
“Well, I’m here,” he said in a well-modulated voice that warned most people they were treading on very thin ice. “What great plan do you have now, Sister?”
“Mom? Mom, are you all right?”
“Ah, hell,” he muttered. Any plans for an unnoticed escape were out of the question now. They’d been busted cold.
The look in Griffen’s eyes was nothing short of pure anguish. She glanced at the boy, then back at him, her arms wrapping around her middle again as if she feared she’d fall apart if she didn’t hold herself together.
She slowly brought a hand to her son’s shoulder, and Jed couldn’t help noticing how her fingers trembled or how the color had drained from her cheeks. If the woman hadn’t just bitten off his head and spit down his throat, he would have thought she’d looked ready to faint.
“I...I didn’t hear you come in,” she said.
“Are you all right?” the boy asked again, shooting Jed a hostile look.
Jed stared at the boy. Dani’s son. His son. There would be no denying the truth. The kid had Maitland all over him, from the tall lanky frame to the thick dark hair and the same deep colored eyes inherited from his own grandmother Maitland. Looking at Austin was like looking at his old junior high school yearbook photo.
“I’m fine,” she whispered.
She didn’t look fine. She looked as if a stiff wind would break her in half. Hell, he wasn’t feeling real stable at the moment himself.
Griffen cleared her throat and fought desperately to regain her composure. Comparing Austin’s looks to the posters of Maitland in his room hadn’t come close to seeing the two of them standing together. The resemblance was more than uncanny, it was downright spooky.
“Austin,” she managed past the lump in her throat. “This is—”
His eyes narrowed in Jed’s direction. “I know who he is,” he said, his tone insolent.
Jed extended his hand to Austin, but her son stood beside her, protective, and refused to accept the invitation. She watched him closely, could see the hesitation in his eyes, the war between wanting to have his father accept him and fearing another rejection.
“I was explaining to your mom how she, uh...caught me at a bad time last weekend,” Jed said.
Austin remained silent, but he glanced in her direction. God, she hated this. A nod, any indication whatsoever, and she knew Austin would accept whatever Maitland was offering. This wasn’t fair, and she wanted to scream with frustration. Maitland could shake Austin’s hand and walk out, rejecting, then crushing his own son. And it would be her fault.
Jed extended his hand again. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Austin.”
Austin’s eyes clouded with hesitation and something else—hope.
Her heart twisted so hard she couldn’t breathe. Why? she cried in a silent plea for understanding. With a slight nod of her head, she closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight of Austin accepting what little attention his father was willing to toss his way.
She moved quietly aside, stopping at the display case where she rested her hand on the glass. With her free hand, she rubbed at the knot of tension gathering in the back of her neck. She could hear the drone of their voices, the stilted conversation between them, but she couldn’t concentrate on what they were saying. All she could think about was what Austin had wanted so desperately—the chance to meet his father. She prayed her son could withstand the disappointment once Maitland’s curiosity was satisfied and he left Hart as quickly
“I did what I had to do to protect Austin. I figured you’d throw me out and that would be the end of it. Austin would be hurt for a while, but he’d get over it. I never expected you to come waltzing into Hart.”
How dare she lay the blame wholly on him. He wasn’t the one who had popped up out of nowhere with a wild story about a kid from a lost love.
“Well, I’m here,” he said in a well-modulated voice that warned most people they were treading on very thin ice. “What great plan do you have now, Sister?”
“Mom? Mom, are you all right?”
“Ah, hell,” he muttered. Any plans for an unnoticed escape were out of the question now. They’d been busted cold.
The look in Griffen’s eyes was nothing short of pure anguish. She glanced at the boy, then back at him, her arms wrapping around her middle again as if she feared she’d fall apart if she didn’t hold herself together.
She slowly brought a hand to her son’s shoulder, and Jed couldn’t help noticing how her fingers trembled or how the color had drained from her cheeks. If the woman hadn’t just bitten off his head and spit down his throat, he would have thought she’d looked ready to faint.
“I...I didn’t hear you come in,” she said.
“Are you all right?” the boy asked again, shooting Jed a hostile look.
Jed stared at the boy. Dani’s son. His son. There would be no denying the truth. The kid had Maitland all over him, from the tall lanky frame to the thick dark hair and the same deep colored eyes inherited from his own grandmother Maitland. Looking at Austin was like looking at his old junior high school yearbook photo.
“I’m fine,” she whispered.
She didn’t look fine. She looked as if a stiff wind would break her in half. Hell, he wasn’t feeling real stable at the moment himself.
Griffen cleared her throat and fought desperately to regain her composure. Comparing Austin’s looks to the posters of Maitland in his room hadn’t come close to seeing the two of them standing together. The resemblance was more than uncanny, it was downright spooky.
“Austin,” she managed past the lump in her throat. “This is—”
His eyes narrowed in Jed’s direction. “I know who he is,” he said, his tone insolent.
Jed extended his hand to Austin, but her son stood beside her, protective, and refused to accept the invitation. She watched him closely, could see the hesitation in his eyes, the war between wanting to have his father accept him and fearing another rejection.
“I was explaining to your mom how she, uh...caught me at a bad time last weekend,” Jed said.
Austin remained silent, but he glanced in her direction. God, she hated this. A nod, any indication whatsoever, and she knew Austin would accept whatever Maitland was offering. This wasn’t fair, and she wanted to scream with frustration. Maitland could shake Austin’s hand and walk out, rejecting, then crushing his own son. And it would be her fault.
Jed extended his hand again. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Austin.”
Austin’s eyes clouded with hesitation and something else—hope.
Her heart twisted so hard she couldn’t breathe. Why? she cried in a silent plea for understanding. With a slight nod of her head, she closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight of Austin accepting what little attention his father was willing to toss his way.
She moved quietly aside, stopping at the display case where she rested her hand on the glass. With her free hand, she rubbed at the knot of tension gathering in the back of her neck. She could hear the drone of their voices, the stilted conversation between them, but she couldn’t concentrate on what they were saying. All she could think about was what Austin had wanted so desperately—the chance to meet his father. She prayed her son could withstand the disappointment once Maitland’s curiosity was satisfied and he left Hart as quickly
Similar Books
