Sam
wasn’t the father and it took, oh, all of two seconds for him to realize that
I’d had sex with a man who’d never even asked me on a date.”
Peyton’s eyes slid closed for a moment, but regret still sank
into him. “Valerie.”
“So Uncle Rhys declared me a slut and threw me out. And
when Sam found out I was pregnant, common sense told him he was off the hook
since we’d only kissed, and he dumped me.” She let her head loll to the side.
“My uncle wasn’t angry enough to write me out of his will, though. And he
didn’t tell anyone you were the father. The girls’ paternity was my best-kept
secret until they became sick. By then Lucy was really starting to look like
you, anyway, so …”
Peyton’s grip tightened on the picture frame. He must’ve
just left Night Sky when the fallout with her uncle had happened. “Why didn’t
you—”
“Try to find you? Seriously, Peyton?” Valerie pounded her
fist on the countertop. “I did try.
But your grandfather said you made sure you couldn’t be found. I quit looking
after Anna died. Not sure if your grandfather kept at it, but I … I was done
with you.”
The truth was her weapon, and she wielded it masterfully.
He’d left her behind with everything else that had belonged in his past. And he
had walked away from more than their friendship.
Only, he hadn’t made sure he couldn’t be found. Not in the beginning. It was apparent that his
grandfather hadn’t shared with Valerie the letters he’d written home, or the
details of the phone conversation that had ended with Nathaniel growling that
he was the only one left in Night Sky who gave two shits about Peyton, and if
he wasn’t calling to say he was on the next plane home, then he wasn’t welcome
to call at all.
“Valerie, I’m so—”
“Please don’t say you’re sorry. I won’t believe you.”
But he was sorry. She’d been barely eighteen and pregnant
and alone … and he hadn’t protected her.
“Believe this. I should have the chance to be in Lucy’s
life.”
“So in a matter of hours you’re suddenly ready to be a
father? You don’t want the baggage, Peyton. I know in my gut you don’t.”
God, she was right. He wasn’t ready. How the hell could
he be? If he’d had a choice he would never be anyone’s father. The thing of it
was, he and Valerie had thrown their choices to the wind when they came
together without a plan, without protection, and with nothing but uncorked
lust.
“I’ve had too much taken away from me already, Valerie. I
can’t let you take what’s mine.”
“She’s mine, too.”
“Then we need to come to terms. No more hiding her, no
more lies.”
Something that resembled fear briefly flashed in her
eyes. After a moment she said, “She loves Nathaniel. Jasper, too. I don’t want
her to lose the family she knows. Don’t make this into a war, okay? Don’t fight
me. And please, Peyton, don’t force your way into her life if you’re just
passing through.”
Valerie apparently didn’t trust his motives. But after
she’d sent Lucy away tonight without telling him, he wasn’t certain he could trust her.
“Are we done here?” She was already heading for the door.
On the porch he said, “One more thing,” and clasped her
hand. Her fingers were bare, her palm not soft but roughened from years of
working a ranch. Her skin was warm, ridiculously welcoming when she’d put good
effort into being anything but. And because he wanted to hang on to her warmth,
was greedy for it, he curved his other arm around her. His fingers brushed her
hip before settling at her taut waist. The action brought his face near hers,
close enough for him to breathe in her scent. “I—I need to know if there’s some
other man raising my daughter.”
“There’s not,” she said meaningfully.
“Then it’s just us, Valerie, who’ve got to work this out.
Only you and me.”
Silence answered him until she said, barely loud enough
for him to hear, “Let me
wasn’t the father and it took, oh, all of two seconds for him to realize that
I’d had sex with a man who’d never even asked me on a date.”
Peyton’s eyes slid closed for a moment, but regret still sank
into him. “Valerie.”
“So Uncle Rhys declared me a slut and threw me out. And
when Sam found out I was pregnant, common sense told him he was off the hook
since we’d only kissed, and he dumped me.” She let her head loll to the side.
“My uncle wasn’t angry enough to write me out of his will, though. And he
didn’t tell anyone you were the father. The girls’ paternity was my best-kept
secret until they became sick. By then Lucy was really starting to look like
you, anyway, so …”
Peyton’s grip tightened on the picture frame. He must’ve
just left Night Sky when the fallout with her uncle had happened. “Why didn’t
you—”
“Try to find you? Seriously, Peyton?” Valerie pounded her
fist on the countertop. “I did try.
But your grandfather said you made sure you couldn’t be found. I quit looking
after Anna died. Not sure if your grandfather kept at it, but I … I was done
with you.”
The truth was her weapon, and she wielded it masterfully.
He’d left her behind with everything else that had belonged in his past. And he
had walked away from more than their friendship.
Only, he hadn’t made sure he couldn’t be found. Not in the beginning. It was apparent that his
grandfather hadn’t shared with Valerie the letters he’d written home, or the
details of the phone conversation that had ended with Nathaniel growling that
he was the only one left in Night Sky who gave two shits about Peyton, and if
he wasn’t calling to say he was on the next plane home, then he wasn’t welcome
to call at all.
“Valerie, I’m so—”
“Please don’t say you’re sorry. I won’t believe you.”
But he was sorry. She’d been barely eighteen and pregnant
and alone … and he hadn’t protected her.
“Believe this. I should have the chance to be in Lucy’s
life.”
“So in a matter of hours you’re suddenly ready to be a
father? You don’t want the baggage, Peyton. I know in my gut you don’t.”
God, she was right. He wasn’t ready. How the hell could
he be? If he’d had a choice he would never be anyone’s father. The thing of it
was, he and Valerie had thrown their choices to the wind when they came
together without a plan, without protection, and with nothing but uncorked
lust.
“I’ve had too much taken away from me already, Valerie. I
can’t let you take what’s mine.”
“She’s mine, too.”
“Then we need to come to terms. No more hiding her, no
more lies.”
Something that resembled fear briefly flashed in her
eyes. After a moment she said, “She loves Nathaniel. Jasper, too. I don’t want
her to lose the family she knows. Don’t make this into a war, okay? Don’t fight
me. And please, Peyton, don’t force your way into her life if you’re just
passing through.”
Valerie apparently didn’t trust his motives. But after
she’d sent Lucy away tonight without telling him, he wasn’t certain he could trust her.
“Are we done here?” She was already heading for the door.
On the porch he said, “One more thing,” and clasped her
hand. Her fingers were bare, her palm not soft but roughened from years of
working a ranch. Her skin was warm, ridiculously welcoming when she’d put good
effort into being anything but. And because he wanted to hang on to her warmth,
was greedy for it, he curved his other arm around her. His fingers brushed her
hip before settling at her taut waist. The action brought his face near hers,
close enough for him to breathe in her scent. “I—I need to know if there’s some
other man raising my daughter.”
“There’s not,” she said meaningfully.
“Then it’s just us, Valerie, who’ve got to work this out.
Only you and me.”
Silence answered him until she said, barely loud enough
for him to hear, “Let me
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