Page 54

Jax stared up at the sun and its gentle descent behind the vermillion cliffs at the edge of the property. Ache and fear and love swirled in his heart, peppered by questions whizzing by too fast for him to latch on to.

What did the letter say?

Did she tell you how much we loved each other?

Did it mention how badly I let her down in the end when I let her father decide my worth?

“I’m so glad you found me,” he whispered through the fear instead.

“Me, too.” Ren laughed and it caught Jax by surprise.

His voice was so much of his grandfather, but his laugh was all Nora.

“I don’t think my grandpa is, but I don’t care. You’re pretty cool.”

“Thanks, Ren.”

“Um, what should I call you? Dad seems kinda weird, but Mr. Marshall makes you sound like my football coach.”

The kid played ball? The similarities between them—all unknown until they weren’t—piled up. What else would they discover? Would Ren want to stick around? Hell, where did he live now that his mom was gone?

Jax ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Yeah. Uh, let’s talk about that in a sec. I’ll tell you anything you want to know, and we’ll figure out the rest.”

Even though I have a thousand questions for you.

“Can-can I meet everyone? I want to know where I come from. You know, on your side.”

Jax froze. Of course, that was okay. But how was he supposed to do that? “Hey, Mom! Set another plate—I’m bringing my son to dinner.”

“I’d like to talk to them first, let ’em know the story and then maybe we could—”

“Hey, Jax!” Bennett shouted.

Ren’s eyes crinkled around the edges before they went wide and filled with moisture. Damn it. He was ruining things. It wasn’t like there was a handbook for how to handle finding out you were a father to a kid you never knew about.

“Over here!” He turned around and jogged over to the house, where he assumed Bennett was coming from. Maybe if he could tell his brother real quick about Ren, spare him the details until a better time, but introduce the two…

He could save disappointing his son like he did everyone else.

“What’re you doing over here? I heard you talking. Is it someone replying to the ad? I’d like to meet them before you offer them a position.”

“Yeah,” Jax said, his voice pitchy. He cleared his throat. “About that—”

They rounded the corner, and Jax’s chest tightened.

He swallowed hard, but it did nothing to dispel the ripping terror that seized control of his limbs one by one.

“Well, shoot,” Bennett chastised. There wasn’t anyone there. Ren was gone. “What the hell’d you say to drive him off?”

“Who says it was something I did?” But the truth landed heavy on his chest. He’d done exactly that—run Ren off by being afraid. And Bennett would flip when he found out there was never a ranch hand to begin with. Just Jax’s son.

To make matters worse, his son was missing.

Was he actually missing if he hadn’t been there long to begin with?

A headache sprouted behind his eyes. The kid was fifteen and looked like he’d been taking care of himself for a while. But it wasn’t supposed to be that way. It was up to Jax to help him along, even if he hadn’t been there in the beginning.

And oh God. He still had to tell Jill about her dog. And that, despite his earlier admission, he was a dad, like it or not.