Page 4 of Sweet Surprise (Honeysuckle, Texas #2)

For the short ride to the ranch from town, Carson spent more time watching the car in his review mirror than the road.

His mind played pictures of Mason drawing, eating, smiling, and playing at the park over and over on a never ending loop.

Thrown in for good measures were visions of what he might have missed.

Mason’s first steps, first words, first drawing pinned to the fridge with a magnet—probably holding a school picture.

All the things he could not recoup. His head felt ready to explode.

Never had so many tumultuous emotions battered him at once.

Joy at a son, shock at a son, sorrow at all he’d lost with that son.

And Jess. The woman who’d gotten under his skin so many years ago and never quite worked her way out was back.

Maybe back wasn’t the right word, but she was here, and she was no longer married, and now they shared a son.

What he needed to focus on now wasn’t how he felt or didn’t feel, but how much should—or could—he tell his mother about Jess and Mason.

He had called ahead and told his mom that an old college friend was in town and they’d be staying at the ranch.

His mom had been so freaked at having to straighten up and prepare two rooms for their unexpected guests in the time it took to drive from town, that she barely asked any questions, rushing off to get the house ready.

Where for most people tidying up means picking up a few misplaced items and maybe tossing dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher, he suspected his mother would be on all fours scrubbing bathrooms and mopping floors.

Turning under the gate, he glanced at the rearview mirror for the umpteenth time. So much to figure out. So much to deal with. And yet, all that was now rattling around in his brain was if Jess showing up in his life again was a gift from God or a cruel trick.

By the time he parked his car in front of the house and stood by the driver side door, waiting for Jess to park beside him, his mother and sisters were on the front porch.

The only one smiling was his mother. Most likely that had something to do with his having ignored the texts and calls from both Jillian and Rachel.

He knew they’d have more questions than he’d have answers for.

If Jess thought she was nervous over arriving in town and after all these years seeing Carson again, the prospect of meeting his entire family wasn’t much better.

She’d been taking deep breaths for the last ten minutes and considered simply turning around and finding lodging anywhere but here.

Then she’d remind herself of the stack of bills she’d been playing borrow from Peter to pay Paul with, and free lodging was hard to turn down.

The sight before her wasn’t helping. Coming to a stop in front of the massive house, half old fashioned logs, half stone, the place looked like a cross between the Ponderosa from the old western television show she’d watch in reruns with her grandmother, and an old Scottish castle or university.

If his mother and two of his sisters weren’t on the porch watching them intently, she’d take a few minutes to just sit and stare at the beautiful house.

Once she parked beside Carson, he circled around the back to her door and managed to tug it open before she could exit the car on her own.

The gesture made her smile. He’d always been so good at opening doors, pulling out chairs, and helping her on with jackets and sweaters. “Still the gentleman.”

He didn’t say a word, but took her hand and waited for Mason to exit the car and come to stand beside them. “Told you my mom would be delighted with company.”

His mother was indeed sporting a smile as wide as the Rio Grande, but the two women at either side of her stood looking a bit more confused over the prospect of two strangers for houseguests.

As if able to read her mind, Carson leaned in and whispered for her ears only, “They’re going to love you—both of you. I promise.”

And just like that his mother flew off the porch and drew her into a stuffing squeezing embrace.

“Come on in and we’ll get you settled. You’ll be using my old room, and your son will stay in Kade’s room. He’s my oldest boy.”

“The one in the military?” She was surprised she remembered.

His mother’s already pleasant expression brightened even more. “You know Kade?”

“Back in school Carson might have mentioned him a time or two thousand.”

His mother looked over her shoulder and grinning at Carson, sheer joy and pride shone in her eyes. “They were always close.”

The next thing Jess knew, her small bag was unpacked and her clothes put away in a spacious room that somehow still felt cozy.

Lovely views of the expansive ranch seemed to roll out before her like an immense carpet of green with distant speckles on the horizon that she suspected up close would be rather large cattle.

“Mommy.” Sitting on the bed, his attention split between watching his mother unpack and sketching a new drawing, Mason glanced up at her. “Do you think I’ll see real cows?”

“Something tells me yes. But don’t get too close. They’re large animals and you could get hurt.”

Not for the first time today, her son heaved a sigh too heavy for his young years and rolled his eyes at her. “Mom, I want to draw them, not play with them.”

“I know. But still.”

The kid just shook his head and she wondered for the umpteenth time if there wasn’t a thirty year old man hidden in her nine year old son’s body.

A rap sounded on the doorframe. Carson stood smiling at her. Had his eyes always been such a deep blue?

“Mom’s baking cookies. She sent me to tell you they’ll be ready to eat shortly.”

“Cookies?” Mason looked up.

“Chocolate chip and butter cookies.”

Tossing his artwork to one side, Mason bounced on the bed. “I love butter cookies.”

Surprise registered clearly on Carson’s face. “Me too.”

On his feet, Mason came to a stop at Carson’s side, his gaze settling on his mother. “Coming?”

“Almost done here. You two go on and I’ll be down in a second, but save me some chocolate chips.”

“Sure thing.” Mason grinned and spun about to face Carson. “Last one downstairs is a rotten egg.”

Before Carson could say yay or nay, the kid had taken off running down the hall. Her mouth open, she was all set to reprove her son for running in the house when Carson, laughing now, waved her off and took off after their son. Great. Now she was going to have to corral not one but two kids.

In only a few hours, the world simply had to have tilted on its axis. That was the only possible explanation Carson had for why he was sitting in his mother’s kitchen with a nine year old son and upstairs unpacking was the one woman he’s never been truly able to forget.

“What’s your favorite subject?”

Without hesitation, Mason mumbled, “Math” around the bite of another cookie.

His mom, on the other hand, hadn’t stopped smiling and was already working on another batch of butter cookies. This kid might go home weighing an extra twenty pounds if the Sweet matriarch kept baking like this.

“Oh, my.” Glancing at her watch, Carson’s mom stepped away from the bowl of batter and quickly washed her hands. “It’s time to check on the calves.”

“Calves?” Mason looked up.

“We have two rejected calves in the birthing barn. Garret tried getting one of the mom’s who lost a calf to adopt them, but it didn’t work. Now they have to be bottle fed. Would you like to come with me?”

“Can I?” Excitement gleamed in the young boy’s eyes.

“Of course.” His mother tipped her head toward the back door for Mason to follow her. Another moment later the screen door slammed shut behind them and the two were darting toward the barn like a couple of wayward children.

“Where did Mason go?” Jess appeared behind him.

“He and Mom are in the barn with the new calves.”

“Is that okay?” Her gaze darted from him to the kitchen door and back. “I mean, I don’t want him to bother your mother.”

Jillian was the first to laugh. “The way she walked out of here giggling like a nine year old herself? Doubt it.”

“Oh. Well. Maybe I should go check. Just in case.”

“Sure.” Carson pushed away from the wall. “I’ll show you.”

To his surprise, when he took a step forward, Jess took a step back. “No. Thank you. Just point me in the direction of the barn and I’m sure even this city girl can find the broad side of it.”

Not sure why she didn’t want him to accompany her, he simply nodded and pointed. “Follow the path, it’ll be pretty obvious.”

“Thought so.” She smiled and quickly turned to hurry after her son.

The door closed behind her and Rachel spun around. “Okay, spill. What’s going on here?”

“Let’s take this into the study.” Garret pushed to his feet. “I’ll call Preston.”

The sound of stomping boots on the back porch filled the kitchen. All the siblings looked up to see Preston brushing his boots while holding his wife’s hand.

“Not bad timing.” Garret turned on his heel and walked away.

“Who’s the kid on the way to the barn with Mom?” Preston hung his hat on the nearby rack.

“We’re heading to the study to find out.” Jillian spun around and followed her youngest brother, her sister on her heels.

Brows dipped with confusion, Preston turned to his wife and back. “Was the question that hard?”

“No,” Carson snapped. “But it looks like we’re all going to the study.”

He’d barely crossed the threshold when Garret settled into his favorite chair and dropped his boot heel over his other knee. “Give.”

“Can’t a man bring an old friend home for dinner?”

“Of course you can.” Jillian poured a cola and handed it to her sister. “Now spill.”

“Fine.” He wished he’d had more time to process the day’s events himself, but here goes nothing. “Jessica and I had a few classes together back at UT.”

“That much you told us.” Considering Garret was the youngest of the brothers, right about now he looked like the big brother.

“Let me see if I can make this easier on you.” Rachel handed him a beer, then silently asked Preston if he wanted one before handing the other to Garret. “When did you learn that Mason’s your son?”

Jillian choked on her cola, Garret’s boot slid off his knee and landed on the wooden floor with a heavy thud, and Preston’s jaw fell open. “Make mine a bourbon.”

“How did you know?” was the only sensible thing he could say, because right about now he was wondering how the heck his sister had picked up on something his son’s own mother never noticed.

Rachel collapsed into the sofa. “You mean, besides the fact that he loves the same cookies you do, draws with the same skill you do, and has your smile?”

Okay, maybe Jess had no way of knowing he loved butter cookies or that he could do more than doodle in the corners of a notebook, and a smile isn’t enough to determine paternity, but still…“Yeah, besides that.”

“You look at him as if he were more precious than the crowned jewels.”

All heads whipped in his direction.

Why did he feel like a guppy in a fish bowl? Oh yeah—because he just brought home a son he didn’t know he had and everyone here wanted answers he didn’t have.