how similar the two were. There was no way Jed could ever deny the child. Ashley was a miniature of her father from her blonde hair and blue eyes, right down to the overly serious expression on her face as he introduced her.
“Ash, this is Miss Martha. She takes care of Chaney’s house and cooks for all the people that work here.” He turned so they were facing Chaney. “This is Chaney, your step-mom.”
The negative sound of the term grated on Chaney’s already ragged nerves. “Just call me Chaney, and I’ll call you Ashley.”
The little girl shook her head. “Ash, that’s what Daddy calls me. Only mother calls me Ashley.”
“Okay, Ash. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Chaney said holding out her hand, and she realized it was a pleasure. Despite the fact that it was a shock, and she was furious with Jed for not mentioning he had a daughter, Chaney couldn’t regret meeting such a sweet child. She also noticed the child said mother and not mom. It seemed the ex Mrs. Sampson was much more proper than she or Jed.
“Can I stay here?” Ash asked after shaking Chaney’s hand. “I know Mother didn’t ask. But is it okay?”
Her timid voice and obvious expectance of a negative answer tore at Chaney’s heart. “Of course you can stay here. This is your home anytime you want it to be. To prove it, we’ll celebrate your first afternoon with us by having a party for lunch.”
The little girl’s face lit up like an angel. “A party? For me? Really?”
“Really,” Chaney said, sneaking a quick glance at Martha to see if she would agree. The smile on Martha’s face let Chaney know everything would be okay.
Everything except the fact that Ashley’s father might be dead before her party ever started. Damn, she couldn’t believe he’d kept this from her. Her indignation cooled only a bit knowing s he was keeping her own secrets.
“I tell you what, Ash. I’ve have some business to take care of right now, but you and Martha can start the plans and I’ll help as soon as I can. Okay?”
When Jed’s daughter reached out and hugged Chaney’s neck saying, “Thank you,” Chaney knew she was in deep trouble. She learned the steel mesh around her heart had a weak link. “You’re welcome,” she whispered back, because emotion clogged her throat. Chaney left the room without looking at Jed.
Once in the safety of her office, Chaney leaned against the door and took a deep breath. As deep a breath as she could anyway with a band of pain surrounding her chest. It wasn’t the little girl. Jed’s daughter was wonderful. Even after only a few minutes, Chaney knew that.
Of course, the child could have been hell on wheels and Chaney would have loved her anyway. She was Jed’s daughter and that was enough. But it hurt, too. It hurt to know that if that horse hadn’t thrown her twelve years ago, Ashley could have been her daughter.
Tears filled her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Pushing away from the door, she walked to the window and stared unseeing at the land spread before her. She would not feel sorry for herself. Jed had made his choice and she had to live with it.
He’d walked away from her and married a woman Chaney could never begin to compete with in looks or anything else. Johanna was in a class all her own. Though Chaney believed the woman’s nose was perfect thanks to a surgeon, you couldn’t start with a lemon and end up with a peach. Before the tweaks, there had been beauty. Johanna’s comment concerning Jed’s common side had been meant for Chaney, of that she was sure. She was common, even compared to her own sister. Boy, Jed had taken a big step backwards coming home.
He divorced her.
She shook her head. That didn’t matter. The divorce could have been her choice. Maybe she decided there was too much of his common side. Yeah, right. Jed’s common side consisted mainly of his family here, and his work ethic. It had nothing to do with his intelligence or appearance. The man
“Ash, this is Miss Martha. She takes care of Chaney’s house and cooks for all the people that work here.” He turned so they were facing Chaney. “This is Chaney, your step-mom.”
The negative sound of the term grated on Chaney’s already ragged nerves. “Just call me Chaney, and I’ll call you Ashley.”
The little girl shook her head. “Ash, that’s what Daddy calls me. Only mother calls me Ashley.”
“Okay, Ash. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Chaney said holding out her hand, and she realized it was a pleasure. Despite the fact that it was a shock, and she was furious with Jed for not mentioning he had a daughter, Chaney couldn’t regret meeting such a sweet child. She also noticed the child said mother and not mom. It seemed the ex Mrs. Sampson was much more proper than she or Jed.
“Can I stay here?” Ash asked after shaking Chaney’s hand. “I know Mother didn’t ask. But is it okay?”
Her timid voice and obvious expectance of a negative answer tore at Chaney’s heart. “Of course you can stay here. This is your home anytime you want it to be. To prove it, we’ll celebrate your first afternoon with us by having a party for lunch.”
The little girl’s face lit up like an angel. “A party? For me? Really?”
“Really,” Chaney said, sneaking a quick glance at Martha to see if she would agree. The smile on Martha’s face let Chaney know everything would be okay.
Everything except the fact that Ashley’s father might be dead before her party ever started. Damn, she couldn’t believe he’d kept this from her. Her indignation cooled only a bit knowing s he was keeping her own secrets.
“I tell you what, Ash. I’ve have some business to take care of right now, but you and Martha can start the plans and I’ll help as soon as I can. Okay?”
When Jed’s daughter reached out and hugged Chaney’s neck saying, “Thank you,” Chaney knew she was in deep trouble. She learned the steel mesh around her heart had a weak link. “You’re welcome,” she whispered back, because emotion clogged her throat. Chaney left the room without looking at Jed.
Once in the safety of her office, Chaney leaned against the door and took a deep breath. As deep a breath as she could anyway with a band of pain surrounding her chest. It wasn’t the little girl. Jed’s daughter was wonderful. Even after only a few minutes, Chaney knew that.
Of course, the child could have been hell on wheels and Chaney would have loved her anyway. She was Jed’s daughter and that was enough. But it hurt, too. It hurt to know that if that horse hadn’t thrown her twelve years ago, Ashley could have been her daughter.
Tears filled her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Pushing away from the door, she walked to the window and stared unseeing at the land spread before her. She would not feel sorry for herself. Jed had made his choice and she had to live with it.
He’d walked away from her and married a woman Chaney could never begin to compete with in looks or anything else. Johanna was in a class all her own. Though Chaney believed the woman’s nose was perfect thanks to a surgeon, you couldn’t start with a lemon and end up with a peach. Before the tweaks, there had been beauty. Johanna’s comment concerning Jed’s common side had been meant for Chaney, of that she was sure. She was common, even compared to her own sister. Boy, Jed had taken a big step backwards coming home.
He divorced her.
She shook her head. That didn’t matter. The divorce could have been her choice. Maybe she decided there was too much of his common side. Yeah, right. Jed’s common side consisted mainly of his family here, and his work ethic. It had nothing to do with his intelligence or appearance. The man
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