looked as comfortable in a tux as he did in jeans and a T-shirt. She bet he’d turned more than a few heads in his Navy uniform. Before she sunk further into thoughts of Jed’s assets, fear grabbed her by the throat.
Johanna had said something about Jed fighting for custody. If he were fighting for custody of Ashley, what would he do if Chaney became pregnant? She hadn’t expected him to want a child. She’d been sure he wouldn’t have a problem giving up responsibility for a child’s welfare. What was she going to do now? Thank God, she hadn’t stopped her birth control yet. At least this way she wouldn’t have to worry about fighting him. Now all she had to do was figure out some loophole to keep the ranch without getting pregnant.
***
Jed knocked but when he didn’t hear an answering word he turned the knob and stepped into the office. He didn’t have to search hard to find her. Chaney stood in front of the window with her arms wrapped around her middle. She probably felt like he’d sucker punched her.
“I’m sorry doesn’t seem like enough.”
Chaney didn’t respond. She remained standing in front of the window refusing to look at him.
“I was going to tell you about Ash, but things have been a little tense. I am sorry though. Don’t worry you won’t have to lift a finger. Ash is my responsibility. Not yours.”
“I wasn’t worried and I won’t mind her being here. She’s your daughter. I meant what I said. She’s welcome here whenever she wants. I just wish you had told me before we got married.”
“Why? I mean besides the obvious, not being blindsided reasons. Would it have made a difference?”
“Maybe.”
Jed was confused. She said his daughter was welcome, but she might not have married him if she knew about Ash. “Why? You still needed a husband to keep the ranch. Now you know I needed more than a building for my shop. I need a wife to help win custody of my daughter.”
“Never mind, Jed,” she said finally turning from the window so he could see her face. “Are there any other surprises I should know about? Is your wife going to change her mind and take you back?”
She looked more fragile than he’d ever seen her. Jed was used to Chaney being strong and stubborn. Her accepting, al most defeated attitude was odd.
“No other surprises,” he told her as she walked behind the desk. “As to Johanna taking me back, that won’t happen. I filed for the divorce, not her. She could beg and I wouldn’t take her back. The woman ’s a class ‘A’ bitch. Always has been, always will be. I did my time.”
“If you felt that way, why did you marry her in the first place?”
It was hard to hold Chaney’s gaze while he tried to come up with an answer. He couldn’t tell her his ex had seduced him while he was in a drunken fog. One of the yearly drunken binges he had commemorating his refusing to stand up to Chaney’s father. How could he tell Chaney he got his commanding officer’s daughter pregnant while he had been drinking trying to forget her? He couldn’t. First, it would ruin her memories of her father if she believed him, and second she wouldn’t believe him anyway.
Even knowing that, Jed wanted to take her in his arms and hold her until the lost look on her face went away. But he didn’t feel he had the right since he was obviously the cause of it. He decided on a very watered down version of the truth.
“Like most major events in my life, I didn’t have much choice,” he said. The way she rolled her eyes and shook her head said she knew it was a copout.
“Whatever. I guess part of the reason I’m so shocked is Steve never mentioned you had a daughter. I knew you’d married, but I never heard that you’d had a child. Just seems kind of strange.”
“He doesn’t know.”
Chaney’s head shot up. “I thought you said no more surprises. Your family doesn’t know about your daughter?”
Jed shrugged uncomfortable talking about his relationship or lack
Johanna had said something about Jed fighting for custody. If he were fighting for custody of Ashley, what would he do if Chaney became pregnant? She hadn’t expected him to want a child. She’d been sure he wouldn’t have a problem giving up responsibility for a child’s welfare. What was she going to do now? Thank God, she hadn’t stopped her birth control yet. At least this way she wouldn’t have to worry about fighting him. Now all she had to do was figure out some loophole to keep the ranch without getting pregnant.
***
Jed knocked but when he didn’t hear an answering word he turned the knob and stepped into the office. He didn’t have to search hard to find her. Chaney stood in front of the window with her arms wrapped around her middle. She probably felt like he’d sucker punched her.
“I’m sorry doesn’t seem like enough.”
Chaney didn’t respond. She remained standing in front of the window refusing to look at him.
“I was going to tell you about Ash, but things have been a little tense. I am sorry though. Don’t worry you won’t have to lift a finger. Ash is my responsibility. Not yours.”
“I wasn’t worried and I won’t mind her being here. She’s your daughter. I meant what I said. She’s welcome here whenever she wants. I just wish you had told me before we got married.”
“Why? I mean besides the obvious, not being blindsided reasons. Would it have made a difference?”
“Maybe.”
Jed was confused. She said his daughter was welcome, but she might not have married him if she knew about Ash. “Why? You still needed a husband to keep the ranch. Now you know I needed more than a building for my shop. I need a wife to help win custody of my daughter.”
“Never mind, Jed,” she said finally turning from the window so he could see her face. “Are there any other surprises I should know about? Is your wife going to change her mind and take you back?”
She looked more fragile than he’d ever seen her. Jed was used to Chaney being strong and stubborn. Her accepting, al most defeated attitude was odd.
“No other surprises,” he told her as she walked behind the desk. “As to Johanna taking me back, that won’t happen. I filed for the divorce, not her. She could beg and I wouldn’t take her back. The woman ’s a class ‘A’ bitch. Always has been, always will be. I did my time.”
“If you felt that way, why did you marry her in the first place?”
It was hard to hold Chaney’s gaze while he tried to come up with an answer. He couldn’t tell her his ex had seduced him while he was in a drunken fog. One of the yearly drunken binges he had commemorating his refusing to stand up to Chaney’s father. How could he tell Chaney he got his commanding officer’s daughter pregnant while he had been drinking trying to forget her? He couldn’t. First, it would ruin her memories of her father if she believed him, and second she wouldn’t believe him anyway.
Even knowing that, Jed wanted to take her in his arms and hold her until the lost look on her face went away. But he didn’t feel he had the right since he was obviously the cause of it. He decided on a very watered down version of the truth.
“Like most major events in my life, I didn’t have much choice,” he said. The way she rolled her eyes and shook her head said she knew it was a copout.
“Whatever. I guess part of the reason I’m so shocked is Steve never mentioned you had a daughter. I knew you’d married, but I never heard that you’d had a child. Just seems kind of strange.”
“He doesn’t know.”
Chaney’s head shot up. “I thought you said no more surprises. Your family doesn’t know about your daughter?”
Jed shrugged uncomfortable talking about his relationship or lack
Similar Books
