“She’s a nice woman, but wasn’t happy with my father or life on a ranch so she left. She’s happy with her life now, so that’s good.”
“Do you see her much?”
“No, actually not at all. I was pretty young when she left—not quite six—so I don’t have a lot of memories of her.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I had dad and all my brothers so I never felt denied.”
“I hope you won’t get mad, but I heard about the show Jo did on your family and about that curse. Do you really think that’s why all your family ended up divorced?”
“Heck if I know. To be honest, we didn’t know all the details about the curse. Jo found out when she did the shows on the Nash family in North Carolina. They’re Dad’s nephews. Anyway, they’d discovered the details and knew the curse stemmed from the 1800s. It still sounds a little woo-woo to be honest.”
“So you don’t believe it?”
Jayce shrugged. “I just know that until JD hooked up with Jo, none of us seemed to have much luck with getting women to stick around.”
“Well, I guess it’s like Jo said. That curse got blasted to smithereens.”
“It sure would be nice to think so.”
“Do you miss being married?”
Jayce’s eyebrows rose. “To Nathalie? No, honestly I can’t say that I do. I mean, I thought we were in love when we got married but it went south the minute she found out she was pregnant. But I’m honest enough to admit that I like the idea of having a family. I mean, I have Carson and it’s not that we’re unhappy, but it would be nice to have a wife and maybe more kids – a home that’s full and rowdy and full of laughter.”
“That does sound nice.”
“So you want to have more kids?”
“I don’t know..”
“Because Lily’s dad was a mistake?”
“Yes.”
Jayce looped his arm around her and pulled her against him. “I don’t want to upset you, but did he go to jail? For what he did?”
Callie was relieved that she didn’t freak out over the question. In fact, she found herself wanting to be open and honest. “Yes, I made sure of that.”
“You did? How?”
“Once I was conscious, I gave a full statement. The police found him and charged him with murder, attempted murder and arson.”
“Attempted murder? I thought you said—”
“He killed my mother. Yes. Then he shot me, left me for dead and tried to burn the house down with me and our child in it.”
She could tell from the tightening of his jaw that her statement hit a nerve. She wasn’t surprised. “I hope he rots there for what he did to you and your family.”
“So do I.” She squeezed his hand. “God, I can’t believe I just told you that. I haven’t told anyone what happened.”
“No one? Not even Cody?”
Callie shook her head and looked away. Jayce tugged on her hand. “Why did you tell me?”
That was the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, and one she hadn’t realized she had an answer for. Callie turned to look at him. “Because I trust you. You saw me that day – when I freaked out. You held me and made me feel safe and then you didn’t run the next time you saw me. You’re here, right now and you didn’t hold it against me.”
“Callie. Honey, why would I?
“Well, it wasn’t pretty. That’s for sure.”
“But it’s nothing to be ashamed of. What happened to you was horrible and there are bound to be scars.”
“You have no idea.”
“Mommy!” A wail from the stairs had Callie and Jayce both jumping up. Lily pounded down the stairs, still bawling.
Callie picked her up before she reached the bottom step. “Hey, punkin. It’s okay. It’s okay.”
“My skeered no see you.”
“It’s okay, baby.” Callie hugged Lily to her and returned to the couch. Jayce reclaimed his place as well. Lily turned in Callie’s arms and saw Jayce.
“My sit you.” She wiggled off Callie’s lap and onto Jayce’s.
“All righty.” Jayce pulled her up against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
“Do you see her much?”
“No, actually not at all. I was pretty young when she left—not quite six—so I don’t have a lot of memories of her.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I had dad and all my brothers so I never felt denied.”
“I hope you won’t get mad, but I heard about the show Jo did on your family and about that curse. Do you really think that’s why all your family ended up divorced?”
“Heck if I know. To be honest, we didn’t know all the details about the curse. Jo found out when she did the shows on the Nash family in North Carolina. They’re Dad’s nephews. Anyway, they’d discovered the details and knew the curse stemmed from the 1800s. It still sounds a little woo-woo to be honest.”
“So you don’t believe it?”
Jayce shrugged. “I just know that until JD hooked up with Jo, none of us seemed to have much luck with getting women to stick around.”
“Well, I guess it’s like Jo said. That curse got blasted to smithereens.”
“It sure would be nice to think so.”
“Do you miss being married?”
Jayce’s eyebrows rose. “To Nathalie? No, honestly I can’t say that I do. I mean, I thought we were in love when we got married but it went south the minute she found out she was pregnant. But I’m honest enough to admit that I like the idea of having a family. I mean, I have Carson and it’s not that we’re unhappy, but it would be nice to have a wife and maybe more kids – a home that’s full and rowdy and full of laughter.”
“That does sound nice.”
“So you want to have more kids?”
“I don’t know..”
“Because Lily’s dad was a mistake?”
“Yes.”
Jayce looped his arm around her and pulled her against him. “I don’t want to upset you, but did he go to jail? For what he did?”
Callie was relieved that she didn’t freak out over the question. In fact, she found herself wanting to be open and honest. “Yes, I made sure of that.”
“You did? How?”
“Once I was conscious, I gave a full statement. The police found him and charged him with murder, attempted murder and arson.”
“Attempted murder? I thought you said—”
“He killed my mother. Yes. Then he shot me, left me for dead and tried to burn the house down with me and our child in it.”
She could tell from the tightening of his jaw that her statement hit a nerve. She wasn’t surprised. “I hope he rots there for what he did to you and your family.”
“So do I.” She squeezed his hand. “God, I can’t believe I just told you that. I haven’t told anyone what happened.”
“No one? Not even Cody?”
Callie shook her head and looked away. Jayce tugged on her hand. “Why did you tell me?”
That was the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, and one she hadn’t realized she had an answer for. Callie turned to look at him. “Because I trust you. You saw me that day – when I freaked out. You held me and made me feel safe and then you didn’t run the next time you saw me. You’re here, right now and you didn’t hold it against me.”
“Callie. Honey, why would I?
“Well, it wasn’t pretty. That’s for sure.”
“But it’s nothing to be ashamed of. What happened to you was horrible and there are bound to be scars.”
“You have no idea.”
“Mommy!” A wail from the stairs had Callie and Jayce both jumping up. Lily pounded down the stairs, still bawling.
Callie picked her up before she reached the bottom step. “Hey, punkin. It’s okay. It’s okay.”
“My skeered no see you.”
“It’s okay, baby.” Callie hugged Lily to her and returned to the couch. Jayce reclaimed his place as well. Lily turned in Callie’s arms and saw Jayce.
“My sit you.” She wiggled off Callie’s lap and onto Jayce’s.
“All righty.” Jayce pulled her up against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
Similar Books
Airship Shape & Bristol Fashion
Jonathan L. Howard, Deborah Walker, Cheryl Morgan, Andy Bigwood, Christine Morgan, Myfanwy Rodman
