thought he was going to kiss her again. Her body ignored the directives her brain screamed at her and slowly drifted toward him.
“Jamie’s crying.”
She was so distracted by Clay’s breath caressing her neck, what he said made no sense. “Excuse me?”
“Jamie. He’s awake.”
She listened and heard faint crying coming from inside the house. It galvanized her. “I’d better go.”
With a final glance at Clay, she scurried inside and to the bedroom, hoping the noise hadn’t woken up the rest of the house.
Jamie stood in the portable crib, clinging to the side, tears spilling from his eyes and red splotches on his cheeks.
“Sorry, baby.” She lifted him into her arms and pressed him to her, alternately bouncing him in her arms and swaying back and forth. The wailing continued. Worsened.
How long had he been carrying on before Clay heard him? Sierra couldn’t believe she’d been so wrapped up in their kiss she’d ignored her child’s cries.
Then again…
She shivered at the memory of Clay’s lips parting hers.
This absolutely had to stop! Jamie was her first and only concern.
“Definitely, positively, that is never going to happen again,” she vowed aloud.
Aware of the sudden quiet, she peered down at Jamie. He’d stopped his fussing, and his hazel eyes stared fixedly at her as if he didn’t buy a single word she said.
* * *
“ W HO WAS HERE ?” Sierra’s father stood in the bedroom doorway.
“Clay.” At the mention of his name, a warm flush crept up her neck to her face. “Did Jamie wake you with his crying?”
Or, had her father been up already and seen her and Clay kissing?
Please, no!
“I was reading.”
Whew!
Her father came into the room and smiled fondly at Jamie, who was fighting sleep tooth and nail. “Kind of late for a visit. What did Clay want?”
“He was looking for Ethan.”
“Like I said, kind of late.”
“He was upset. I guess he saw Bud and told him about Jamie. They got into some kind of argument.”
“About Jamie? Of all the—”
“It had more to do with Bud selling our land and his parents’ divorce.”
“For the love of God! Why are they still rehashing that?”
Sierra thought her father’s outburst a bit much but dismissed it. Between the wedding and her return, everyone’s emotions were running a little high.
“Clay asked me if Bud ever gave you an opportunity to buy back the land before he sold it.”
“What did you tell him?” There was no mistaking the apprehension in her father’s voice.
“That Bud didn’t give you any opportunities.”
“Good. Because he didn’t.”
“Well, whatever Bud told Clay must have been pretty upsetting for him to drive out here at this time of night.”
“He’ll say anything to get out of taking responsibility for what he did to us. I hope Clay’s smart enough not to be suckered in.”
“I’m sure he is. Why else would the two of them have been at odds all these years?”
“If he wants to be part of this family, he’d better stay clear of Bud. I mean it.”
Would her father really cut out his grandson’s father from their lives?
“I think he’s trying to mend broken bridges.”
“No point in that.”
“Really, Dad? Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“It’s different.”
Sierra didn’t agree. Bud Duvall had done a terrible thing to her family, but he’d also done one very kind and generous thing. He’d given them another fifteen months with her mother they wouldn’t have had without the loan of his money for her heart-transplant surgery.
“I don’t want Duvall coming to the wedding.”
“He wouldn’t dare. And Clay wouldn’t dare invite him.”
Her father grumbled to himself.
“Don’t you think it’s time to put the past to rest? For Jamie, and all your grandchildren.”
Not that Sierra was ready to forgive Bud Duvall, but her own actions these last two years, her neglect of her family and their willingness to welcome her back with open arms, had given
“Jamie’s crying.”
She was so distracted by Clay’s breath caressing her neck, what he said made no sense. “Excuse me?”
“Jamie. He’s awake.”
She listened and heard faint crying coming from inside the house. It galvanized her. “I’d better go.”
With a final glance at Clay, she scurried inside and to the bedroom, hoping the noise hadn’t woken up the rest of the house.
Jamie stood in the portable crib, clinging to the side, tears spilling from his eyes and red splotches on his cheeks.
“Sorry, baby.” She lifted him into her arms and pressed him to her, alternately bouncing him in her arms and swaying back and forth. The wailing continued. Worsened.
How long had he been carrying on before Clay heard him? Sierra couldn’t believe she’d been so wrapped up in their kiss she’d ignored her child’s cries.
Then again…
She shivered at the memory of Clay’s lips parting hers.
This absolutely had to stop! Jamie was her first and only concern.
“Definitely, positively, that is never going to happen again,” she vowed aloud.
Aware of the sudden quiet, she peered down at Jamie. He’d stopped his fussing, and his hazel eyes stared fixedly at her as if he didn’t buy a single word she said.
* * *
“ W HO WAS HERE ?” Sierra’s father stood in the bedroom doorway.
“Clay.” At the mention of his name, a warm flush crept up her neck to her face. “Did Jamie wake you with his crying?”
Or, had her father been up already and seen her and Clay kissing?
Please, no!
“I was reading.”
Whew!
Her father came into the room and smiled fondly at Jamie, who was fighting sleep tooth and nail. “Kind of late for a visit. What did Clay want?”
“He was looking for Ethan.”
“Like I said, kind of late.”
“He was upset. I guess he saw Bud and told him about Jamie. They got into some kind of argument.”
“About Jamie? Of all the—”
“It had more to do with Bud selling our land and his parents’ divorce.”
“For the love of God! Why are they still rehashing that?”
Sierra thought her father’s outburst a bit much but dismissed it. Between the wedding and her return, everyone’s emotions were running a little high.
“Clay asked me if Bud ever gave you an opportunity to buy back the land before he sold it.”
“What did you tell him?” There was no mistaking the apprehension in her father’s voice.
“That Bud didn’t give you any opportunities.”
“Good. Because he didn’t.”
“Well, whatever Bud told Clay must have been pretty upsetting for him to drive out here at this time of night.”
“He’ll say anything to get out of taking responsibility for what he did to us. I hope Clay’s smart enough not to be suckered in.”
“I’m sure he is. Why else would the two of them have been at odds all these years?”
“If he wants to be part of this family, he’d better stay clear of Bud. I mean it.”
Would her father really cut out his grandson’s father from their lives?
“I think he’s trying to mend broken bridges.”
“No point in that.”
“Really, Dad? Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“It’s different.”
Sierra didn’t agree. Bud Duvall had done a terrible thing to her family, but he’d also done one very kind and generous thing. He’d given them another fifteen months with her mother they wouldn’t have had without the loan of his money for her heart-transplant surgery.
“I don’t want Duvall coming to the wedding.”
“He wouldn’t dare. And Clay wouldn’t dare invite him.”
Her father grumbled to himself.
“Don’t you think it’s time to put the past to rest? For Jamie, and all your grandchildren.”
Not that Sierra was ready to forgive Bud Duvall, but her own actions these last two years, her neglect of her family and their willingness to welcome her back with open arms, had given
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