Raining In My Heart (Book One of the McKay's) by Rita Hestand Page B
Authors: Rita Hestand
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a smile.
"No, where's the bunkhouse?" Kellie demanded.
Caleb took her to the barn door and pointed to one of the rows of buildings down the way.
When Kellie burst into the bunkhouse that rainy afternoon , Cade was playing poker with some of the hands. Cigarette smoke billowed in the air, as Cade was reared back on the chair legs examining his hand and glanced toward the door .
Their eyes met, and Kellie moved toward him as though she had a notion to just run into his arms.
Seeing the distress on Kellie 's face, he rose slowly and went to her. "Hey there, Kellie …" He pulled her aside. " Is s omething wrong?"
"Is it true?" Kellie shouted, not bothering to look at the other men.
Cade's face went pale.
"Are you my father ? " she blurted out, and several heads turned in their direction.
Cade glanced around, and all the hands disappeared into the corral at once . Cade marveled at ho w quickly it happened .
He stared down at Kellie 's tear-washed face. He hadn't thought about how he'd tell Kellie himself, and now it had been forced on him to explain it all to her. "Your mother told you?" h e asked as he gently pulled her to the table to sit down, and joined her straddling one of the chairs to face her .
"Yes."
" Well darlin', it's true I am your father , Kellie …but I didn't know it…until recently , " Cade admitted , grabbing her shoulder s with both hands . "And I couldn't be prouder."
Kellie wiped her eyes and looked at him in awe . " You're proud of me?"
"Of course I am. " Cade smiled and watched her expressions change. "How could you think otherwise?"
"It is my Mom 's fault , " Kellie announced. "I'll never forgive her."
Cade shook his head . "No… now hold on there. " Cade shot to his feet and turned away from her. " You see, it takes two Kellie to make a baby. And despite how dirty and ugly you might see all this…I loved your mother. I was proud to make her mine. I only wish I'd known all those years ago. I wish a lot of things were different. But they aren't. So we just got to make the best of it now. "
"But she didn't love you, did she?" Kellie narrowed her eyes on him.
"No, she didn't love me and Kellie …in all honesty, I knew it . But you've got to try to understand that sometimes young people make mistakes , " Cade began.
"So I'm a mistake?" Kellie frowned.
"Of course you aren't. Your mother and I were the mistake , Kellie " Cade said firmly.
Kellie shook her head . "I don't understand how love can be a mistake."
" You've never been in love either, I'll bet. You're a little young to understand all of this yet. There are some things that take time to understand. G ive us some time to explain it all to you."
Kellie stood up . "All I want to know is…how you feel about having a daughter…now? That ’ s all that matters to me. "
Cade pulled her to him . " Well , it was a shock, I'll admit that, but… I love it…" H e sighed happily against her. "Family is everything to me, Kellie . Once you get to know me, you'll realize that. And now that I know, maybe I can begin making up all those years we've been a part ."
Her tears soaked his shirt . "I'll never forgive her!"
" Kellie … " Cade pulled her away to look into her face . "You must always forgive people. It will make you miserable if you don't. It's one of the things most people have to figure out for themselves, but it's the truth. Besides, your mother was very young and…well, I guess I left some things unsaid at the time . I should have spoke n up, told her who I was, and that I loved her. "
"Don't defend her!" Kellie frowned.
"I have to ; we were both part of that night , " Cade reflected. "And I want you to know that despite everything, it was a beautiful night I'll never forget in all my life. And your mother wouldn't have had to go through it all alone, if I'd only known. But it wasn't entirely a mistake. And you were born from the love we shared that night. "
"Don't you hate her?" Kellie asked.
"No, I could never hate
"No, where's the bunkhouse?" Kellie demanded.
Caleb took her to the barn door and pointed to one of the rows of buildings down the way.
When Kellie burst into the bunkhouse that rainy afternoon , Cade was playing poker with some of the hands. Cigarette smoke billowed in the air, as Cade was reared back on the chair legs examining his hand and glanced toward the door .
Their eyes met, and Kellie moved toward him as though she had a notion to just run into his arms.
Seeing the distress on Kellie 's face, he rose slowly and went to her. "Hey there, Kellie …" He pulled her aside. " Is s omething wrong?"
"Is it true?" Kellie shouted, not bothering to look at the other men.
Cade's face went pale.
"Are you my father ? " she blurted out, and several heads turned in their direction.
Cade glanced around, and all the hands disappeared into the corral at once . Cade marveled at ho w quickly it happened .
He stared down at Kellie 's tear-washed face. He hadn't thought about how he'd tell Kellie himself, and now it had been forced on him to explain it all to her. "Your mother told you?" h e asked as he gently pulled her to the table to sit down, and joined her straddling one of the chairs to face her .
"Yes."
" Well darlin', it's true I am your father , Kellie …but I didn't know it…until recently , " Cade admitted , grabbing her shoulder s with both hands . "And I couldn't be prouder."
Kellie wiped her eyes and looked at him in awe . " You're proud of me?"
"Of course I am. " Cade smiled and watched her expressions change. "How could you think otherwise?"
"It is my Mom 's fault , " Kellie announced. "I'll never forgive her."
Cade shook his head . "No… now hold on there. " Cade shot to his feet and turned away from her. " You see, it takes two Kellie to make a baby. And despite how dirty and ugly you might see all this…I loved your mother. I was proud to make her mine. I only wish I'd known all those years ago. I wish a lot of things were different. But they aren't. So we just got to make the best of it now. "
"But she didn't love you, did she?" Kellie narrowed her eyes on him.
"No, she didn't love me and Kellie …in all honesty, I knew it . But you've got to try to understand that sometimes young people make mistakes , " Cade began.
"So I'm a mistake?" Kellie frowned.
"Of course you aren't. Your mother and I were the mistake , Kellie " Cade said firmly.
Kellie shook her head . "I don't understand how love can be a mistake."
" You've never been in love either, I'll bet. You're a little young to understand all of this yet. There are some things that take time to understand. G ive us some time to explain it all to you."
Kellie stood up . "All I want to know is…how you feel about having a daughter…now? That ’ s all that matters to me. "
Cade pulled her to him . " Well , it was a shock, I'll admit that, but… I love it…" H e sighed happily against her. "Family is everything to me, Kellie . Once you get to know me, you'll realize that. And now that I know, maybe I can begin making up all those years we've been a part ."
Her tears soaked his shirt . "I'll never forgive her!"
" Kellie … " Cade pulled her away to look into her face . "You must always forgive people. It will make you miserable if you don't. It's one of the things most people have to figure out for themselves, but it's the truth. Besides, your mother was very young and…well, I guess I left some things unsaid at the time . I should have spoke n up, told her who I was, and that I loved her. "
"Don't defend her!" Kellie frowned.
"I have to ; we were both part of that night , " Cade reflected. "And I want you to know that despite everything, it was a beautiful night I'll never forget in all my life. And your mother wouldn't have had to go through it all alone, if I'd only known. But it wasn't entirely a mistake. And you were born from the love we shared that night. "
"Don't you hate her?" Kellie asked.
"No, I could never hate
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