of you, but I gave him my life. You're all grown, and he's gone. My sister is in Florida, and that's where I want to be, too."
"That's not the problem, Momma.” Heath squeezed her tightly. She wondered if he really needed her support. He wasn't the kind of man to need anything. Chance stroked his fingers with hers and waited.
"Then, what is the problem?” Emmy asked point blank.
"You feel guilty, and you shouldn't. Daddy was a grown man, and he could have changed his ways. He could have stopped being stubborn somewhere in those fourteen years between Jack and Jan. You could have, too. We all miss him. We all loved him. But Momma, we all love you, too.” The room was silent. A pin drop could have echoed like a bomb at that moment.
"What did you say?” Emmy Johnson was on the verge of tears.
"I said I love you. Just like I loved my daddy. And I love my family. Even Buck, God help me.” Heath tightened his hold on her hand. She prayed someone said it back to the man. He was pouring his heart out for the world to see.
"Damn man,” Buck said quietly. “That's deep. Almost as deep as the buckshot Rafe dug out of my ass."
Heath snickered. Rafe nodded. “Yeah brother. That's my role in this family. I'm the melodramatic one."
"Who are you, Jack, the diva?” Bethany asked her husband, and Jack blushed.
"Woman,” he warned. “I am the wild child not a damned diva."
Jack pulled Bethany into his lap and bit the tip of her nose. She gave him a yeah right look and smiled. “We love you too, Heath."
Jack nodded. “I agree."
Jan sniffed. “You know you're my hero."
Buck gave her a sideways look, and she shrugged. “You, too, honey."
"I got shot for you,” Buck protested.
"Well,” Emmy said through tears. “I had no idea."
"Momma, how could you not know we loved you? We're your children for crying out loud.” Rafe shook his head then went to their mother.
"Well, of course, I knew that. I just didn't know you knew so much about me and your father.” She wiped her tears. “We made some mistakes. I have my regrets. I'm sure you all will, too, but I also have you boys, and I have my little girl to remind me that even after a long hard winter, there will be a spring."
Chapter 5
Lying there in the dark with Chance, Heath couldn't fall asleep. His mind had been turning over and over the possibilities. “Are you on birth control?"
"Yes.” She rolled over to face him. “You can't sleep, huh?"
"Why are you on birth control?” he blurted.
"I was in California on my own. I had to walk to school sometimes. I didn't want to get mugged and raped and...” she began.
Yikes! She really thought about the worst case scenario, but she always dealt with the worst situations. His heart ached for her. His kids would never have to face life on their own.
"Well, you didn't have anything with you when I picked you up from jail. Is Shelby sending them with your stuff?” He knew she called her roommate and told her she wasn't coming back. Chance said the woman was relieved since she was basically squatting there till she started her job.
"I forgot about that.” She withdrew her hand from his arm.
Didn't she want kids? Wasn't that what they talked about earlier?
"Why are you pulling away from me? Don't you want babies?” He wasn't going to let her withdraw from him ever again. Now, he knew she was prone to do so; he needed to stay on alert for it.
"Yes. But, I wasn't sure. I mean what if you change your mind about me?” her voice was a whisper.
"I tried for a year to change my mind about you, and you're lying here beside me now, right?” He pulled her into his chest and stroked her soft hair. “I love you. I don't know what it would take to change that, and I don't ever want to find out."
She climbed on top of him and straddled his hips. “Me either."
"So, how long does it take for that stuff to wear off?” He pulled her down on him, and she tucked her head between his chin and shoulder. Her nose was chilly
"That's not the problem, Momma.” Heath squeezed her tightly. She wondered if he really needed her support. He wasn't the kind of man to need anything. Chance stroked his fingers with hers and waited.
"Then, what is the problem?” Emmy asked point blank.
"You feel guilty, and you shouldn't. Daddy was a grown man, and he could have changed his ways. He could have stopped being stubborn somewhere in those fourteen years between Jack and Jan. You could have, too. We all miss him. We all loved him. But Momma, we all love you, too.” The room was silent. A pin drop could have echoed like a bomb at that moment.
"What did you say?” Emmy Johnson was on the verge of tears.
"I said I love you. Just like I loved my daddy. And I love my family. Even Buck, God help me.” Heath tightened his hold on her hand. She prayed someone said it back to the man. He was pouring his heart out for the world to see.
"Damn man,” Buck said quietly. “That's deep. Almost as deep as the buckshot Rafe dug out of my ass."
Heath snickered. Rafe nodded. “Yeah brother. That's my role in this family. I'm the melodramatic one."
"Who are you, Jack, the diva?” Bethany asked her husband, and Jack blushed.
"Woman,” he warned. “I am the wild child not a damned diva."
Jack pulled Bethany into his lap and bit the tip of her nose. She gave him a yeah right look and smiled. “We love you too, Heath."
Jack nodded. “I agree."
Jan sniffed. “You know you're my hero."
Buck gave her a sideways look, and she shrugged. “You, too, honey."
"I got shot for you,” Buck protested.
"Well,” Emmy said through tears. “I had no idea."
"Momma, how could you not know we loved you? We're your children for crying out loud.” Rafe shook his head then went to their mother.
"Well, of course, I knew that. I just didn't know you knew so much about me and your father.” She wiped her tears. “We made some mistakes. I have my regrets. I'm sure you all will, too, but I also have you boys, and I have my little girl to remind me that even after a long hard winter, there will be a spring."
Chapter 5
Lying there in the dark with Chance, Heath couldn't fall asleep. His mind had been turning over and over the possibilities. “Are you on birth control?"
"Yes.” She rolled over to face him. “You can't sleep, huh?"
"Why are you on birth control?” he blurted.
"I was in California on my own. I had to walk to school sometimes. I didn't want to get mugged and raped and...” she began.
Yikes! She really thought about the worst case scenario, but she always dealt with the worst situations. His heart ached for her. His kids would never have to face life on their own.
"Well, you didn't have anything with you when I picked you up from jail. Is Shelby sending them with your stuff?” He knew she called her roommate and told her she wasn't coming back. Chance said the woman was relieved since she was basically squatting there till she started her job.
"I forgot about that.” She withdrew her hand from his arm.
Didn't she want kids? Wasn't that what they talked about earlier?
"Why are you pulling away from me? Don't you want babies?” He wasn't going to let her withdraw from him ever again. Now, he knew she was prone to do so; he needed to stay on alert for it.
"Yes. But, I wasn't sure. I mean what if you change your mind about me?” her voice was a whisper.
"I tried for a year to change my mind about you, and you're lying here beside me now, right?” He pulled her into his chest and stroked her soft hair. “I love you. I don't know what it would take to change that, and I don't ever want to find out."
She climbed on top of him and straddled his hips. “Me either."
"So, how long does it take for that stuff to wear off?” He pulled her down on him, and she tucked her head between his chin and shoulder. Her nose was chilly
Similar Books
