by Kristi Gold
“That’s great, and I could pick up a few more holiday gifts. I could also use a stroll on the River Walk to burn a few calories.”
“Great. We’ll make an afternoon of it.”
Paris sent her a soft smile. “And with your permission, I’ll see what I can do about Austin on my end.”
Georgie saw more than a few problems with that scenario. “He’ll be furious if he knows I told you about Chance before I told him.”
“That’s too bad. Besides, I’ll let him assume you told me today. If he’s going to pout like a child, then I’ll just sic Dallas on him. Better still, I’ll involve Maria, as long as you’re okay with it.”
She wasn’t sure she was, but then again, what other options did she have? If the Calloways could convince Austin to step up to the plate, then maybe that would be best for the sake of her son. No amount of cajoling on their part would change Austin’s mind about what she’d done. “I assume you’re referring to a family meeting.”
“Exactly. Power in numbers.”
Georgie imagined Austin encountering his stepmothers and brothers in a showdown. She would definitely buy tickets to that.
* * *
Austin walked through his front door to find Paris, Dallas, Jenny and Maria seated on his leather sectional in the great room. He should never have told them he was heading home. He should never have given out spare keys.
After tossing his duffel onto the floor, he gave them all a good glare. “Mind telling me what you’re doing here?”
Maria patted the space between her and Jenny. “Come have a seat, mijo.”
No way would he suffer maternal advice in stereo. “I’ll stand, thank you.”
Dallas rose from the sofa where he’d been positioned next to his wife. “Makes no difference to any of us whether you sit or stand. We’re more concerned with your total lack of responsibility to your family.”
His foul mood grew even fouler. “I didn’t know building a house on our land came with a clause that states I can’t come and go as I please.”
“We were worried about you, sugar,” Jenny said. “You’ve been gone four days with almost no communication. That’s not like you.”
And to think he’d worried someone had found out about his and Georgie’s kid. “I wasn’t intentionally ignoring you all. I just have another business to run. Several, in fact.”
“We’re referring to your responsibility to your son.”
Damn if he hadn’t had cause to worry and wonder exactly how this all went down. “Did Georgie also tell you that she hid him from me for five years?”
“Georgie didn’t talk to them,” Paris piped up. “She talked to me, and I told Dallas. Dallas told everyone else.”
His shortened fuse was about to blow. “When it comes right down to it, this isn’t anyone’s business.”
Maria looked fit to be tied. “It is our business, Austin Calloway. Maybe I’m not your birth mother, son, but I’m the only mother you’ve had for thirty-two years. That means I consider that little boy my grandchild.”
“Mine, too,” Jenny said. “At least that’s how I see him, even if we’re not blood relatives, either. But I’d like to borrow him until Worth and Fort have children.”
Maria sent her an acid glare. “As long as you give him back.”
Jenny ignored the dig. “Regardless, that little boy deserves to know our family, sugar.”
Austin had agonized over that since Georgie spilled the baby beans. He’d been torn between a permanent escape and meeting the child who didn’t know him at all. “Look, I’ve got a lot to think about before we plan a family reunion.”
“Georgie’s a wreck, Austin,” Paris added. “She’s beginning to believe you don’t want to have anything to do with Chance.”
Just one more blow to his and Georgie’s relationship. “I’ll be sure to thank her for nominating me for jerk of the year.”
Maria suddenly rose from the sofa. “Everyone, go about your business. I want to talk to Austin alone.”
What Maria wanted, Maria got, and that was apparent by the way everyone stood and started milling toward the door. Everyone but Jenny.
His stepmom stared at the other stepmother for a moment. “That means everyone.”
Jenny lifted her chin. “I’m not going anywhere until Austin asks me to leave.”
He didn’t care if the Pope made an appearance. “Fine by me if you stay. In fact, you can all hang around and crucify me.”
Dallas pressed a palm against his wife’s back. “We’re going home to spend some alone time together. The phones will be turned off.”
Paris blushed. “A little too much information, Dallas.”
“Who cares?” Dallas said. “It’s pretty obvious by looking at you, we’ve done it before.”
Dallas and Paris rushed out the door, leaving Austin alone to face the mothers—Maria wearing her trademark braid and a long green flannel shirt over her jeans, and Jen sporting a red-checkered dress and a matching bow in her big blond hair. Nothing like a verbal beating from a hardscrabble rancher’s wife and a throwback from a fifties sitcom. He’d rather eat Nueces River mud.
Austin claimed the cowhide chair across from the sofa, determined to make this little soiree short and sweet. “Speak your mind, then give me some peace.”
Jenny sent him a sympathetic look. “I know you’re torn up about this, sugar.”
“I also know you’re mad as hell at Georgie, too,” Maria began, “and I don’t think anyone blames you for that. But she’s always been a good girl and from what I hear, a good mother. If I were you, I’d march to her house right now, meet your son and make amends with Georgie.”
If only it was that easy. “Neither of you know what I’ve been going through since she told me. I kept thinking about the things I’ve missed, like his first steps and his first words. I could’ve already taught him how to ride. How to throw a rope. Georgie robbed me of those experiences.”
“It’s not too late to make memories now, Austin,” Jenny said. “I don’t care how good of a job Georgie’s done raising him as a single mother, that little boy needs his daddy. And you need him and his mother, too.”
Austin leaned forward and streaked both palms over his face. “I know you’re both right, and I plan to be involved in his life, pay child support, that kind of thing. But I don’t know if I can ever forgive Georgie.”
Maria frowned. “Why not? She’s forgiven you.”
They seemed determined to make this all his fault. “What did I do?”
“It’s not what you did, sugar,” Jenny added. “It’s what you didn’t do.”
He recalled Georgie saying the same thing. “I’m not following you, Jen.”
“After playing slap and tickle with her all during high school, did you stay in touch with Georgie, sugar?”
“No, but—”
“After you made a baby while passing through town, did you ever call her?” Maria asked.
He recognized where this was going. “Georgie knew we weren’t exclusive, and besides, I met Abby right after that.”
“And married a woman you barely knew, totally ignoring the other woman who’s loved you since you pulled her ponytail the first time,” Maria said. “We all know how that turned out.”
He’d always appreciated Maria’s brutal honesty, until tonight. Being on the hot seat with all his faults laid bare wasn’t his idea of a good time.
Jenny smoothed a palm over her skirt. “I truly believe we only have one love in our lives, and your father was mine and, I assume, Maria’s. However, J.D.’s one true love happened to be your mother.”
“She’s right,” Maria added, much to Austin’s surprise. “Your dad kept searching to fill that hole in his soul from losing Carol. I’d bet my best spurs that Georgie is your soul m
ate, and you’re going to spend a lot of useless years if you don’t own up to it.”
Austin wanted to reject their notions. “I can’t believe the two of you can overlook the fact that he was married to both of you at the same time. Hell, he spread himself so thin he wasn’t giving anyone the time they needed, including his six sons.”
“You’re absolutely right, sugar,” Jenny said. “All the more reason for you to resolve the issues with Georgie and get busy spending time with your little boy.”
His head had begun to spin from all the unwelcome advice. “I’ll consider what you’ve said, but right now I have to take care of the horses. So if you two don’t mind, I need to get on with my day.”
“Okay.” Maria came to her feet. “Mijo, you need to learn that if you really love someone, nothing they do or say is beyond forgiveness.”
Jen rose from the sofa. “Sugar, the best holiday gift you can give yourself is a happy New Year with a new family.”
Without another word, the mothers walked out the door, blanketing the room in stark silence. Austin leaned back in the chair and felt compelled to revisit his past. He stood and walked to the shelves flanking the white stone fireplace, then withdrew his final high school yearbook. He returned to the sofa and once again flipped through the pages, finding various photos of Georgie scattered throughout. He appreciated the one of her holding the volleyball district MVP trophy when everyone had told her she was too short to play. The one when she’d been voted to represent the junior class in the homecoming court was really something else, but then so was she dressed in that blue shiny dress, her long hair curling over her shoulders. He also hated that Rory Mills had been on her arm during the halftime festivities, while he’d escorted the senior queen, Heather Daws, who was about as shallow as a dried-up lake.
It suddenly dawned on him that not once had they appeared in a picture together, all because of an ongoing family feud and his resistance to rocking the boat. If he’d only stood up to his father, and hers, things might have been different between them. Or not. Maybe they’d been destined to go their separate ways, choose their own paths, make their own lives. Maybe his failed marriage had taught him what he didn’t want—a relationship that would never live up to what he’d had with Georgie. But did he really deserve her now?
When a knock came at the door, Austin set the book on the coffee table and shot to his feet, anxious to see if maybe Georgie had stopped by. He was sorely disappointed to find a sibling standing on the threshold.
“Did I miss it?” Worth asked.
“Miss what?”
“The family meeting.”
Dallas obviously told every last Calloway about his plight. “Yep. It’s over.”
“Mind if I come in for a bit?”
“Why not?” He didn’t have anything better to do except sit around, feeling sorry for himself.
Worth brushed past him, dropped down on the sofa and eyed the yearbook. “Looks like you’ve been reliving your glory days.”
He hadn’t found any glory in the experience. “Just feeling nostalgic.”
“Mom tells me you were a jock. Something about all-district wide receiver.”
Austin had never been comfortable talking about his accolades. “It wasn’t a big deal. My high school was so small there wasn’t a whole lot of competition.”
Worth forked a hand through his blond hair. “I know what you mean. I went to a private school. We didn’t even have a football team, but I did play basketball. Our team pretty much sucked most of the time.”
Austin was growing increasingly irritated by the small talk. “It happens. Look, I hate to cut this conversation short, but I have some chores to tend to.”
“No problem. But before I go, I just have one thing to say about your current situation.”
Just what he needed, more sage advice from a self-proclaimed Louisiana rodeo cowboy surfer. “Shoot.”
“I know you’ve had everyone coming at you with suggestions on how to handle this news, but I just want you to know that if you want to talk, feel free to find me. No advice. No judgment.”
That nearly shocked Austin out of his boots. “I appreciate that.”
“What are brothers for? Besides, you’ll figure it out.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“You’re a smart guy, Austin. In fact, intelligence is a Calloway trait, although some of us intentionally don’t show it.”
“You’ve got to be pretty smart to build a fleet of charter boats all down the coast, Worth.”
“I’ve been lucky in business. I just thank my lucky stars I didn’t head down my original career path.”
“Rodeo?”
“Medical school.”
Now he was downright stunned. “I didn’t know that.”
“Most people don’t. I swore my mom to secrecy after she bragged I was accepted to every Ivy League school I applied to. She was damn disappointed when I decided to stay in Louisiana and went to Tulane. She was proud of my 4.0 GPA as a chemistry major.”
Austin wasn’t sure he could take any more revelations. “No offense, Worth, but I’ve never pegged you as a science geek.”
Worth stood and grinned. “I figured out early on it’s best to dumb it down a bit when it comes to courting women. Take care, bud.”
Austin came to his feet. “You, too, Worth. Are you going to be around during the holidays?”
“Nope. I’m going to Maui. I’d invite you along but I figure you’ve got more pressing issues at the moment.”
“You’re right about that,” Austin said as he followed his brother to the door.
Worth paused with his hand on the knob. “You know, Austin, we’re not our dad. Not by a long shot. Except maybe Fort. As bad as he hated J.D., he’s the most like him. Mom hopes he’ll eventually come around, but I’ve given up on that ever happening.”
So had the rest of the family. “Happy holidays and have a good trip.”
“Same to you, and when I get back, I look forward to meeting my nephew.”
He might have been mad at Worth for tossing in that veiled recommendation, but in all honesty, his half brother had been the most helpful.
Austin settled back on the sofa and rolled all his options around in his head. Truth was, he did love Georgie and probably always had. He wanted to know his son and to avoid all the mistakes his own father had made. He still wanted to marry the love of his life...but what if he failed?
That in itself was his greatest fear, but maybe the time had come to stop being a relationship coward. First he had to decide if, when and where he would present the plan to Georgie, and hope that he hadn’t waited too long.
* * *
When Georgie pulled into the drive, she was thrilled to see her mother and Chance waiting for her on the front porch. She’d barely exited the truck before Chance ran to her and threw his arms around her waist.
He smiled up at her. “Hi, Mama.”
She leaned down and hugged him hard. “Hi, sweetie. I missed you so much! I think you grew two inches while you were gone.”
His eyes went wide as he stepped out of her grasp. “Did I?”
“I believe you did.” She looked around but didn’t see the motor home. “Where’re Uncle Ben and Aunt Debbie?”
Her mother approached and ruffled Chance’s hair. “They took off for Arizona to see the grandkids. They told me to tell you bye and what a pleasure it was to have your son along for the trip.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to thank them,” Georgie said as Chance ran back into the house. “I didn’t expect you for another hour or so, and I had an emergency at the Rileys’ farm. I had to treat a colicky mare.”
“That’s okay. You can give them a call later.”
“Do you need a ride home?”
�
�No. Your father should be here any minute now.”
Georgie was quite surprised by the news. “You mean he’s actually going to step foot on his daughter’s property?”
“Yes, and he wants to talk to you.”
After everything that had happened with Austin, Georgie didn’t have the energy for a fight. “I’m not up to that right now.”
“Well, I suppose you should get up for that because this conversation is long overdue.”
Before Georgie could respond, the familiar ancient white truck headed up the gravel drive, signaling her patriarch had arrived. She experienced a case of butterflies in the pit of her stomach and her palms began to sweat, despite the fact that the cold front had arrived in earnest, bringing with it forty-degree temps.
She had no clue what she would say to the man who’d raised her, and ignored her for five years. A hard-nosed man who could be as stubborn as a mule. A man who had never even seen his own grandchild. At least she had an ally in his wife.
Her mother began to back away as soon as the truck came to a stop in front of the house. “I’ll keep Chance occupied while you two chat.”
“But Mom—”
“You’ll be okay, honey. Just hear him out.”
Lila turned around and started away, while Georgie held her breath and waited for George Romero to appear. And he did a few moments later, looking every bit the brown-eyed hulking cowboy, only his hair seemed a little grayer and his gait a little slower. He’d always been larger than life, her hero, and she’d always been his little girl, until she’d shamed him by having a child out of wedlock. Heaven only knew what he would’ve done had he known the identity of Chance’s father.
“Dad,” she said when he walked up to her.
“Georgie,” he replied, tattered beige hat in hand.
So far, so good. “You look well. How’s your back?”
“Stiff as usual, but it’s nothing compared to the scare I had with the old ticker last month.”
That was news to her, and very disconcerting. “Mom didn’t say a word to me about you having heart problems.”
