Jessie's Child

by Lois Faye Dyer

  “So my grandson’s father is the man who saved your life? Who is he?”

  “Zach Kerrigan.”

  Shock widened her father’s eyes before his face flushed and he stood abruptly. “Rowdy’s father is a Kerrigan?”

  “John!” Margaret rose to stand beside him, clasping his forearm with both hands. “Calm down.”

  “Calm down? Did you hear what she said?” He glared at her, outraged.

  “Yes, I did. And given your reaction, I can certainly see why she didn’t want to tell us earlier,” Margaret said firmly.

  “No wonder the son of a bitch didn’t take care of Jessie and the baby,” John growled. “He’s a Kerrigan.”

  “He didn’t know about Rowdy, Dad. I didn’t tell him.”

  “What? Why not?”

  “Because we agreed there couldn’t be a future for us. Our families hate each other and I didn’t see how we could ever get past what happened to Chase.”

  “Whether the two of you kept up a connection has no bearing on his obligation to Rowdy. He owes his son support and care. And he owed the same thing to you, damn it.” John stalked across the room to the window, then paced back to prop his hands on his hips and glare at her. “A decent man doesn’t walk away from his own flesh and blood—nor from the mother of his child. He should have been there when you were carrying Rowdy. Where’s he been for the last three years?”

  “I didn’t tell Zach when I learned I was pregnant. And I didn’t tell him about Rowdy when he was born, nor anytime during the years since.”

  John’s jaw actually dropped and he stared at her, clearly stunned. “Why the hell not?”

  “Because I didn’t think I should, Dad,” Jessie snapped. She groaned and dropped onto the chair seat, burying her face in her hands and shaking her head. “If you have to be mad at someone, it should be me. I made a decision that in retrospect may have been a mistake—a serious mistake.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Jessie,” her mother put in. “You were under a lot of pressure to make good grades in law school. The pregnancy had your hormones so unbalanced that half the time you were depressed and the other half you were bouncing off the ceiling. I remember those months very well. Every time I came home after visiting you at college I told your father I was worried sick about your health.”

  “It’s true,” John said, calming down. “She drove herself and everyone else crazy fretting about you.”

  “That might be an excuse for when I was pregnant,” Jessie conceded. “And even for a few months after Rowdy was born. But even I can’t stretch it to include all the short years of Rowdy’s life.”

  “And now Kerrigan’s back in the county,” John said, looking at his only daughter. “What are you going to do about him?”

  “I’m going to try and find a way to share my son with his father.”

  “Do you have to let him see him?” John paused. “Does Kerrigan know?”

  “Yes, he knows.”

  “And how about Rowdy, have you told him?” Margaret asked.

  “Not yet. I want to wait until he has time to know Zach better before I tell him.” Jessie met her father’s gaze. “I wanted to tell you two first so you’ll be prepared because he’s been asking me lately about why his friends’ families are different—the daddy question’s bound to come up any day. I’m anticipating he’ll be over the moon and beyond excited to claim Zach when he finds out.”

  “So you’re not going to fight to keep Zach away from my grandson?”

  “Not if Zach cooperates and not if I’m convinced Rowdy will be happier with his father in his life.” Jessie sighed. “I know you’d rather have anyone but a Kerrigan as Rowdy’s father, Dad. But unless Zach demonstrates he’s hopeless as a father, I won’t drag my son through court hearings while Zach and I fight over visitation. I believe the best situation for Rowdy is to have two parents who love him and are ready to work together to give him the best life possible.”

  “How do you know you can trust a Kerrigan to place Rowdy’s interests before his own?”

  “I don’t,” Jessie admitted. “Harlan and Lonnie are unprincipled snakes but until I have proof to the contrary, I have to give Zach the benefit of the doubt and assume he’s more like Rachel.”

  John was obviously unconvinced and started to speak but Margaret intervened. “I think you’re being very reasonable and fair, Jessie.”

  “I’m trying.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.” John shook his head. “I’ve got work to do.”

  The look he gave Jessie before he stalked out of the room left her in no doubt that he was furious with her, but worse, it conveyed a wealth of disappointment.

  Determined to face Luke and Rachel next, she left her parents’ home and headed to their ranch. Dismay mixed with relief when no one answered her knock on the front door. She stood on the porch, scanning the surrounding corrals and buildings but saw no one.

  Giving up, she returned to her vehicle and drove back to town. She’d desperately wanted to tell her entire family about Rowdy and Zach today but Chase had gone to Seattle on a business trip and she had no idea where Luke and Rachel were. Her father hadn’t taken her announcement well and she anticipated her conversations with Chase and Luke would be much more difficult. Putting off her confession only gave her more hours to worry about her brothers’ reactions.

  As the youngest of three children with two older, overly protective brothers, she was accustomed to defending her independence. She wouldn’t normally ask for her family’s forgiveness or approval of her actions, but this was different. She loved them dearly—and she’d lied to them about her son, the most important thing in her life. So she’d listen if her brothers wanted to stamp and yell, just as long as they didn’t take out their anger on Rowdy.

  From the beginning, Zach had made it very clear he wanted to openly claim Rowdy as his son as soon as possible. She’d assured him she was telling her entire family this weekend. He’d probably view her failure to tell her brothers as a scheme to delay telling Rowdy the truth.

  Ugh, she thought. Nothing about this situation is going smoothly.

  On Monday, Jessie’s business phone rang at half past noon. Alone in the office, she picked up the receiver on the third ring.

  “Hello.”

  “Jessie?”

  Zach’s deep drawl sent a shiver up her spine and she straightened, the legal brief lying open on her desk forgotten. “Zach. You’re back.”

  “Yeah, just got in. If you haven’t eaten yet, I thought you could meet me for lunch and we could talk about Rowdy.”

  “I’d like to Zach, but I can’t. I have an appointment.” She glanced at her watch. “Actually, he was due ten minutes ago.”

  “How long before you’re free?”

  “I’m not sure. An hour or so, at least.”

  “Then I’ll grab some lunch and wait. I’ve got two days of work to catch up on at the ranch and I’d like this settled before I leave town for home.”

  Jessie heard the hum of voices, faint music and the clatter of crockery in the background. “Do you want to come by the office or should I meet you? Where are you?”

  “I’m at the Saloon.”

  “I can’t meet you there.” McClouds weren’t welcome in the Wolf Creek Saloon. The bar-and-restaurant was owned by the Harper family, and McClouds had been persona non grata in the popular establishment for the last fifteen years. The Harpers had hated the McClouds ever since Chase was convicted of causing Mike Harper’s death.

  “Okay, then I’ll come to your office. Call me when you’re finished with your client.”

  “I’ll do that. Bye.” Jessie hung up just as the bell on the outer office door to the street jingled.

  “Jessie?”

  “In here,” she called, standing to walk around her desk and into the reception area. “Hello, Bill.”

  She ushered the middle-aged rancher into her office and was deep in the midst of an explanation of potential tax shelt
ers when the phone rang again. This time, Jessie ignored it, knowing Tina would have returned from lunch and would take a message. But instead, the secretary rapped sharply and partially opened the door to peer around the edge.

  “Yes?” Frowning, Jessie looked up. Tina’s expression was both apologetic and worried. “What is it?”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt you, Jessie, but I think you might want to take this call. It’s your mother.” Tina beckoned urgently, silently conveying a wish for Jessie to take the call in the front office.

  Jessie smiled calmly at her client. “Excuse me a moment, Bill. I’m sure this won’t take long. You might want to look at this spreadsheet while I’m gone.” She slid a comparison sheet for several tax shelters across the desk and stood, crossing the room to join Tina. She stepped outside and closed the door quietly behind her. “Tina, what on earth…”

  “Your mom’s really upset—you’d better talk to her.” Tina lifted the receiver on her desk phone and handed it to Jessie before turning off her headset.

  “Hi, Mom. What’s wrong?”

  “Jessie, thank goodness I caught you.” Margaret’s anxiety was clear. “Your dad just got home. Chase is back from Seattle and rode out to the west pasture where John was working. Your dad told him about Zach being Rowdy’s father. He said Chase didn’t say much but he left almost immediately. I’m afraid he’s looking for Zach. I called his ranch but no one answered so I tried Rachel, who told me Zach’s out of town, but she thought he was coming home today.”

  “He’s home.” Jessie thought quickly. “How long ago did Chase leave?”

  “John said it was about forty minutes.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up, Mom. I’ll try to stop Chase before he finds Zach.”

  “I hope you do,” Margaret said fervently. “Your dad’s on his way into town but Chase has a head start and I doubt John can catch him in time. I don’t want Chase in jail for assault and you know how he feels about you raising Rowdy alone.”

  “Yes, Mom, I do. I have to go. I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.” Jessie didn’t wait to hear her mother say goodbye. She dropped the phone and headed for the door. “Tina, apologize to Bill for me and reschedule him.”

  “Sure—where are you going?” Tina called after her as Jessie yanked open the door and left the office.

  The Wolf Creek Saloon was four blocks away. Jessie moved quickly, dodging a group of shoppers in front of Dougan’s Pharmacy.

  She scanned the cars and pickups slotted into parking spaces and jerked to a stop when she reached a dark-green pickup with the distinctive McCloud Ranch logo on the driver’s door. The truck was parked directly in front of McGonagle’s Feed Store. Jessie went inside but she didn’t see Chase.

  “Hey, Jessie.” Mack McGonagle walked down the aisle toward her, the worn floorboards creaking under his boots. “What brings you in?”

  “I’m looking for Chase. Have you seen him?”

  “Yeah, he was here a few minutes ago.”

  “Do you know where he went?”

  “Well, I’m guessing he went over to the Saloon. He asked me if I’d seen Zach Kerrigan. I told him I was sweeping the sidewalk out front when Zach parked in front of the Saloon and went inside about an hour ago. Hey,” he yelled after her when she turned and ran out. “What’s goin’ on?”

  Jessie didn’t reply. She was still three blocks from the Saloon and Chase was nowhere in sight. Which probably meant he’d already gone inside.

  “Damn,” she muttered. Heat bounced off the sidewalk in waves. The fine shell she wore beneath her pale lemon suit clung to her heated skin. She wished she was wearing jogging shoes instead of her chic strappy sandals with their three-inch heels. She hiked her narrow-cut skirt higher on her thighs and started running.

  Chapter Six

  Zach glanced at his wristwatch and lifted his glass. He’d drained the last drop of cold tea at least fifteen minutes ago and only ice cubes remained. Too impatient to let the chunk of ice melt in his mouth, he crunched it, swallowed and shook another piece into his mouth.

  Jessie said she’d be finished in an hour. He looked at his watch again and drummed his fingers. The minutes crawled by. He’d been away from the ranch for two days and knew a mountain of work waited for him, but he didn’t want to leave town for the ranch without talking to Jessie.

  “Want a refill, Zach?” the bartender asked, lifting a sweat-beaded pitcher filled with tea.

  “No, thanks.” Zach glanced around the bar. The restaurant next door had been full when he’d arrived. The Saloon made room for the overflow crowd at its booths and tables and Zach had claimed a stool at the long bar. The noisy lunch crowd had started leaving just before 1:00 p.m. Now only Zach, the bartender and three ranchers seated in a back booth were left in the big air-conditioned room.

  The door to the sidewalk opened behind him. Zach glanced into the mirror, stiffening, his eyes assessing the reflection of the man who entered and halted just inside the door.

  Chase McCloud’s gaze met his. Zach turned and stood, facing him. Jessie’s brother radiated menace. Zach didn’t have to ask if he’d heard about Rowdy.

  “Kerrigan.” The single word held a lethal threat.

  “McCloud.” Zach’s voice carried the same ice.

  Chase moved toward him, stopping barely five feet away. Zach stepped away from the bar, muscles tensed.

  “I’ve been looking forward to this for almost four years.”

  “Yeah?” Zach shifted, widening his stance, his hands curling into loose fists.

  The door slammed open with a bang. Neither man looked around.

  “Chase!” Jessie hurried across the scuffed wood floor and caught her brother’s arm. “What are you doing?”

  “Go home, Jessie.” Chase didn’t look at her. All his attention was focused on Zach.

  “Please, Chase. Don’t do this.” Her voice was pitched low, throaty with urgency. “I know what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong.”

  “No. I’m not.”

  “Stop being so stubborn.” She wrapped both hands around his forearm and shook him. “I don’t know what Dad told you but you obviously didn’t hear the whole story.” The jukebox in the far corner played the last bar of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk The Line” and the room went suddenly silent. “This is my fault, not Zach’s.”

  The three men in the back booth and the bartender had all been watching the confrontation. Jessie’s last words echoed in the quiet room and made them abandon any pretense of disinterest. All four of them stared at Jessie and her brother, then at Zach.

  “For God’s sake, Jessie,” Chase growled, glaring blackly at their audience. “Go home.”

  “No.” She stepped between the two men, her back to Zach while she faced Chase. “This isn’t your problem. It’s mine. And I’ll deal with it.”

  “You’re my sister. I’ll deal with it. Now get out of my way.” Chase’s hand lifted.

  Zach moved with lightning speed, shifting Jessie behind him to shield her from her brother.

  “You lay a hand on her and you’re dead.”

  Chase froze, his eyes flaring with surprise before they narrowed. “You must have me confused with your uncle and cousin, Kerrigan. I don’t hit women.”

  “That’s good. Because you’d have to go through me first.” Behind him, Jessie’s startled silence ended with an exasperated huff of sound and she pushed at his arm. He reached behind him to hold her still and his hand found the curve of her waist. She immediately shoved it away.

  Chase stared at him for a long, silent moment, then looked at Jessie, struggling to move past Zach. “What part of this didn’t Dad tell me?” he asked.

  “I’m not telling you in front of half of Wolf Creek,” she snapped. “For once in your life, stop acting like an overprotective Neanderthal and just go home. I promise I’ll tell you everything later.”

  Chase swept his gaze over the big, nearly empty room. “Half of Wolf Creek?” Amusement colored his voice. “You tend
to exaggerate, Jessie-girl.” He looked at Zach and his face was at once hostile, his eyes cold. “Step outside in the alley, Kerrigan, and we’ll settle this.”

  Zach shifted to move toward the door and Jessie locked her arms around his waist. “No!”

  He twisted to make eye contact with her. She was pressed against his back, her breasts crushed against him, and she looked mad enough to spit.

  “I swear, if you two don’t stop this, I’ll never forgive either one of you.”

  “This is inevitable, Jessie,” he muttered. “Give it up. Let go of me.” He was reluctant to forcibly put her away from him and he suspected she knew it.

  “If it’s inevitable, then it doesn’t matter if you both wait until I’ve talked to Chase,” she shot back.

  “That’s up to your brother.” Zach looked at Chase. “Your call, McCloud.”

  “Hell.” Chase growled. “You’re a pain in the ass, Jessie. We’ll take this up again in private after she ‘explains,’ Kerrigan.”

  “Anytime.”

  Chase nodded curtly and turned on his heel. He brushed past a slender woman dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt with Wolf Creek Saloon stamped on the front, muttering a brief apology before he shoved open the door and disappeared.

  The woman’s eyes widened. She stopped, turning to stare after Chase. When the door closed, she looked over her shoulder at Zach.

  “Wasn’t that Chase McCloud? What was he doing in here, Zach?”

  Still half-concealed behind him, Jessie’s fingers tightened on his arm. Zach gave her a reassuring squeeze. “He was looking for me, Raine.”

  “Then I guess I should be relieved my bar isn’t trashed,” Raine Harper said wryly as she walked toward them. Her smile faded and she stiffened when Jessie stepped to the side, out from behind Zach’s protection. “Well, I see the big bad bounty hunter isn’t the only McCloud on Harper property.” Her voice was even, lacking the warm friendliness it had held when she spoke to Zach.