Jacob's face held his normal bright smile as he saw his mom when she walked into his preschool. He talked a blue streak all the way to the truck, and before she buckled him in, she gathered him in for a fierce hug.
"Mom! You're squishing me," Jacob protested, squirming in her grip.
Devon laughed and let him climb into the truck. "I'm sorry. I just missed you today."
"I missed you too. I made a horse today out of clay. It has to dry, and then I get to paint it."
"I can't wait to see it."
"Do you think it's okay if I name my horse Pokey too? Just like Miss Jessie's horse?"
"I'm sure that's fine. There can be two Pokeys." Devon pulled out of the parking lot and asked, "What would you like for dinner tonight?"
"Umm, could we go get pizza again?"
"I think that's a great idea. I've been hungry for pizza. Let's go home and put everything away, and then we'll go have pizza."
"Okay." Jacob grinned in anticipation of another dinner at the pizza place.
Devon lay awake for a long time that night thinking about the phone call and trying to decide how best to respond. She knew she had to make some kind of response; he wasn't the type of man to just give up. She was calm as she thought it over, and that was a good thing. She needed to keep the upper hand when she dealt with him. She'd never done it when they were together and that had obviously not been in her favor. He'd always been able to influence her to do what he wanted, and she couldn't allow him to think that he could still do it. She decided that the most important thing to do was to react with calm and strength and refuse to let him rattle her. He wouldn't know how to react if he couldn't get her upset. When she fell asleep, she felt better about the phone call she was going to have to make.
Devon took Jacob to school in the morning and then tackled her writing projects for a few hours. She stopped to make a sandwich for lunch with a bottle of water then picked up her phone and took a deep breath. When the familiar voice answered, she said, "Grant, this is Devon."
"Ah, Devon, it's good to hear your voice. How have you been?"
"What is it that you called about? I have a tight schedule here."
His chuckle had a nasty edge to it. "A tight schedule doing what? Still pounding nails?"
Devon's voice was cool, and her tone was a little impatient. "That's not your concern. If you called for small talk, let's just end it now."
Grant digested that for a moment. Then he said briskly, "Fine. As I said, I heard something about you, and I want to know if it's true."
Now even more impatient, Devon said, "How on earth would you hear something about me? And what could it possibly have to do with you?"
He snarled into the phone. "Because I heard that you had a kid. Is that true?"
Devon actually laughed. "You already know better than that, remember? I'd say this conversation is finished."
"So, you don't have a kid?"
Her voice was ice cold. "Don't be ridiculous. And don't bother me again. Goodbye, Grant." She clicked the phone off. She felt a grim satisfaction at the way the conversation had gone. Hopefully that would be the end of it. She would never let him get near her son. She was trembling, but it was with anger, not fear. He'd been surprised at her reactions. He was that confident that he could still make her behave the way he wanted. Devon paced the kitchen for a few minutes and then decided she needed to do something constructive. She grabbed her jacket and headed to town.
Devon went to the farm store and picked out some materials to redo Jacob's bedroom. She was building him a bookcase, a toy chest, and a desk, and it was high time to get started. The store was happy to deliver the lumber that same day, considering all the business Devon had done there. She picked out an assortment of color chips, so Jacob could choose the color of his room and the theme he wanted to decorate it in. She found a magazine of kids' rooms and bought it too. She was smiling when she left the store and nearly bumped into Jessie.
"Devon! Hi, how are you doing?"
"I'm great; how are you?"
Jessie grinned at her. "I'm actually great too. Want to go have a beer with me?"
Devon hesitated and looked at her watch. "Well, sure, I have plenty of time. I pick up Jacob late today because he has a field trip, so I have several hours."
"Good, let's go."
"Weren't you going into the farm store?"
Jessie giggled. "I was, but I didn't really need anything, I was just going to browse at the clearance items."
"Okay, I'll meet you at the Spur."
The two of them took a table at the Rusty Spur and Mitch grinned at them. "Hey, ladies, good to see you. Are you eating today?"
Jessie shook her head and said, "No, just having a beer."
They ordered their beers, and Mitch brought them over, along with a bowl of snack mix. Devon told Jessie all about the work she was doing on Jacob's room and the two of them looked at the magazine together, exclaiming over the cute ideas. Jessie filled Devon in on her wedding plans and they had a good hour together, ordering Cokes after they finished their beers. When they went their separate ways, they were both still smiling.
The next day, Devon picked Jacob up a little early and told him they needed to take a drive.
"Where are we going, Mom?" Jacob asked.
"You'll see when we get there," his mother answered mysteriously.
She pulled into the driveway of the address she was looking for. It was a well-kept farmhouse, with neat barns and big shade trees in the yard. Devon opened the door for her son, and he unbuckled his harness and climbed out of his car seat. She took his hand and they went up to the wide front porch and rang the bell. There was a booming bark from inside the house and Jacob's eyes got huge. A moment later, a middle-aged woman opened the door with a smile. She was flanked by two large, gorgeous Golden Retrievers who wagged their tails in delight at the sight of new people at the door.
"You must be Devon and Jacob. I'm Gloria; you two come on in." She opened the door and the dogs wagged their tails even harder. "Now, don't you worry about these two; they love everybody. They just sound mean when they let loose that big bark."
Jacob's grin was huge, and in a matter of seconds, he was in the middle of the two ecstatic dogs, petting and hugging them and trying to avoid getting licked on the face. At a word from Gloria, they stopped trying to lick him. One of the dogs flopped over on its back, and when Jacob rubbed its belly, the other one promptly followed suit. Jacob was in doggie heaven, and Devon's decision was already made. She gave a little inward sigh at the thought of the dog hair but that look on her son's face was worth every bit of work it would take.
"Would you like something to drink while we talk?" Gloria asked. "I've got a fresh pitcher of sweet tea."
Devon found herself seated at the kitchen table with a glass of tea while Jacob played with the dogs. There was a pair of photo albums on the table and Devon sipped her tea and said, "They're absolutely beautiful dogs and I love how friendly they are."
Gloria's smile was broad. "Far as I'm concerned, they're the best dogs ever. I've got pictures here of past litters and some that the owners have sent me as their pups grew up." She opened the first photo album, and Devon's mouth dropped open when she saw the pictures of the puppies.
"Oh, look at them! They're so cute!" By the time they got halfway through the album, Devon was in love with Golden Retrievers. But she had a serious talk with Gloria about raising a puppy. "I understand that the Australian Shepherd needs a lot of stimulation and attention to be the best dogs they can be. I've never raised a puppy before, and it seems like a Golden Retriever would be a better choice."
"That's good that you're thinking that way. Have you been around an Aussie?"
"Yes, and we both love the dog, but I can see that she needs to be more active than I might be able to provide for her."
"Well, I can't decide for you, but a Golden is a pretty easy pup to raise. They have a calmer nature than Aussies, it's true, and they're easygoing an
d easy to train."
Devon said, "Jacob, come here. I want to show you something."
Jacob clambered into her lap and he said, "Oh, Mom, look at the puppies! They're so, so cute!"
"They sure are."
Jacob looked at all the pictures, cooing and exclaiming over the puppies and dogs, and Devon gave Gloria a helpless look. Finally, Jacob got back down to play with the dogs some more and Gloria gave Devon an application to fill out. "You take that home and think it over, and if you decide that you want a pup, bring it back and make a deposit. At this point, I have two deposits already paid, so you'd have third choice of puppies. There's plenty of information in that paperwork about the health of the dogs and pretty much everything else you need to know."
Devon took the paperwork and gestured toward her son. "I think my decision is already made, but I'll think it over and discuss it with him. Would I be able to bring it back to you tomorrow?"
"Sure, I'll be here all day. Oh, there are some references in that paperwork from people who have bought our pups, and they are all fine with you giving them a call."
Devon smiled and said, "Great, I want to thank you for spending so much time with us."
"No problem at all. That's how I get a feeling for whether or not I'd let you have one of my pups. You two pass with flying colors."
Devon managed to drag Jacob away from the dogs, and they took their leave. Jacob chattered excitedly all the way home, and Devon had to laugh at him. Sure enough, by the time Jacob went to bed that night, the paperwork was filled out and the check was written. Devon tucked her son in and read to him until, exhausted from his excitement, he finally fell asleep.
Chapter 16
Devon didn't receive any more phone calls from Grant, but one day she picked up her mail and received a thin, hand addressed envelope. She opened it, and there was a newspaper clipping inside. With a feeling of dread, she unfolded it and found a list of birth announcements. The one with a circle around it was the health department record of Jacob's birth. A wave of nausea swept over her and she began to shake. Devon sank down onto a chair and lowered her head to the table. Her thoughts were frozen for several long minutes. She finally raised her head and heaved a weary sigh. Now she had to do something; she had no alternative. Except running away. She looked around the house she had renovated with so much hard work and thought about how happy her son was. She thought about him starting kindergarten the next fall and about getting him a puppy. Running wasn't an option.
Devon got to her feet and paced the kitchen. She thought about Grant and the threat he posed to her life with her son. It was unthinkable. She wished for the millionth time in her life that she had never met him. She was going to have to face the fact that it was time to face the truth and tell the truth. She should have done it long ago. Maybe it would have been easier. She reminded herself that she had always wanted to keep to herself anyway. If it happened now, what would be the harm? With a heavy heart, she picked up the phone then put it back down. She needed to think it through a little better. Maybe she should talk to Grant again first. She resolved to call him again the next day, after she was calm and collected once more. With a plan in place, she got to work building Jacob's bookcase. She stayed extra busy between work and Jacob's room, and before she knew it, a few days had gone by and she had put off calling Grant. On Friday, she needed to go to the farm store for a few things. Once again, she ran into Jessie. She turned a corner quickly, hoping the other woman hadn't seen her, but she had no such luck.
"Devon!" Jessie came after her with a big smile. "This seems to be our place to meet up. How are you guys doing?"
Devon's smile was a little strained. "We're good. We've been really busy. My work is extra busy right now and I'm working on Jacob's room. How are you and Brady?"
Jessie smiled happily. "We're really good. We're going to be moving the herds around next week, getting ready for winter. We're going to wake up one day soon to that chill in the air."
"Yeah, you're probably right. I'm sure glad my kitchen is all done."
"I bet. Did you go look at the Golden Retrievers?"
Devon's smile was natural this time. "Yes, and they're so beautiful. Jacob absolutely fell in love with them. We filled out the application and I paid the deposit. We get the third pick."
"Aw, he's going to love that so much. I bet you can't wait for the litter to come."
"You're right about that. Gloria's going to call us when the puppies are born and after a few days, we can go see them."
"Aw, I'd love to see them too."
Impulsively, Devon said, "Well, I'll call you and you can go with us."
Jessie clapped her hands together like a child. "Really? I'd love that!"
Devon wanted to bite her tongue, but it was too late. "Sure, it'll be fun. Well, I should finish getting my stuff and get back home. I've got time to finish the bookcase before I pick up Jacob."
"Okay, I'll see you soon. Tell Jacob hi for me." With a wave, Jessie went on her way.
Devon gave herself a mental boot in the ass as she put her purchases in the truck. She was digging herself in deeper and deeper with no way out. What was it about Jessie that kept her off her guard? Frustrated, she went on home after she stopped to pick up some chicken to bake for dinner. She worked hard and finished the bookcase before she had to pick up her son. Then, of course, it was the weekend and she couldn't call Grant while Jacob was home. He didn't call her again, and she convinced herself that he had just been messing with her and had lost interest. It was a foolish hope.
Devon shoved her chair back from her desk with an impatient frown. The doorbell rang for the second time and she stalked out to the front door, opening it with a jerk. Her stomach did a sickening flip-flop as she saw the man standing on her porch.
"Grant. What are you doing here?" She kept her voice calm except for the undercurrent of irritation.
He studied her with a cool superiority. "I told you we had things to talk about. You don't ignore me, Devon."
She gave him a withering glance. "I disagree with you. We have nothing to talk about."
"You lied to me."
"How so?"
"You told me you don't have a kid. That's a lie."
Devon said, "I never told you I didn't have a child. I told you we had nothing to talk about. That's certainly true."
Grant took half a step toward her, and she remained squarely where she was, blocking the doorway. "If you've got a kid, then we have a helluva lot to talk about."
"My child has nothing to do with you, Grant. You need to go away and leave me alone. Any relationship you and I had was over long ago, and I have absolutely nothing to say to you."
Now the look on his face was ugly. "Are you trying to say that's not my kid?"
Her look was icy. "That's exactly what I'm saying. I couldn't have a child with you, remember?"
"Oh, so what were you doing? Sleeping around on me the whole time?" He had lost his cool.
"That's none of your business. I can sleep with whomever I want to sleep with."
"You bitch, I want to see that kid!"
Devon took a step toward him and pointed her finger at him. "You are never going to see my child. He has nothing to do with you, and I'm telling you right now, you get off my porch and go back to Georgia." She was shaking with rage, and when she took another step toward him, he actually backed up. She was clearly not the same old Devon.
Grant stepped away from her and said, "This isn't over. That's my kid, and once I prove it, I'm going to be in his life. You can't stop me. I have rights."
Devon shook her head slowly at him. "Don't be a fool, Grant. You don't want a child; you just want to stroke your ego some more. Clearly, it wasn't me who couldn't have a child; it was you. You just don't have what it takes, do you?"
Grant was so enraged that little drops of spittle flew from his mouth when he spoke. "You fucking bitch. When I'm done with you, they're going to give my kid to me, and then you're the one who won't ever see
him again. You think you can keep my kid away from me for four years and just get away with it? I'll be back, and you're going to pay for this."
Devon just stepped back and closed the door, turning the deadbolt with an audible click. She leaned her head against the door, fighting the waves of nausea. He was even worse than she remembered. What had she done? Now she was going to have to face Jessie and everything was going to look so much worse. She'd really screwed up, and she had nobody to blame but herself. Grant would never really care for a child; he just wanted to claim him for his own selfish purposes. Having a son was a feather in the cap of his enormous ego. He wasn't the slightest bit interested in her child. He just wanted to claim him the way he had to own a fancy car or a cushy apartment. He didn't give a shit about anybody but himself, and he never would.
Devon heard his car start and the gravel scatter under his tires as he sped out of her driveway. She paced back and forth, trying to think. With a feeling of dread, she realized that her choices were gone. There was only one thing she could do and, by waiting, she had really screwed it up. With a deep breath, she picked up her phone. There were tears in her eyes when she hung up. She was going to meet with Jessie and Brady the next day while Jacob was at preschool. She couldn't put it off. She picked up her son and kept the house locked up tight for the evening while they watched a movie together and went through their usual evening routine. After Jacob went to bed, she sat woodenly in front of the television with the sound turned off, going over and over in her mind what she had to say to Jessie. When a car went by, she stiffened in dread until it passed by her house. Finally, she dragged herself off the couch, checked the locks one more time, and went up to shower before she went to bed. She lay awake for what seemed to be hours before she finally fell asleep in pure exhaustion.
A Dusty Dreams Wedding Page 13
