A Dusty Dreams Wedding

by Kat Carrington

  Jessie baked cupcakes and cookies and got the vegetables and meat cleaned and cut up for fajitas for dinner that night. When she got home from taking some treats to Caleb, it wouldn't take long to get dinner ready. She left a note for Brady and left Indy with a dog biscuit for consolation. She wasn't planning to be gone long, and she wouldn't have time for a long talk with Kayla, just some chitchat, catching up on their lives a little. Caleb was thrilled to see her, especially since she was carrying two plates full of treats. Kayla and Jessie laughed at his excitement and Kayla let him have a cookie and promised him a cupcake after dinner.

  Kayla was looking happy and content. Her romance with Mitch was making her happier than she'd been in a long time. Jessie was itching to tell her all about what was happening with Devon, but she honestly didn't have time to give the story justice and she didn't want to blurt out a short version. She had a pleasant visit with Kayla and Caleb and then went back home in time to do a few things before dinner. Brady came in a little later and gave her a quick kiss before he snagged a cold beer out of the refrigerator.

  "Hand me one too, will you?" Jessie asked.

  "Of course," Brady said and handed her his beer. "Boy, it smells great in here. You did do some baking, didn't you?"

  Jessie smiled at him and said, "Yep. Cupcakes and cookies. I took some to Caleb, and he was thrilled."

  "Oh, you did." Brady gave her a quick look and asked, "You didn't tell Kayla about Devon, did you?"

  Jessie said, "No, I didn't. There wasn't time for a long conversation like that; we just visited and talked about Mitch. A lot! Kayla's so happy with him. It's really nice to see."

  Brady smiled at her. "They make a good pair, don't they? I guess I have to admit I was wrong about the matchmaking."

  Jessie laughed. "I just introduced them, and they took it from there."

  "And made her promise to kiss him," Brady reminded her.

  "And that. Just like she made me promise. And look at us now." Jessie beamed at him and handed him a cookie from the tray he was eyeing. "Brady, I think we need to talk some more about this promise you made to Devon. I know you and I have rules that we both agreed on, and I'm fine with them, even though I'm not crazy about the consequences sometimes. But this is something you did without us making an agreement about it. I'm not really okay with that."

  Brady chewed his cookie thoughtfully. "Okay, I didn't think that it would be any kind of an issue when I made the promise. At the time, Devon was upset, and she was mainly talking about telling my family. Which I wouldn't do anyway. I know my family, and I know that they would love to find out that Jacob is your nephew. And that's exactly why I wouldn't tell them anything until we know for sure. They'd all have their hopes up, just like we do, and if it doesn't turn out the way we want, they'd all be disappointed. There's no sense in telling them before we know."

  Jessie said, "That makes sense. But the reasons I want to talk to Kayla are different. One, I need someone to talk to about it. It's just so overwhelming right now, I'd feel better to be able to let it all out. And I could absolutely trust Kayla to keep it to herself. But the biggest reason is because she has Caleb. She had to handle him when she lost Mike. Caleb's daddy is dead, just like Jacob's daddy is, if it was Jake. She has a perspective that I don't have. She understands the situation better than anyone. So, I'd really like to talk to her, so that if it turns out that Jake was Jacob's father, I don't make any mistakes with him."

  Brady was listening intently. "I understand, Jess. You know you can talk to me all you need to. But I understand what you're saying about talking to Kayla. And I appreciate that you didn't just go ahead and do it. This is exactly how we're supposed to be handling a disagreement like this. I'm seriously proud of you, baby, and I'm going to leave it up to you. I think it was wrong for me to make a promise for both of us without talking to you, so I'm not going to hold you to it. If you really need to talk to Kayla and you feel you can trust her to keep it confidential, then you go ahead."

  Jessie slipped into his arms and hugged him hard. "I love you, Brady Jensen."

  Brady tipped up her head and gave her a long, sweet kiss. "I love you more, baby."

  Chapter 20

  Devon went to see the lawyer Jessie and Brady had recommended, and after she told him the whole story, he agreed to represent her. He suggested that they start with a letter responding to the letter Grant's lawyer had sent, telling him that Devon had reason to believe that Grant was not the father of her son and would not consider agreeing to his paternity. He went on to give the reasons that Grant was unlikely to be the father and that a test was currently being conducted to determine whether another man was the father. If the test results were positive, then Grant's claims were invalid and the whole matter would be settled. Devon agreed, and the attorney promised that the letter would be sent promptly. Devon felt much better as she shook Mack Thorne's hand before leaving his office. She knew Grant well enough to know that he would back off and let her proceed, since she would be bearing the expense of the process, not him.

  For the time being, she was relieved and felt like she was carrying a lighter load than she had since she'd first heard from Grant. She was even hopeful that Jessie might forgive her in time. It was the best she'd felt for days, and she was smiling when she picked Jacob up from preschool. Jacob's teacher beckoned to her to wait, as Jacob was putting his jacket on, and hurried over to talk to Devon for a moment, out of Jacob's hearing.

  "Ms. Bridges, there was a man who came to the door here today, demanding to see Jacob. He didn't get in, of course, but I wanted you to know. Nothing has changed as far as who is allowed to pick up Jacob, has it?"

  "No, absolutely not. I know who it was, and he is not allowed to have anything to do with Jacob. Thank you for letting me know."

  "Of course. And I'll let all the staff know to be a little extra vigilant."

  "Thank you, I really appreciate that." Devon's heart was pounding as she walked to the truck with her son. When they got home, Jacob ran up to his room to play for a while and Devon called Brady. When he didn't answer, she hesitated for a moment and then called Jessie.

  Jessie's voice was still cool, but when Devon told her what had happened, she was instantly concerned. "I'll tell Brady right away. I think you should let Mack know."

  Devon agreed. "I'll call right now. The office is still open. Thank you, Jessie."

  "Of course. Please, keep us posted."

  "I will. I'll let you know what Mack says." Devon hung up and called her attorney's office. The receptionist took her message and promised to get it to Mack as soon as possible. He was in court, but he would get the message first thing in the morning. She made a quick call back to Jessie and let her know.

  Jacob clattered down the stairs with a paper in his hand from preschool. "Look, Mom, we're learning letters at school."

  Devon sat down with Jacob and gave him her full attention as he told her all about his day at school. She gave him a huge hug and then a snack as she said, "Guess what I'm making for dinner?"

  "Um…spaghetti and meatballs?" Jacob looked hopeful.

  "Hey, you guessed it!" Devon grinned at him.

  "Yay! Can I go outside and play while you cook?"

  "No! I mean, I thought we'd watch your new movie while the sauce simmers. It's supposed to rain anytime now. Why don't you go upstairs and get your movie?"

  "Okay." Jacob ran off to get the movie and Devon checked the door locks one more time. He put the movie in, and once his mom got the sauce simmering, she joined him on the couch. They enjoyed their evening together, and when Devon tucked him into bed that night, she breathed a sigh of relief that it had been quiet.

  Sure enough, it seemed that when Grant received word from his lawyer about the response from Devon, he backed off to wait for the results of the paternity test. Devon had no way of knowing that Grant was actually busy with plans of his own. The days crept by, waiting for the results. She knew it was going to take several weeks, but she still chafe
d at the wait. The lack of a response from Grant was kind of a relief, although she felt a faint sense of unease as well. But as the days passed, she relaxed and worried less about what Grant might be doing. He could have gone back to Georgia for all she knew.

  But Grant was lying low and working on getting a look at Jacob, first of all. The boy was nearly always with his mother unless he was at preschool, and Grant hadn't had any luck getting close to him there. He was intensely curious to see if the little boy bore any resemblance to him. He thought it would be cool to have a miniature version of himself in tow, and he was more convinced than ever that Jacob was his son. So, he stayed around town and casually worked on finding out as much as possible about Devon and her son. People in a small town were proving to be more talkative than they were in the city, and soon he was gathering little bits and pieces of information about Devon and Jacob. He filed each morsel away for the day when it would all become useful to him.

  Grant hit the jackpot one day, when he overheard a woman talking to the clerk in the farm store about the litter of puppies she was expecting any day. His ears pricked up when he heard her tell the man that all the puppies were spoken for and one of them was going to Devon Bridges for her cute little boy. He approached the woman as she finished her conversation and said apologetically, "Hi. I honestly didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you talking about having a litter of puppies. Golden retrievers, right?"

  Gloria gave him a sharp look. "That's right. I've never seen you around here before. Are you new in town?"

  Grant gave her a friendly smile. "I am. I'm Grant Parker, pleased to meet you."

  "I'm Gloria." Her look was still sharp. "So, you bought a place here in Jasper?"

  "Oh, no. I'm just taking a breather from life in the city. It gets a little too crazy sometimes and I just need to get away. I like it here, though. I'm thinking about the kind of place I'd like to resettle in eventually, and this is one of the nicest places I've been. You raise Golden Retrievers?"

  "Yes, I do. My pups are all spoken for, though."

  "Oh, I'm not ready for one, not yet, anyway. I wouldn't try to raise a big dog like that where I live now. They're my favorite breed of dog, though, and someday I'd love to have one."

  "That's smart. Big dogs need a place to run. It takes a lot of time and dedication to provide that in the city." Gloria warmed a little toward him after she heard his words.

  "Do you have a card or something I could save for future reference?" Grant asked politely.

  The woman studied him for a minute and then nodded. "I do. Here you go. My next litter won't be until spring."

  Grant took the card and smiled at her in full charm mode. "Thank you, I'll be sure to contact you when the time comes. I appreciate it."

  "No problem. It was nice to meet you, but I've got to run now." Gloria pushed her cart toward the front and the checkout, and Grant watched her go, feeling pleased. So, Jacob was getting a puppy soon. That was a nice little nugget of information to tuck away. He decided to stop over at the bar in town for a drink. Local bars were always a rich source of local gossip.

  Mitch was serving a basket of wings to a couple of guys when Grant walked into the Spur and he gave a wave and called, "Have a seat anywhere. I'll be right with you."

  Grant took a stool at the bar and looked around with an easy grin, giving Mitch a friendly greeting when he walked back behind the bar again. "This your place?"

  Mitch nodded. "It is. I'm Mitch."

  Grant shook his hand and introduced himself. "This is a nice little place. I'll have a draft."

  Mitch got out a frosty glass and pulled the beer. "First one's on me," he said as he set it down in front of Grant.

  Grant took a drink of the ice-cold brew and said, "Thanks, I appreciate it."

  "I haven't seen you before, have I?" Mitch asked.

  "Nope, I'm new around here. Just spending a few days in a quieter place than where I live. Sometimes you need a breather, if you know what I mean."

  "Sure. What brought you to Jasper?"

  Grant chuckled. "A guy I work with passed through here a while back, and he couldn't stop talking about how peaceful and friendly it was. I didn't have any particular plans and I was curious to see if it was really as nice as he said."

  "It's a good place," Mitch said. "People are friendly and always willing to help each other out, but you can have your privacy, too. It's a nice balance as far as I'm concerned."

  "Yeah, that's exactly the kind of place I'd like to settle one day, once I'm ready to leave the rat race."

  "So, you don't know anybody here?"

  "Nope. Just took off to have myself a break for a few days."

  "Did you want to see a menu? We've got pretty good food here if I do say so myself." When Grant nodded, Mitch handed him the bar menu and then excused himself to go wait on one of his tables.

  Grant sipped his beer and looked around the place. It was comfortable and casual, and he figured after work hours, Mitch probably did a good business. He decided to take his time and hang around for a while to see what kind of local gossip he could hear. When Mitch came back, he ordered another beer and chatted idly with the two guys who came in and parked themselves at the bar near him. It was easy to get them talking about football and even the local high school team that was expected to have another good season. And he'd been right, business got brisk once it got a little later in the afternoon.

  It was dark out when Grant finally left the Rusty Spur. He'd ordered a cheeseburger and fries, and the burger had lived up to its reputation for being an excellent one. He got into a game of darts with a couple of guys and bought them a round of beers, and eventually, they had mentioned Devon in their conversation. They didn't really have a whole lot of information, though, mainly talking about how she had renovated her house almost completely by herself. They looked blank when he asked them what kind of work she did and about her husband. One of them said, "Oh, she doesn't have a husband, it's just her and her kid. That's why it's kind of cool that she did the whole house herself."

  Grant looked suitably impressed and said, "Yeah, that is pretty cool."

  "She keeps to herself, mostly. The only people we ever see her with are Jessie Mills and her fiancé, Brady Jensen. I guess she hit it off with them." The guy talking tossed his dart and let out a yell when it landed squarely on the bull's eye.

  When Grant decided he'd gotten all the information he was going to for the evening, he paid his tab and told his new acquaintances good night. He drove to his motel and made some notes after he got there, jotting down stray facts that he'd heard about Devon. When he stretched out on his bed for the night, he shook his head at the quiet little life the woman had made for herself here. He wondered how she could handle living such a dull existence, just her and the kid.

  "Oh, well," he said out loud. "Better her than me. I don't know how the hell you don't die of boredom in this place. Is she really going to spend the rest of her life like this? I need to stir things up a little. Come on, Grant, get yourself in gear and make something happen. That's the goal for tomorrow." He fell asleep with a resolute look on his face.

  Chapter 21

  Grant Parker finished reading the letter his lawyer had handed to him for his approval. "That looks good. Put some pressure on her; that's what we need."

  The attorney studied his client's face before he said, "You shouldn't get your hopes up that you'll get any results from this letter. Devon has no obligation whatsoever to let you see her son before you have legal paternity established, and Mack Thorne is a good attorney. He knows that perfectly well."

  Grant looked irritated. "Well, what if the kid looks just like me? That would be pretty good proof that he's mine, wouldn't it? I haven't even laid eyes on him. How's it going to hurt to just let me meet him?"

  "I'm just telling you that you don't have any legal grounds to get her to allow it. You're going to have to be patient and wait for the test results. Unless you want to go ahead and file a motion to have a
paternity test of your own done. It could be faster than waiting for the one from the Army."

  Grant looked even more irritated. "Yeah, and that'd cost me even more money. They're already doing it, and it's not costing me a dime."

  The lawyer stared at him with an impassive expression. "If that's your only concern, then I suggest that you simply make up your mind that you need to have patience and wait. You do realize that if it turns out that you are the boy's father, you're going to be liable for child support and other expenses, right?"

  "If it turns out that he's my kid, I'm going to get custody of him. Then she can pay me child support."

  His attorney shook his head. "Grant, the chances of you getting custody of the boy at this point are very slim, to say the least. You need to look at this realistically."

  Grant stared at him stubbornly. "You just leave that to me for now. We need to put some more pressure on her."

  With a shrug, his lawyer said, "Well, I'll send that letter off today. I just want to caution you again that you're not likely to get any results from it."

  "Just send it. Are we finished here?"

  "I believe we are. I'll be in touch."

  Grant walked to his car, whistling as he went. He wasn't concerned about the lawyer's cautions. He was confident that if Jacob was his son, he would have custody of him. The fact that he had no idea what he would do with a child never crossed his mind. He simply knew that if the boy was his son, he intended to have him. His lawyer was just going to have to be more creative in his strategy, and if he couldn't handle it, he'd find a better lawyer. In the meantime, he'd gotten a line on how Devon was making a living these days, and he headed back to his hotel to do some digging on his laptop. Everything he could find out about her would be helpful.

  A couple of hours later, Grant closed the laptop with a shake of his head. The woman had to be living the most boring life in the history of the world! She wrote business text for a living. He'd looked at her online information, including samples of her work, and he didn't know how she did it without going crazy. Owners' manuals, employee handbooks, product descriptions, company brochures and even worse, dry, technical descriptions. He couldn't even read through it, much less spend hours a day writing it. No wonder he hadn't missed her after they'd broken up. He was starting to see that it would be a mercy to the kid if he rescued him from living with his mother. How could a little kid have any fun in life with a mom like her? Honestly, the more he found out about Devon, the better he felt about his chances of getting sole custody of his son.