A New Life

by Mildred Colvin

  “Scared?” Gran frowned. “How? Are you saying he made you get engaged?”

  Kimberly nodded. “It’s a long story, but what it comes down to is that my father and Colin’s father were buddies from childhood. They went into business together and then something happened so Colin’s father took his share of the company and left. That made two separate companies. Mr. Burris did all right, but my father did better. Mr. Burris decided he wanted to merge the two companies again into one, so he proposed that his son marry me.”

  Gran eyes widened as if in disbelief.

  Kimberly stood. “I think the coffee’s ready.”

  As she filled the mugs, she went on. “I don’t know what my father’s answer would have been. He and Mom were killed in a small plane crash about that time. That was the beginning of my first year of high school. Grandfather became my legal guardian. After Grandmother died a couple of years later, I pretty much did whatever Grandfather said. He was in charge of Dad’s business then, and he wanted the companies back together. Our marriage ensured that.”

  Gran frowned. “What about college? Didn’t you say you married the end of summer after high school?”

  Kimberly nodded. “Grandfather was very impressed with Colin. The two of them decided I didn’t need to waste time and money getting an education I’d never use. Colin was five years older than me. He had already earned his degree before he went to Europe.”

  “Europe?” Gran took a sip of coffee. “You’ve lost me.”

  “Sight-seeing.” Kimberly shrugged. “The summer before we married. That was his college graduation gift from his folks.”

  Gran’s expression cleared as if a light turned on in her mind. “Ah, that’s the summer you met Travis. How long after Travis left for California was it before you got married?”

  “Two weeks.”

  Gran tisked and shook her head. “Cutting it mighty close, weren’t you?”

  Kimberly nodded. “What does this have to do with Steven? Are you going to tell me who he is?”

  Gran opened the top picture album, and after flipping past a few pages, turned it toward Kimberly. “I will show you Steven. I promise. But first, take a look at some of these pictures and tell me who you see.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Kimberly pulled the book closer. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Gran had Jamie’s pictures in her album, except it was Travis at Jamie’s age. She didn’t recognize the man beside him. Some were of Travis and Gran at a younger age. About twenty years younger. Gran didn’t look much different than she did now. Travis had fuller cheeks than Jamie, but his hair was the same color.

  “He was six years old there.” Gran looked at the pictures as if remembering the good times. “That was the first summer. Catherine, my daughter, sent him to us. He took to ranch life right away. His parents came to get him at the end of summer, and he cried because he wanted to stay. After that, he never missed a summer except the year before he graduated from college. Brent wanted him to visit, a sort of last hurrah before he got married. Travis always liked Brent and wanted to go. We gave him our blessing.”

  “That’s when he met me.” Kimberly whispered the words.

  “Why doesn’t Travis know Jamie’s his son, Kimberly?” Gran’s words were gentle, but her question demanded an answer.

  “Because I didn’t know until just before Colin died.” Kimberly closed the album and lifted her coffee cup with both hands.

  “Two weeks. I think I’m beginning to understand a little.”

  “Colin never really wanted Jamie, so when he started accusing me of being unfaithful, I thought he was trying to make excuses for the affairs he was having.” Kimberly’s hands shook. She set the mug on the table and clasped them in her lap. “When he came home with DNA results that proved Jamie wasn’t his, I didn’t know what to think. He had proof, but I still found it hard to believe. Then two days later, he was in a terrible car accident. A few months after that, I saw Brent and Tricia at church. We talked, and I told them everything. Brent asked if I’d like to work for Travis. He said this would give me a way to tell Travis the truth.”

  “When do you plan to do that, Kimberly?” Gran’s tone accused her.

  Kimberly straightened and lifted her chin. “Travis doesn’t want Jamie. He made that perfectly clear the first night we were here. But I will tell him. I thought maybe if he got used to Jamie, he wouldn’t be so against him. If he won’t claim him, that’s fine. I will not foist my son off on another unwilling father.”

  “Oh, fiddle sticks.” Gran brushed Kimberly’s words aside with a quick wave of her hand. “Where were you this afternoon? Travis looked like a pretty content father with that boy riding in front of him. How’d he act in the barn? Did he shove him aside or ignore him?”

  Kimberly stared at her hands clasped tightly in her lap and shook her head. “He isn’t cruel. I mean he’s nice enough to him. He just doesn’t want him for his son.”

  Gran sat without speaking. Kimberly grew uncomfortable under her gaze. “I’m not trying to keep them apart. Surely you know I wouldn’t have come here unless I meant to tell Travis the truth.”

  Gran nodded. “I think Travis deserves to know Jamie’s his son. I also think you’ll be surprised at his reaction. Especially if you explain everything to him as you did to me. Give it a try, Kimberly. Give him a chance.”

  “I will. I promised God I’d tell Travis as soon as possible, and I will. As soon as I know that telling him won’t hurt Jamie.” After she figured out what Travis wanted. First he threatened to fire her if her son came near one of his horses, then today he set him on a huge horse and took him riding. How could she possibly know what to do when he was so unpredictable?

  “Please, Gran, don’t tell anyone what you know.” Kimberly leaned across the picture albums to touch Gran’s hand in a gesture emphasizing her plea. “I promise I’ll tell, but I have to do it when I think the time is right. Do you understand?”

  Gran hesitated only a moment before she nodded. “I won’t say a word. Just don’t put this off too long, Kimberly.”

  “I won’t.” Kimberly relaxed. “But you were going to tell me about Steven.”

  Gran opened the second picture album. She turned the pages, and her expression sagged as if pulled by a heavy weight. Her eyes took on a faraway look when she stopped at one page. She sat in silence staring down, until Kimberly wondered if she’d forgotten her. Finally Gran looked up. Pain dulled her eyes. She turned the album and pushed it forward. “Steven died two years ago. This picture was taken not long before that.”

  One photo, enlarged to five by seven, took up an entire page. A little boy younger than Jamie stood on the lowest rail of the corral fence holding on with one hand. He was turned sideways to the camera with his cowboy hat held high as if receiving accolades. A wide grin brought out his sparkling blue eyes.

  Kimberly examined the picture much the way Gran had done. This boy was Jamie’s half-brother. She knew without being told. Except for the blond hair and blue eyes, he resembled Jamie without question. “Oh, my.”

  “Yes.” Gran said. “Makes you wonder why Travis hasn’t seen it already. I almost fell over when I took a good look at Jamie. They aren’t exactly alike. There’s enough differences so it takes a second look. But it sure doesn’t take any more than that to see those boys have the same father.”

  Kimberly looked up at Gran. “I didn’t know.”

  “So Brent didn’t tell you about Steven? What about Rosalyn? You knew Travis was married, didn’t you?” Gran lifted her coffee mug but didn’t take a drink.

  “Yes, I knew.” Trish sent a Christmas card that first year with word of Travis’s upcoming marriage. Colin had raised such a fuss about her making friends in their social class, that she’d gradually cut off ties with Brent and Trish. “I hadn’t heard about any children, though.”

  “Steven was born a year after they married. He was an only child.” Gran reached out and turned the page. “This is Rosalyn.”
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  Kimberly looked at a pretty girl with light brown hair blowing in the breeze. She stood next to a truck holding a baby. Kimberly recognized the surroundings by the barn in the background.

  “She wasn’t happy here. After Steven’s accident, she left. Went to California and died in her sleep not more than a month later. We never heard what happened, but Travis has his own ideas.”

  “How tragic.” Did Travis think suicide? Kimberly wanted to ask, but couldn’t. Over the years, she’d carried jealousy for the unknown woman Travis married. Then scarcely a month ago, when Brent said Travis was widowed, she’d experienced guilt for her feelings. But nothing compared to what she felt as she looked into the face of the girl Travis had loved and lost. Knowing the young woman had died, from what sounded like a broken heart, placed a heavy weight on her own heart. “How did Steven die?”

  Gran looked down. “He slipped away from Rosalyn and went to the corral where Tom was working with a wild horse. Tom didn’t see him crawl through the rails.” She covered her lips with her fingers and shook her head. “He was only four years old. He didn’t understand the horse would kick out if he walked behind it.”

  “Oh, Gran, I’m so sorry.” Kimberly touched the older woman’s arm. “Let’s not talk about it anymore. I didn’t know. I truly didn’t know.”

  “I’m all right, Kimberly.” Gran stiffened her back and gave a trembling smile. “I don’t think a person ever gets over losing a child. I’m so glad you brought Jamie here. He’s a special little boy. I can see you love him a lot. What was your husband like? How did he treat Jamie? You said he didn’t want him.”

  Kimberly sucked in air. If she could avoid answering, she would. But Gran’s steady gaze said she wanted to know how her great-grandson had been treated. She slowly released the air while she tried to think of an easy way to answer. “Colin worked long hours at the company. He didn’t pay much attention to Jamie at first.”

  “At first?” Gran’s eyebrows lifted. “When did he? Was he good to him?”

  “No.” Kimberly looked at the album still open in front of her. “When Jamie was three, Colin took a long look at him and said he didn’t look like anyone in his family. I thought he was wrong. I thought Jamie was his child. There had to be some Burris genes in my son.”

  “I guess Colin was right.” Gran smiled. “Jamie looks like his dad except for that little dimple you see sometimes when he smiles. I’d say he got that from you.”

  Kimberly smiled. “That and the cowlick on the crown of his head. We have to be careful that his hair isn’t cut too short. But I thought his brown eyes came from my grandfather. After two years of Colin’s remarks about my infidelity, he informed me that two blue-eyed people can’t have a brown-eyed child. I still didn’t believe him until he brought DNA proof and told me he had made arrangements for Jamie to be sent to school out of state.”

  Gran frowned. “Without telling you?”

  Kimberly nodded.

  Gran leaned forward, searching her face. “Colin mistreated Jamie after he decided he wasn’t his son, didn’t he?”

  Tears burned Kimberly’s eyes as she nodded. “He didn’t physically abuse him unless you call shoving him out of the way abuse, but he never had a kind word to say to him. Colin was a master at making me feel like an inferior species. He did the same to Jamie. Colin cut off all of my friends. Grandfather thought the sun rose and set for Colin, and he’s all the family I have left so I tried to get along the best I could.”

  “Where did you live after your parents died?”

  “With my grandparents. Grandmother passed away my junior year of high school. If she’d lived I might not have married Colin, but I couldn’t fight Grandfather alone. I’m sure he thought he was doing the best for me and for the company.” She shrugged. “Maybe it was best financially to merge the two families and the companies, but I never understood why the men couldn’t sign a contract without ruining two lives. Mine and Colin’s. He didn’t want to marry me any more than I wanted to marry him. He wanted the money and would have been quite wealthy if he hadn’t died. That’s why he wouldn’t leave me even after he proved Jamie wasn’t his child.”

  Gran frowned. “Did your grandfather mistreat you, too?”

  “Not exactly.” Kimberly closed the picture album, hiding Rosalyn’s picture. “Grandfather was always stern and unbending, but he never mistreated me physically. After Colin convinced him of my so called unfaithful, squandering ways, he refused to help me.” Her voice dropped. “I had to get away.”

  “You and Jamie both have been treated badly. Your grandfather needs to be told the truth.”

  Kimberly forced a smile for Gran. “I’ve been telling you all the bad. There was good, too. Colin didn’t want to marry me, but at first he tried to make things work. The first two years weren’t so bad. We had some good times.”

  Gran nodded and ran her fingers over Steven’s picture. Kimberly reached for the picture albums. “I’ll put these away for you.”

  ~*~

  Kimberly shut off the vacuum cleaner and glanced out an upstairs window from the guest bedroom. A large pond in front of the house caught her attention as sunshine reflected off the water. She never used the front door, and no one else did either. The drive took everyone to the back. Even company came to the back door.

  Now she stood looking out at what appeared to be a romantic getaway in the middle of the large pond. Gran said Rosalyn was unhappy on the ranch. Had Travis built the gazebo that now stood pure and white on the island to encourage her to stay? A pedal boat sat on the shore beside a wooden dock extending about ten or so feet out into the pond. How wonderful it would be to float across the water with Travis. To sit close in the gazebo and watch the sun set. He must have loved Rosalyn very much.

  A door slammed downstairs drawing Kimberly’s attention away from her daydreams. If she’d gone with Travis seven years ago when he asked, would she be his wife? Would he want Jamie then?

  After hearing of his son’s death, she understood a little better why he didn’t want Jamie here. His own son had died on his ranch. He didn’t want to be responsible for another. If he knew the truth about Jamie, would he feel differently? She had to believe he would.

  Kimberly unplugged the vacuum cleaner and pushed it toward the door before she began dusting. The room hadn’t been used since she’d been there, but her goal was to keep the entire house clean, not just tidy. After several minutes the silence in the house penetrated her thoughts. The TV had been playing when she came upstairs, but its muted rumbling had stopped. She went into the hall and listened. Nothing. Where was Jamie? Where was Gran? Unless they’d fallen asleep, there should be a sound of some kind.

  She hung her dust cloth on the vacuum cleaner handle and headed downstairs. A quick search of the house found no one. She went through the kitchen and out the back door. The yard and as far as she could see stood empty. She stood in the driveway with her hands on her hips. Where could they have gone? Gradually, the sound of voices from beyond the barn reached her consciousness, and she quickened her pace in that direction.

  Sounded like the men calling out to one another. They must be taking a break from their chores. Maybe they’d know where Gran and Jamie were. If not, she’d look in the loft room.

  “Ride ’em, cowboy.” Gran’s call eased her concern. She and Jamie must be watching one of the men work with a horse.

  She rounded the corner of the barn before the corral came fully into view. Gran stood by the fence, a booted foot hooked on the lower rail as she shouted encouragement. “Hang on there. You won’t fall off.”

  The men stood around Gran, yelling out similar sentiments. Cletus shifted to speak to Jason. Kimberly saw past them and gasped. Her bones turned to rubber. Her little boy sat on a horse that dwarfed him. Holding the reins, Travis walked a step in front of the horse, too far away to be of any help. Jamie could fall with no one there to catch him. She started to yell at Travis, but the sound died in her throat. What if she spooked th
e horse? Jamie would be hurt. Her heart pounding out of control, she headed toward the corral in a jog.

  Gran yelled out, “Move it out a little, Travis. Come on, Sweet Thing. Your rider’s getting bored. Aren’t you, Jamie?”

  Jamie let go of the saddle horn and waved at Gran. The smile on his face competed with the sun for brightness. He looked toward Kimberly, and if anything, his smile grew wider. “Look, Momma. I’m riding a horse all by—”

  When Travis began jogging, the horse broke into a trot, and Jamie grabbed for the saddle horn. His foot slipped from the stirrup. He bounced in the saddle so high Kimberly visualized him flying through the air.

  She broke into a run. “Stop! What are you doing? Get him down, Travis.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Travis looked back at Jamie. The little boy’s grin couldn’t get any wider. He held the saddle horn with one hand and waved with the other as if he’d just conquered a wild bronc.

  Travis chuckled. The kid might have come from the city, but he wasn’t city inside where it counted. He took to ranch life as if he’d been born for it. After this summer, he’d hate city life, if he didn’t already. From some of the comments he’d made, Travis wondered what kind of life he’d had, anyway.

  He saw a lot of himself in Jamie. In both looks and actions. He was six years old, so he’d been conceived early in Kim’s marriage. Or she’d been expecting when she got married. The thought kept persisting no matter how many times he reminded himself that Kim wouldn’t bring his son to the ranch and not tell him. He could understand her not saying anything when she was married, but she had no reason to keep her son’s paternity a secret now. Which meant there was no secret. Seeing himself in Jamie didn’t mean anything. If a person tried hard enough, they’d see what they wanted. Hoping for something didn’t always make it true. He should know that.