Roping Your Heart

by Cheyenne McCray

  “She’s not yours.” Something like satisfaction rang in Sally’s voice.

  A bad feeling that came out of nowhere washed over him. “She’s my daughter and she’s staying with me. You’re not fit to be a mother.”

  “You’re not her biological father.” Sally sounded triumphant. “She wasn’t really a month early. I was two weeks pregnant when I picked you out to be the father of my child and screwed you.”

  Cold crept over his skin and a sick sensation shot through his gut. “Stop playing games. This is our daughter’s life.”

  “It’s no game,” Sally said in a too-sweet voice. “The man who got me pregnant didn’t have a dime. You’re a McBride and I knew you had money, so I went where the money was.”

  Heat burned over Blake’s skin. “I don’t know what in the hell you’re up to, but you’re not getting my daughter.”

  “My daughter,” Sally said. “Don’t you wonder why she doesn’t look like you? She’s not your daughter. She’s mine.”

  “Bullshit,” Blake said, but he felt like his mind was spinning. Was she telling the truth?

  “You don’t want to do it the easy way?” Sally said. “Fine. You won’t have her at all. No visitation. None.”

  Blake clenched his hands at his sides. “I’ve had it with your games, Sally.”

  “You’re the reason I had problems to begin with,” Sally went on. “I wouldn’t have turned to drugs and alcohol if it weren’t for you.” Her voice rose. “She wants to live with me anyway. You’re too strict and she’s unhappy. I’ll take care of her and she’ll have a beautiful house and not live out in the sticks.”

  “This conversation has gone far enough,” Blake said.

  “You’ve got a few more weeks with her,” Sally went on. “That’ll give her time to get together what she needs, and you can make your goodbyes.”

  Blake noticed a vehicle tearing down the road, its tires kicking up clouds of dust as it sped toward the ranch.

  “I have full custody of Demi and you’re not taking her anywhere.” Blake’s heart was thudding harder. “As far as paternity, that’s nothing but bullshit.”

  “You’ll find out real soon that it’s not,” she said in a voice that sickened his stomach.

  Was she telling the truth? Or was this another one of her ploys?

  The car that had been speeding down the road came through the main gate and then parked in front of the house.

  “I don’t have time for this.” He started toward the car where a man was getting out. “I’ve got things to do.”

  “Did someone get there just now?” she asked innocently.

  Blake held back a scowl as a man wearing slacks and a button-up shirt strode toward him, dust covering his shoes as he walked across the hard-packed dirt driveway.

  A sinking feeling weighted his gut as the man held out two envelopes. Blake took them and the man said, “You’ve been served,” and then walked back to the car.

  “What perfect timing,” Sally said over the phone, obviously hearing the man and knowing all along that he’d been on his way. “That’s a court order for a paternity test, and an order for Demi to be tested, too.”

  The rest of whatever she said was a buzz in his ears. He disconnected the call without telling her goodbye and shoved the phone into its holster on his belt.

  He barely noticed his hands were trembling as he opened one of the two envelopes. He unfolded the papers and saw that it was exactly what she’d said it was. An order for a paternity test. He opened the second envelope. An order for Demi to have her blood tested.

  He sat heavily in one of the chairs on the front porch and covered his eyes with his hand, elbow resting on his thigh. Was it true? Was Demi some other man’s biological child and Sally would be able to take her away?

  Blake hadn’t cried since he was a kid but he felt an ache behind his eyes now. He couldn’t lose Demi. She was his daughter. No matter what the paternity test might say, Demi was his daughter.

  He gritted his teeth, wanting to shred the document and burn the scraps to ash.

  Over and over in his mind he turned the thought around that Demi might not be his. He couldn’t get himself to believe it was true and that he could lose his daughter.

  He didn’t give a damn what the paternity test came up with. Demi was his daughter and he’d fight for her. He wasn’t letting her go.

  An odd sensation had been floating in Cat’s belly all morning as she took care of chores and prepared to go to Grandma Hayden’s. Cat had no idea what was making her feel this way, but she felt unnerved.

  She always spent Sundays with her grandmother, but she had the strangest feeling that Blake needed her. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and looked at it for a moment. Last night had been great with Blake and Demi and the only feelings that had lingered were good ones. So why did she feel like something was off?

  She went to her list of contacts and called Blake. It rang a few times.

  “Hi, honey.” Blake’s voice had a forced edge to it.

  “Is everything all right?” she asked with hesitation.

  He paused. “I don’t know.”

  She realized she was holding her breath and let it out in a slow exhale. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “But not on the phone.”

  “Do you want to come to Grandma Hayden’s for supper?” Cat felt another nervous flutter in her belly. “She’d love to have company and I know she’d be happy to see you.”

  He paused again and his hesitation made her feel more concerned. “Would she mind if Demi came?”

  “She’d be thrilled to have Demi visit.” Cat started pacing her small kitchen. “She said something about having prepared some kind of chicken casserole for today and she always makes enough for a family even though it’s usually just the two of us. I know there will be plenty because I end up taking a ton of leftovers home. I think she’s making a red velvet cake, too.”

  “Your granny makes the best red velvet cake,” he said. “What time?”

  She glanced at the time on the microwave. It was almost noon. “Grandma likes to have an early supper. How about coming over around four and we’ll have supper at five?”

  “Four it is.” He still sounded like something was wrong and it made her tense inside. “Granny’s still in the same place?”

  “Yes.” Cat nodded to herself. “I’ll see you then.”

  After they disconnected, she called Grandma Hayden to let her know that Blake and Demi were coming. Like Cat had expected, her grandmother was thrilled.

  It was close to noon when Cat arrived at her Grandma Hayden’s. Like Cat had expected, her grandmother was smiling and humming as she busied herself around the house. Cat gave Grandma a kiss and helped her wherever she was needed. The elderly woman seemed happier and in less pain than usual.

  A couple of minutes after four there was a knock and Cat opened the door to greet Blake and Demi. After Cat said hello to Demi, Blake gave Cat a light kiss. Demi watched and her brow furrowed. It didn’t look like she approved, but she didn’t say anything.

  Grandma Hayden came into the living room, still wearing her apron, beaming as she greeted Blake and Demi.

  “You’re much bigger than the last time I ran into you and your father,” Grandma Hayden said to Demi with a smile. “What year are you in school now?”

  Demi seemed a little shy. “I’m a freshman.”

  “I hear you like to barrel race and love rodeo just as my little Catharine did,” Grandma said as she ushered everyone into the kitchen.

  Demi nodded. “I love it.”

  The kitchen had always been the gathering place for family and friends. It smelled of melted cheese and pasta, a smell that had always been comforting to Cat.

  Blake smiled and had a lively discussion with Grandma Hayden and she looked as pleased as could be. Demi and Cat talked about horses and the upcoming rodeo. Demi was excited and her enthusiasm was barely contained. When they talked a
bout her favorite subjects, she seemed to forget about resenting Cat.

  Even though Blake was engaged in conversation and wore a smile while talking, there was something in his eyes that told Cat he was troubled.

  After dinner, Demi volunteered to wash dishes and they all cleaned up.

  “We’ll have dessert once dinner has had a chance to settle,” Grandma said. “Would you like to play a card game?” she asked Demi.

  The girl nodded. “Where are your cards?”

  “Blake and I are going to go out on the porch for a few moments.” Cat smiled at her grandmother. “We’ll be back in a few.”

  “You go right ahead.” Grandma was showing Demi where the decks of cards were. “We’ll get the cards warmed up.”

  Blake walked with Cat onto the front porch and they closed the screen door behind themselves. It was a pleasant evening, the air cool and smelling of cut grass from the neighbor’s yard. They sat in the porch swing like they’d done so many times when they were teenagers.

  He looked like he was brooding over something, his gaze focused on a cottonwood in the front yard.

  “What’s wrong?” Cat finally asked.

  For a long moment Blake didn’t answer. Then he reached into his back pocket and pulled out papers that had been folded enough times to fit into his pocket.

  She unfolded the papers and held them up so that the light from the living room window would allow her to read it. Her skin prickled as she read the start of the papers.

  “It’s a court order for a paternity test.” She looked at the next set of papers. “And an order for Demi to be tested, too.” Her eyes were wide as she looked at Blake. “Is that to prove you’re Demi’s father?”

  He rubbed his temples with his fingertips then lowered his hand. “Sally called today. She claims that Demi isn’t mine. Said she only married me because I have money and the biological father didn’t.”

  Stunned didn’t begin to describe the way Cat felt. She couldn’t imagine what Blake was feeling right now.

  “She wants to take Demi away from me and file for full custody.” His voice was hoarse, like his emotions were almost too difficult to contain. “She’s moving to Nashville. She’ll take Demi halfway across the country from me if she wins custody.”

  “Dear God, Blake.” Cat took his hand in hers. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to fight for her with everything I have.” Blake’s expression had darkened. “I don’t give a shit what any test might say. Demi is my daughter and Sally isn’t going to rip her away from me.”

  Cat couldn’t think of a word to say. She squeezed his hand, trying to give him what comfort she could.

  “Damn.” He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll call my lawyer Monday morning and do whatever I have to do to keep my daughter.”

  “Have you told Demi yet?” Cat asked.

  He shook his head. “I need to get the blood tests done first to make sure this isn’t one of Sally’s games.”

  Blake gripped Cat’s hand tightly and she rested her head on his shoulder. For a long moment they remained silent, the swing swaying a little with their slight movements.

  “We’d better get inside,” Blake finally said. “I don’t want to keep your granny waiting.”

  Cat got up with him and as he released her hand, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him for a long moment.

  “I’m here for you, Blake,” she whispered.

  He put his forehead against hers. “Thank you.”

  When they drew away, he rested his on her lower back as they moved to the screen door and into the house.

  Demi and Grandma Hayden were laughing as they played some kind of card game at the kitchen table. Blake put on a smile and pulled up a chair next to Demi and Cat sat between him and Grandma.

  Cat watched Blake as he teamed up with Demi to play nertz, a card game, against Grandma Hayden and Cat. She watched the loving way he played the game with his daughter and how he always included her in the adults’ conversations. In turn, it was clear how much Demi loved her father.

  Cat’s gut was sick and she prayed that Blake wasn’t going to lose custody of his daughter. It would break his heart.

  Chapter 18

  “Why do I have to have a physical?” Demi asked Blake as they sat in the doctor’s office. It was a week after Sally’s call, the first opening they’d had at the doctor’s office. “I’m not sick.”

  “Teenagers should have physicals done to make sure everything is all right, honey.” He smiled at her. “But I hear they’re not real fun for women.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  He felt heat rising to his face. “Dr. Mack will explain everything.” He dug in his pocket and handed Demi her cell phone. “It’s been a week now.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” She took the phone, turned it on, and relaxed in one of the chairs as she started checking text and phone messages.

  Blake had no idea if the boy, Brett, had sent her messages. He didn’t want to violate his daughter’s trust. But if she violated his trust again, then he would consider screening her messages.

  Demi’s name was called and they both got to their feet and she pocketed her cell phone. He accompanied her as a nurse took Demi’s temperature and blood pressure as well as weighed her and measured her height. Then they went into the examination room where they waited for the doctor.

  Blake and Demi talked about the upcoming rodeo while they waited, and he felt more and more uncomfortable.

  When Dr. Mack and a fairly young nurse walked in, Blake wasn’t sure if he felt relief or more tension than he’d been feeling before. Dr. Mack was in his early sixties, a good guy whom Blake had always liked.

  “Honey, will you be okay if Dr. Mack talks with you alone?” Blake asked. “Now that you’re a teenager you can have conversations with the doctor without me around.”

  Demi nodded. “Okay.”

  Relieved, Blake left the examination room and went to the waiting area. He forced himself to sit down rather than pace.

  This was a time when it would have been good for Demi to have a woman in her life. Someone stable who could explain things like women’s physicals so that his daughter would be better prepared.

  He’d thought about Sally going with Demi to the doctor, but Sally hated that kind of thing and he was the parent with full custody. Not to mention, he needed to be with Demi when the blood tests were done and he didn’t want Sally spilling the reason why they were having them done in the first place. He didn’t want her to go through the pain of thinking about him possibly not being her biological father if it was unnecessary.

  He wished he could have had Cat along. But even though Demi wasn’t sulking as much, he didn’t think she was ready for she and Cat to be doing things so personal together.

  His lawyer had said there was precedent in Arizona where adoptive parents were given joint custody, so it was likely Sally couldn’t win full custody. However, it was possible that Blake could get only partial custody and end up only having her on some holidays and during the summer. Sally would take Demi away to Tennessee. As far away as that was, it might as well be in another country.

  He rubbed his temples. Damn. He couldn’t lose Demi like that. He couldn’t stand not being able to see her every day.

  When Demi came out into the waiting room, Blake’s tension rose. His daughter looked okay, but somehow seemed more adult as she walked outside with him.

  “I didn’t like that,” she said, then handed him a paper. “The doctor told me that I also have to have some blood tests done.”

  Blake nodded. It was what he’d expected. At the same time they would have blood drawn for the court-ordered tests as well.

  He drove them to the lab next and they both had their blood drawn. Demi refused to look at the needle as it pricked her skin and her jaw was set as she clenched her teeth. She’d always hated shots when she was younger, like most kids did, and having her blood drawn was no better a
s far as she was concerned.

  She frowned as they walked outside the lab building. “I didn’t like having my blood drawn.”

  He put his arm around her shoulders. “You did great.”

  “Why does the doctor need to do blood tests?” she asked as they reached the truck.

  Blake opened the truck. “They just need to make sure everything is okay. Kids can get sick from things that need to be treated.”

  After they climbed in, Demi said, “Like Cat’s daughter? She got sick so young.”

  He started the vehicle. He and Cat had talked about her daughter and she’d shared about what had happened to her. “Yes, they look for things like that.” He gave Demi a comforting smile. “But thank God those things are rare.”

  She nodded and looked at him. “I love you, Dad.”

  Love and pain filled his heart and it was almost too much to bear. “Just remember how much I will always love you, too. No matter what.”

  * * * * *

  Demi’s cell phone rang and Blake watched as she pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the display. She flopped in a kitchen chair and answered, “Hi, Mom.”

  His shoulders always tensed when Demi talked to her mother and he mentally shook his head. He went back to pouring a glass of iced tea and squeezed lemon into it.

  “I’m doing good.” Demi had a light note to her voice as Blake wiped lemon juice from his fingers on a hand towel. “I missed sixth hour at school today which was okay with me. I hate math.” She listened then said, “I didn’t go because Dad and I went to the doctor today. I had to have a physical. It sucked.”

  A pause and then Demi frowned. “How did you know I had blood tests done?”

  Blake’s gut clenched. When he’d talked with Sally earlier this week he’d asked her not to say anything to Demi until the results were back and to let him tell her.

  Blood drained from Demi’s face and she turned pale as she listened to her mother. Her eyes were wide as she looked at Blake. Then she said in a choked voice. “Dad isn’t my real father?”

  Blake felt like his heart had stopped beating. Confusion and pain clouded his daughter’s face. He didn’t know what to do as Demi stared at him as if begging him to challenge what her mother had told her. What could he say? He didn’t know for sure.