Seeing him in town again had only reopened the wound that she’d managed to fool herself into believing had begun to heal. She wasn’t altogether positive that she had it in her to keep her distance from him, should he try to woo her back into his bed again. She’d recognized the look of intension in his eyes that day at the pharmacy. If she ran into him again, she had no doubt that he’d try something with her and she didn’t think she was any stronger than she had been that first day she’d seen him. As a matter of fact, she knew she wasn’t, because her emotions hadn’t been involved that day, and they were now. Her love for the rodeo champion would end up landing her back in his bed where she desperately wanted to be, but knew she dare not go.
Keeping her distance from him altogether was her only option, and if that meant cooping herself up inside of her dying sister’s house with all the blinds pulled, not once stepping foot outside, then so be it. It was better than the alternative any day. Her daughter needed her to stay strong and hold her ground. Jeff wouldn’t be a good father to Alexis. Not when the man didn’t do attachment in any way shape or form.
The doorbell rang and Dana practically jumped out of her skin in response. A chill ran through her and goose-bumps and tiny hairs rose along the length of her arms. She nervously looked towards the hall and hoped the sound hadn’t woken either Mandy or Alexis then ran to the door to keep it from happening if it hadn’t already.
When she pulled it open, the last person she expected to find standing there was a very angry looking Jeff. She could see in his expression that he’d learned about their daughter and fear clogged her throat. Knowing that her time of solitude had come to an end, she reluctantly stepped to the side and motioned towards the living room with her arm. “You’d better come in out of the cold. If I leave the door open too long, the chill could make things worse for Mandy, and the last thing I need is for her or Alexis to get sick on top of everything else.”
Jeff pushed his way past her and stood in the middle of the living room, looking around as she sat down on the edge of the couch. He could see the nerves on her lovely face and he had to work hard to control the need to sweep her up into his arms and carry her to the nearest flat surface and take her fast and hard just the way he used to.
Remembering the tone of his brother’s voice when he’d insisted that Mandy didn’t have any children, Jeff crossed his arms and leaned back, waiting for her to talk.
She stared at him and swallowed hard. He looked good. Tired and sore, but very sexy. Knowing he wasn’t going to go away and leave her in peace, Dana gave up and sat on the couch with him, as far away as she could get to keep from touching him. Her desire for this man was still just as out of control as ever.
“How much do you know?” she asked lamely when he just stared at her, waiting for her to speak. “I know that your sister doesn’t have any kids, which means Alexis is your daughter. What I want to know is if I’m right. She’s mine… isn’t she?” he challenged, lifting a single eyebrow, daring her to deny the truth. He knew her well enough, he’d be well aware of any lies that spewed from her lips when he was looking her in the eyes.
“Alexis is MINE,” Dana argued, standing up on wobbly legs and walking over to the window to stare out at the mountain of snow that was piled up out in the field.
Jeff stood up, not sure if he was more irritated by Dana’s avoiding his question or more in awe of her willingness to protect his child even from the likes of him. He’d seen the desire light her face the instant she’d seen him standing in the doorway, the instant before that look had been replaced by fear. He wasn’t there to take the child from her. She must know that. Even he knew he wasn’t any kind of father figure.
“I’m trying to be patient with you, Dana. I deserve to know if I’ve fathered a child or not… It’s not as if I ever treated you poorly. Why would you keep this from me? It’s not as if I’m going to try to take her from you or something.”
Dana sighed sadly and wrapped her arms tighter around herself, nodding her head slowly. “Yes.” The word came out as a whisper of despair and she had to force herself to continue. “You are … for all intents and purposes… Alexis’s daddy. But I didn’t tell you because I want something from you,” she quickly said, when she saw the color leak from his face, turning him white as a ghost. “I knew I had to let you go the day I found out I was going to have her. I loved you, even though I knew I could never tell you, because I knew you’d never accept my love… and I knew that even though you wanted no real connections that I could never give up the child we’d made together. I decided then that I was going to raise her alone.”
“You can’t seriously expect to come here to my
hometown… with my brother and his family and my sister and her family all well within the boundaries, and expect that no one will say anything about the fact that I’m … for all intents and purposes, I believe your words were... the father of a toddler. Or the fact that the mother of my child is about to lose the only living family member she has other than said child. My own brother would kill me if he found out that I knew I had a child and stood by and did nothing… took no responsibility for her … or for you for that matter. I may be a self proclaimed lifelong bachelor with no intention of ever settling down, but I’m not a cold, heartless jackass who would turn my back on my own child and her mother at a time like this.”
“What exactly are you saying?” Dana asked, her hand held to her throat apprehensively. “I’m saying that if Alexis is my daughter like you said… you are just going to have to get used to my being around, because I have no intention of sitting on the sideline waiting to be chastised by my entire home town about abandoning her … or you in your time of need.”
Nodding his head as he made his decision, he plopped back down on the couch and made himself comfortable. “I’m not going anywhere, Dana. You may as well get used to it. I’m here for the duration.”
“How long is that?” she asked, feeling a lump of anxiety form in her gut. “As long as you need me,” he answered honestly. “As long as it takes to get you and your unforgettable body out of my system,” he added, looking her dead in the eye. He needed her to know that until he’d managed to kick his desire for her, he didn’t have it in him to let her go… even if her sister was long gone and Dana and Alexis no longer needed him. He meant for their relationship to get back on track until he had killed the need for her once and for all. Then and only then would he turn her lose. It would be on his terms the next time they parted. No other alternative was an option.
Chapter 5
It was late that night and Dana had gone to bed, refusing to talk to Jeff. He felt as if his whole world had been turned upside down in the last twenty-four hours. The sudden need to talk to his sister came on as strong as his need had once been to get good at riding on bucking bulls. Telling himself that come the next day, he would go see Laurie, he settled his big body on the couch which was entirely too short for him. He would much rather be back in the bed with Dana, satisfying his hunger to hold her in his arms, but she had made herself pretty clear earlier. She wasn’t at all happy that he had firmly inserted himself in her life and was refusing to go away. There wasn’t a chance in Hell that she would let him anywhere near her bed any time soon.
It was going to take a lot of effort to get her there, but the reward when he finally did would be well worth the cost. He could almost feel the slide of her womanly curves against his heated skin… her velvety soft heat surrounding his hard length as he sunk into her, taking them both on an exciting journey to sexual satisfaction. Yes… it would be a sweet reward when he finally managed to get Dana back in his arms where she belonged.
He trembled with longing as he finally faded off to sleep; dreams of making love to Dana filling his head. There was no way he was examining the way he felt about that woman too closely. Right now, the only thing that mattered was his daughter. Alexis needed him and he was determined to be there for her in any way he could be. The fact that he still desired
her mother was beside the point.
It was late the following afternoon before Jeff left everyone at Mandy’s house napping to go see his sister. He grabbed Dana’s keys out of her purse so he could let himself back into the house and drove like his ass was on fire all the way to Laurie’s garage. If need be, he’d sit on the steps until she talked to him. He knew that she was pregnant and due to pop any day now, but if anyone would have some real input on what he should do, without the bull shit he knew he’d have to put up with from their brother, it would be his sister.
She wasn’t at the garage when he got there an d he sat down on the steps with his head hung low in his hands, waiting for her. He felt lost and afraid. It wasn’t a feeling he was used to and he hated it. In that moment, he knew that one way or another he had to find a way to make it go away. It was worth the teasing his sister would give him when he told her why he was there.
When they finally pulled in to the driveway, Laurie lumbered out of the truck, resting her hand over her belly and groaning at the heavy awkwardness of it as she made her way over to where he sat. “Okay… what gives? Did you try mounting one of your bulls and get bucked off or gouged again? Did you make things worse for yourself with your recovery?”
He looked up at her with a pained look that frightened her and she sat down beside him on the steps as Travis parked the truck. “Talk to me little brother… I’ve never seen you like this.”
“I don’t know what to do, and I know if I go to Eric with this, he’ll just jump down my throat and throw accusations at me that won’t help. I’m stressed beyond all hope. I messed up big time and now it’s come back to haunt me.”
“Okay,” she said, taking his hand in hers, thinking he looked like death warmed over. “This sounds really serious.”
“It is,” he admitted, his voice breaking. “You know about my buckle bunnies… I know you do…”
“Yeah, what’s that got to do with anything?” she asked, surprised that he would actually bring it up. “I had one … I’m going to call her a regular. We were together at every stop for a really long time. I started to really look forward to seeing her. I think I came close to being addicted… Then she was just gone and I was miserable. For over two years now, I have felt as if my heart had been ripped out of my chest and now she’s living here in town taking care of her sister…”
“How is this a problem, Jeff?” “There’s a child… a baby girl. I thought she was Dana’s sister’s kid… but she’s not. She’s mine… ours. I’m a dad, Laurie… and I don’t know what to do about it.” Travis was at their side now and he wrapped his arm around Laurie and looked at Jeff. “Are you prepared to let your child go?” he asked, searching the other man’s face for some clue as to what advice he was looking for.
“No way. That’s one thing I can’t do, not when her mother is such a mess,” Jeff answered hysterically. “Well then the only thing for it is to give up your playboy lifestyle, because with the way you’re living, you have no leg to stand on where the child is concerned. Unless you settle down with the mother and be a family, she can take your daughter and leave and there would be nothing you can do about it.”
Jeff gave Laurie a nasty glare. “I didn’t come here to listen to you complain or rub my mistakes in my face, sis. If that was what I wanted, I would have gone to Eric about this.”
“She’s right you know,” Travis soothed quietly. A look of horror passed over Laurie’s face and he wondered what he’d said wrong. Then her legs began to shake and a puddle formed at her feet. His eyes grew large and he got to his feet.
“Was that your water?” She nodded her head in confirmation and Travis swept her up into his arms, carrying her to the truck. “You’re on your own, Jeff. You’ll do the right thing, I’m sure.”
Jeff stood on shaking legs and watched them pull away. His mind was torn. Part of him wanted to chase after them and make sure that his sister was alright and the other wanted nothing more than to go back to Dana and make things right with her. Laurie had hit the nail on the head. The only way he could insure his rights with Alexis was to make sure Dana couldn’t take her and disappear when Mandy lost her battle for her life… to win her over. He hated the idea, but the alternative was unacceptable. He hadn’t even spent any real time with his daughter and already he knew he wouldn’t be able to bear losing her. The concept scared him to death.
Making up his mind, he climbed back in his truck and headed back to Dana’s house. His sister had her husband to take care of her. Their brother would take care of anything that Travis didn’t do. They could do without him… Dana and Alexis couldn’t. They needed him and not that he’d admit it to anyone out loud, but he needed them; in his own way too.
The door was locked when he got there and Jeff pulled Dana’s keys out of his pocket to let himself in the house. When the door opened, Mandy looked up from the kitchen table in surprise. “Jeff Schmidt? What are you doing here? And how did you get in my house?”
He held the keys up in front of his face. “Dana’s key,” he explained lamely. “When I left earlier, everyone was sleeping, so I took her keys. So… where is my daughter? Has Dana gotten her up yet?”
Mandy’s eyes grew large in shock as his words sunk in. Suddenly she remembered that first rodeo that she’d dragged her sister to and how one minute Dana had been complaining loudly about being dragged to the rodeo against her will and the next she’d gone completely still and silent. That had been the moment when Jeff had walked out into the arena for the first time. Then right after he had finished his ride, her sister had made her excuses and ran off, claiming that she could find her own way home.
She’d waited up for Dana for hours that night. It had been almost five the next morning before her sister had finally came in that front door. She closed her eyes and counted the number of months between that day and when Dana had given birth to Alexis. It had driven her around the bend that her sister still refused to talk about her daughter’s father… to name him or to demand monetary assistance from the deadbeat that had gotten her pregnant.
“Oh my God… it’s true,” she said, sounding flabbergasted. “But how? … I mean… I KNOW how. I’m not stupid. I know how babies are made. What I want to know is how you managed it. Dana isn’t the sort of woman to give in to a man who chases women of all shapes and sizes; sleeping with so many he loses count after a while.”
“Ouch,” he mumbled under his breath.
“Don’t blame me… if the truth hurts, it’s your own fault.” “You don’t pull any punches, do you?” Jeff asked sourly. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but I’m here to do what’s right. Alexis is my daughter. I didn’t know anything about her, so you can’t blame me for not stepping up to the plate before. The fact that I’m here now has to account for something.”
“That depends,” Mandy said suspiciously.
“On?” he asked, leaning against the wall. “What your intentions are towards my sister and how long you intend on sticking around,” she answered, leaning back against the couch. Jeff opened his mouth to tell her it was none of her business but at that moment Dana came down the hall carrying Alexis in her arms. She stilled in the doorway and stared at the cowboy standing there looking better than any man had any right to appear.
His eyes went to Alexis and he swallowed hard as emotion filled him. She had shyly tucked her face into Dana’s hair, hiding from view and Jeff felt an overwhelming desire to take her in his arms and cuddle her… to reassure her that he wasn’t someone to be afraid of. Then he looked at the beautiful woman holding his daughter and his libido kicked into gear.
“Can we…?” he asked, his voice breaking before he nodded towards the front door. He needed a moment or two alone with Dana without her sister watching and listening in on their every word.
Alexis started to squirm and Dana set her down on the floor. The little girl toddled over towards Jeff and held her tiny arms up in the air, asking to be picked up. He grinned at her and swept her up against his chest,
wrapping his arms around her tiny body.
Dana felt like her jaw was going to hit the floor. Alexis did not normally take to strangers. She was shy as an overall general rule and went out of her way to cling to her whenever she saw someone she didn’t know. When they’d first arrived at Mandy’s house, Alexis had clung to Dana like superglue every time her sister came anywhere near the child. Her wanting to be put down just to go to someone she’d never seen before in her life was not only shocking, it was flat out unheard of.
Feeling confused, Dana followed Jeff out the front door, closing it firmly behind herself so her sister couldn’t hear whatever was about to be said. As it was, she knew she would have no choice now but to explain Jeff’s presence… Once Mandy found out that the bull riding champion was Alexis’s father, Dana had no doubt that there would be a rather loud argument that they would have to get through. It wasn’t something she was looking forward to in the least, but right at that moment, she had more than enough on her plate as it was. Jeff was a wildcard and now that he knew that he had a daughter, Dana didn’t know what to expect from him.
He’d startled her the night before by insisting on sticking around. She’d pictured the moment he found out about Alexis at least a thousand times over the last couple of years… Every time, she’d imagined him running away as fast as he could … perhaps trying to throw money at her to make himself feel better before disappearing, never to be seen again. She honestly hadn’t seen his insistence on being part of their daughter’s life coming.
Jeff sat down on the porch swing and held Alexis close to his chest, enjoying the feel of her downy soft hair brushing against his neck. He watched as Dana sat down beside him, staring at their daughter in shock.
“What?” he asked, searching her eyes for some clue of what had her so obviously baffled. “You thought I’d be horrible to my own child?”
Rodeo Daddy: Book 3 in the Stubborn Texas Siblings Trilogy Page 3
