The Cowboy's Secret Son

by Trish Milburn

  Grace tilted back the one nearest her and saw the vibrant red of Indian Paintbrush in the foreground and a giant live oak tree in the background. A tiny canvas revealed a single pink primrose, its delicate petals so real Grace thought for a moment she could see it wave in an evening breeze. Each canvas revealed another slice of the Hill Country in all its colorful beauty. There were adequate paintings of barns and cowboys, but it was the wildflowers that were filled with soul.

  “You like the wildflowers the best, don’t you?” Grace asked.

  “Yes. It shows?”

  Grace nodded then met Merline’s gaze. “This is amazing. You shouldn’t hide talent like this.”

  Merline looked around the room as if she was seeing it for the first time. “I was just doing it for fun, to relax. I never thought beyond that.”

  “Well, I am.”

  “You really think they’re gallery quality?” Merline scanned the room with a look of disbelief.

  “I do.”

  Grace’s phone rang in her pocket. “Excuse me.” She walked to the edge of the room and answered while watching Merline run her fingertips softly over a painting of some type of yellow wildflowers lining a dirt road. “Hello?”

  “Ms. Cameron, we’ve got your car ready.”

  A few seconds of conversation revealed she’d had a dead battery and corroded battery cables, but the car was running great now. Grace thanked the mechanic and said she’d pick it up as soon as she could. As she hung up, she was already planning to ask Laney to take her into town. Riding with Nathan again was way too dangerous now. She somehow had to get through the rest of the week so she could put several hundred miles between them. A buffer against her own weakness.

  “I take it your car is ready,” Merline said as she shifted her attention from her expanse of paintings back to Grace.

  “Yeah. I’ll have Laney take me to pick it up later.”

  “No need. I can take you now.”

  “Oh, I don’t want to inconvenience you.” And despite their friendly conversation, she wasn’t sure she was ready to be trapped alone in a car with a wronged grandmother.

  Merline waved a hand. “I have to go to the grocery anyway. All these men around here are bottomless pits.”

  Grace laughed, surprised by how easily Merline could put her at ease. “They must start that early. I’m surprised Evan isn’t twice his size.”

  Merline smiled. “He’s an energetic boy, still able to burn off all those calories almost as soon as he eats them.”

  It should have felt awkward talking to Merline about her grandson when Grace still hadn’t revealed that relationship to Evan. But it wasn’t. It felt oddly natural. When she thought back, it made sense. On the days when Grace had come to the ranch for tutoring sessions with Nathan, Merline had made her feel welcome, more than welcome. She distinctly remembered wishing her own mother were more like Merline. Grace fought against a truth rising in her—that she should share Evan with his father’s family.

  She swallowed past the lump forming in her throat. The Teagues had done nothing to indicate they would try to take Evan from her, so why couldn’t she just do as Merline suggested—let go of that fear and see where revelation led?

  Because the last time she’d loosened her grip on him, he had been stolen from her. And while her mind knew her family and the Teagues were nothing alike, that dark, curling fear residing close to her heart whispered that if she let go, even the merest bit, she’d lose her son again. And this time, she might not get him back.

  Merline moved toward the stairs. “Just let me grab my list and we’ll head into town.”

  Grace followed her through the kitchen and out the back to where Merline’s small SUV was parked. She glanced toward the barn.

  “Don’t worry about Evan,” Merline said. “Nathan and the rest of the guys will take care of him until you get back.”

  Grace still hesitated, an irrational fear attacking her.

  Merline was quiet for several seconds before speaking again. “Nathan won’t do anything until you give him permission.”

  Grace gave Merline the briefest glance before lowering her gaze to the ground. Nathan hadn’t asked for permission to kiss her the night before. He’d just taken what he wanted. Would he do the same with his son?

  Chapter Nine

  “You’re going to spoil that horse rotten,” Nathan said as he walked up next to Evan.

  His son froze in the process of feeding a carrot stick to Dolly. “I’m sorry.”

  Nathan reached over and squeezed Evan’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m just teasing you.”

  Evan hesitated, as if he thought Nathan might be lying to him, before giving the carrot to Dolly. The boy rubbed Dolly’s nose and laughed when she snorted.

  “Looks like you two have become good friends.” Nathan leaned his arms on the top of the fence.

  “Yeah. I like her.”

  Nathan glanced back over his shoulder to where the rest of the campers and their parents were eating lunch on the picnic tables behind the house. Little Cheyenne was watching Evan’s every move. “I don’t think Dolly is the only girl who likes you.”

  Evan looked up at him with the cluelessness of a six-year-old boy. Nathan nodded over his shoulder. Evan’s expression changed and he didn’t look behind him.

  Nathan had to laugh. “Not interested in girls yet?”

  “Eww, no.” Funny how the boy said one thing but still glanced toward the picnic area.

  Nathan laughed again, trying to remember if he’d felt that way about girls at the same age—interested but not willing to admit it. But the image that came to mind was of Grace when he’d kissed her the night before. The softness of her lips, the curves of her body so close to his own had fueled an unexpected burst of desire in him. If Cheyenne’s mom hadn’t picked that inopportune moment to return to her cabin, he wondered where those kisses would have led.

  Most likely, Grace would have still pulled away. Her fear and caution would have probably won out over whatever attraction she was feeling for him. But just the possibility that the kisses might have led elsewhere, perhaps to Grace’s bed, had kept him awake a good long while after he’d returned to his cabin on the other side of the ranch. When he’d fallen asleep, he’d dreamed of her, a series of images of the younger Grace mixed with the present-day Grace. When he’d woken that morning just as dream Grace was naked and eager beneath him, he’d found himself in an uncomfortable state and cursed.

  And he shouldn’t be thinking about that sort of thing while standing next to his son.

  “Do you have any animals at home?” Nathan asked as he scratched Dolly between her ears.

  “A dog. His name is Frosty.”

  “I’m guessing he’s white.”

  “Yeah. Big and fluffy. Mom says I used to try to ride him when I was little, but I don’t remember that.”

  When he was little. He was still little to Nathan, a miniature version of himself and Grace.

  Evan let out a sigh. “I would love to have a horse.”

  It was on the tip of Nathan’s tongue to tell him he could have one now, that Nathan would go riding with him every day. But he couldn’t do that, not yet. He had to give convincing Grace it was okay to reveal the truth a chance. “Maybe someday.”

  Evan just sighed again, as if he thought the possibility as remote as traveling to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus.

  “Until then, you can look forward to the trail ride in a couple of days.”

  “Can I ride Dolly?”

  “If you want to.”

  “Awesome!”

  Nathan chuckled at Evan’s enthusiastic response and resisted the urge to ruffle his hair. Instead, he turned around and faced the barn. “So, which horse do you thi
nk your mom would like to ride?”

  Evan shrugged. “I don’t know if she can ride a horse. We ride bikes all the time, but not horses.”

  The image of the two of them riding bikes side by side left Nathan with a yawning sense of loss. He should have been there, too, seeing his son’s milestones like first steps and first bike ride without training wheels. He hated the thought of all the things he would miss if he couldn’t convince Grace to change her mind. Things like the day when the admiration of a pretty girl wouldn’t elicit an “eww” from Evan.

  He needed to explore what other options were open to him if she refused to budge. He shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable with the idea of going behind her back, of doing something that might hurt her all over again. She’d been through enough. But did all she’d endured give her to the right to keep his son from him? No.

  “Let’s visit the horses, and maybe you can pick out one for your mom.”

  Evan nodded and shoved his fingers in his back pockets as he headed toward the barn. Nathan couldn’t move for a moment. That gesture—had Evan picked it up from him since being on the ranch, or was it just further evidence that Evan was a lot like him?

  He caught sight of Cheyenne’s mom watching him. It wasn’t the appreciative glances women often tossed his way, but rather one of knowing. He got the distinct impression that she knew exactly how he and Evan were related. He’d seen Grace and her spending a lot of time together. Had Grace told her the truth? Or was it as obvious as his family said?

  Nathan broke eye contact and followed Evan into the barn. They made their way past each stall, debating the pros and cons of each horse.

  “How about this one?” Nathan caressed the forehead of Hazel, a dappled gray mare.

  Evan’s forehead scrunched. “She’s awfully big. I don’t want Mom to fall off and get hurt.” It wasn’t the first time Evan had said something that gave Nathan the impression he was protective of Grace. He wondered where that came from. Was it because he considered himself the “man” of the family? Surely she hadn’t told him about what her parents had done.

  “Hazel is a good, calm horse. And she won’t look as big to your mom as she does to you.”

  Evan chewed his bottom lip as he stared at the horse.

  “I’ll make sure your mom is safe, just like I will for you.” Something warm and tender moved in Nathan’s heart when he realized the absolute, deep truth of those words. Despite that knot of betrayal that still reared its head, he wanted to keep them both safe, from everything. But how could he do that if they were an entire state away?

  Evan nodded. “Okay.”

  “Now that we have that settled, I think I know some chocolate chip cookies that are calling my name.”

  “Mine, too!”

  As they turned to leave the barn, Evan surprised Nathan by grabbing his hand. For a moment, his heart forgot to beat correctly. But then it settled, accepting the gesture as right and good. When they emerged from the shade of the barn into the bright sunlight, Nathan’s heart had never felt so full.

  AS THEY ROLLED INTO Blue Falls, Grace tried to imagine what it would have been like to finish growing up here, if she and Nathan hadn’t had sex at that party. Would she have broken free of her parents, or would they have managed to break her down to the point where she followed in their footsteps? A chill ran the length of her spine at the thought of turning out like them. Cold and unyielding. From where she sat now, she couldn’t imagine it. She liked to think she’d have had the strength and nerve to walk away and live the life she’d always wanted.

  But she wouldn’t have Evan. Despite everything, she’d go through it all again to have her son.

  “You okay?” Merline asked.

  Grace glanced over at the other woman. “Yeah. Just thinking how it seems like forever since I’ve been here and feels like yesterday at the same time.”

  Merline nodded. “Funny how time messes with our minds like that. I still look at my boys and wonder how in the world they got to be grown men and I turned into an old, wrinkly woman.”

  “You are not old and wrinkly. In fact, you know who I think you look like?”

  “I hate to even imagine.”

  “Helen Mirren.”

  “Oh, now you’re just being silly. That woman is gorgeous. I wasn’t that pretty when I was twenty, let alone now.”

  “Hmm, I think maybe you’re looking at yourself with the same eyes you used to look at your artwork.”

  Merline reached across the console and squeezed Grace’s hand. “You are the sweetest girl. My son has good taste.”

  Grace couldn’t have been more shocked by the other woman’s words. Surely she hadn’t heard Merline right. Some weak, lonely part of her mind must have manufactured those words and layered them over whatever Merline had really said. Grace pulled her hand from Merline’s grasp.

  “It’s obvious he still has feelings for you,” Merline said.

  “I’m sorry, but you’re mistaken. There were never any feelings to still have.”

  “I think you’re wrong.”

  Grace took a deep breath. “The fact that Nathan is Evan’s father is the result of a single incident. I won’t call it a mistake because I love Evan more than life itself, but it wasn’t anything romantic or lasting.” At least not on Nathan’s part.

  Then why had he kissed her? Part of her wanted to believe it had nothing to do with Evan, but letting herself want that left her too open to being hurt by him again.

  “I don’t know what happened, and now that you’re both adults it’s not really any of my business. All I ask is that you give Nathan a chance.”

  Grace didn’t know if Merline meant a chance to be with Evan or her, but it didn’t matter. Both had their own set of dangers. And Merline had a vested interest in seeing Grace stay in Blue Falls.

  Merline made a right turn off Main Street onto Lakeview. They passed small businesses and homes with second-story balconies built to enjoy the beautiful view of the lake and falls. As they rounded a corner, she spotted a vacant building with a big picture window and beautiful landscaping filled with rocks and native plants. A “For Sale” sign stood at an angle at the edge of the rock garden.

  “Stop!”

  Merline hit the brakes. “What’s wrong?”

  Grace pointed toward a small parking area beside the building. “Pull in here.”

  Merline did as she asked without questioning why. When Merline parked, Grace hopped out and walked toward the front of the building. She approached the picture window and pressed her face to the glass to look inside. Just as she’d thought—the space inside was open with a counter in one of the front corners. The vaulted ceilings gave the space a soaring feel.

  “Why did you want to stop?” Merline asked when she caught up to her.

  Grace stepped back from the window and pointed toward the interior of the building. “This is the perfect spot for your art gallery.”

  “What?”

  “The space is perfect, with some adjustments of course.”

  “I don’t know.”

  The familiar excitement that came with new design projects nearly had Grace hopping. “Let’s call the real estate agent, get a look inside.”

  “I’ve been inside, when it was a clothing store a year or so ago.”

  “But you weren’t thinking in art gallery terms at that point.” Before Merline could nix the idea, Grace pulled out her cell phone and called the number on the “For Sale” sign. The agent said she could be there in five minutes.

  During their wait, Grace tried to drum up equal excitement in Merline by leading her around the outside of the property. She pointed toward the back corner. “You could put some benches and a sundial there. And maybe enlist other artists to display some outdoor art piece
s along the fence.”

  “Sounds like you’ve already got some great plans,” said a thirtyish woman with hip-length blond hair as she approached. “I’m Justine Ware. Nice to meet you.” She extended her hand for Grace to shake.

  “Grace Cameron. Thanks for coming over so quickly.”

  “You caught me at a good time.” Justine shifted her attention to her left. “Merline, didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “I didn’t expect to be here.”

  Confusion made its way into Justine’s expression.

  “It was my idea to stop,” Grace said. “Can we take a look inside?”

  “Sure. I think you’ll really like the space. Very open and inviting. What are you thinking of putting in?”

  “An art gallery.”

  “Oh, that sounds great. Some changes in the lighting fixtures, maybe the addition of a couple of display walls in the middle of the space would really make it work.”

  As they stepped inside and Grace got a closer look at the interior, she agreed with Justine. Already she was picturing Merline’s paintings on white walls and some plain display pedestals for other artists’ three-dimensional art pieces. Furnishings and accents in various blues to capture the feel of the lake and the profusion of bluebonnets around it.

  When Justine excused herself to take a call, Grace turned to Merline. “What do you think? I know the asking price is a bit steep, but with the current market I bet you could get the owner to come down significantly.”

  “I’m less worried about that than I am that I’m even contemplating this. I feel like I’ve misplaced my common sense.”

  “You haven’t. Trust me, life is too short to not go after things that will bring joy to your life and those of others.”