This should go well.
Chapter Six
Garrett had immediately recognized that Justin Cade didn’t like him. Yet, compared to Colin, Justin was a welcoming ray of sunshine. Colin didn’t even smile when he greeted his sister. He squeezed her shoulder in what was probably meant as an affectionate gesture, his aquamarine eyes scanning her face intently as if convincing himself she was well.
Then he turned his head toward Garrett, his voice wintry. “You must be the father.”
The wrong one of us is named Frost.
“We’ve heard about you,” Colin added, his expression just shy of a sneer.
Garrett would have bristled at the cold animosity if Arden hadn’t told him about her brother’s tragic past. Was it difficult for Colin, who’d lost his own child, to be around a man who’d so casually, inadvertently, stumbled into fatherhood? “I’m Garrett. Arden’s told me a lot about you, too.”
She smiled, her expression a little desperate. “Now that we’re all here, we should eat! Hope everyone’s good and hungry. I know I am!”
From the way Justin raised his eyebrows, Garrett guessed Arden wasn’t typically this high-strung. “My sister’s nervous.” Justin leveled the words at Garrett like an accusation, holding him responsible for Arden’s increased stress. Considering that Garrett’s conversation with her yesterday had landed her in the hospital, perhaps Justin had a point.
“Not at all,” Arden denied. “I’m not nervous, I’m starving. You know, eating for two now.”
“You have any sisters, Frost?” Justin asked.
Garrett shook his head. “Only child.” This information was met with a curled lip, as if not having siblings was a personal failing or meant he didn’t value family. “My parents and I are very close.” Except, of course, that his dad wasn’t actually his father but didn’t know it. And Garrett wasn’t technically speaking to his mom.
Other than that, they were a tightly knit unit.
Arden shepherded everyone to the table. Her brothers sat at the two ends, and Garrett found himself with the best view in the house—directly across from Arden. He couldn’t recall ever seeing anyone who blushed as easily as she did. Was it that increased blood flow she’d mentioned? Whatever the reason, her rosy cheeks made her look as if she’d just come in from the cold. Which made him want to cuddle her in front of a fireplace. And exchange more searing kisses. The memory of how she’d tasted left him hard and wanting.
It was a damned inconvenient feeling, seated as he was with her overprotective guardians on either side. And he still hadn’t sorted out his emotional state. While part of him could understand why Arden hadn’t come after him to tell him about the baby, he was still furious. A man had a right to know if he was a father. Or if he wasn’t.
“Frost?” Justin’s voice was sharp, and Garrett realized Arden’s brother was trying to hand him the plate of bread slices.
“Thanks.” He took a piece and passed the plate along to Colin.
Arden looked from Garrett to her eldest brother. “You two have a lot in common. Cows, sheep, horses. Colin is a large-animal veterinarian.”
Garrett wondered if the aloof man was better with animals than people. “That so?” he asked, not sure where he was supposed to take conversation from here. He struggled to think whether any of the heifers in the Double F herd had demonstrated any symptoms he could ask about. In the Frost household, Caroline didn’t stand for any discussion of parasites or erosive lesions at the dinner table, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Was,” Colin said. “I was a large-animal vet, but I’m scaling back to more generalized services.”
Arden froze with her fork halfway to her mouth. Her speared piece of lasagna fell to the plate with a gooey splat. “What do you mean, more generalized?”
“Traveling. Doing odd jobs on ranches. I’ve got plenty of contacts throughout the state.” Colin shrugged, not meeting her eyes. “You knew I was making some changes.”
“But I thought they’d be local changes—that you’d find somewhere else to live in Cielo Peak, maybe resume your practice someday.” Agitated, she swiveled her head toward Justin. Was she checking to see if he’d known about this, or imploring him to intervene?
Although Justin took a more subtle, playful approach in his response, he didn’t seem any happier than his sister. “If you go on walkabout, who’s gonna keep me and her out of trouble?”
Colin made a short, bleak noise that Garrett belatedly identified as a laugh. Or a mutated cousin of one, anyway. “It’s been a long time since I was able to take care of anyone. I’ll stay until the baby’s born, but then...” He changed the subject, putting Garrett on the spot. “What about you? Will you be staying in Cielo Peak much longer, or heading back to your own ranch?”
Good question. “I haven’t decided. I came here planning to stay a week, but I may have to extend that.”
“Must not be very important on that ranch if they can spare you so easily,” Justin said.
“Justin Alexander!” Arden sounded very much like a mom, making Garrett grin. “You will not be rude to my guest under my roof.”
Instead of looking shamed, the man turned to Garrett. “Any chance I could persuade you to finish this conversation under my roof? A whole different set of rules apply there.”
Garrett ignored him, focusing instead on Arden, who’d seemed so distraught over her brother’s leaving. Over losing another person. “I can’t stay in Cielo Peak indefinitely, but I’ll figure out a way to be here for the birth,” he said quietly. He could give a rat’s ass what Justin or Colin thought of him, but he wanted Arden to know he wouldn’t desert her.
She swallowed. “That could be hard to plan ahead. The doctors are estimating November thirtieth, but due dates are notoriously unreliable. Especially for first-time mothers.”
Not to mention that having surgery to remove a kidney could seriously decrease Garrett’s mobility. But those were details to be hashed out later, when he had more information. “I saw the brochures on your counter. Do you need a partner for those birth classes?”
She hesitated. “Technically, my friend Layla is signed up to go with me.”
“And if she hadn’t, I was going to,” Justin said with a thin smile. “So we’ve got it covered.”
“Oh, please!” Arden rounded on him. “Weren’t your exact words last week no way in hell? I wouldn’t let you come with me to scam on vulnerable women.”
“I don’t do anything of the sort,” Justin protested. “I may not be looking for anything long-term, but I don’t exploit women.” He slanted Garrett a glance that made his fists curl.
Garrett hadn’t exploited anyone. Hell, he was the wronged party here.
“I want to be involved,” he told Arden stiffly. “This is my child, too.” He wasn’t sure yet how they would make the situation work from two different parts of the state, but being some faceless, distant entity in his own kid’s life was not an option.
The brothers Cade exchanged significant looks. Apparently, neither of them appreciated his asserting paternal rights. Their hostility was beginning to goad Garrett past polite behavior.
Colin leaned forward, his body language aggressive. “I don’t have much family left. Arden means the world to me. I hope you’ll forgive my old-fashioned heavy-handedness when I say, you’d damn well better not hurt her.”
How dare they act as if he was the bad guy? “I would never physically harm a woman, but you may have meant emotionally. Something along the lines of betraying her, maybe? Keeping secrets? Lying to her about the most important event of her life?” he snapped. “No, I wouldn’t do that to anyone, either.”
“Garrett.” Arden’s feather-soft voice was full of pain and remorse. All three men heard the tears quavering in her tone.
Justin was out of his
chair in an instant. “You son of a—”
“No! He’s right,” Arden said. “I think Garrett and I should talk alone.”
“Leave you alone with the jerk making you cry?” Justin demanded. “What kind of brother would do that?”
“The kind who is respecting his sister’s wishes,” Colin said wearily, getting to his feet. “We’ve met him, we know what he looks like. If we need to find him to kick his ass at some future date, we will.”
This time Garrett held his tongue. He was too glad to see them go to take the bait. And he regretted his impulsive outburst. He hated to see Arden cry, and it wasn’t in his nature to lash out at a pregnant woman. But the anger was a fresh wound. Had it only been yesterday that he learned the earth-shattering truth? His temper had been simmering, and Arden’s brothers had provoked him past reason.
With the two men gone, silence permeated the room like a dense, chilly fog. What now? The night he’d met Arden Cade, everything between them had happened so naturally. He’d never felt so instantly connected to anyone else. This ironic reversal of fortunes would have been laughable if it weren’t so maddening.
“I should apologize for my brothers,” she began tentatively.
Garrett expelled a heavy breath. “No. You aren’t responsible for their actions, only yours.”
She began shredding her paper napkin into tiny pieces. “And that’s the problem, isn’t it? My actions. Or inaction.”
“Yes,” he said bluntly. There were a lot of things to like about Arden, but none of them erased her selfish decision. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to completely forgive her. If he hadn’t happened to be in the grocery store at that exact moment, she could have kept her secret indefinitely.
There would have been a child in the world who was his and he never would have known.
He would have missed birthdays and recitals and graduations. Illnesses, homework struggles, dating advice. Garrett had been raised to believe there was nothing more important than family and, at a time when he needed that anchor more than ever before, Arden would have taken his own flesh and blood from him.
She said she wanted what was best for her child. Had she really believed that raising the kid with no father, with unanswered questions and secrets, was better than letting Garrett be a part of their lives? The sting of that was indescribable.
“You must hate me.” Her words were thick with self-recrimination.
“No. Whatever I feel for you...it’s a lot more complex than that.” It wasn’t an easy admission. Understanding his reaction to her was difficult enough in his own mind, much less out loud. He began clearing dishes from the table.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“This is what I’ve been trying to tell you—I want to help. I want to be a decent father.” And he didn’t want to harden into this angry, unrecognizable version of himself. He wasn’t sure how to forgive Arden. Or his mother. Or Will. But the alternative... He turned on the hot water. “I realize your brothers despise me, but I’m glad I met them. Colin was something of a wake-up call. I found something out last week that destroyed my view of the world. I’ve been very...bitter ever since. Cut off from the people in my life. Even though you love your brother, and vice versa, he’s isolated. I don’t want to be like that.”
“He’s damaged,” she agreed, fighting a sob. “And God, I wish I knew how to help him.”
Garrett rinsed the dishes wordlessly. The pat answer was that she had to give her brother time, but how did he know that would work? He’d never faced losses of such magnitude. How much time was enough?
He felt Arden watching him, wondered what she was thinking. That he’d ruined her family dinner, perhaps?
“This thing you found out,” she asked, “was it about your mother?”
“Yes.” Was he ready to share something so personal? She’s having your baby, it doesn’t get much more personal than that. He scrubbed a plate with escalating force. “My mother had an affair thirty-one years ago. My dad—Brandon Frost, the man I know as my dad—isn’t really my father.”
“That must have been hard. But it doesn’t change the relationship you have with him. Does it?”
“Not in theory, but she still hasn’t told him the truth. I don’t know how to be around him, lying to his face day in and day out. The only reason she finally told me is because my biological father is dying.” It was the first time he’d said the words aloud, and the severity of the situation struck him anew.
“Oh, Garrett. Do you know him?”
“He’s a family friend. He spent a couple of Christmases with us here and there, sent me a check for way too much money as a high school graduation gift.” Which made a lot more sense in retrospect. “He has diabetes, and his condition has messed up his kidneys. He needs a transplant. My mother told me about him because she wants me to consider giving him one of mine.”
Arden’s gasp was audible.
He shot her a grim smile over his shoulder. “See? You’re not the only one with family drama.”
* * *
WHILE GARRETT FINISHED with the dishes, Arden excused herself to the restroom. It was a lame attempt to get a few minutes by herself and collect her scattered composure. Was there a single emotion she hadn’t experienced tonight? She sat on the edge of the bathtub, trying to find her balance. She’d been off-kilter since Garrett kissed her, unprepared for the enormity of her desire. The chemistry between them certainly hadn’t dimmed over the months.
Once her brothers had arrived, she’d felt both gratitude for their concern and outrage at the way they’d treated Garrett. She’d gone through dismay and sympathy and shock. And guilt. The guilt was staggering.
In the past few days, she’d witnessed Garrett act with honor and periodic tenderness. Despite any hard feelings he harbored toward her, he was a gentleman, one willing to face up to his responsibilities. Embrace them, even. Maternal instinct told her he would make an excellent father. And she’d almost denied him that.
Her time with her own parents had been cut unforgivably short—what would she give for another day with her dad? Yet she would have sacrificed her child’s time with Garrett.
“Arden?” There was a soft knock at the door. “I don’t mean to intrude, but I was starting to worry.”
Good hostesses didn’t hide from their guests. “I’m fine.” Physically. Mentally, she was a wreck. “Out in a minute.”
Listening to his retreating footsteps, she closed her eyes and tried to relax by counting to ten and doing some meditative breathing. Deeming her efforts pointless, she gave up and joined Garrett in the living room.
“If I ever invite you to my house for a dinner party again, remind me that I suck at this, okay?”
“Oh, I’ve had worse evenings.” He steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “There was a night I got salmonella poisoning at a county fair. And then there was that incident with a bull who’d been incorrectly tethered at an auction barn.”
It was miraculous that, with all she’d put him through in the past twenty-four hours, he was trying to make her feel better. She sat next to him on the sofa, trying to ignore his now-familiar scent. “I wanted this to go differently. I wanted us to...” Her body tingled with the memory of his kiss. If only things between them could be as simple as finding sanctuary in each other’s arms. “To be friends.” She wanted to ask if that was possible but was afraid of his answer.
“I have an OB appointment Friday afternoon,” she continued. “There’s no sonogram or anything. The most interesting thing about the whole visit is that I have to drink a solution for the glucose screen beforehand but if you want to come...”
“I’d love to.”
Feeling that she was offering too little, too late, she was driven by a need to include him in as many baby preparations as possible. “Would you be hopelessly bored going with me t
o shop for the nursery this weekend? For months, I didn’t really buy any baby stuff because I was paranoid about something going wrong and too queasy to move. Then when I got my energy back, I was so focused on making up for lost time at work that I never got around to registering. I have portrait sessions at the studio all morning Saturday, and the high school hired me to take pictures at the homecoming ball Saturday night, but I’m free Sunday.”
“Then it’s a date. But after Sunday, I’ll have to leave town. At least for a few days.”
“To check on the ranch?”
“Yes.” He looked away, the tension lining his face making her feel protective. She wanted to smooth his brow and soothe his troubles. “And to set up a couple of medical appointments of my own.”
“Because of your fa— That man you told me about? You’ve decided to help him?”
“I don’t even if know if I’m a good candidate,” he said noncommittally. “Finding that out is probably step one. I don’t know what will happen next.”
His words resonated with her. Never knowing what came next was the story of her life.
* * *
ON THURSDAY, ARDEN met Layla for lunch at a barbecue place down the street from the school. Her friend had called the night before, as promised, but by the time Layla got home from her PTA event, Arden had been too drained to discuss her evening. But Layla had been off-campus for a meeting that morning and was free for lunch before her next class.
“So?” Layla pounced as soon as Arden walked into the restaurant. “I want to hear everything.”
“Shouldn’t we order our food first?” Arden asked. “You should eat before you get back to the school.”
“This is my planning period.” Layla rubbed her hands together. “I have almost an hour.” But she waited patiently, allowing non-Garrett-related small talk while they walked to the register and placed their orders.
Arden struggled to hold up her end of the conversation. The second or third time she lost her train of thought, Layla frowned.
HER SECRET, HIS BABY Page 7
