by Rita Herron
But he’d lied to her. How could she trust anything he said now?
And what if he told her he could accept the fact that she couldn’t have children, then changed his mind later? She couldn’t handle that pain again.
She glanced into the teddy bear’s button eyes, her heart squeezing. She’d give the little yellow bear to Ashley. She had to say good-bye to the past. To all her dreams and fantasies.
Just as she had to say goodbye to Dex Montgomery…no, to Ty Cooper.
Forever.
TY HADN’T SLEPT all night.
When he’d arrived at the Montgomery’s, the house had been quiet. His grandfather and grandmother had gone out for the night. Even George had been suspiciously absent.
It had felt like a mausoleum, cold and empty, full of the ghost of his father and the way he had left the family. Just as Ty was now doing. Had his father felt this empty, sickening feeling that clawed at Ty’s insides?
Ty stepped into the shower and grimaced. He hoped Dex could salvage his relationship with his grandparents. And George. He’d actually grown fond of the man.
He faintly wondered what George would think about ranch life.
Exhausted and physically aching from worry, he toweled off and went to dress. George had laid out the jeans and boots Ty had worn to the barbecue. He shouldn’t have been surprised. The gesture spoke volumes. George obviously wanted him to leave just as his grandfather
Not wanting to prolong the good-bye, he dressed quickly, then hurried to the closet to retrieve his bag.
Instead, he stared at the suits and ties and designer shoes and realized that he had nothing here to take with him but the clothes on his back. He’d come here with Dex’s suitcase and clothes.
This was Dex’s home, Dex’s family, not his.
And it never would be his.
He had been the foolish one to think things could have been different.
Other than the memory of his grandmother’s embrace and the scent of her roses, there was nothing here he wanted to take with him, he realized as he left the room. Not the Montgomery money or their name. His grandfather hadn’t been able to give him the thing he needed most: acceptance into the family.
Placing the Stetson he’d bought for the barbecue firmly on top of his head, he turned and strode down the stairs to say good-bye.
Chapter Nineteen
Jessica pressed the teddy bear into Ashley’s arms. “It’s yours now, sweetie. For being such a brave little girl.”
Ashley hugged the bear, her eyes already drooping from the sedative she’d been given to relax her before her operation. “Thanks, Dr. Jesse.”
“You’re welcome.” Jessica gently brushed a kiss on Ashley’s forehead. “Now when you wake up, your leg’s going to be lots better. And soon you’ll be running around like the other kids.”
A smile tugged at Ashley’s lips. “Sing hush baby.”
Ashley’s Aunt Carlotta began to hum, “Hush Little Baby,” and Jessica joined in, the little girl fading into sleep just as they finished. Jessica and Carlotta tiptoed to the corner of the room to wait for the nurses to wheel her to surgery.
“Thank you for taking such good care of my niece,” Carlotta said, a tear seeping from her dark lashes. “And for understanding why it took us so long to decide about taking Ashley in.”
“How are things?” Jessica asked softly.
Carlotta folded callused hands over her arms. “Better. The insurance company finally came through so I think we’re going to be all right.”
“Good. Let me know if I can help you in any way.”
Carlotta nodded. “You look sad today, Dr. Jesse.”
Jessica smiled. Unfortunately this morning her concealer hadn’t done its job covering the dark circles beneath her puffy eyes. “I’m fine, just tired. I’m so glad Ashley will have her family around her. Family is everything.”
She sighed as the nurses slipped in to wheel Ashley to surgery, then excused herself. She needed to help plan the going-home party for Donny. The children here were her family now. At least for a little while, until the disciplinary committe
She tried not to think of Ty.
TY FOUND his grandmother having breakfast by herself in the garden. Tension tightened his shoulders as he approached her. She glanced up, a dainty teacup in hand. Her expression reflected a hint of wariness, but a small smile lined her slender face. “Good morning, Ty.”
He tipped his hat, then removed it and laid it against his chest.
She gestured toward a wrought-iron chair. “Will you have coffee with me this morning?”
He nodded, his heart in his throat as he watched her thin hands pour from the silver coffee server on the table. “I…I’m not sure what to say except I’m sorry.”
She closed an age-spotted hand over his. “No, Ty, you aren’t the one who needs to apologize or explain things. We are.”
Ty stared at their joined hands and felt a connection he didn’t want to lose. “I didn’t come here to hurt anyone. Or to take money from the Montgomerys.”
Compassion and regret flickered in her eyes. “I know that, son. Even though we never got to spend any time with you as you grew up, I’ve thought about you every day.” She smiled, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. “I used to wonder what it would be like to see you and Dex together. Every Christmas, every birthday…” Her voice broke and Ty squeezed her hand.
“How…how did it happen?” Ty asked gruffly.
She set her teacup down, the china clattering. “We were all hurting back then, the Coopers, your grandfather and I. It was such an awful time.” She dabbed a lace handkerchief to her eyelids. “You see, your father fell in love with your mother when they were just children.”
“I know. I read some of Mom’s letters. I heard about the bank loan, the move. That they met and fell in love again when they were older.”
She nodded, fidgeting with her handkerchief. “But your Grandfather Montgomery forced your father to choose between Tara and us.”
Ty nodded this time.
“You have to know why, though. I realize Charles comes across as cold and hard, but there’s more to him than that. He’s been a wonderful husband and provider. And sometimes when people act angrily, they’re really afraid, but they don’t want to show it.” She hesitated, her words measured. “You see, Charles grew up in such hard times. He never wanted his children to suffer.”
“He caused my father to suffer.”
“I know.” She sniffed, a tear rolling down her cheek. “But he regretted never making up with your father. All that stubborn pride.”
A few shaky breaths filtered through the painful silence.
“We wanted a large family,” she went on to explain. “But after Charles, Jr., I had several miscarriages.” She shrugged, but he saw the old pain lingering. “Each time, your grandfather became that much more protective of Charles. He was our only childhe didn’t want to lose him.”
Ty waited, watched her struggle. He didn’t want to understand now or feel anything for his grandfather, but he did.
“When Charles, Jr., talked about marrying Tara, your grandfather was afraid he might lose his son for good, so he gave him an ultimatum.”
Ty shook his head. So stupid. “But his plan backfired.”
His grandmother nodded sadly. “Yes, and when he lost your father, I thought your grandfather would wither and die. He…he became even more obsessed with work and making money. He grew hard.”
Ty’s chest ached.
“Then Charles and Tara died…” her voice broke. “We were all devastated. And you boys were left, and the Coopers wanted both of you. He was afraid they would win. And frankly so was I.” She folded the handkerchief into a triangle. “The Coopers felt the same way. You see, we wanted both of you, too.”
Ty swallowed, fisting his hands together. It must have been an impossible situation for all of them. But so unnecessary.
His grandmother cleared her throat. “The court finally ruled th
at each of us would take one of you. The judge stipulated that we had to agree that neither of you ever found out about the other.” With frail fingers, she lifted a long silver chain to a locket nestled inside her blouse. She popped it open and gestured toward the pictures inside. A picture of Ty on one side, Dex on the other.
“I love you, Ty.” Emitting a shaky sigh, she pulled him into a hug. Ty closed his arms around her, glad he had come here, if for no other reason than to know that this grandmother loved him.
And that at one time Grandfather Montgomery had loved him as well.
JESSICA KEPT her morning appointments at her practice, then rushed to the hospital to help with the plans for Donny’s celebration. His heart surgery had been a major success, and he was finally going home today.
Ashley had made it through surgery fine and was resting in recovery. Breathing a sigh of relief for both the children’s sakes, she wove her way into the children’s wing, then to the rec room where the nurse’s aides had begun setting up for the party.
All morning, gossip had flown through the halls about the debacle with Dex Montgomery at the board-meeting celebration.
She felt like a fool in a million different ways.
Tina loped in, carrying decorations. She beamed a smile at Jessica. “It’s a good day for the children.”
Jessica nodded and grabbed the paper plates just as they slid from Tina’s hand. “We have a lot to be thankful for.”
The balloons bobbed as Tina placed an anchor on the string and put them in the center of the table. “I heard about Dr. Montgomery’s twin. What’s his name?”
“Ty Cooper,” Jessica said through clenched teeth.
“Whew-ee,” Tina wiggled her eyebrows. “He sure did look like his brother.”
“Yeah, he fooled us all,” Jessica muttered.
Jessica set out the party cups while Tina situated the cake and other treats on the table.
“That he did,” Tina added. “But he did some good things while he was here. After all, he got us the money for the children’s wing, he volunteered with the children, helped build that playground.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And the man did have a fine set of pecs.”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “You’re a happily married woman, Tina.”
“But not blind.” Tina chuckled. “Is it true what they’re saying?”
Exasperated, Jessica threw one hand on her hip, deciding she might as well come clean. “What are they saying?”
“That he never knew his brother. That they met in an airport and were shocked to find each other.” Tina’s voice grew low. “That the Montgomerys forbade their parents to get married, and when the boys’ mama and daddy died, the grandparents divided them up and never told each other anything about the other one.”
A knot gathered in Jessica’s stomach. “Yes, it’s true.”
“You know twins are supposed to have a special bond.” Tina tssked. “Bet those boys felt that void all those years.”
Jessica winced. She had heard the pain in Ty’s voice when he’d relayed the story and when he’d told her about his parents’ death, but she’d been suffering too much herself to really think about Ty and Dex’s situation. Or to feel for them. “I imagine so.”
“And they traded places so they could meet the grandparents they’d never known.”
Jessica nodded. “But they lied to everyone.”
“Yeah, that wasn’t right. And maybe they hurt people when they did it.” Tina made a clicking sound with her teeth. “Then again, if I’d been in their shoes, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Jessica caught Tina’s gaze, and saw the sparkle of understanding in her eyes. She wanted a family so badly. If she suddenly discovered she had a sister or brother or even grandparents somewhere, wouldn’t she do anything she had to do in order to be with them?
“I THOUGHT you’d be gone by now.”
Ty pulled away from his grandmother’s hug, bracing himself against his grandfather’s angry voice. “I’m on my way out the door.”
His grandfather’s hooded gaze took in Ty’s hat and boots.
Grandmother Montgomery tugged on his hand. “You are going to talk to that nice Dr. Stovall before you leave, aren’t you?”
Ty hesitated. “If she’ll talk to me.”
“ wouldn’t she?” Grandfather Montgomery barked. “She got what she wanted, some of the Montgomery money.”
Anger burned Ty’s throat. “Jessica Stovall is not the one obsessed with money, Grandfather. She’s the most generous, kind-hearted woman I’ve ever known, and I won’t let you slander her. I called Dr. Epstein, too, and made sure she isn’t blamed for this, that she keeps her job, so you’d better not interfere.”
A vein bulged in his grandfather’s forehead. “Don’t take that tone with me, young man.”
Ty met his grandfather’s hard gaze, his own filled with fury. “It seems to me that you put your trust in the wrong hands. Bridget was the one skimming money right from under your nose.” He brushed his grandfather’s shoulder as he stalked past. “Yet you don’t trust Jessica just like you didn’t trust my mother.”
“She wanted revenge—”
“Charles,” his grandmother warned.
“She loved my father, your son,” Ty said, going nose-to-nose with his grandfather. “But you were too afraid you’d lose him so you pushed him away. If you don’t believe me, read the letters she wrote my dad. He kept them all.” Ty stalked to the door. “They’re in my…Dex’s room…that is, if you have the courage to learn the truth and to admit you made a mistake.” He sighed in disgust. “My mother had hoped that if they had children, that the grandchildren would bring the Coopers and Montgomerys together.”
Squaring his shoulders, he strode to the door without looking back.
To his surprise, George was waiting in the foyer, looking uncomfortable himself. “Thank you, George, for everything you did. Especially for showing me the letters.”
George nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching with a smile. “And thank you, Mr. Ty. You were good for this house.” George’s eyes misted. “I do hope we see you again.”
Ty shook the man’s hand. “If there’s ever anything I can do for you…” Ty let the sentence trail off when his throat tightened.
George looked sheepish. “Well, I wouldn’t mind an authentic pair of those chaps.”
Ty grinned, relieved at George’s sense of humor “I’ll see what I can do.” He started to shake his hand, but George hugged him instead.
“Take care, Mr. Ty.”
Ty nodded, then walked outside and climbed into the taxi he’d called earlier. As the cab pulled away, he took one last look at the Montgomery estate, memorizing it in his mind. Like a black hole, an emptiness swelled inside him. He didn’t expect ever to see the place again.
Or the family within it.
Chapter Twenty
Jessica saw Ty enter the party, and her heart lurched into her throat. Dressed in jeans and that denim shirt, he lookedhe cowboy she now knew him to be.
Damn him.
The mere sight of his handsome face made her knees buckle.
But a relationship couldn’t be based on lies or a lack of trust. And they had both those in kaboodles.
Including her own painful secret.
She finished serving the cake and watched him weave through the kids, talking to each one of them.
“Hey, partner.” He high-fived Joey, the little boy who was undergoing chemotherapy, the one who always carried the football.
“Hey, Dr. Dex.”
“Actually, it’s Mr. Ty,” Ty said with a grin. “I’m Dex’s brother.”
“Wow, you look just alike.”
Jessica wiped her hands on a napkin and approached the circle. “Yes, Mr. Ty was playing a joke on all of us, making us think he was his brother.”
“What’s it like to be a twin?” a redheaded little girl asked.
“I really don’t know,” Ty said. “It’s a
long story, but I just found my brother.” Ty’s gaze cut toward Jessica, but Ashley waved to him before he could speak to her. “Sing today?”
Ty nodded and Tina produced a guitar.
“He’s been doing sing-alongs when he’s visited,” Tina informed Jessica, something Jessica had barely seen because she’d avoided him so much.
If only she’d avoided him the entire time, she thought dismally, she wouldn’t have a broken heart.
Ty strummed the chords, his husky baritone rumbling out, “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain.” The children joined in, singing and clapping, and Jessica relaxed, momentarily letting her guard slip. Even if Ty had fooled them all, at least he had done good things for the kids. She only hoped his brother didn’t undo the good when he returned.
Tina leaned against Jessica’s chair. “He’s something else, isn’t he?”
Jessica blinked back tears as he laid the guitar aside, then nodded.
Ty removed his Stetson and settled it on Joey’s slick head. “Wanna keep this till your hair grows back, bud?”
“Wow, cool! Can I?”
“Sure, I’ve got another one back at the ranch in Montana.” Ty folded his arms, cocked his head to the side and grinned. “It looks better on you anyway.”
Joey whooped, his thin face glowing with pleasure. Jessica hugged her arms around her middle as the rest of the kids hugged him and said good-bye.
Finally he approached her. “Can we talk?”
She hesitated.
“Please, Jess.”
Tina nudged her toward him. Not wanting to make a scene in front of the kids, Jessica followed him into the hallway, the childrens voices echoing behind them.
“I talked to Dex and the money is all settled—he agreed to keep the funding for the children’s wing intact.”
A small knot of worry evaporated from Jessica’s chest. “Thank you.”
