Lone Star Justice by Scott Tori

Author:Scott, Tori [Scott, Tori]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

Rand felt like he'd been sucker-punched. Brandy was his? He looked at the child intently, trying to see the resemblance. Maybe the nose, maybe the chin, definitely the dimple-- but for the most part she looked like her mother. Was this some kind of sick joke, or had Maddie really run away with his baby in her belly, never in all these years bothering to tell him he had a kid?

Of all the low down, sneaky, cruel things she'd done to him, this was the lowest. He'd missed thirteen years. Thirteen goddamned years of his daughter's life.

Maddie had stolen more from him than she knew. The chance at a normal life with a woman he loved, the chance to have a family.

Damn!

"Dad?" Brandy was on the verge of tears, biting her lower lip.

Hell, this wasn't the kid's fault. But it sure as hell was Maddie's. He refused to look at her, turning his attention to his daughter. He stood up and started across the blanket. Brandy jumped to her feet and met him halfway, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Rand didn't quite know what to do. He'd never been a father before. He patted her back, but that didn't feel right, so he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. Now that felt right. A wave of protectiveness swept through him. This was his daughter, and if anyone ever hurt her, he'd kill them with his bare hands.

Maddie moved into his line of sight, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You and I need to talk. Privately," he mouthed over Brandy's head. Maddie nodded.

Brandy squirmed in his arms and he let her go. His shirt was damp where she'd rested her head, and her face was splotchy from crying. Hell. He'd been alone so long he had no idea what to do with a woman's tears. He pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and handed it to Brandy.

Now what did he do? He knew he should say something, but he had no idea what. What did a father say to the daughter he'd just learned was his? He cleared his throat. For some reason he was having a hard time finding his voice. "Well."

Maddie dried her tears on her shirt sleeve. "Deep subject for a shallow mind, as dad used to say."

Rand chuckled. "Yeah, well, I don't know about the shallow mind part, but the subject's pretty deep." He reached out and pulled Brandy to his side with an arm around her shoulders. "I'm going to need a little bit to process this new development," he said, looking down at Brandy's upturned face, "but I want you to know I couldn't be prouder to be your dad. Your mom's done a good job of raising you. I just wish I'd had a chance to be there."

Brandy ducked her head. "Yeah, me too."

Rand looked up at Maddie. "So, where do we go from here?"

She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea. This all came up so fast, I really haven't had a chance to think things through.

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