The Bull Rider's Brother by Lynn Cahoon

Author:Lynn Cahoon [Cahoon, Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: C429, Extratorrents, Kat
Publisher: F+W Media, Inc.
Published: 2012-06-03T14:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

James sat on a bale of straw with JR perched on his knee. Nearby Angie filled them in on the short version of her life after Shawnee. James had heard a portion of the story months ago, but unlike Jesse, he didn’t believe a word coming out of the woman’s mouth.

“My full name is Lorraine Angelica Chapman Sullivan Dexter. When I left Shawnee and married Dex, I started going by my middle name.”

“How’d you marry someone else?” James head spun. And one thought pierced through the muddle.

Please don’t tell me my mother is not only a runaway deadbeat but a bigamist, too.

“Your father and I divorced a year after I left. Didn’t he tell you?”

“Apparently no one tells me anything.” James glared at everyone except JR. “What, am I so delicate I can’t take the truth?”

“You want the truth?” Jesse asked at the same time Lizzie sputtered, “James, that isn’t fair. You know — ”

“I’m not mad at you, Lizzie.” James sent Jesse a murderous glare and ignored Angie altogether.

“You’re not mad at me, right, Dad?” JR put his arms around James neck and turned his head to face him. “Because I wanted to find you. And gramma.”

“I’m not mad at anyone, JR.” James hugged him. “It’s a lot to take in.”

“Good, because we’re family. Now all we need is Grandpa Bob and we can eat Thanksgiving dinner together and Christmas and my birthday.” Just like that, JR had it all planned.

James shook his head. He didn’t want JR falling for Angie’s bullshit when he knew she could disappear exactly as she had before. His fury centered on a target. He’d known for months that she wanted to talk to him, to explain. He’d put it off, not wanting to listen to her lies. Her truths. He didn’t like the fact that JR was here, but hell, might as well do it now instead of leaving anything more to chance. Chance hadn’t served him particularly well this weekend.

He took a deep breath, asked the only question he could formulate, “Why did you leave without saying goodbye? No cards, no notes, nothing.” Aw, shit. Exactly what he’d done to Lizzie.

“I sent cards.” Angie stepped toward him. “And letters. After the divorce, everything came back return to sender. I guess your dad thought I’d divorced the two of you, too. In a way, he was right. I was young and stupid. I thought he’d be able to give you a better life without me. You were happy here. I was suffocating.”

“We were happy as a family. Once you left, life went to hell. Jesse and I had to raise ourselves. Dad wouldn’t even let us see Grams.” James remembered the days they didn’t see their dad at all. “No wonder we were wild, we never had a chance.”

“Dude, she’s here now.” Jesse, as usual, saw the bright side of things.

“So, what? Forgive and forget? That’s your advice?” James laughed bitterly. “This is coming from the man who knew I had a kid and didn’t think to tell me.

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