Baby in the Bargain by Tessa Berkley

Author:Tessa Berkley [Berkley, Tessa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, rodeo, single mother
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2017-12-17T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Willamenia’s heart stopped beating. Her lungs refused to function. Her hands tightened around her daughter, and she pulled her against her chest.

“Willamenia?” he asked again.

I can’t let him know.

His dark eyes bore into hers. His lips formed a thin line. She held her ground, meeting his gaze with a staunch one of her own. Lifting her chin in defense, she said, “She’s not your concern.”

Her heart skipped a beat as she watched the muscle along his jaw work in anger. The thud of dread filled her ears as her heartbeats increased. Retreat seemed to be the better part of valor. She took a step to the side.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to see to my grandfather.”

Lee took two steps and blocked her path. Her eyes flared in alarm as their gazes locked. She could read the fury in his eyes, and she countered by narrowing her gaze, defying him to stop her. As she made a wide turn to walk away, their elbows brushed. An electrical current shot up her arm, and she jerked her child just out of his reach. Flashing a guarded look over her shoulder, her footsteps gained momentum until five fingers wrapped around her arm and pulled her to a stop.

As if in slow motion, Willamenia turned her head. Her gaze slid down to her right arm and with laser precision focused on Lee’s fingers. She heard the sharp intake of his breath as he pulled his hand away as if it were burnt.

“Don’t,” she snapped, “ever do that again.”

Lee took a step back. Head held high, Willamenia marched toward her father.

Her dad knelt before her grandfather, seated in the lawn chair and staring woefully back at the house. As she took the seat beside him, with the child on her lap, she heard her father ask, “Are you all right, Pop?”

He held a folded handkerchief out to him. Her grandfather took it and wiped one side of his face.

“Course I’m all right.” He huffed and pulled the cloth against the grime on the other side of his face. “I just don’t understand.”

“Grandpa,” she said gently, “what happened?”

For a beat, the old man looked every bit of his eighty-five years. “I-I don’t know.” His words were dull. “I was fixing some bacon.” His brow furrowed. “Then, I swear I heard your momma’s voice.” He looked at Jeremiah, then shook his head. “She was singing.”

Willamenia watched as he placed a hand to his temple, and she couldn’t mistake the tremor in his fingers.

“But it can’t be.”

He gazed at them. A lost look overtook his eyes, and it broke her heart.

“My girl is gone, isn’t she? She’s been gone for a long while.”

Willamenia sensed her father looking away. She studied the ground for a moment, searching for the right thing to say. Then, reaching out, she placed a gentle hand upon her grandfather’s arm.

“Yes, Grandpa,” she whispered. “Grandma’s gone.” She offered a smile of encouragement. “But you’ve got Alli, here.”

He turned toward his great-granddaughter.

“She’s got your hair.

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