“Maybe that’s not how I see it,” Judah said, “and maybe it’s none of your business, anyway.”
Jonas leaned back. “We could be wrong. Maybe you haven’t always been in love with her.”
“Darla and I are friends. That’s it.”
Sam sniffed. “As long as you’re cool with it, we are, too. We support you, whatever you decide. I mean, if you get an itch to crawl through her bedroom window, we’ll hold the ladder for you.”
“No ladders will be necessary.” Judah tried not to think about the few moments he’d held Darla in his arms. “She’s chosen her man, and—”
“Ah-ha!” Rafe exclaimed. “You admit she didn’t choose you!”
“She didn’t choose any of you, either. It’s not a special situation,” Judah said, feeling cranky.
“So you admit you were in a position to be chosen,” Sam said, sounding like the lawyer he was. “You were a candidate, if a slightly lazy one. But there’s still time to present your case. Females change their minds like the wind. And ladies love it when a last-minute challenger shows up to yodel his heartstrings under ye olde bedroom window. I say go for it. Yodel away. You can borrow my guitar.”
“Darla’s doing just fine,” Judah said. “Everything is in the works. She’s got her shoes, her flowers and no doubt something blue.”
“The really blue thing at that wedding is going to be you,” Jonas said, “if you don’t get up off your duff and speak before the forever-hold-your-peace.”
There was no use. He was going to be harried to death by the people who should have supported his wish to be a silent sufferer. And this was light treatment, Judah realized, compared to what he’d probably be treated to in town, and especially at the wedding. Pitying looks, questioning gazes—
“What about the baby?” Sam asked. “What if it’s yours?”
Judah frowned, aware of a sudden urge to stuff a fist in Sam’s mouth. “What baby?”
Rafe studied him. “You know Darla is pregnant.”
“Is that known?” Judah asked, his heart beating hard. “Or is it gossip based on her apparently whirlwind marriage?”
“She was seen buying a pregnancy test a while ago,” Jonas said with a shrug. “This is a small town, and though she sent a friend in to purchase it, the bag made a clear exchange, which was duly noted by several people.”
“Who were spying like old-time geezers,” Judah said, not happy to hear confirmation of his own suspicions. “It doesn’t mean she’s pregnant. It could have been a negative test. She could have been giving it to Jackie, for all you know. And,” he said, finishing with a flourish, “there’s every possibility she’s getting married because she wants to, and is in love, and the lure of owning her own bridal shop finally got to her. If you owned a machine shop, wouldn’t it kill you if you could never use the tools?”
“Boy, are you caging your inner lion,” Rafe said. “Hey, we’ve got your back, bro. We know how to shine the old badge of pride. No one will ever get from us how you got left in the dust.” He shook his head, more sympathetic than Judah could stand.
“That’s it,” he said. “I’ve just seen a flash of my future, and I’m taking a rain check on it. The only way to get away from you bunch of know-it-alls is to disappear on you.” Judah waved an expansive arm. “With no forwarding address. Don’t even try to find me. Consider me gone with the wind, in order to save the dregs of my life.” He crammed his hat on his head and turned to depart, with one last thought making him swing back around to his brothers, who watched him with open curiosity.
“And you can tell everybody in Diablo that my heart was not broken, thank you very much. You can tell them that rodeo was always my only love, and is to this day.” He made a grandiose exit, proud of himself for the charade he’d perpetrated.
No one would ever know he was lying like a rug.
His brothers looked at each other after Judah left.
“Are we going to tell him that the boxes of condoms we all received at Creed’s bachelor party were gag gifts? Creed’s parting wish that we’d all get hung by our own family jewels?” Sam asked. “It’s possible Judah didn’t get the joke.”
“I think we leave it alone,” Jonas said. “Judah doesn’t seem to want to consider that the child Darla might be carrying is his.”
Rafe nodded. “If she is four months pregnant, as we hear she is, and the birth coincides with Creed and Aberdeen’s wedding night, then it may be obvious.”
“Why wouldn’t Darla tell Judah?” Sam’s forehead wrinkled. “That’s the only thing that’s not making sense. Wouldn’t she just say, hey, that night of passion resulted in some passion fruit?”
“They’ve been running away from each other for so long, admitting that she’s pregnant by Judah is the last thing Darla would do. He never acts as if he likes her, much less loves her. Ladies do not dig the strong, silent type when they need some reassurance, and Judah’s been playing the role of Macho Man with gusto,” Jonas said. “What woman wants a man if she thinks he doesn’t love her?”
“Anyway, we’re in way over our heads here,” Rafe said. “We could have this all wrong. Maybe they never did the deed that night. Maybe Creed never saw them go off together. Darla could be pregnant by the bronc buster doctor, not that anyone ever mentioned them dating. It’s not like we can ask her, because she’s not even telling anyone she’s in a family way. Rumors may be flying, but no one’s going to mention them to the blushing bride.”
They thought about the problem some more, then Jonas shrugged. “We’ll know by November, I guess.”
“Or not,” Sam said. “She may choose to never reveal the real father.”
“And Judah loses out on being a dad,” Rafe mused. “Which would really be a loss, because he’d probably make a decent one. I mean, if Creed and Pete can do it, why not Judah?”
But there was nothing they could do about it. Darla was getting married, and Judah was gone, and neither one of them seemed to care that true love was being held captive by stubborn hearts.
“I hope I’m not that dumb when a beautiful woman loves me,” Sam said with a sigh, and both his brothers immediately said, “You will be.”
“But not as dumb as Judah,” Sam muttered to himself, listening to Judah’s truck roar away.
“I say it’s time we engage Aunt Fiona,” Jonas suggested, and his brothers nodded. “This situation could be dire.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Sam said, “but Judah certainly isn’t going to do anything to save himself.”
Chapter Two
Rafe, Sam and Jonas went to the kitchen to find Fiona. As a rule, she or Burke could be found there, or nearby, at least. It was nearly the dinner hour, a very odd time for Judah to decide to depart, which just showed that even an empty stomach hadn’t deterred his boneheadedness.
The kitchen was empty. The scents of wondrous culinary delights (Fiona could cook like no other, and Burke was no slouch in their shared gastronomic hobby) were absent. Rafe felt his stomach rumble and figured this might be an unannounced catch-as-catch-can night. They had those at Rancho Diablo, though rarely. Usually on the nights their fearless aunt had bingo or her book reading club or a church group, she cut them loose. But at least a pie would be left on the kitchen counter, with a note on the Today’s Meal chalkboard that read something to the effect of “Tough Luck! You’re Stuck!”
Tonight, all that was on the counter