Bridget sat next to Cody on the bed, and he sent her an excited smile.
“Dad is so awesome, Mom. You were wrong about him. He’s not the same as your dad.”
“I’m glad you like him.” But she’d expected as much. Cody already had been building a preconceived notion of the hero his father was going to be, and all Bridget could do was keep hoping and praying that Kade didn’t let him down.
“Did he tell you what my present is?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Do you think he’ll bring me something every time he visits?”
“I don’t know. But this isn’t about getting gifts.”
“I know. I was just asking what you thought. I asked him if he still likes you, and he said he still thinks you’re sweet and pretty. He wants to be friends with you again.”
She wished Cody hadn’t brought her into it. She was already feeling the heat of being near Kade, of being far too attracted to him …
* * *
Family Renewal: Sometimes all it takes is a second chance
Coming Home to a Cowboy
Sheri WhiteFeather
SHERI WHITEFEATHER is an award-winning, bestselling author. She writes a variety of romance novels for Mills & Boon and has become known for incorporating Native American elements into her stories. She has two grown children who are tribally enrolled members of the Muscogee Creek Nation. She lives in California and enjoys shopping in vintage stores and visiting art galleries and museums. Sheri loves to hear from her readers at www.sheriwhitefeather.com.
Contents
Kade Quinn went into shocked silence, his cell phone pressed to his ear. He had no idea what he was supposed to say to Bridget Wells, the woman on the other end of the line. Not after she’d just told him that he was the father of her ten-year-old son.
He couldn’t deny that he’d had a fling with her that fit the timeline, but conceiving a child with her wasn’t in his realm of comprehension.
Struggling to process the information, he let out the breath he’d been holding. In the background, the horses he was training were nickering for his attention. But he couldn’t focus on them right now. Bridget’s news was the only thing he could think about, along with the incessant pounding of his frantic heart.
“I don’t understand,” he finally said. “If you’ve known all along that he’s mine, then why are you just telling me now?”
“Cody decided that he wants to meet you.” She spoke quietly, nervously, it seemed. “He’s the one who looked up your website and got your current phone number.”
Kade remained beyond nervous, too. “Cody? That’s his name?”
“Yes.”
“How long has he known that I’m his dad?”
“For most of his life. But he accepted not meeting you until now. My grandfather helped raise me, and he helped raise my son, too. Grandpa was Cody’s role model, his father figure of sorts. But then Grandpa died last year, leaving Cody lonely for paternal companionship.” After a slight pause, she said, “Not that I expect you to...”
Step up to the plate? Be the boy’s new role model? “If that isn’t what you’re expecting, then why did you call me?”
“Because I promised Cody that I would.”
So what did that mean? That Kade could refuse to meet his son? That he could walk away unscathed?
There was no way in hell that he could ever do that. Kade had issues with his own father, a man he hadn’t spoken to in years. He would never willingly mimic his old man’s behavior. “You should have told me you were pregnant. You should have called me back then.”
“I made what I thought was the right decision at the time, given the circumstances. So please don’t fault me for that.”
He frowned, troubled by her reluctance to include him in Cody’s life. She still sounded leery. “What circumstances?”
“You never kept in touch, Kade. You never even called me after you left, even though you said that you would.”
“I know, but time just got away from me. Besides, I’m bad about that kind of stuff.”
Her breath rushed out. “That’s just my point.”
He struggled to follow her logic. “So because I didn’t call you, you didn’t call me? Even after you found out that you were pregnant?”
“Truthfully, it’s more complicated than that. But I don’t want to discuss it over the phone. If you’re going to come to Montana and meet Cody, we can talk about it then.”
“Are you still in the same area?”
“Yes.