Branded. Annette Broadrick

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СКАЧАТЬ didn’t move away. Instead, she continued to stand there, warily watching him.

      “I meant what I said, Tiffany. I’m not going to punish this child by moving her back and forth between us at your convenience.”

      Her shoulders slumped. “I know, Jake. I love her so much, but I’m really not cut out for the whole mother thing, you know? I was horrified when I found out I was pregnant after being extra careful all those years. I didn’t know what to do. Gram talked me into having her, promising me to help with her, and I’m not sorry I did. Honestly, I’m not. It’s just that…” She paused as though searching for words. “I’ve always been high-strung, and trying to deal with her has just been too much for me. My nerves can’t stand the pressure day in and day out.”

      She dropped her eyes and slowly turned away.

      He made no comment as she left the patio. She’d almost disappeared around the corner of the house when she stopped and said, “I almost forgot, Jake. I brought all the necessary papers you’ll need for her—her birth certificate, a record of her shots, that sort of thing. I’d already packed them, thinking she’d need credentials to go overseas with us. I also brought her clothes and other belongings. She’s familiar with them and I hope they’ll help her to adjust.” She looked at him through the shadows. “Goodbye, Jake. Take good care of her.”

      Jake continued to stand there on the patio without moving. He was numb with all that had happened tonight. In a few moments, he heard the purr of a well-tuned engine and watched as headlights swept across the driveway.

      The silence of the country night returned.

      Now that she’d gone, he needed to face what had happened. If Tiffany was telling the truth, he had a daughter. A daughter he’d discovered long after he’d finally accepted that he would never have a family of his own.

      That was the good news. That was the great news.

      The bad news was that he had a daughter who would be waking up in the morning in strange surroundings without a familiar face to reassure her that she was safe. He had a daughter who would probably be afraid of him, at least at first.

      Jake rubbed the back of his neck and picked up his empty bottle. He walked into the kitchen, tossed the bottle in one of the recycling bins on hand and looked around, trying to force his mind to wrap around the idea of instant fatherhood.

      A large manila envelope he hadn’t noticed before lay on the kitchen bar. He sat down on the bar stool Tiffany had used and opened the envelope.

      Her birth certificate was on top. Her name was Heather Anne Crenshaw and she’d been born on Sept. 28, which meant she would be four years old in a little over six weeks.

      He was listed as her father.

      He stared at the document until it grew blurry. He hadn’t been there when she was born. He hadn’t been there when she learned to sit up, to stand, to take her first step or say her first word. He hadn’t been there to watch the infant turn into a little girl.

      He’d already missed so much of her life.

      Jake removed his hat and hung it on the rack beside the door, turned out the lights downstairs and went up to his room. After he sat on the side of his bed and removed his boots, he returned to Heather’s room in his stockinged feet. She had shifted and now lay on her side, still clutching her bedraggled rabbit. He noticed several more stuffed animals sitting at the end of the bed. She looked so innocent lying there, sleeping so soundly. She had no idea how her world had changed yet again. Her great-grandmother’s sudden illness must have been devastating to her. And now this.

      Eventually he quietly checked the closet and chest of drawers. Yes, Tiffany had amply provided for her, he was thankful to see.

      What was he supposed to do now? Come morning, this sweet-looking child was going to wake up and face new people and new surroundings. Of course she would be afraid. She would need to be dressed and fed and…

      He froze. Was she housebroken? How would he know? Raised with three brothers, his only experience around little girls was watching Ashley grow up.

      Ashley.

      She would know what Heather needed, wouldn’t she? Would she be willing to help him out for a few days? He hadn’t seen much of her in the past several years, not since she’d gone off to Texas A&M, but at one time they’d been the best of friends.

      He certainly needed a trusted friend about now.

      Would Ashley be able to help him?

      She was a doctor, wasn’t she?

      Sort of. She was a veterinarian. That was close enough, wasn’t it?

      She was a woman, besides. She’d know what to do with a little girl, since she’d been one herself.

      At the moment, he didn’t have many options. He was desperate. Surely she would be willing to do whatever needed to be done for his daughter.

      Jake returned to his bedroom, looked up her number and called her.

      Three

      Ashley Sullivan unlocked the door to her small apartment in time to hear her phone ringing. She groaned. It was the middle of the night and she was exhausted. Because this was her weekend on call, she’d already been out on two emergencies tonight, once for a mare having trouble with a breech birth and the other to check out a steer whose owner thought had been bitten by a snake. And this was only Friday night.

      A call in the middle of the night was always ominous.

      She dropped her medical bag and grabbed the phone.

      “This is Dr. Sullivan,” she said, her voice weary.

      “Uh, hi, Ashley.”

      She sank to the side of her bed, shaken by the realization of who was calling her.

      When she didn’t immediately respond, he added, “This is Jake Crenshaw. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

      As if she wouldn’t know the sound of his voice. Adrenaline shot through her as she thought of possible reasons he would be calling her at this time of night.

      “What’s happened?” she said with dread. “Is it Dad?”

      “No, no. Nothing like that.” He paused and she wondered what was going on. She hadn’t spoken to Jake in years. “I, uh, I’ve got an emergency on my hands out here. I hate to ask this of you, but would you mind coming out to the ranch?”

      She checked the time and winced. “Now?”

      He cleared his throat. “I know it’s late but I really need you.”

      “What’s wrong?” She had never heard those words from Jake before and they shook her.

      When he didn’t answer right away, she wondered if he’d hung up. When he did answer, he was frustratingly vague. “I’d rather show you once you get here, all right?”

      It was her turn to pause and think about his request. She was exhausted and therefore vulnerable. Let’s face it, she would be СКАЧАТЬ