Reunited By A Secret Child. Leigh Bale

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СКАЧАТЬ the Rocklin Diner, the only restaurant in town. The two grocery stores still sat facing each other on either side of the street, and then the redbrick bank and post office.

      Reese released a long sigh. “I see that nothing has changed.”

      “Not much,” Katie agreed.

      Except for maybe the two of them.

      “We got a new swimming pool last summer, over by the high school,” Chrissy said.

      “That’s right. It’s real nice. You’ll have to try it out sometime,” Katie said.

      Reese nodded but didn’t comment.

      “We don’t go to the pool in town. We’ve got our own pool at the motel. Mommy’s teaching me to swim,” Chrissy continued, her voice filled with delight.

      “Is that right?” Reese asked in a conversational tone.

      “Yep, and I’m getting good at it. I can float on my back all by myself and even duck my head under without getting water up my nose,” Chrissy said.

      “That’s nice.” Reese flashed a brooding smile that used to turn Katie’s brains to mush. But no more. No, sirree. She was over this guy.

      He glanced at Katie. “Who did you marry? Anyone I know?”

      Here it was. She hadn’t expected to talk about such personal things so soon. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Before she could respond, Chrissy answered for her.

      “Mommy’s not married.” The girl sat forward, her expression innocent.

      He quirked one eyebrow at the child. “She’s not, huh?” He shifted his gaze over to Katie. “Are you divorced, then?”

      A fist of emotion clogged her throat. Her face felt flushed with heat. And once again, that old crushing anger filled her. Anger because Reese had used her, then cast her aside. She’d meant so little to him. And yet it was not entirely fair to be upset at him for something he didn’t even know about. She was mostly angry at herself for getting herself into trouble. For ever trusting him.

      “I’d rather not talk about it,” she said.

      His eyebrows spiked.

      “Mommy’s never been married,” Chrissy supplied.

      Katie flinched. Maybe she shouldn’t have brought her daughter along on this visit. Maybe she should have met with Reese in private first. But she’d wanted to see how he acted around the child before telling him that he was Chrissy’s daddy.

      “Sit back and put your seat belt back on, young lady.” She gave her daughter a stern look in the rearview mirror.

      Chrissy pursed her lips but sat back obediently in her booster seat and reclicked the belt into place.

      Reese hesitated, the corners of his eyes crinkling, so that Katie thought he might smile. But he didn’t.

      “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry,” he said.

      Katie held her breath for several moments, forcing herself not to blurt it all out. He’d assumed because she had a child that she was married.

      “I understand you’re staying tonight at the Cowboy Country Inn. Do you want me to take you straight there, or somewhere else?” Katie asked, glad to change the subject.

      She’d come here with the single purpose of speaking the truth, but something held her back. After all, she wasn’t sure what to expect once Reese found out that Chrissy was his daughter. For all Katie knew, he might yell and scream and start throwing things. She didn’t want Chrissy subjected to anything unpleasant. It would be best if the little girl wasn’t present when she told Reese.

      “Just take me to your inn. I figured it would be the best place for me to stay. Is Rigbee’s Motel still a dive?” he asked, a slight smile curving his handsome mouth. Was he teasing her?

      “Oh, no, it’s a real nice place now. The bedbugs come at no extra charge,” Katie quipped.

      His vivid green eyes were tinged by a bit of reckless laughter. “In that case, I’m glad I chose the Cowboy Country Inn.”

      “Yes, my dad told me you’d made a reservation. Our rooms are always clean and comfortable,” Katie said.

      “Does Rigbee’s have bedbugs?” Chrissy asked from the back seat.

      Looking in the rearview mirror, Katie saw that her daughter’s expressive green eyes were round with disbelief. Eyes that looked so much like her father’s. Living in a motel, the little girl had heard all about bedbugs and cleanliness standards. It was their family business, after all.

      “No, honey. We’re just joking,” Katie said.

      “Because they’re our competition?” the girl asked.

      “Yes, honey,” Katie said.

      “Or maybe not,” Reese mumbled under his breath.

      Katie chuckled as she turned the corner and headed toward home. “We’ve had a lot of reporters staying at our place.”

      A flash of panic filled Reese’s eyes and his back stiffened.

      “Don’t worry,” she said. “When you didn’t show up earlier this week, they all checked out this morning. I’m sure they’ve left town by now.”

      She hoped. The pushy journalists and their cameramen had been a nuisance in their quiet town. Incessant questions about Reese and listening in on private conversations. She’d found one man hiding behind the ice machine. He’d given her the willies.

      Reese relaxed as she pulled into the parking lot. Katie loved the old motel where she’d grown up and was now raising her own child. It wasn’t fancy, but it was clean and well maintained. And in that moment, Katie thought she was crazy to have gone to the airport to pick up Reese. Her life was boring and lonely, but at least she and her daughter were secure here.

      What must she have been thinking? She’d kept her daughter’s paternity a secret for all these years, telling no one except her parents. Now that her mom was gone, only her dad knew the truth.

      Two weeks ago, Katie had heard on the national news that Reese had lost his entire hotshot crew. And knowing that he’d almost died had changed something inside her.

      Ever since she’d started kindergarten, Chrissy had been asking questions about her father. Why the other kids at school had a dad, but she didn’t. Why he never came to her dance recitals, or took her to the park. Katie had been surprised that her daughter missed her father’s presence in her life, even though Papa Charlie was always there. And that had made Katie realize it wasn’t fair for Chrissy to never meet her dad. To never know who he was. For good or bad, the girl had a right to know. So Katie had decided to tell Reese. But she had to proceed with caution. She had a lot to lose.

      Within moments, they pulled into a parking spot. A long row of quaint, freshly painted doors sprawled out before them. A large, old-fashioned buckboard wagon sat near the main office, its side painted bright red, with the name of the motel written across it СКАЧАТЬ