Page 52 of One Lucky Cowboy

He shook out his fingers, which tingled.

“Yeah, I get it. This is weird. But can you please say something? You’re freaking me out.”

Ren’s voice reached in deep and pulled out a memory. Nora Kellerman’s dad standing over him. Jax was fifteen years younger and only a buck fifty of scrawny muscle he thought would make him a helluva rodeo star.

Renato Kellerman didn’t agree. His booming voice declared Jax wouldn’t amount to anything at all.

“You’re trash, son. And it might not be today or next week, but you’ll be taken out to the curb with the rest of the garbage.”

“Daddy, don’t,” Nora had cried, but Jax had seen the look in her eyes when her damp gaze locked on his. She didn’t disagree. But love overlooked a multitude of sins, his upbringing included. That she cared for him in spite of his family didn’t sit well with him, though.

What happened when he couldn’t rodeo anymore? How would he provide for a woman, a family?

“I don’t disagree, sir. But I’m going to make it in the rodeo world. You’ll see.”

“Whatever happens with your career is up to you. But your ability to see my daughter anymore is up to me.”

Jax had crossed his arms the same way Ren was crossing his now. He’d said something clever—or what his seventeen-year-old self thought was clever at the time—and walked away. That man’s voice had stayed in the back of his mind since, acting as Jax’s conscience when he wasn’t sure which move he should make.

And it was the same voice in the boy in front of him.

“You’re Nora’s son,” he whispered. His chest heaved with the herculean effort it took to say the words.

The bravery in Ren’s stance as he stood stock-still, waiting to see what Jax would do, almost broke Jax’s heart.

“And yours.”

Before he knew it, he had Ren wrapped in a tight hug, the boy’s head cradled against his shoulder.

A soft sob escaped, but Jax couldn’t tell who made it.

I have a son.

It should’ve been a weight to carry, pressing him down, but when he pulled back, he only knew he felt lighter. Less encumbered.

“You’re, uh, you’re crying,” Ren pointed out.

Was he? Made sense, but he couldn’t feel anything except wonder at the human standing in front of him, a human he’d helped make.

Jax wiped his damp cheeks but couldn’t keep the smile from pulling at his lips.

His brain, thankfully, had shut down, since it wasn’t doing a damn bit of good processing this anyway.

He took Ren’s cheeks in his palms and turned his face side to side.

“You have her eyes.”

Ren cleared his throat. “Um, yeah. And your nose, she said.”

“Did she? Well, I guess she’s right. Sorry about that.”

Ren chuckled, and it split Jax’s chest in two.

“But you’re lucky.”

“W-Why’s that?” Ren asked. His cheeks and eyes were damp, too, but Jax didn’t want to embarrass him by calling the kid out like that the first day they met. He’d done a brave thing coming here. The rest was small beans.

“You’ve got my brother’s smile. It quirks up in the corner like that.” He pointed as Ren smiled, and yeah—it was like he was looking at Bennett. And Nora. And in a mirror. He shook his head. “This is wild. I mean—”

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