Page 25 of Always My Comfort

“And when he asks about the father?”

“Ifhe asks, Scarlett. Maybe he won’t care, and I’ll just have to raise this baby on my own.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I fought another wave of fucking tears.

She rested her soft hand on my arm. “You’ll never have to do this alone. You have me; you always have me, Logan. And something tells me you’ll have that very sexy man, too.”

“And if I don’t have him? If I never work up the courage to tell him that I’m pregnant with his baby?” Fear crept into my tone because as much as I loved my best friend, I never wanted to raise a child alone.

“Don’t worry about the what-ifs. Get to know him, let him help you get closure for Richard, and when the time is right, you’ll tell him about the little bun in your oven. And if you don’t, I will. That’s what best friends are for.”

I didn’t want to worry.

If I had stuck to my ten-year plan, I’d be married right now. I would have a husband. I wouldn’t be doing anything alone.

But my plan had gone to hell, and I had to just deal with it.

CHAPTER10

Jaxon

The sightsof Honey Magnolia were welcome after spending the last hour driving through the middle of nowhere. Luke Combs’s voice crooned through the speakers of my F-150 as I tapped my fingers along the leather steering wheel.

Nothing had changed in this town since I was here a few months ago. Turning onto the dirt road that led to my parents’ ranch, I noticed the newly-painted fences and a new mare grazing in one of the pastures.

Pulling onto the gravel driveway, I shut off the truck and hopped out, inhaling the country air like a starved man. I loved coming home.

Sure, the city life had been fun, and being able to walk a few blocks for food and a good time was all the rage in college, but the older I got, the more I craved privacy and lost interest in the next party.

Kenna’s Golden Retriever, King, came running from the barn, tail wagging a mile a minute as he crashed into me, his warm tongue licking any exposed piece of skin he could reach.

“Hey, buddy!” I squatted and pet the big dog, running my fingers through his thick fur.

“And what are you doin’ here, cowboy?” McKenna’s southern drawl was thick as she stepped out from the barn, her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, a black tank top tucked into her worn jeans, which were tucked into a pair of old, red boots, the ones my brother had given her a few years ago for their anniversary.

I stood and grinned at her. My sister-in-law was always a sight for sore eyes. We’d grown up together, playing hide and seek in the barn, Cowboys and Indians in the fields, and taking trail rides until our asses didn’t belong to us.

My nephew, Douglas, came to stand behind her, wrapping his chubby hands around her leg. “Hey, little man!” I crossed the space between us and pulled him into my arms, throwing him up in the air. His giggles bounced off the barn. “I sure have missed you.” He placed his hands on my cheeks, laughter still shaking his small body.

“It’s good to have you home, Jax.” Kenna gave me a one-armed hug, watching her son with a soft smile.

“It’s good to be here. Don’t you have your own ranch?” She laughed, playing with Douglas’s hair.

“We came to see the colt. Archie’s been takin’ care of it for your folks.” I didn’t know about a colt. It had been a long time since we had one on the ranch.

“What’s all the noise out here?” Archer walked out of the barn, wiping his hands on his jeans, his black Stetson covering his eyes. “Hey, brother, what brings you home?” He shook my hand and then ruffled his son’s hair.

“Needed a break from the city.” He took off his hat and rolled his eyes.

“Right. You sure it’s not about the fact that we all know you’re playin’ for the Braves now and you happen to be only two hours away?” Archer had always been able to read me.

“Leave him be, Archie. I’m glad he’s here. I missed my baby brother,” Kenna teased just as I heard the creek of the front door from the porch.

“Jaxon, is that you? Boy, come greet your momma!” Momma Dexter was possibly the scariest woman I had ever encountered, so handing Douglas back to his father, I bolted for the porch where my momma was standing, hands on her hips.

“Hey, Momma.” I bent down to wrap her in a hug.

“It’s about time you came back. Your pops and I have been so worried.” I rolled my eyes at her dramatics.

“I was home a few months ago,” I started to tell her, but from the stern look crossing her features, I wisely snapped my mouth shut.

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