Page 25 of Texas Temptation

“So it’s just you and Caleb?”

Jordan nodded, pleased he’d said her son’s name easily enough this time.

“So I know what it’s like to lose someone you love,” she added softly. “Life eventually moves on.”

“Two someones it sounds like, your aunt, and Caleb’s father.”

“I guess,” she said.

Cade flicked a glance her way. She was gazing out the window, apparently lost in thought. Thinking about Caleb’s father? How could the man have disappeared without considering the consequences of his actions?

Did she still miss him with the intensity he missed Marissa?

Maybe he and Jordan had something in common. The other man wasn’t in the picture, but he was. He frowned. Not that it meant anything. But he couldn’t help feeling protective toward her.

She had come up against terrific odds, yet seemed content in her life, plunging ahead with the courage he admired. She hadn’t asked for anything from anyone.

Yet she never gave up hope of finding Caleb’s father. Was there anything he could do? Hire those private investigators she couldn’t afford?

As the traffic grew heavier, Cade tried to ignore the spark of protectiveness that rose. He didn’t owe Jordan or her son anything. The best thing would be to step back, distance himself from them and their situation before they grew to depend upon him. He knew that way lay danger.

He hadn’t been able to keep his wife and child safe.

He could help a little, just enough to make things easier—not become involved.

When Cade dropped Jordan and Caleb off at the high-rise building which housed the doctor’s office, he handed her his business card.

“Remember to call if you get out early. Otherwise, I’ll be here at four.”

“Thanks.”

She gripped Caleb’s hand and headed into the building without a backward glance. Cade ignored the urge to follow them, to be with her while she waited for the tests. He had work to do, and nothing to offer his uninvited guests.

At four exactly, Jordan and Caleb walked out onto the hot sidewalk. Her head was spinning.

“There’s Cade.” Caleb said excitedly, pointing to the car parked at the curb part way down the block.

“You should call him Mr. Everett,” she admonished, following his finger and spotting the car.

She clasped his hand as they hurried toward it.

“Aunt Amelia calls him Cade. So do you, I’ve heard you.”

“Unless he asks you to use his first name, it’s more polite for a little boy to use a person’s last name.”

She opened the back door and fastened him in his car seat, then slid into her place in the front. She felt shaky and relished the comfort of the soft seats.

“How did it go?” Cade asked, not yet moving from their spot.

Dazed, Jordan looked at him.

“They can do the procedure on Friday and if it all goes well, he’ll be able to go home on Monday. The bandages will remain for a couple of weeks, though, and he has to keep quiet. No running around.”

She couldn’t believe things were happening so swiftly. She knew it was because of Cade and his influence. Gratitude rose.

“Thank you. I never thought we’d have it done so soon.”

“That’s good, then,” Cade said. Paul had come through. Cade had told him to pull any strings he could to expedite the procedure.

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