Page 16 of The Rancher's Secret Son

“She thought we should be alone for this momentous occasion, so she’s gone to her sister’s house for the weekend.”

“That was perceptive of her,” he said. “It will be good to have just the three of us. I’ll thank her for understanding.”

Claire glanced beyond him and noticed a white limo parked on the drive. “You came in a limo? Is the driver just going to sit in the car and wait until we go to dinner? I can drive to dinner and you can send him on his way now.”

“I made arrangements for the limo through dinner and afterward, when we get back here, I’ll send him away for the night. He’s leaving now and I’ll call him to come get us when we’re ready to go. I thought Cody might like a limo ride. Has he ever ridden in one?”

“No, he hasn’t and he will probably love it. He’s curious.”

Nick set his things down inside the door. “I brought champagne for us later, to celebrate,” he said, handing her an insulated box. She was aware of the brush of his warm fingers as she took the box.

“I have presents for Cody, too, but I’d like to leave those until after I’ve met him.”

“You might as well, because right now he is more curious about you and he won’t pay attention to presents until he’s met you. I told him to wait in the family room and I’d bring you in.” She glanced toward the room where Cody awaited. “Let’s go meet your son,” she said.

She linked her arm in Nick’s to take him inside, knowing that her life, as well as Nick’s, was about to change forever.

Five

Nick couldn’t recall a time he had felt so unprepared to meet someone, even though he wanted this more than anything else in life. He would love Cody on sight, but he didn’t know how to deal with meeting his son.

Since telling Claire goodbye, he had spent the past couple of days getting ready for this moment. They entered the family room and all Nick’s qualms melted away as he looked at a small boy who bore enough Milan family resemblance that there could never be a doubt about his heritage. Cody’s blue eyes were large and he smiled as he watched Nick approach.

“Cody, come here,” Claire said in a sweet voice. The boy ran to her. Setting the box with the champagne on a table, she placed her hand on his shoulder. “I want to introduce you to somebody,” she said, “and then I’ll just go into the kitchen for a few minutes. Okay?”

He looked up at her. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, his curious gaze returning to Nick.

“Cody, this is your dad, Nick Milan. Nick, here’s your son, Cody,” she said. Then she stepped away and Nick didn’t see her pick up the champagne and leave because his attention was on the small boy staring at him.

With a lump in his throat, Nick smiled and walked to Cody. He hunkered down in front of him to get closer to Cody’s level. “You’re my son, Cody, and I love you,” Nick said in a husky voice.

“Yes, sir,” Cody said quietly.

Nick’s insides clutched. “Cody, can I hug you?” he asked, thinking that was the first time in his life he could recall asking permission for a hug.

Cody nodded. “Yes, sir.”

With a pounding heart filled with joy and trepidation, Nick hugged him lightly. “You’re my son, Cody,” Nick repeated. “You’ll never know how wonderful that is for me.” He released the little boy. “You can think about what you want to call me—Dad or Daddy. I hope one of those will be what you’d like best. What do you think?”

Cody stared at him a few minutes that made Nick tense. What if Cody didn’t want to call him either? He waited, feeling as if he couldn’t catch his breath.

“Dad,” he said with a nod of his head. “Okay?”

“It’s more than okay. It’s great. I can’t tell you how wonderful it will be to hear you call me that. It means you’re my little boy. Let’s find your mom and get her to join us. She doesn’t need to stay away. You want to go get her?”

“Yes, sir,” Cody replied, nodding and running out of the room.

As Nick watched Cody go, he was overwhelmed by emotion. He’d loved Cody the first moment he saw him. He felt he couldn’t get enough of seeing or being with him. Now that he knew of his existence, he wanted to be with Cody every day.

He thought about what Claire had said the other day, how his father would push for a marriage of convenience. Claire had been cool on the subject, and Nick hadn’t given it much thought, but now he realized it would solve a lot of problems. Though, he had to admit, far more for him than for her. All the same problems faced them, plus more. If they married and it didn’t work out, a split would mean a divorce and even more bitterness than their previous breakup. If they had a marriage of convenience, could he keep from falling in love with her and getting hurt all over again? No, he couldn’t see a marriage of convenience working, or Claire ever agreeing.

Nick walked to the front entry to pick up an armload of wrapped presents and returned to the family room. He had been so taken with Cody, he hadn’t really looked at the tall Christmas tree in a corner of the room. Decorations included a lot of children’s ornaments and a paper chain probably made by Cody. There were already presents scattered around the base. Usually Christmas was a painful, lonely time for Nick, but he looked forward to it this year, with Cody in it. That is, if he could work it out with Claire.

In minutes Cody appeared, holding Claire’s hand. “Cody said you sent him to tell me to join you.”

“You might as well. Getting to know each other will take time. Cody, I brought you some presents. They’re all in this sack. You can get them out and open them now.”

“Nick, let’s have a seat while we watch him open his presents,” Claire said, sitting and crossing the long legs that he couldn’t keep from noticing. She had the best legs of any woman he had ever known.

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