Page 27 of The Rancher's Secret Son

“Good morning,” he said, smiling at her. “Good morning, Cody.”

Cody smiled at him. Still wearing his blue pajamas, Cody sat eating his breakfast. The woolly toy Nick had given him was in a nearby chair along with the fuzzy monkey.

“Have you named these?” Nick asked, picking up the woolly toy.

“Monster and Mr. Monkey,” Cody answered.

“Good names.”

She was pleased to see Nick’s smile and how easily he dealt with her son. Their son, she corrected herself.

She checked the clock. “Nick, I need to leave. If you have any questions, Cody can probably answer them and if you need me, I have my phone.”

She crossed the room to kiss Cody on the forehead. “Be good for your dad. I’ll be home after church.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cody said, eating another bite of oatmeal.

“Can I leave him long enough to go to the door with you?” Nick asked her.

“I’m going out the back way and yes, you can,” she said.

Nick walked beside her. “Don’t worry about us, Claire.”

“I won’t. He’s got a bright dad who can handle mostly all problems and Cody is a bright little kid, so you two will be fine. I’ll see you after church.”

“Seems like I should kiss you goodbye,” he said, startling her, and then she saw his smile and knew he teased her.

“We’re both better off if you don’t,” she said as she left.

* * *

Nick stayed the afternoon and the three played games. He was enjoying his time with them so much that it was five o’clock by the time he had his things in the limo and turned to tell them goodbye. He picked up Cody.

“You’re a wonderful boy. I love you.”

“I love you, Dad,” Cody said as Nick hugged him.

Claire saw the look that crossed Nick’s face when the boy told him he loved him and called him “dad,” and her heart felt squeezed. Nick was going to pour out his love on his son. She hoped whatever she and Nick decided, it would be a good solution for Cody.

She saw Nick give her a quick glance and then look down, but she had seen the tears in his eyes and for just an instant felt a bond with him over the love they shared for their son.

After a moment he turned to Claire. “I can’t wait until the two of you get to Dallas. This has been a wonderful weekend. Thank you.”

“We’ll see you Tuesday,” she said, thinking that if he had kept in touch with her or even told her he was getting engaged, she would have told him about her pregnancy. For a moment the old anger she sometimes felt surfaced and she stepped away from him. She didn’t want to kiss him goodbye. Now that Nick wanted her in his life again, he was pouring on the charm, but she had to remember that this was the same man who had so easily dropped her for another woman and become engaged without even letting her know. There were flashes when she regretted telling him about Cody at all and wished she had just come home to Houston without Nick knowing about his son.

As quickly as those thoughts came, she tried to shut off her resentment. Nick had lost his baby. He’d gone through hell. She wasn’t heartless; she’d needed to tell him about Cody, and she knew he was going to be a wonderful dad for their son. And she couldn’t deprive Cody of the right to know his father. If the Milans didn’t try to take Cody or monopolize him, then they could work together. She hoped Nick’s dad stayed out of it and let them work things out in their own way. Meanwhile, she had to keep her heart intact. The only way to do that was to stay out of Nick’s arms...and out of his bed.

* * *

Nick settled in the limo and looked at Claire and Cody standing on the curving front walk. Claire held Cody with one hand and with the other she pushed back her hair, which swirled across her cheek in the wind.

Cody waved and Nick’s heart lurched as he waved back. Cody’s declaration of love, his simple, I love you, Dad, had wrapped around his heart and he would never forget the moment. Cody was so small, his thin arms had been around Nick’s neck. He loved his son beyond measure.

I love you, Dad. Those plain words had been the greatest gift. Briefly, he thought about Claire, wishing they didn’t have all the problems between them because they both loved Cody. She had given him a wonderful son. Nick tried to stop wishful thinking. The limo pulled away, driving slowly down her street. He couldn’t look continually at what might have been, but it was a struggle to avoid doing so. For an instant he questioned his future. Was a political career worth losing Claire’s love and missing out on becoming a husband with a loving, caring family?

He gave his head a shake, as if trying to get rid of such thoughts. Being with Claire again, he’d been caught up in desire for her that muddled his thinking.

He already missed being with both of them. Could he keep from falling in love with her and demolishing all his future plans? Could he risk another broken heart? Their problems were bigger now and chances of working them out far less likely than before.

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