it only annoyed him.
“What do you want?”
“I’d like to talk.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m at the new park in Horseshoe.”
His heart pounded off his ribs in fear. Talking to Leah was the last thing he wanted to do, but she wasn’t far from Eden and he had to make sure she didn’t get any closer. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Hanging up, he took a minute to absorb what had just happened. She was back. Leah was back. It happened so fast he was reeling. There could be only one thing she wanted and that was to see her daughter. And he was going to make sure that never happened. He would not let Leah hurt Eden like she had hurt him. That was his one thought as he ran for his truck.
* * *
LEAH PACED AROUND the park. She couldn’t sit still. Her nerves felt as if they were tied into a big wad, like Christmas lights that could never be untangled. She looked around the park to calm herself. It sported colorful swings, slides, park benches and picnic areas. There was even a water playground for the kids. Water spewed up from several flat concrete fountains you could run through. She’d seen this in Houston and she never imagined they would have one in little Horseshoe, Texas.
Things had certainly changed since she’d been gone. She’d noticed a lot of new storefronts and several old stores had closed. Horseshoe would always be home, though. When she was twelve, her mother had died and she and her dad had moved there to live with his sister. Her dad had thought it would be good for Leah to have a woman around. In ways it had been, but in others it had been debilitating. Why was she thinking about...? A truck pulled up to the curb and her thoughts came to an abrupt stop. It was Falcon.
There was no mistaking him—tall, with broad shoulders and an intimidating glare. She swallowed hard as his long strides brought him closer. In jeans, boots and a Stetson he reminded her of the first time she’d met him in high school. Being new to the school system, she’d been shy and hadn’t known a lot of the kids. It took her two years before she’d actually made friends and felt like part of a group. Falcon Rebel had been way out of that group. The girls swooned over him and the boys wanted to be like him: tough and confident.
One day she was sitting on a bench waiting for her aunt to pick her up. Falcon strolled from the gym just as he was now, with broad sure strides. She never knew what made her get up from the bench, but as she did she’d dropped her books and purse and items went everywhere. He’d stopped to help her and her hands shook from the intensity of his dark eyes. From that moment on there was no one for her but Falcon.
Now he stood about twelve feet from her and once again she felt like that shy young girl trying to make conversation. But this was so much more intense.
Be calm. Be calm. Be calm.
“I’m...I’m glad you came,” she said, trying to maintain her composure because she knew the next few minutes were going to be the roughest of her life.
His eyes narrowed. “What do you want?” His words were like hard rocks hitting her skin, each one intended to import a message. His eyes were dark and angry, and she wondered if she’d made the right decision in coming.
Gathering every ounce of courage she’d managed to build over the years, she replied, “I want to see my daughter.”
He took a step closer to her. “Does the phrase ‘over my dead body’ mean anything to you?”
At his uncompromising tone her courage faltered, but she stood her ground. “I’ve already seen her, Falcon. But I would like the opportunity to visit with her for a few minutes to explain about the past. She has a right to know the truth.”
“Where did you see her? And when?”
She slid her shaky hands into the pockets of her pants. “I was coming to the ranch this morning and then I saw a red pickup with a young woman. I knew it was her, so I followed her to school.”
“You didn’t...”
“No, I didn’t introduce myself. I wouldn’t do that.”
“Really? Like you would never walk out on her?”
She looked him in the eye. “I’d like to talk about that.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, Leah. It’s done. It’s in the past and it’s best if you admit that and go back to wherever you came from.”
“It’s not done—”
“It is, and if you get anywhere near her, I will make your life a living hell.”
Her heartbeat stumbled, but she remained steadfast. “You’re not scaring me, Falcon. I’m her mother and I have a right to meet her and she has a right to know that I’ve thought about her every day since the day she was born.”
He threw back his head and laughed a sound that chilled her to the bone. “That’s a good one. If you think our daughter will believe that for a minute, you’re dreaming. My daughter is much smarter than that.”
“I know she hates me and I’m willing to risk her ire.”
“Then you have no idea about your daughter’s personality. She has a backbone, which is more than you ever had, and if you think ‘I’m sorry’ is going to work with her, then you’re sipping something stronger than water.”
Leah’s heart skittered in panic. “I knew your mother would take care of her...”
“I took care of her.” He jabbed a finger into his chest. “She was my daughter and I raised her, not my mother.”
“What?”
“The crib stayed in my room and I got up with her during the night. I changed her diapers. I fed her and took her with me when I went out on the ranch.”
“Why would you do that when your mother was there?”
“Because she wasn’t my mother’s responsibility. She was mine and yours. Since you bailed, there was only me and I wanted to make sure she knew she had one parent who loved her and would always be there for her.”
A moan left her throat and she was unable to stop it. Falcon was never going to understand, and she didn’t know if she had the strength to keep trying to explain.
“Her doctor sent us to a specialist in Austin to find out why she cried so much and after many tests, they found out she had something as simple as acid reflux. With medication, she did much better and was soon able to sleep during the night. But it was rough for a while. The only way she could sleep was on my chest. I was so afraid I was going to roll over and crush her, so I slept lightly and didn’t get much rest. But we got through it. It’s a shame her mother wasn’t there when she took her first step holding on to my finger or when she started running instead of walking, chasing me out the door. She never wanted me out of her sight. I wonder why that was, Leah? Could it be she knew at that early age her mother had abandoned her?”
“Don’t say that.”
He stared at her and she felt as if he was looking right into her soul.
