The whole time, Kat knew the weekend was going nowhere. There wasn’t enough charm in the world to get her to give up her dream. She wasn’t going to fall for some down-on-his-luck and out-of-money hog farmer.
With the jack in place, Justin fastened the wrench he’d found in the trunk over a lug nut on the wheel. The nut refused to budge and Justin dug his heels in, determined. Corded muscles in his forearms strained and bunched with each powerful jerk he gave the wrench. A vein popped from his neck as he put the full force of his body behind each counter-clockwise turn. After he managed to loosen the first lug nut, he sat back on his heels, wincing against the afternoon sunshine, and then shot her a glare. “Is Connor my son?”
“Shh,” she said, glancing at the front door. Hopefully, Mattie was dozing. “Don’t let Aunt Mattie hear you.”
Justin fastened the wrench to the next lug nut and turned it sharply to the left. The nut released. “How many men did you sleep with before and after you met me?”
One other, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She was certain Brett Applegate was Connor’s father…or at least the man she’d thought to be Brett. “You lied to me. You told me you were Brett.”
Justin finished removing the nuts from the wheel and rose, his grim expression aimed straight at her. He approached, taking slow predatory steps. “Just how hard did you try to reach Brett Applegate after you got pregnant?”
Kat visibly shook at his tone. He was determined to get to the truth. She wanted that, too, but protecting Aunt Mattie came first. “We can’t talk about this here. You saw Aunt Mattie. That woman has been through enough heartache in her life. Her heart is frail. I’m convinced she’ll have another setback if she overhears any of this conversation.”
He stared at her with the full force of his dark brown eyes. Connor’s eyes. As if reading her thoughts, he spoke with a rasp in his voice. “That baby has my eyes and dark hair.”
It was true. Connor looked enough like Justin to make those comparisons.
“Shh, Aunt Mattie loves Connor. He’s given her new life. We can’t…we can’t have this conversation right now. If you’re truly a friend of Brett’s you know how much he loved her. He wouldn’t want her getting hurt. And that’s exactly what would happen if you—”
Justin took the hint and spoke more quietly now. “I don’t plan on hurting Brett’s aunt. But if that boy is my son I have—”
“Please…” Her nerves raw, she glanced at the door again. “Don’t you get it? I’m not going to talk to you about this here.”
“We’re gonna have this conversation, Kat. Meet me at seven at my house at Sunset Ranch. It’s twenty miles west of here.”
Kat’s body shook. She couldn’t go to the Slade house. Showing up on Sunset Ranch would only complicate matters. And she wasn’t going to tell Justin why just now. “I can’t.”
A vein throbbed against the side of his throat, looking ready to burst. “Why not?”
“I’ll meet you somewhere else. Someplace neutral.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “I’m listening.”
“There’s a little café in Silver Springs called Blossom. Do you know it?”
“I’ll find it. I’ll meet you there at seven.”
“Eight. I have to put Connor to bed first. I read to him every night and we have a routine. He’s a pretty good sleeper. It’ll be easier on Aunt Mattie if he’s already in bed when I leave.”
Justin’s eyes softened at the mention of Connor’s sleep habits and for a second or two, she felt a sense of relief that her son’s daddy wasn’t lost to him forever. Then, Justin turned a sharp eye on her once again. “If you’re not there, I’ll come looking for you.”
Really? Did he think she’d run out on him? “I’ll be there. I want answers, too.”
“You’ll get them.” Dismissing her, he turned around and walked back to repair the flat.
Her heart beating like crazy, she walked into the house. Mattie was indeed dozing. Thank goodness. Little Connor took one look at his mommy, rose onto his knees and then hoisted himself up by the wall of the play yard. He stood on planted feet, holding on tight to keep his balance. His eyes sparkled with pride over his newest accomplishment and Kat beamed with love and that same sense of pride.
Your daddy is alive, Connor.
He’s also rich and powerful.
The implication made her dizzy. But Kat couldn’t think about all of that now. She had Mattie’s welfare to consider. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Matilda Applegate would suffer heart failure if she learned the truth about Connor. Kat couldn’t let that happen. Mattie didn’t deserve any more heartache in her life. There was a tipping point, and this was it. Kat would do everything in her power to protect her. With her flamboyant red hair, and sweetly feisty spirit, the older woman had touched something fierce and protective in Kat.
She picked up Connor from the play yard and hugged him to her chest, stroking his soft dark curls.
It was only minutes later, after she heard Justin drive off, that she could finally breathe evenly again.
Justin ground his teeth together as he drove off the Applegate property. Shell-shocked wasn’t a strong enough term for what he was feeling right now. He’d come to spill his heart and guts out to Matilda about how Brett had died, and instead discovered he had a son—an adorable dark-haired, brown-eyed boy.
His son.
His mouth twisted. He had to be careful. He didn’t know anything for sure right now. The boy may or may not be his child.
But he did remember Kat. So many things about her. He remembered her beauty, her creamy skin, her pretty green eyes and the way she accepted him inside her body with tight, wet, welcoming heat. Though he’d spent the weekend with her, they only had one night of sex. That one night made up for the prior eight months he’d gone without. Once they got going, there was no stopping them. She’d had no boundaries, no fussy little complaints, no inhibitions when they were together. Her only rule was that she didn’t want any entanglements afterward.
She’d spelled it right out.
She didn’t want a relationship with a soldier or a farmer.
In other words, he was good enough to bed, but that’s where it would end.
Justin had gotten the message loud and clear and after leaving her without so much as exchanging phone numbers or addresses, he’d also understood better what Brett Applegate was up against with the fairer sex.
Eight o’clock couldn’t come fast enough for him.
He downed two more antacids and pushed the button to lower the windows. Damn that fool bet. Reversing roles hadn’t been one of his wisest moves, but now a child’s life was at stake. If
