Freedom in the Smokies (20 page)

He handed her a towel, chuckling as she wrapped it around her body.

“What’s so funny?”

“You. I love how modest you get in the morning.” He gripped her chin with his fingers. “Your face is all flushed and you’re actually shaking. What is it about the sun that makes you shy?” he teased.

“I’m not—” she gripped the towel with both hands as he tried to grapple her for the corner of it, “—shy. I’m hungry. Don’t distract me.”

“Okay. But, for the record, you’re cute when you get all flustered and embarrassed.” He ducked into the shower as she swung at his arm with one hand, missing.

She watched him from the other side of the glass door. “Does this mean you aren’t mad at me anymore?” After all, he was so relaxed and calm this morning.

Micah opened the door a crack and peeked out. “I was never mad, babe. Scared out of my skull, but not mad. Don’t ever do something like that again though. I don’t think my heart could take it.”

She grinned as he went back to showering.

Kaitlyn padded back to the room and dug through her clothes. Before she could don a matching bra and panty set, Micah’s scent filled the air behind her. He wrapped his hands around her naked body from behind and kissed her shoulder. “I love you. I know it’s been two days since we met, but I know in my heart I love you more than anything in the world.”

Kaitlyn gasped and turned in his arms, dropping her underwear to the floor. “It’s crazy…it’s absurd, really…but I love you too.”

He kissed her on the lips, a soft gentle brush. And then he stepped back. “Food.” He leaned down to grab her panties and bra. “You look fucking sexy in underthings, baby, but don’t wear them on my account.” His grin made her smile.

“I’m not wandering around the farm every day naked just because you like to feel me up. I’m sure your brothers and their wives don’t need to see my nipples.” She hooked her bra and reached for a T-shirt.

“Okay, but it’s a shame, covering all that luxurious flesh like that.”

She tipped her head in his direction as he pulled on a pair of jeans—commando, of course. One side of his mouth angled up.

As soon as they were presentable, Micah led her to the kitchen, holding her hand in his warm palm.

“Morning,” George greeted her from the island in the kitchen. “You must be starved.” He winked at her and pulled out a chair. “Lucky for you, I cooked.”

“Lucky?” she asked, raising a brow and angling her gaze toward him. “I’ve eaten your cooking before. I’m not sure I’d call it lucky.”

Enrique laughed from across the island and pushed orange juice in her direction. Micah squeezed her hand tighter as they took a seat. She glanced from Micah to Enrique and back. They were assessing each other. “What the hell is the matter with you two?”

Enrique jerked his gaze to her. “Nothing. Why?” He leaned too casually against the island.

She twisted in her chair and narrowed her gaze at Micah. “Why do you freak out every time we’re near Enrique?”

“I’m not sure I understand why he came here,” Micah admitted.

“What? I thought it was clear that he came to help. What’s the matter with you?” She paused. Shit. “You think there’s something between us? Is that it? This is all some misconstrued jealous boyfriend act?” Kaitlyn yanked her hand from his grasp. She shook with anger.

Enrique chuckled. “Are you kidding? Is that why you’re so brusque with me? Dude, Kaity is like my sister. Just…oooh.” He cringed. “Now I get it. Micah, I swear to you I came when I heard your family name. I’m happy for you two. Ecstatic. My only motivation was to help in any way I could. I would never want anything to happen to Kaity, but that’s because she’s family, not because I ever considered claiming her. I’ve never looked at her that way.”

She watched Micah’s shoulders lower a few inches as he relaxed beside her. With a small smile he turned to her. “Forgive me? I guess I let my irrational jealousy take over.” He looked back at Enrique. “Sorry. Thanks for coming. We did need the help. We couldn’t have taken McKinney down without you.”

“Any time. Take care of Kaity for us. Everyone at Winston loves her—like family.”

His words warmed Kaitlyn. Even though she’d lost her mother twelve years ago, she’d gained so much family since then. She loved these people who took her in and gave her hope when she was ten.

George handed her a plate, his expression sober. “Enrique and I are leaving this morning.”

“So soon?” Kaitlyn stiffened. She’d just connected her two extended families and now two of them were leaving.

“We have to get back and take care of the farm business.” He ducked his head before continuing. “I can see there is no hope of you returning. Your home is here now. We’ll have to sell.”

“What exactly does the will stipulate as far as selling the property?” Micah asked.

“That if Kaitlyn doesn’t return to the farm, she has no other option but to sell the land. Margaret had no intention of ever letting the land fall into anyone else’s hands, though I can’t imagine why.” He shook his head.

Kaitlyn stared at Micah. His mind was running. “What’s to keep her from selling the land to you?”

George laughed. “Easy. Margaret knew I didn’t have the money to buy it.”

Kaitlyn let a grin spread across her face as she caught on to her mate’s plan. “Who named a price?”

George continued fidgeting around. He set salt and pepper on the table next to Kaitlyn and handed her silverware. “Kaity, that land is worth way more than I have in my savings account, love.”

“Is it worth more than say…one dollar?” she asked, her face still glued to Micah’s, his smile confirming her thoughts.

George chuckled again. “Yeah, a bit.”

Micah cleared his throat. “I believe what my mate is saying is that the land is yours. She’s going to sell it to you for the price of one dollar.”

George froze. It took him a moment, and then he opened and shut his mouth before he shook his head. “You can’t do that. That’s ridiculous.”

“Not to me.” She took his hands. “That land is worth nothing to me. I never even considered owning it before. I don’t want it. It’s rightfully yours. You’ve been there all these years, loving that land and the animals on it. All that time, you belonged in the house. You’re family. I have no other living relatives. I don’t even have a father. And even if I did, you’d still be the rightful owner. Grandmother should have married you when my mother was born and made you family.”

George stared at her with tears glistening in the corners of his eye. “I can’t do that, Kaity.” He shook his head again.

“You can. And you will.” She turned toward Micah. “Can’t we call the attorney and work all this out?”

“Of course, baby. I’ll call my lawyer right after breakfast.”

“See? It’s done.” Kaitlyn tugged George into her embrace. “We’re family. I want you to have the land.”

When she released him, George nearly fell into the seat next to her. Speechless. He ran his hands through his hair and she could see the wheels spinning as he grasped the meaning of her words.

Before either of them spoke, Enrique set his fork down with a soft clang. “Kaitlyn…” he began, “…you do have a father.”

She whipped her gaze toward him. “What do you mean?”

“I believe I know who your father is.” He swallowed and she watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.

“How? Who?”

“My mother told me. She accidentally saw your mother with a man one day shortly before Maggie fled California twenty-two years ago.”

Kaitlyn held her breath. Was it someone she knew?

“When you left last week, she confided in me. She was so upset, she worried she’d die knowing that secret and begged me to let her unload the information.” Enrique smiled, but the attempt was forced. His misery showed in his eyes.

“Now, keep in mind, there’s no guarantee. But what are the chances my mother inadvertently catches your mom—in the act, so to speak—within days of her leaving? Mom never thought much of it at the time. She assumed Maggie had left to break off the affair…until you showed up ten years later.”

“You’re killing me, Enrique.” Kaitlyn’s hands shook and she gripped the table with her fingers, attempting to still them.

“Mr. Granger.” He sucked his lips between his teeth as soon as the words spilled out.

“My teacher?”

Kaitlyn’s mind flooded with memories. All those years of education under the careful tutelage of her private instructor—the very same tutor as her mother. The man had been very young when Maggie had begun with him. Not young enough to sleep with his student, but…

God, he’d been so helpful to Kaitlyn. Her evenings and weekends had been spent with George in the barn, learning everything she ever wanted to know about horses and loving every second of his lessons. Free time she’d never realized she’d spent with her own grandfather.

But her days… She’d spent every day sitting in that office learning her lessons with her own father. Had he known? He had to have. The man knew his math. It wouldn’t have taken a rocket scientist to realize Kaitlyn was his own daughter. Why hadn’t he ever said anything?

She glanced back at Enrique. “Did your mother confront mine?”

He shook his head vigorously. “Hell no. My mom rounded a corner in the house and found them in a lover’s embrace, but she simply backed away and neither Thomas nor Maggie ever knew they’d had a witness.”

Micah rubbed circles on her back and George gripped her hand. “You okay?” They both asked at once.

“Why didn’t he say something?” she asked into the air.

George squeezed her hand firmly. “Probably for the same reason I didn’t. Or some similar reason. If Margaret knew, she undoubtedly blackmailed him to remain quiet. But I’m betting Margaret never knew. I’d gamble he was sharp enough to realize how much would be at stake if he revealed the truth.

“Imagine being in his shoes. His lover runs off in the night, leaving him without a word. Ten years later a child shows up. He probably counted his blessings that he had the opportunity to know you at all and spend his days with you. He’d never risk losing that involvement.”

“Why didn’t Momma tell me, though? Why keep the secret from me?”

George hugged her against his chest before he continued. “I don’t know, sweetheart. We’ll never know. Maybe she didn’t want the past repeated. Maybe she didn’t want you raised anywhere near her mother and the only way she knew to ensure that was to hide and keep you a secret.”

It seemed reasonable. Kaitlyn wiped the tears from her eyes. She smiled at Enrique. “Thanks for telling me. Do you suppose I could confront him one day?”

“Of course. This secret wasn’t his. It wasn’t mine. It was your mother’s. I’ll bet he’d love it if you came forward. If not, he never would have agreed to be your tutor all those years.”

Epilogue

Two years later…

“Don’t even think about it,” Micah mumbled into Kaitlyn’s ear as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Even after all this time, she still trembled when he ran his hands over her. A jolt to her system always brought her fully alert as though he’d shocked her.

She smirked. “Come on. Give me some credit for common sense, Micah.” She cinched the strap around the horse’s belly and pulled it tight. “I’m not the one going riding, you dolt.”

Micah angled her head to his and kissed her. He raised an eyebrow as he pulled away. “I don’t much like you out here working this close to the horses. What if one of them kicks you?”

“Seriously? How often have I been kicked by a horse?” Kaitlyn wiggled free of her husband’s grip and moved to the other side. She couldn’t concentrate with him touching her.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on her.” The voice came from behind Micah as Thomas Granger approached.

Kaitlyn smiled up at her father and nodded. “See? I have plenty of keepers.”

“I’m the one going riding,” her dad said. He slapped a hand on Micah’s back. “And this old gal here is plenty tame enough for Kaitlyn to work with. You know that.” He winked at Micah and Kaitlyn chuckled.

Even seven months pregnant, she was still full of energy and couldn’t stand to be cooped up in the house all day.

When she finished preparing the mare, her dad took the reins and walked the gorgeous thoroughbred out of the stable.

Micah tugged her against his side as they followed. They stopped next to the fence to watch. Kaitlyn sighed. She’d much rather be riding than watching, but it couldn’t be helped. Horseback riding was a complete no-no for pregnant women.

And there were a hell of a lot of pregnant women around the farm. Somehow all three of them had managed to get pregnant within a few months of each other. Soon there would be so many babies, the house would be filled with chaos.

Thank God Thomas had come to live with them. As soon as things at the California farm had been settled and the deed turned over to her grandfather, George, Kaitlyn had flown to the farm to confront her childhood tutor, Mr. Granger.

Sure enough, George and Enrique had been right…about a lot of things. Thomas Granger was indeed her father. They even did a paternity test to confirm it. He hadn’t said a word to her growing up—or anyone else for that matter—for fear he’d lose what contact he had with her if Margaret Winston knew the truth.