Wild Rekindled Love (8 page)

“Yeah—right. Sorry honey. My mistake.” She pulled out her ordering pad and said, “What can I get y’all to drink?”

Once they had finished ordering their drinks and food, Samantha excused herself to go to the little girl’s room, giving him a chance to say something to Jamie. “We need to talk to her and soon. She’s going to find out from someone other than us if we don’t, and I’m not sure about you, but I certainly would rather she hear it from us.”

“I know,” Jamie whispered before she shot a glance over her shoulder.

“Why don’t you come over to my place tonight for dinner and we can talk to her.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“We need to tell her.”

“Tell her what?” Samantha said when she approached the table.

Jamie turned white. “Uh…”

“Just that your mom agreed to come by my house and have dinner later, just the three of us.”

Jamie’s eyes narrowed and spit fire at him from across the table, but he only smiled.

“Cool. Can you take me on your bike and mom and follow in the truck?” Samantha asked when she slid back into the booth next to Jamie.

“I’m sure we can arrange something.”

They managed to make small talk until they were done eating. Thankfully there were no more episodes like before where Samantha might find out about her parentage, before they could talk to her. Samantha kept the conversation lively as they rode back to Jamie’s parents’ house.

When they were headed toward the door, Samantha asked, “Are you coming in, Wyatt?”

“It depends on if your mom says it’s okay. I don’t want to intrude.”

“I’m sure it’s fine. Come on.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the house while Jamie shook her head and frowned.

Once they were inside, he could hear voices coming from the living room and he frowned himself when he heard a familiar voice. The last person he wanted to talk to right now was Jamie’s brother. “I think I should go. I have some things to do at the house before you two come over for dinner,” he said as he pulled against the grasp of her hand.

“That’s crazy, Wyatt. Uncle Chase is here and you said you hadn’t talked to him in a long time. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you again.”

Oh no, he won’t.

Samantha managed to drag him into the living room and his gaze locked on the blue eyes of Jamie’s brother. Chase’s eyes narrowed into angry slits before he rose from the couch and moved toward Wyatt with the grace of a panther. Chase stopped in front of him, pulled back his fist and hit him square in the jaw, forcing Wyatt back against the front door.

Stars flashed behind Wyatt’s eyes and Samantha screamed.

“Uncle Chase, stop!”

He ignored his niece and growled, “You son of a bitch! What the hell are you doing here?”

Chapter Six

Abby appeared by Chase’s side in a flash, stepping between her husband and Wyatt. Jamie stood pinned to the wall and Samantha yelled at Chase to stop.

“This doesn’t help things, honey,” Abby said softly, facing her husband.

“He’s the one who ran out, Abby.” His eyes locked on his wife for a moment before they returned to Wyatt.

“We had this conversation,” Jamie said, stepping closer. “It wasn’t his fault. I told you that.”

“He could have stayed anyway. He took the chicken-shit way out and left town so he wouldn’t have to deal with his responsibilities.”

“I didn’t have much choice in the matter, Chase. Jamie wouldn’t even talk to me,” Wyatt explained. “You know your sister.”

“Yeah, I do, but what about the last nine years, Wyatt? It’s not like you didn’t know where she lived.”

“I realize that too. I never said this was all her fault. I accept the blame for how things have turned out as well.”

“Are you prepared to take responsibility for Samantha now? Are you prepared to be a father to her like you should have been for the last nine years?”

Jamie heard a startled gasp and spun around. All of them had completely forgotten Samantha stood nearby.

“Samantha—baby. Let me explain.”

“He’s my dad?”

“Sam…”

“Tell me now, Mom. No more lies and no more avoiding the questions. Is Wyatt my father?”

Jamie closed her eyes as the deafening silence filled the space around them. When she opened them again, tears burned her eyes and gathered at the corners. The hurt look on Samantha’s face tore her heart to shreds. “Yes, baby, he is.”

Samantha looked at Wyatt with the same hurt. “Did you know? Even at the hospital, did you know even then?” Wyatt wiped the blood from his lip and moved toward Samantha, but she stepped back. “Tell me the truth. Did you know even then?”

“Yeah, pumpkin, I did. As soon as I saw your name on the triage sheet, I knew who you were.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed. “I don’t believe you two! Neither one of you could be honest with me!” She turned on her heel and ran out of the living room. Jamie jumped when the back door slammed. She took a step to follow, but Wyatt stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“Let me. Maybe I can explain.”

“But…”

“She’s upset, Jamie. Let me try, okay?”

Jamie nodded and watched as he disappeared through the kitchen.

* * * *

The ragged sobs of his daughter sliced his heart like a knife through soft butter. Keeping the secret from her had been wrong, he knew that now. Reaching out to her was the only way he could think of to fix this. Staying away from her for the last nine years had been wrong on his part.

He followed the sounds of her sobs until he stood at the base of the ladder leading to the hayloft above. As he climbed up, the sobs were louder, until his head reached the top and he could see her sitting in the corner on a bale of hay. Curled up in a little ball, her shoulders shook with each ragged sob and each tormented breath.

“Sam?” he whispered, approaching slowly before he sat down next to her.

“Go away, Wyatt.”

“Nope. Sorry, pumpkin, but I’m here to stay.”

Her teary eyes met his. “Why? You didn’t stay before?”

His dejected sigh echoed in the quietness of the barn. The silence was only broken by an occasional whinny of a horse or the stomp of a hoof on dry ground. “I know, and I’m sorry. I took the easy way out back then.”

“Why did you leave? Didn’t you want me and Mom?”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tucked her to his side. “God, Sammy,” he whispered, his own tears threatening to fall down his cheeks. “I wanted you and I wanted your Mom, but I let her convince me the right thing to do was for me to leave and finish school. We were so young. I still had several years of college left so I could practice medicine. She wouldn’t let me quit school and take care of her and you. I took the coward’s way out, I guess you could say, and left town. I always knew I would come back here once I finished and that’s why I’m here now.”

“You came back for us?”

He smiled ruefully. “Yeah.”

“Do you love Mom?”

“I don’t know anymore, Sam. We are different people now than we were back then.”

“Did you love her when she got pregnant with me?”

“Yeah, or at least I think I did. It’s hard to know at twenty years old.”

A frown creased the skin between her eyebrows. “You aren’t married or dating someone are you?

He laughed. “No.”

Wiping the lingering tears from her cheeks, she said, “Good.”

“Good?”

“Yeah. You can’t get back together with Mom if you already have a wife.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, Samantha. I’m not sure your Mom wants that.”

One very unladylike snort left her lips as she covered her nose and mouth with her hand. “Do you want to?”

What the hell do I say to that?

“I’m not sure what I want right now, other than to get to know you and spend time with you. I’m sorry I missed being here while you were little. I’m sure you were cute as a button.” He tweaked her nose and smiled.

She snuggled next to his side. “I think I’m going to like having you for a Dad.” Her eyes met his again and a frown pulled down the corners of her mouth. “What do I call you?”

“You can call me Wyatt or Dad. Whatever you are comfortable with. I know this is going to take some time to get used to. It’s kind of weird for me, too.”

She straightened up as he looked at her face and a big grin rippled across her mouth, showing off her Wilder dimples to perfection. “My friends are going to be so jealous! You have a Harley.”

He threw his head back and laughed.
Leave it to his daughter to be impressed with the motorcycle.
“Do I need to buy you a leather jacket, too?

Her eyes widened and she nodded.

“Hey, you two. Can I come up?” Jamie called from the bottom of the ladder.

“Yeah, Mom, come on up.”

Wyatt saw her head pop up through the hole in the floor a moment later. Her eyes went round when they rested on him and Samantha sitting on the hay bale.

“Are you okay, baby?”

“I’m fine, Mom. It’s just kind of a shock, but I guess I should have guessed.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because your eyes are the same color as mine and mom told me I had my dad’s eyes.”

“That you do, pumpkin. They are kind of a trademark with my family.”

“Do they still live here? I mean, do I have other grandparents that I don’t know?”

“My parents don’t live here in Laramie, but they aren’t that far away. And yes, you have grandparents and some other aunts and uncles as well as cousins.”

“Cool! I want to meet them.”

He chuckled softly. “I’m sure you will—in time.”

Jamie took the hay bale across from them. “I’m sorry, Sam. I never should have kept Wyatt’s existence from you, and when he came back, I should have made sure you knew who he is.”

“You never wanted to talk about him, Mom.”

Jamie closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead as Wyatt frowned at her movements. “I know, baby. That time was difficult at best. Being seventeen and pregnant wasn’t a good thing.”

“You okay, Jamie?”

“Yeah, I just have a headache. The stress, I guess.” Her gaze returned to Samantha. “We’ll make it up to you, sweetie—both of us. Right, Wyatt?”

“Yes,” he answered, shifting his attention to Sam.

“Actually we had planned on telling you tonight, Samantha. That’s why we were going to Wyatt’s for dinner later. Unfortunately, your Uncle’s big mouth ruined it.”

“We could still go over there Mom—maybe do something as a family?”

“You have to understand one thing Sam, your mom and I aren’t together as a couple anymore.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean we can do things as a family, does it?”

His worried gaze met Jamie’s across the loft, before it returned to his daughter. He knew for certain Samantha wanted them back together again so they could be a family and he wouldn’t mind it either, but he didn’t think that’s what Jamie wanted. “We’ll just take things slow, okay? I’ll spend as much time with you as I can, but I do have to work and sometimes my schedule is messed up.”

Samantha’s shoulder lifted in a half shrug. “It’s okay. I know you have to work and Mom is going to school. That’s why we live with grandma and grandpa right now. Right, Mom?”

I didn’t know she was going to school.

“Yeah. We’ll be getting our own place soon.” Jamie stood and wobbled a little on her feet and her face crinkled in pain.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You look pale.”

“I’m fine. It’s just a little dizziness from standing up too fast.” She looked at Samantha and said, “We should get back in the house, baby. Your uncle and aunt are worried about you.”

“Okay, Mom.”

“I’ll go down first.” He grasped the top of the ladder and moved a couple of rungs down. “Be careful. This ladder probably needs to be repaired. It’s a little wobbly.”

Once his feet touched the floor, Samantha came down right behind him and Jamie behind her. The ripe round ass cheeks that met his eyes when Jamie came down the ladder almost had him coming in his jeans and he groaned silently.

Damn! She’s got the prettiest ass in the whole county!

He cleared his throat nervously when her eyes met his as her feet touched the floor and she frowned.

They all moved toward the house as the early afternoon sun reflected off the sliding glass doors. Stepping up on the back deck, Samantha broke the silence between him and Jamie with her bubbly chatter until they were almost to the rear of the structure.

Jamie stopped just as she reached the deck and grasped the handrail. Her knuckles turned white from the death grip she held on the wood. He moved back toward her and murmured, “Jamie?” Sweat dotted her forehead and her face had a pasty white color to it. When he grasped her hand, it was cold to the touch. “Jamie? Are you okay?”