Rodeo Daddy: Book 3 in the Stubborn Texas Siblings Trilogy (3 page)

Jeff sat at his kitchen table staring at the wall blankly. It
had been almost a week since he’d seen Dana in town and
it drove him around the bend that he’d wanted to see her so
badly he’d actually gone out looking for her. What was
even worse was the fact that he had searched the entire
town… four or five times over. He’d spent more time in
that damn pharmacy hoping for a chance to see her again
than he cared to think about.

Still he’d had zero luck in finding her. Eric had come by
the day before and he’d commented on Jeff’s unusually
sour mood. When Laurie had stopped by that morning,
she’d given him Hell about the fact that he’d lost all desire
to even try to climb onto the bull that he’d been so eager to
buy almost three years before.

He refused to admi
t that he’d lost his edge and that the
siren-call the rodeo had once sounded, no longer rang in his
ears. It hadn’t held the allure it once had. Not since about
two months after he’d started seeing Dana on a regular
basis. Instead the life his siblings both enjoyed had begun
to quietly call to him. He’d tried his hardest to ignore it.
When that had been unsuccessful, he’d just refused to allow
it to control his actions. He was stronger than his weakwilled heart and rebellious body that longed only for one
beautiful woman.

It was difficult to continue to tell himself that sort of thing
when sitting in the middle of his home, surrounded by
trophies, ribbons and belt buckles he’d won with five angry
bulls out in his fields he could be using to try to get his
body back in shape for the rodeo; yet the only thing he
could seem to think about was the woman who had him
tied in knots. He had been like a ship out in the middle of
the sea that’d lost its captain…Or a car sitting in the middle
of the interstate without a driver; completely pointless and
useless.

Now she was back… in his home town, reminding him of
how much he’d missed her in the two and a half long years
since he’d last held her in his arms, and he couldn’t think
past the desire to do so again. But she wasn’t making things
easy on him. He had no idea where her sister lived and it
was beginning to look like if he didn’t ask, he’d never find
out.

He sighed as his brother pulled into the driveway. Eric
most likely knew… if he didn’t, Madeline probably did.
The two of them made a point to know every person in
town and everything about them, even if it was only as a
way to protect their children. If he asked Eric about Dana
though, Jeff knew that he’d never hear the end of it. His
brother’s expectations would be raised and that was the last
thing Jeff wanted to have happen. Still, the thought of just
sitting around and doing nothing in hopes of getting her
back in his bed where she belonged was so overwhelmingly
depressing, he could practically taste it.

Eric d
idn’t bother knocking before he let himself into Jeff’s
house. He slammed the door behind him and walked
straight into the kitchen, pulling up a chair beside his
brother. “I’m not going to pull any punches little brother. I
know something is off with you other than those extra
couple of holes in your leg that the bull left behind and I’m
not moving one muscle until you tell me what it is.”

“I’d really rather not talk about it,” Jeff said honestly,
feeling extremely tired in that moment. “Let’s just say it’s
complicated and leave it at that.”

“Well, you’d best make yourself comfortable and start
talking,” Eric said, propping his boots up on the table top,
knocking a little bit of snow from the bottoms of them onto
the oak surface. “Because I meant what I said. I ain’t
moving until you spill your guts.”

“Alright… There’s a woman that lives here in town who’s
dying,” Jeff said, dragging his hand over his face slowly. “I
need to know everything you know about her and her
family. Who is she? … Where does she live? … What’s
with the kid and where’s her father?”

He had no idea why that baby girl still got to him or why he
felt the need to know more about her but he felt it in his
gut. Something was up with Dana and the baby girl she’d
called Alexis and he was determined to find out what it
was.
The look of surprise on his brother’s face was priceless.
“You mean Mandy Miller? – She moved here after her
divorce was finalized … about nine or ten years back, give
or take… she’s the only one I know at death’s door; but she
doesn’t have a kid that I know of… Why do you want to
know about her? Do you know her? Please, for the love of
God, tell me you didn’t accost that poor dying woman at
one of your rodeo gigs…”

Jeff paled, turning the color of a man who’d seen a ghost if
not become one. “You’re absolutely certain she doesn’t
have a daughter? Cute little tyke… about two years old?
Beautiful red hair with little ringlets?” All of the sudden he
didn’t feel so good as the realization struck him that Alexis
might not be Mandy’s daughter… which meant she was
Dana’s… and most likely his. It felt as if he’d swallowed a
boulder the size of the great state of Texas itself.

Eric shook his head negatively. “That
much I’m positive of.
Mandy has spent a lot of time at the doctors’ and has
become pretty good friends with Madeline. She’s confided
in my wife many times about how upset she was over the
fact that she’d wanted children more than life itself but had
lost the chance to have them after losing her husband.
Maddie told me that there was a sister in the picture… I
think I remember her mentioning a child a time or two.
Could be Mandy’s got a niece.”

“Shit” was the only response that Jeff could manage as he
struggled to come to grips with reality. “I need to know
where she lives… now.”

“Why?” Eric asked skeptically.
“I’ll tell you later. After I figure it out myself,” he promised
standing up, grabbing his Stetson and plopping it on his
head before turning to his brother. “The address,” he
demanded, not willing to back down now that he suspected
that he might be a father. He had to know for sure.

Eric shook his head and told his brother where he could
find Mandy. “Just be nice, little brother. Mandy is dying.
She shouldn’t have to deal with the likes of a pissed off,
moodier than fuck rodeo cowboy with a chip on his
shoulder.”

Nodding his head, Jeff ran out the door, hopped into his
truck and spun his tires as he stepped on the gas pedal,
pushing it all the way to the floor. He was sure, the next
time he saw his brother he’d have a lot of explaining to do,
but he had to find the answers to those questions out for
himself before he said anything. If Dana had given birth to
his child, it would change a few things for all of them. It
was one thing to donate anonymously to the sperm bank,
but to accidentally impregnate a woman he’d been sleeping
with for well over a year… a woman he’d come to care
about against his own will, that was a whole different
matter. Especially when the woman in question was about
to lose the only family member she had other than his child.

He’d known there was something about that baby the
second he’d seen her, but he hadn’t been willing to admit it,
even to himself that something about her pulled at him…
drew him to her instinctively.

It was past time he and Dana had a really long talk. If he
was a father, he deserved to know about it, and to be given
a chance to decide for himself if he wanted to be a part of
his little girl’s life. If Alexis was the real reason why Dana
had suddenly stopped coming to see him, he knew it was
his own fault. He’d spent entirely too much time and effort,
making sure Dana was well aware of the fact that he didn’t
do commitment and that their relationship wasn’t supposed
to ever get serious… even though he was fairly certain
they’d both been well aware that emotionally, it had
become serious for both of them after the first few times
they’d slept together. Possibly before that, even. There was
a chance it could have happened that first moment he’d
spotted her in the stands for him.

Despite the fact that he’d slept with a fair number of
women since Dana, he’d not once been able to get her out
of his mind… to stop comparing other women to her in his
every encounter. After all of this time and regardless of the
fact that she’d left him without a word of explanation, he
still wanted her; longed to be with her. Even if she’d had
his kid and not bothered to tell him about it. Hell… maybe
because she’d had his child and loved the baby enough to
know that he was far from father material.

He didn’t care about the reason for his feelings; all he knew
or cared about was the fact that they were real and not
going away. When he found Dana, he’d insist she got real
with him about Alexis and when that was over, he would
have her in his bed again where she belonged. It was the
only eventuality he was willing to accept.

Dana had put Alexis down for her nap and sat down on the
couch in the all too empty living room at her sister’s house.
She sighed as she sipped her cup of coffee. As usual,
Mandy was sleeping and the house was entirely too quiet
for her liking. Small town life wasn’t something she was
used to in the first place, but for the last several days she
had stayed in, half afraid if she stepped outside, she might
run in to Jeff. The fact that the sexy rodeo rider still got to
her was disturbing.

She’d
known the day she’d made the impossible choice not
to see him again that it would be the most difficult thing
she’d ever had to do; but she’d been well aware of the fact
that it was what was best for her daughter. Jeff had told her
himself, entirely too many times to count that he was in it
for the sexual chemistry they shared alone. Things were
never supposed to get serious. She had his damn speech
memorized; she’d heard it so many times. She hadn’t meant
to fall in love with an emotionally unavailable man… it had
just sort of happened without her consent. There hadn’t
been a thing she could have done to stop it from happening.

That first time she’d held her daughter in her arms, Dana
had known that she’d done the right thing, shutting Jeff out
of their lives. He was not the sort of man she wanted as a
role model for Alexis. He used his sexual allure to use
women physically and then when he got tired of them, he
just up and left them hanging… heartbroken and lonely,
without a second thought. Jeff used his fame as a rodeo
champion to land the women he wanted in his bed. He’d
done it to her, but he hadn’t stopped with just her body.
He’d taken her heart too, and the scoundrel still had it.

She knew there wasn’t a chance of ever getting it back
from him. She’d as good as handed it to him on a silver
platter wrapped in solid gold wrapping paper. It belonged
to him now, as it had since that first moment she’d seen
him sitting atop that angry bull, looking like the conquering
hero. It wasn’t something she could do anything about. It
hadn’t mattered that Jeff wasn’t a man who had much use
for her love. She’d fallen none the less.

Seeing him in town again had only reopened the wound
that she’d managed to fool herself into believing had begun
to heal. She wasn’t altogether positive that she had it in her
to keep her distance from him, should he try to woo her
back into his bed again. She’d recognized the look of
intension in his eyes that day at the pharmacy. If she ran
into him again, she had no doubt that he’d try something
with her and she didn’t think she was any stronger than she
had been that first day she’d seen him. As a matter of fact,
she knew she wasn’t, because her emotions hadn’t been
involved that day, and they were now. Her love for the
rodeo champion would end up landing her back in his bed
where she desperately wanted to be, but knew she dare not
go.
Keeping her distance from him altogether was her only
option, and if that meant cooping herself up inside of her
dying sister’s house with all the blinds pulled, not once
stepping foot outside, then so be it. It was better than the
alternative any day. Her daughter needed her to stay strong
and hold her ground. Jeff wouldn’t be a good father to
Alexis. Not when the man didn’t do attachment in any way
shape or form.

The doorbell rang and Dana practically jumped out of her
skin in response. A chill ran through her and goose-bumps
and tiny hairs rose along the length of her arms. She
nervously looked towards the hall and hoped the sound
hadn’t woken either Mandy or Alexis then ran to the door
to keep it from happening if it hadn’t already.

When she pulled it open, the last person she expected to
find standing there was a very angry looking Jeff. She
could see in his expression that he’d learned about their
daughter and fear clogged her throat. Knowing that her
time of solitude had come to an end, she reluctantly stepped
to the side and motioned towards the living room with her
arm. “You’d better come in out of the cold. If I leave the
door open too long, the chill could make things worse for
Mandy, and the last thing I need is for her or Alexis to get
sick on top of everything else.”

Jeff pushed his way past her and stood in the middle of the
living room, looking around as she sat down on the edge of
the couch. He could see the nerves on her lovely face and
he had to work hard to control the need to sweep her up
into his arms and carry her to the nearest flat surface and
take her fast and hard just the way he used to.
Remembering the tone of his brother’s voice when he’d
insisted that Mandy didn’t have any children, Jeff crossed
his arms and leaned back, waiting for her to talk.

She stared at him and swallowed hard. He looked good.
Tired and sore, but very sexy. Knowing he wasn’t going to
go away and leave her in peace, Dana gave up and sat on
the couch with him, as far away as she could get to keep
from touching him. Her desire for this man was still just as
out of control as ever.

“I know that your sister doesn’t have any kids, which
means Alexis is your daughter. What I want to know is if
I’m right. She’s mine… isn’t she?” he challenged, lifting a
single eyebrow, daring her to deny the truth. He knew her
well enough, he’d be well aware of any lies that spewed
from her lips when he was looking her in the eyes.

“Alexis is
MINE
,” Dana argued, standing up on wobbly
legs and walking over to the window to stare out at the
mountain of snow that was piled up out in the field.

Jeff stood up, not sure if he was more irritated by Dana’s
avoiding his question or more in awe of her willingness to
protect his child even from the likes of him. He’d seen the
desire light her face the instant she’d seen him standing in
the doorway, the instant before that look had been replaced
by fear. He wasn’t there to take the child from her. She
must know that. Even he knew he wasn’t any kind of father
figure.

“I’m trying to be patient with you, Dana. I deserve to know
if I’ve fathered a child or not… It’s not as if I ever treated
you poorly. Why would you keep this from me? It’s not as
if I’m going to try to take her from you or something.”

Dana sighed sadly and wrapped her arms tighter around
herself, nodding her head slowly. “Yes.” The word came
out as a whisper of despair and she had to force herself to
continue. “You are … for all intents and purposes…
Alexis’s daddy. But I didn’t tell you because I want
something from you,” she quickly said, when she saw the
color leak from his face, turning him white as a ghost. “I
knew I had to let you go the day I found out I was going to
have her. I loved you, even though I knew I could never tell
you, because I knew you’d never accept my love… and I
knew that even though you wanted no real connections that
I could never give up the child we’d made together. I
decided then that I was going to raise her alone.”

“You can’t seriously expect to come here to my
hometown… with my brother and his family and my sister
and her family all well within the boundaries, and expect
that no one will say anything about the fact that I’m … for
all intents and purposes, I believe your words were... the
father of a toddler. Or the fact that the mother of my child
is about to lose the only living family member she has other
than said child. My own brother would kill me if he found
out that I knew I had a child and stood by and did
nothing… took no responsibility for her … or for you for
that matter. I may be a self proclaimed lifelong bachelor
with no intention of ever settling down, but I’m not a cold,
heartless jackass who would turn my back on my own child
and her mother at a time like this.”

“I’m saying that if Alexis is my daughter like you said…
you are just going to have to get used to my being around,
because I have no intention of sitting on the sideline
waiting to be chastised by my entire home town about
abandoning her … or you in your time of need.”

Nodding his head as he made his decision, he plopped back
down on the couch and made himself comfortable. “I’m not
going anywhere, Dana. You may as well get used to it. I’m
here for the duration.”

“As long as you need me,” he answered honestly. “As long
as it takes to get you and your unforgettable body out of my
system,” he added, looking her dead in the eye. He needed
her to know that until he’d managed to kick his desire for
her, he didn’t have it in him to let her go… even if her
sister was long gone and Dana and Alexis no longer needed
him. He meant for their relationship to get back on track
until he had killed the need for her once and for all. Then
and only then would he turn her lose. It would be on his
terms the next time they parted. No other alternative was an
option.