Cox, Suzanne - Unexpected Daughter Read online

  He stopped without getting the baby. “I cut it at work and got it stitched at the emergency room.”

  “Look’s like you haven’t kept it clean and dry.”

  He shrugged. “Kind of hard when you work outside.”

  “That’s true, but you need to let me clean it and get you antibiotics before you go.” She rummaged in the cabinet for her supplies. In a few minutes, she had a fresh bandage on his arm and was handing him a bag of sample antibiotics.

  “I guess I’ll go to the front and check on our bill while you finish with the baby.”

  He left, carrying the fee sheet Brijette had set on the counter.

  “I’m glad you two have moved to town.”

  Regina shifted the baby in her arms while Brijette finished making notes on the chart. “Me, too. I’ll be even happier when we get done with these courses and leave for school in Lafayette.”

  “You don’t like it here?”

  The girl frowned. “It’s not that. I think T.J. might be hanging around the wrong people, and if we could get away from here he could start over.”

  Brijette continued writing, wondering if the alarm bells ringing in her head were audible. “Can we help?”

  “No, y’all have done too much for us already. I don’t want T.J. to get into trouble.”

  She put the papers aside and faced Regina. “Do you think he’s involved in something illegal?”

  The girl adjusted the blanket around the baby. “Oh, no, nothing like that, but things will be better away from here.”

  Brijette didn’t respond and returned to her work. She didn’t want Regina to think she was prying, and asking more questions would sound like an interrogation. She could only pray the young father would make the right decisions.

  When the couple left, she searched for Cade and finally found him in the kitchen.

  “Hey, Emma made cake.” He held a cup of coffee in one hand and a sizable piece of Emma’s homemade sour-cream pound cake in the other.

  “Why did you help T.J. and Regina find a house?”

  He lowered his paper plate. “Heard that already, did you?”

  “From the two of them a few minutes ago. I thought you didn’t think they’d make it, that it was a waste of time to help them.”

  “I still think they’ll have a tough time, but I never said I didn’t think they deserved a good place to live.”

  “But you paid the first month’s rent and had the utilities connected and paid the deposit.”

  Cade frowned as he adjusted his grip on his cup. “Did they tell you that?”

  “I don’t think they realize it. They think the real-estate agent had one ready to go and let them live in it with no deposit.”

  “I didn’t want them to know I’d paid for them or they might feel like they owed me. From what I’ve seen, that boy is very proud and wants them to make it on their own, no handouts.”

  “You still haven’t explained why you helped them.”

  He took a drink of his coffee before answering. “Is it that difficult to believe I have a decent bone in my body? That I care about the people around here, too?”

  She crossed and uncrossed her arms, not wanting to answer because she didn’t think she could lie to him. “I guess for me it is hard to believe.”

  “Why?” He set aside his coffee and cake, as he waited for her answer.

  “Probably because for years I imagined you as someone who was only interested in himself and what was easiest in life.”

  “I know why you think that, but, like you, I made a bad decision. When you needed me to stand up for you, to support you and be there for you, I left. It was easier for me to walk away, so that’s what I did.” He caught her shoulders with his hands. “I’ve regretted it many times, but I didn’t know how to fix it. That decision doesn’t define who I am. I’ve made a dozen better ones since.” He slipped his arms around her and hauled her closer to him.

  “Cade, we’re in the office.”

  “I know where we are. It’s just that when I see Regina and T.J., I think that could be us. If I’d stuck around or you’d gotten pregnant and I’d married you, my family would have disowned me. We’d have needed a helping hand. But you know, I think that life, the one I missed, could have been really special.”

  He kissed her and she held on to him. He feathered kisses across her cheek and she turned her mouth toward his for another kiss.

  “Now who’s forgetting we’re at work? You better be careful or… Brijette, are you crying?”

  She was. She struggled away from him, scrubbing at her wet skin. “Sorry, I guess I’m a little emotional or hormonal or something today.” She hurried from the room straight to the bathroom, where she grasped the sides of the sink and held on. What had she done? She’d denied her daughter her father and denied this man his child for years. She’d made a terrible decision. She’d always blamed Cade’s leaving and the offer of money for an abortion on the fact that he and his family had different beliefs, different values than she did. Things she didn’t want her daughter to learn. But since Cade had been here she’d found that he hadn’t known about the money for the abortion, didn’t even know she’d been pregnant and maybe, like her, he’d done things when he was younger that he realized were mistakes. How could she ever tell him the truth? He’d hate her. And Dylan…she’d really hate her. She splashed water on her face and patted it dry with a paper towel. Sooner or later she’d have to find a way to tell them both. But it would have to be later, not now. The thought of ending what she’d only just begun with Cade scared her to death.

  AT FOUR-THIRTY Jackson Cooper called Brijette at the clinic asking if she could come check out another house. She had no idea how long it would take and she hated to ask Norma to keep Dylan for an indefinite period of time. A patient folder landed on the counter next to her. She glanced up and Cade winked at her.

  “What are you doing this afternoon?” she asked him.

  “That depends. What do you have in mind?”

  She shook her head. “That is such a man’s answer.”

  He grinned. “Consider the source. Now, what do you want?”

  “Could you possibly get Dylan and watch her for a while? Jackson called and they need me to track.”

  “Are you sure I don’t need to go with you?”

  “No, I’ll be fine, but I really don’t want to ask Norma to keep Dylan late again.”

  “I’ll be glad to pick her up.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Brijette, I said I’d do it.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’ll owe me.” He gave her long ponytail a tug.

  From the corner of her eye she could see Emma bent over her paperwork, smiling and pretending not to listen.

  “I’ll owe you what?”

  “You’ll have to owe me. I’ll decide what later, but you could start by getting Mary Carson to lighten up with me. She’s always frowning.”

  “Give her a break, Cade. She has a hard time with her son.”

  “What’s wrong with her son?”

  Brijette could see the woman in question down the hall and she waved a hand at Cade. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

  “You still owe me.” With that he strode down the hall and disappeared into a patient room.

  She turned to Emma. “I guess I’ll have to leave early.”

  “Good thing. If you stay around here much longer you might get indebted up to your…well, you might get pretty deep in debt. But, if you have to be in debt, that’s one man I wouldn’t mind repaying.”

  Brijette pushed a chart across the desk and tried not to smile. “It’s not like that, Emma. He’s a friend, and Dylan likes him.”

  “If it’s not like that, you’re not nearly as smart as I thought you were.”

  Brijette gathered her things and left the clinic. Could her life come full circle like this? At seventeen, she’d thought Cade would be the last man she’d ever love. Now, nearly ten years later, that still held t
rue. Not because she’d planned it or tried to hold on to what she’d felt for him. All that had died when she’d suffered what she’d thought had been his betrayal. Or had it? The thought of him melted her insides. Maybe Cade was exactly what she needed.

  THE SUN had started to sink below the trees when Brijette finished her appraisal of the tracks at the house by the river.

  “What do you think, Brij?”

  She took the sheets off her clipboard. “I made notes on all the prints that I mapped. Three of them match the ones at the other house. They must have moved here when you found the other place. There’s one set that’s nothing like the others. Those four are all over the property and continue along the trail to the river.”

  Jackson tugged at the radio on his belt. “Yeah, they keep conveniently picking these houses near the river, which tells us they’re moving stuff that way.”

  “There’s also another set of prints that I only found a few of. It’s like this guy came by once or twice but wasn’t here regularly. I found the same set at the other house. The imprint leaves a design that looks as if it’s from an expensive kind of boot, and the person has a bit of an odd gait. Nothing major—you might not even notice it when he’s walking but it’s there, in the tracks.”

  Jackson took the papers from her hand and stuffed them in a folder.

  “Rumor around town is that whoever’s behind this is a community member, maybe even a prominent citizen who everybody knows and would never suspect.”

  Brijette snorted. “Oh, please. That’s a small-town urban legend. Every time there’s a major crime around here, people want to say it’s someone we know who’s leading a double life.”

  Jackson grinned. “Well, rumor is often based on fact.”

  “Let’s hope this isn’t one of those times. I’m through here. I’ll be going, but call me if you need me.”

  Brijette left for her car. She had to pick up Dylan at Cade’s house. It would be incredibly easy to get used to having help with her daughter. Too easy.

  CADE GRABBED Brijette’s arm as she hurried past him in the clinic. “What’s up with Mary’s son? She called in this morning to say he was sick and she had to stay home with him. He’s grown, right?”

  “Yes, he’s grown.”

  “So why does she have to stay home with her grown son?”

  “I don’t know, Cade. But he’s had a lot of drug problems over the years, been in and out of rehab.”

  He raked a hand through his hair. “Wait, did you say a nurse who works here has a son with a drug problem?”

  Brijette wrinkled her forehead. “Yeah, I said that.”

  “Brij, come on, we’re missing prescription pads. How hard is it to make the connection?”

  “No, Cade. She’s worked here since before I came. I can’t believe she’d do something illegal.”

  “I’m not saying she has, but maybe her son.”

  “He never comes here.”

  A patient emerged from one of the exam rooms and walked to the front. “It’s something we need to consider.”

  She nodded slowly. “You’re right. It’s not something I want to think about, but we can’t ignore the possibility.”

  He loosened his grip on her arm to take her hand. “That’s all I’m asking. Hey, come to dinner at my house tonight.”

  Brijette appeared startled. “Dylan can’t come tonight.”

  He stared at her pointedly. “I know.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  He’d finally deciphered Dylan’s game plan. She’d decided on a new approach to get him to stay in Cypress Landing—which was why she’d phoned him last night to say she’d be spending the night with a friend and would he have dinner with her mother? She didn’t want her mom to be by herself. He was glad to do it, thrilled even. As Brijette entered an exam room to see a patient, he smiled to himself.

  “You’re such a pushover, Wheeler.”

  Andy had paused beside him in the hallway. “You think?”

  “Absolutely, but since she’s the only female I’ve ever seen you give more than a few minutes of your time, I guess that’s okay.”

  Cade rubbed his forehead. “You’re right. I never thought of that before.”

  “Maybe you should consider the fact that you haven’t been seriously interested in any other woman but this one in the whole time I’ve known you. And I’ve known you since grade school.”

  Andy didn’t leave, but waited quietly, as if expecting an answer, though Cade wasn’t sure of the question. He did, however, have one important thing on his mind.

  “What would you say if I told you I might stay on here at the clinic?”

  The other man smiled. “I’d say it’s the smartest thing I’ve heard come out of your mouth in a while. Not counting that invitation you just gave the woman you’re in love with.”

  Cade nearly dropped his chart. “We’re not…I mean, I’m not…” Was he?

  Andy smacked him on the back. “Of course you are, and she is, too.”

  “Do you really think she feels that way?” He couldn’t read Brijette well enough to see the signs that she loved him.

  “I know she does. Everyone at this clinic knows, and I don’t mind telling you we’re all a bit tired of waiting for the two of you to get together. So would you do something about it?” He picked up a lab report for his next patient.

  Andy walked away and Cade leaned against the wall. Falling in love with Brijette again hadn’t been hard. He’d simply had to unloose that part inside of him that had never stopped loving her. Had she done the same thing? He pushed open the exam-room door to see his next patient.

  A FEW HOURS LATER Cade sat in his kitchen, watching Brijette slice tomatoes. “The grill’s hot. I’m going to the deck to start the steaks. Come out when you’re ready.”

  “Okay,” she called over her shoulder.

  Before going outside, he slipped behind her and kissed the side of her neck. “I needed to do that.”

  “Get cooking. I’m starved.” She pointed the knife at him threateningly.

  He obeyed, wondering how long it would take him to convince her he was serious about staying in Cypress Landing, and serious about her and Dylan.

  The question was still on his mind when she joined him on the deck.

  “This is beautiful.” She tipped her wineglass toward the backyard. “Do you miss the city?”

  He opened the grill to check the steaks, then sat in a chair next to her. “You’ve got to be kidding. No, I don’t miss it. How could anybody sit where we are and miss the streetlights and traffic?”

  She swirled the wine in her glass. “Some people would.”

  He leaned farther back in the chair and stared up at the late-evening sky. “Not me.”

  “So, why don’t you stay?”

  He kept his gaze skyward. Why didn’t he? Everything he wanted was right here.

  “Cade, is the grill supposed to smoke like that?”

  He jumped to his feet and flipped the lid on the grill to find flames licking at their supper. He scooped the steaks onto a platter and slammed the top down, twisting the knob on the grill to the off position, then waved the tray of near-burnt steaks in front of her. “They’re done.”

  She bent forward in her chair, laughing, spilling wine on the wooden deck. He pulled her to her feet and into the house. The platter clinked on the granite countertop as he set it down to reach for the plates, only to be stopped by Brijette’s hand on his arm.

  “You never answered my question.”

  Her sooty black eyes held his and the thought of making an offhanded comment melted away. She wanted the truth, and damn if he didn’t want to give it to her. His fingers tightened on the edge of the counter behind him.

  “I’d like to stay. What would you think if I did?”

  She took his hand so his palm rested flat on her chest, his fingertips brushing the base of her throat.

  “I want you to stay here, Cade. I want it very much.”

  His hand slid fr
om her chest to the nape of her neck and he brought her mouth to his in a rush. Their lips met with a force of passion unsatisfied for years. She grabbed his shoulders and his free arm went around her waist, while his other hand held her locked to him, their lips and tongues colliding with more hunger than he’d ever known. He started to move from the counter and they stumbled until Brijette’s hips banged against the island in the middle of the kitchen. Her upper body bent toward the countertop and he crushed her against him. Her fingers found the buttons of his shirt, and for a moment he thought of picking her up and carrying her to his bedroom, but she shoved his arms from her and tugged his shirt over his head, dropping it to the floor. Her mouth inched along the side of his neck, then farther down across his chest. His body shivered and he held on to the counter with one hand, tangling the other in the midnight strands of her hair.

  He hadn’t wanted anyone like this in years, maybe never. At least not since he’d fallen in love with Brijette the first time. He slowly began to work loose the buttons of her shirt, slipping his hands inside to touch her warm skin. When she pulled him to her, his last sane thought was that this was going to happen right here, with no discussion, no conversation, just the two of them desperately rushing toward the fire that had been burning between them for too long.

  CADE WASN’T SURE how long he’d been asleep, but moonlight through the wide window illuminated his bedroom. He patted his hand across the bed, searching for Brijette, but only met empty space. Turning his head slightly on the pillow, he saw her curled up on the window seat across the room. They’d finally left the kitchen and hauled their dinner to his room on a large tray. In the middle of his bed, they’d eaten the warmed-over steaks. He’d never had a night like this. When they were younger their moments had been stolen wherever they could.

  He got up, taking the rumpled top sheet with him, and padded naked to the window. He sat behind Brijette, wrapping the sheet around both of them and tossing aside the light quilt she’d been covered with.

  “What are you doing over here?”

  She tried to look at him and he kissed her cheek. “I’m thinking that I need to go home. What if Dylan needs me early in the morning and I’m not there?”