Cowgirls Don't Cry(13)

“Why me first? Why not Tell or Dalton or your folks?”


How did he phrase this?

You’ve gone too far to worry about sparing her feelings now.

“Because this isn’t happy news for you, Jess.”


Her mouth trembled and he watched as she fought to stop it. She inhaled. Exhaled. “But it will be happy news for them.”


Brandt nodded.

“Jesus. This is a nightmare. Just when I think it can’t get worse, it does. Just when I think Luke McKay can’t possibly hurt me any more than he already has, he does.”


He didn’t dispute it, which forced her to meet his gaze.

She paled further, if that were possible. “It gets worse, doesn’t it?”


“Afraid so. Look, Samantha has had a rough go of it. She’s young, a single parent with no one to turn to, so she’s made some mistakes.”


“What kind of mistakes?”


“She got a DUI when Landon was six months old. She managed mostly to stay on the straight and narrow…until two months ago.”


“What did she do?”


“Got a second DUI.”


Jessie’s mouth dropped open. “Are you joking?”


He shook his head.

“Is that why she contacted you? To bail her out of jail?”


“No. She contacted me after the arrest because she knew she’d be sent to jail. She moved away from the guy she’d shacked up with and moved back in with her aunt. But the aunt can’t take care of Landon. So she needs…”


“Oh no. Please tell me you didn’t volunteer to—”


“What choice do I have?” He stood and paced to the door and back. “If one of Landon’s blood relatives doesn’t take him, her aunt will turn the child over to Protective Services.”


“It sounds like the kid will be a helluva lot better off with a child protection agency than with her,”


Jessie snapped.

Brandt froze. “You don’t mean that.”


“Yes, I do. She’s a perfect example of why there are these types of agencies, Brandt. Let them deal with her and with the kid. They’re more qualified to make a rational decision about—”


“The only living link I’ll ever have to my dead brother? I’m just supposed to say, oh well, not my problem? Not care? He’s little more than a baby, Jess. None of this is his fault. Don’t you see that? I’m sorry, but I can’t walk away. I won’t.”


“Fine. You can’t. I get that. But I don’t understand what any of this has to do with me.”


Here was the moment of truth. He knelt in front of her. “Because I can’t do this by myself. I need your help.”


“No.”


“Just hear me out.”


“No. God. No. Stop. Brandt. Please. Just stop.”


The look on her face was killing him, but somehow he soldiered on. “It’s a temporary situation. Just a few months.”


“You can’t be serious. You really aren’t asking me to help you take care of my dead husband’s illegitimate child.”


“That’s exactly what I’m asking.”


“Oh God, I’m gonna be sick.” She shoved him aside so hard he fell on his ass and she raced to the kitchen sink.

Her retching sounds, mixed with her heartbreaking sobs, made his eyes burn and his throat tighten.