An Heir for the Texan Page 14
“I told her not to say anything until I could tell you myself.”
“Is it serious?”
“Just some minor blockage. They did one of those angioplasty procedures and stuck some sort of tube in my artery. Now I’m good as new.”
“I’m so sorry.” And she was. “I wish I would’ve known.”
“The only thing you need to know is I had a wake-up call. I’ve been a fool and prideful and a sorry excuse for a father. That comes to an end today.”
“I appreciate that, Daddy.”
That earned her a grin. “Been a long time since you called me that. I love you, princess. And I’m done being an old stubborn goat. I’m ready to meet my grandboy.”
That earned him a hug. “I’m so glad we have this behind us. Chance needs his grandfather a lot. He hasn’t had a solid male influence for five years.”
Her father’s expression melted into a frown. “No surprise there. Austin Calloway is a no-account tail chaser, just like his dad.”
Clearly Lila hadn’t hidden Georgie’s secrets. “How long have you known?”
“When your mother told me you were coming back to town. She has some crazy idea that you and Calloway are going to set up house and raise your son together.”
Considering she hadn’t heard a word from Austin, that was highly unlikely. “Did Mom also tell you that Austin was unaware that he had a child?”
He inclined his head and studied her straight on. “Was?”
“I told him about Chance a few days ago.”
“Is the jackass here?”
She shook her head. “No, he’s not here. He’s still trying to get over the shock.”
He sent her a skeptic’s look. “If you believe that, then I’ve got some swampland to sell you.”
After what her father had done to her, Georgie felt the need to defend Austin. “You’re wrong about him, Dad. He’s a good man.”
“He wasn’t man enough to ask permission to date you when you two were in school. He just continued to sneak around behind my back.”
Lila had evidently provided a wealth of knowledge. “Neither of us wanted to tell you or J.D. because you two were still acting like kindergarten rivals.”
“That’s because J.D. tried to...” Both his words and gaze faltered. “Never mind.”
“Not fair, Dad. You apparently know about my life, now it’s time you tell me more about yours. What did J.D. do to you aside from compete in the cattle business?”
“He dated your mother before me,” he muttered.
Georgie couldn’t hold back a laugh. “That’s it? You two had an ongoing feud because J.D. went out with Mom? That’s rich considering you married her. And best I can recall, he married Carol.”
He shook out his hat and shoved it on his head. “I’m ready to get off this subject and get on with the business of meeting my grandson.”
“I’m all for that.”
Georgie led him to the house where he followed her through the front door. They came upon Chance hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree she’d purchased yesterday, a seven-foot fragrant pine that had been the last decent selection on the lot.
“Hey, little man,” she said. “I have someone I want you to meet.”
Chance hooked a red globe over one limb, turned around and stared in awe. “Are you my dad?”
Lila smiled. “No, sweetheart, but he’s the next best thing. This is your grandpa.”
“Grandpa George?” he asked without a hint of disappointment in his tone. “My grandma said you were gone a lot.”
Her dad stepped forward and took off his hat. “Yep, I’ve been gone far too long. And you must be Chance.”
Her son nodded his head and grinned. “Chance William Romero.”
“Well, bud, looks like you’ve got my middle name,” George said in an awed tone. “Do you like to go fishin’?”
“Haven’t gone fishin’ yet,” Chance said.
Amazingly, the grandfather took his grandson’s hand and led him to the sofa. “Let’s sit a spell and I’ll tell you all about how to cast a line...”
Georgie began to finish the decorating tasks, all the while counting her blessings over the scene playing out before her. She’d almost given up believing that her dad would accept his grandson, much less begin a precious relationship with him. And if any more time passed, she would be forced to give up on Austin.
She wondered if it might be too much to ask for one more holiday miracle.
Ten
It would take a miracle if Austin survived this visit without incurring Georgie’s wrath. For the past five days, he’d developed a plan that could smooth over his disregard, if she didn’t kick him off her rented ranch.
Before he could climb out of the truck, his cell sounded, and he didn’t even have to look to see who might be calling. If he ignored it, he’d have hell to pay. If he answered, he would only be further delayed. He answered it anyway.
“Yeah, Jen?”
“Have you done it yet?”
“I just got here.”
“Oh, good. If all goes well, Maria and I want you to invite everyone to dinner.”
He might not even get in the front door. “You’re jumping the gun a little there. I don’t even know if Georgie will see me yet.”
“She will, sugar. Best of luck and we’ll see you, Georgie and the little guy soon.”
Before he could debate that point, Jen, with her overblown optimism, hung up. Now he had to return to the starting line and begin the mental race to the finish.
Gathering all his courage, he exited the truck and sprinted up the steps to the porch. He checked his back pocket for the gift, rehearsed what he planned to say and then finally knocked.
He expected Georgie to open the door, but what he got was her mother. Not a good way to begin his groveling.
Lila laid a hand beneath her throat like she might start choking. “Oh, my. Hello, Austin.”
He took off his hat and nodded. “Nice to see you ma’am. Is Georgie here?”
“Yes. It’s Christmas morning.”
Good going, Calloway. “Mind if I have a word with her?”
“Wait here and I’ll go get her.”
He wasn’t exactly surprised that he hadn’t been invited in, and that was probably best. If George Romero happened to be there, Austin would risk getting a right hook as a greeting.
He paced around the porch for a few minutes until he heard, “What are you doing here, Austin?”
When he turned around, Austin would swear his heart skipped several beats, and it had nothing to do with his giant case of the nerves. Just seeing Georgie again served to confirm he had done the right thing, even if the end result could include her rejection.
He decided to lay it all on the line, beginning with their child. “I did a lot of soul-searching over the past few days, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve already missed too much time with our son.”
She folded her arms across her middle. “I’m glad. He needs to get to know you before he’s any older.”
One issue resolved, several more to go. “I plan to start on that immediately, and you need to be aware that I’m going to be there to support him and not only financially. I want to be part of his life in every way, including school and whatever extracurricular activities he chooses to do, and I’m banking on teaching him to rope.”
He saw a mix of happiness and disappointment in her eyes. “That all sounds wonderful, Austin. We can work together to give him a good life. You can count on me to be cooperative when it comes to visitation. We’ll work out a schedule.”
She didn’t understand he didn’t give a damn about a schedule, but she would. “I haven’t covered the most important aspect of our arrangement.”
“Then please, continue,” she said in a frigid tone.
“First, I have a question. Is your dad in the house?”
She looked confused. “Yes, but—”
“Could you send him out here?”
“Are you sure you want to do that?”
Not really. “Yeah. I have to talk to him before we continue this conversation.”
“All right, I’ll try. But I can’t guarantee he’ll do it.”
If Old George wanted to be pigheaded, he’d have to go in after him. Fortunately that didn’t happen when Georgie went inside and returned with her dad in tow, looking none too pleased to be there.
“Merry Christmas, sir,” Austin said, even though he realized the man didn’t look like he embraced the holiday spirit.
“What do you want, Calloway?” George asked, confirming Austin’s theory.
“I have a question to ask you before I finish my talk with Georgie.”
“Let me make this easy on you. No, I don’t want you here, and yes, you should get in that fancy truck and head for the hills.”
“Behave, Dad,” Georgie scolded. “You can at least hear what he has to say before you send him packing.”
“Fine,” George said grudgingly. “But make it quick.”
He drew in a breath and released it slowly. “Mr. Romero, I’ve screwed up a time or two in my life, but my biggest mistake was letting Georgie go without a fight, even if it meant going into battle against you and my dad. Hell, when she didn’t meet me that day I left for college, I should have come looking for her.”
Georgie touched his arm. “What are you talking about?”
“I went to your house and gave your mom a card that asked you to meet me at the old windmill. I planned to invite you to join me at school once you graduated.”
“I never got that card,” she said, anger in her tone. “I definitely have a bone to pick with Mom.”
“I tore it up,” George muttered, drawing both their attention.
Now Georgie looked furious. “Excuse me, Dad?”
“You heard me. I took it from your mother, read it and shredded it.” He pointed at Austin. “You should be glad I didn’t know you were taking her behind the shed.”
That explained a lot, and fed Austin’s resentment toward this man. But in the interest of keeping the peace, he tempered his anger. “As pissed off as I am over your actions, it really doesn’t matter now. What’s done is done. We can’t go back.” Although he wished they could.
“Yes, it does matter,” Georgie said. “I’ve always blamed you for not saying goodbye before you took off for college. Why didn’t you tell me this before now?”
Austin shrugged. “I thought you had your reasons, the main one being we were on different paths. I figured you decided our relationship had run its course.”
“If I had known, I would have been there.”
Austin wanted to kiss her, but he still had business to tend to. “Back to the question at hand.” He turned to Georgie’s dad. “Mr. Romero, I’m going to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage, and if she decides to accept my proposal, I hope we have your and Mrs. Romero’s blessing.”
Georgie stared and George glared, while Austin just stood there, waiting for someone to speak. Her dad came through first. “I’d like to tell you hell no, you’re not going to get my blessing, but you’re going to do what you want anyway, so go for it. As far as my wife is concerned, she had visions of the two of you hitched the minute Georgie came back to town. Now get your proposing out of the way before your boy wakes up and wonders if his mama ran off with Santa.”
When the man returned inside, Austin decided to proceed as planned, even though he worried Georgie’s continuing silence indicated she wasn’t too keen on the idea. He’d find out real soon.
He pulled the box from his pocket and set it on the railing, then withdrew the ring before turning to Georgie. “Darlin’, there is no one else on this earth that I want to wake up to every morning and go to bed with every night. I’ve made my share of mistakes, but having you as my wife wouldn’t be one of them. I’d be proud and honored if you would marry me.”
“This marriage proposal isn’t because of Chance, is it?” she asked, the first sign of tears in her eyes.
“No, sweetheart. I want to spend my life with you because I love you. Always have. Always will.”
“And you’re absolutely sure you want to do this marriage thing again?”
“Sure as sunrise.”
“I can be a handful.”
“So can I. But together, we’re pretty damn perfect.”
Finally, she smiled. “Then yes, Austin Calloway, I will marry you, with or without my father’s blessing. I love you, too. Very much.”
“That’s all I need to hear.” Smiling, he slid the sapphire-and-diamond ring on her finger and waited for her response to the surprise.
She studied it for a moment before recognition dawned in her expression and her gaze shot to his. “This is the ring from the silent auction. I had no idea you bid on it.”
“I didn’t. I had to hunt down the guy who won it and pay twice the amount to take it off his hands when I saw how much you wanted it that night. I may not have consciously believed it would be an engagement ring, but deep down I probably realized that it should be.”
She threw her arms around his neck, then kissed him soundly. “You’re too much. And this is too much.”
The joy in her eyes said it all. “Darlin’, nothing is too much for my future bride. But before we make this official, I probably need to ask the little man’s permission, too.”
She placed a hand to her mouth. “I hadn’t thought about Chance. I think we should probably ease him into the idea. Meeting you on Christmas morning is a lot for a five-year-old to handle.”
His first lesson in fatherhood. “Let’s just play it by ear.”
She let him go and reached for the door. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Austin followed Georgie inside and surveyed the room, only to discover George seated in a chair, watching some cartoon on the TV mounted over a fireplace decked out with stockings. The Christmas tree positioned in the corner had been decorated in red and green, and a slew of unopened presents reminded Austin of what he’d forgotten.
“I’ll be right back,” he said as he headed outside and sprinted to the truck, then returned with the first gift for his son. He planned to give him many more—the most important, his time.
When he heard voices, a woman’s and a child’s, he clutched the package and waited anxiously for the moment he laid his eyes on his son. He didn’t have to wait long before a brown-haired, hazel-eyed boy wearing pajamas dotted with bucking broncos padded into the room. Austin’s first reaction—he looked just like his mother. His second—he couldn’t have imagined the impact on his emotions. He hadn’t known he would feel so strongly. He couldn’t be more proud to be his dad. He only hoped his son shared his feelings.
With Lila following behind him, Chance pulled up short the second he spotted Austin, then he grinned. “You’re that guy we saw at the calf roping. Mama’s friend.”
Before Austin could respond, Georgie gestured Chance to her, turned him around and rested her hands on his shoulders. “This is Austin Calloway, Chance. Austin, meet Chance.”
He hesitated a moment before he approached slowly and knelt at his child’s level. “It’s great to finally meet you, bud. This is for you.”
Chance took the offered present and looked it over. “Can I open it now?”
Austin turned his attention to Georgie who nodded. “Go ahead.”
The boy tore into the package in record time, then pulled out the baseball glove from the box. “Wow. I don’t have one of these.”
“My dad gave me that whe
n I was about your age,” Austin said. “I figure we can play a little catch someday soon.”
Chance wrinkled his nose. “Won’t your dad be mad ’cause you gave it to me?”
He didn’t have the heart to tell his son that he wouldn’t ever know his grandfather. “Nope,” he said as he straightened. “He’d be pleased.”
Georgie ruffled Chance’s hair. “Sweetie, before we open the rest of your gifts, we need to have a little talk.”
Chance glanced back at her. “Aw, Mom. Do we hafta?”
She smiled. “Yes, but this has to do with something you wanted from Santa.”
“A pony?” he asked.
“We’ll get to that later,” Georgie said. “Mom, Dad, do you mind if we have a few minutes alone?”
“Come on, George,” Lila said. “You can help me make breakfast for a change.”
George stood and muttered under his breath as he followed his wife out of the living room.
Georgie swept her hand toward the navy-colored sofa. “Let’s have a seat.”
After they settled in with Chance between them, Austin regarded Georgie. “Do you want me to go first?”
“I think you should,” she said, wariness in her tone.
Austin shifted slightly so he could gauge his son’s reaction. “Chance, I’ve known your mom for a long time. We went to school together.”
“Kindergarten?” he asked.
“Yep, and all the way through high school.”
“We were boyfriend and girlfriend,” Georgie added. “Do you know what that is?”
Chance sent them both a sour look. “Yeah. That means you kissed and stuff.”
After she and Austin exchanged a smile, Georgie continued. “Austin and I cared about each other very much. We still do.”
When Georgie went silent and looked at him, Austin figured that was his cue. “I’m not only your mama’s friend, bud, I’m your dad.”
Chance stared at him without speaking, then his smile came out of hiding. “Santa sent you to me?”
Austin chuckled. “I guess you could say that, seeing how it’s Christmas morning. How do you feel about this?”