Texas Ranger Dad

The woman’s scorn was epic.

That they’d very nearly had an altercation out in front of the church hadn’t been something he’d been prepared for. The Rose he’d known and loved had been idealistic, warmhearted—spirited, yes, but unbelievably gentle. He didn’t know the Rose sitting rigidly beside him.

Earlier, he’d watched her and her son as they’d exited their car and then walked across the gravel parking lot toward the church. She hadn’t looked happy even then. Though he hadn’t gotten a close look at her son before he’d disappeared inside the annex, he’d been surprised to realize how tall the youth was.

He had to admit that it was hard to realize that Rose had a teenage son. Seeing her with a child was another reminder of all the years Zane had foolishly let stretch between them. He had a bad feeling that his coming to Mule Hollow was a futile attempt and that no reconciliation would be had between him and the only woman he’d ever loved.

He’d known he had his work cut out for him when he came searching for her. And he’d been right.

Chapter Five

The instant Brady finished giving the final prayer, Rose left the classroom. The hallway was packed as everyone headed toward the exits before walking up the sidewalk to the front of the church for morning services.

Rose greeted everyone she had to, but was intent on getting outside and going home. No church for her today. She’d realized she couldn’t continue this way. She had to get Max home and come clean.

Her throat clogged thinking about what he was going to do. She’d lied to him about one of the most important things in his life. Rose knew now that she couldn’t take the chance on it coming out before she’d told him. Maybe she was just being paranoid thinking anyone other than Zane could possibly put the pieces together. Who could do that? No one even knew they’d known each other before. Still, irrational as it was, the fear clung to her.

Dear Lord, help me, she prayed as she walked outside. Help me. She felt like such a hypocrite asking for help when she’d been so wrong in everything she’d done.

She could hear Zane behind her at the door as he was greeted by people. The man had only been in town a few days and already seemed to know everyone. She scanned the lawn, looking for Max. She had to get to him. Not seeing him, she turned to search behind her in the moving crowd. No Max. Instead she found herself looking straight at Zane. He was mere inches from her and his eyes were troubled.

“We really need to talk,” he said quietly, leaning close. “This is not the way things need to be.”

She swallowed hard. He had no idea the strain that was weighing on her. Before she could say anything more, Esther Mae and Norma Sue were back upon them.

“Zane, yoo-hoo!” Esther Mae said, waving as she plowed the way in front of Norma Sue. “We just had to come look at you again. We can almost see who it is you look like, but it won’t come to us.” Barreling to a halt, they studied him as though he was the latest exhibit at an art show.

Rose wanted to yell fire or something! Anything to prevent this scrutiny. Her gaze slunk from them to Zane. His golden eyes were sparkling as he smiled that devastating smile of his at the older ladies. Rose’s adrenaline was pumping so she could hardly breathe. Then from the corner of her eye she saw Applegate and Stanley burst from the annex exit. They headed straight toward them. Rose groaned because their keen eyes were glued to Zane as they stopped before him. And her nightmare was about to come full circle, because Max and his friend Gil were coming out of the annex, too.

“I told ya, Stanley. I told ya,” Applegate said. “Don’t ya see it? Jest look close. It’s jest plain uncanny. That’s what it is.”

Stanley scratched his bald spot and his eyes widened. “Well, what do ya know? Yor plum right, App.” Both men looked from Zane to Max, who was approaching Rose and the rest of the gathering crowd. Rose was heading for the edge of Niagara Falls. There was nothing humanly possible that she could do to stop going over the edge.

Max and Gil came to a halt in front of Zane. Oblivious to everyone’s stares, both boys looked at Zane in awe. Max’s eyes glittered gold in the sunlight. He might as well have been wearing a sign proclaiming his identity.

“You must be the new deputy. The Texas Ranger. This is Gil and I’m Max.” He smiled openly at Zane.

The admiration in his warm eyes caused a deep ache in Rose’s heart. Her son had just met his dad and he had no idea…Shame engulfed her. Max believed his dad was a lowlife they’d had to escape and then hide from for years until he had finally given up hunting them. He was a man to be ashamed of and feared. And, now, Max was about to learn that his mother was a liar. Dear Lord, what have I done?

Esther Mae’s gasp was loud enough to draw looks from the far corners of the world. Beside her, Norma Sue’s mouth fell open. Rose felt faint and quickly scanned the gathering group. Applegate and Stanley were gaping, too. Of course, none of them realized exactly what they were seeing—they just saw the startling resemblance.

But she knew that Zane, frozen, his jaw slack, his brows dipping together over stunned eyes, knew exactly what he was looking at. His son.

Rose had no doubt that he understood what he was seeing when he tore his gaze from Max and planted them on her.

“Mom, hey,” Max said, breaking into her thoughts. “Do you feel bad? You don’t look so good.”

Rose grabbed his arm. “I—I need to go home,” she stuttered, tugging him back a step, meeting his worried eyes.

“Sure. Maybe you got a bug or something. See y’all later,” he said, glancing at the small group.

Rose did the same and didn’t miss the stunned looks everyone was still wearing.

“Do you need any help?” Esther Mae asked as did several others. “Maybe Zane could drive you home. You look like you’re going to faint.”

“No!” The last thing she needed was Zane’s help. And one look at the dark expression on his face told her a storm like nothing she’d ever seen was brewing. “I’ll be fine.” She clung to Max’s arm as they headed toward the parking lot. She could feel Zane’s eyes boring into her back and was thankful that he chose not to make a scene.

“Everyone sure was looking weird,” Max said as soon as they got in the car. “You’d think they never saw a sick woman before. You sure you can drive?”

Rose nodded and proved it by sticking the key in the ignition and twisting. Her hands shook as she put the car in Reverse, but as soon as they were heading out of the parking lot she felt a bit better. Just getting away from Zane for a moment was a relief.

“Did you see the look on Ranger Cantrell’s face?” Max asked. “He looked kind of scary. For a minute there I thought I’d done something wrong.”

Rose ran over a pothole in the pavement and the car jerked. “Sorry,” she gasped as she and Max bounced roughly. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Max laughed. “I figured that out soon as I looked at you. Who’d have thought a Ranger would be scared of a woman upchucking!”

Rose didn’t laugh as she glanced at Max. He was so happy.

He met her eyes. “Mom, what’s wrong? You look like you’re about to cry,” he said, and the smile immediately faded from his face. “Mom?”

Rose inhaled and glued her eyes to the road. How was she going to tell him what was really wrong with Zane?

“Mom, please tell me you aren’t fixin’ to tell me we’re leaving.”

“You okay?” Applegate asked. His loud voice added to the pounding in Zane’s head. It brought him back to his surroundings and he became aware of Norma Sue and Esther Mae whispering to each other while Applegate and Stanley openly stared at him. They’d seen exactly what he’d seen. But, obviously, they didn’t know the truth of it.

They didn’t understand that it wasn’t some uncanny fluke that Max and him looked so much alike. In reality if it hadn’t been for the eyes and the smile they would have only resembled each other like people do. But it was the Cantrell eyes and smile that had them speechless. They didn’t know that the genetic pool had been passing that same magnetic smile and glittering, amber eye color to Cantrell men for generations.

He had a son.

Rose hadn’t said so—she didn’t need to. Max was his. It had been like looking at a teenage version of himself. How could this be?

His head was pounding like it would explode. For nearly fifteen years he’d believed that Rose was the most honest woman he’d ever met and her integrity was above reproach. How could she have kept this from him? He focused on the group around him. Focused on covering up the emotions that were raw and exposed.

“I’m fine,” he said.

Stanley scratched his head. “That thar is jest plain somethin’. It’d been a shock to me, too, ta see somebody wearin’ my face.”

“’At’s the truth,” Applegate grunted. “I told ya him and Max looked alike. It’s the eyes and that thar smile.”

“The two of you could be related,” Esther Mae said. “Me and Norma Sue were speechless there for a minute.”

“And that’s saying a whole heap.” Applegate cocked a bushy gray brow at him. “It jest don’t never happen.”

Stanley wagged his head to and fro. “Esther Mae’s right, though.”

“Son, did you and Rose—” Norma Sue began, then slammed her mouth shut and colored slightly. “Forget I said that.”