Lone Star Father

“I met Jessie for the first time six months ago when social services contacted me after her mother died.”

“The girl’s mother is dead?” Gramps asked.

“Stacy died in a workplace accident. My name was listed on Jessie’s birth certificate. A DNA test confirmed that I’m her father.”

Gramps sipped his coffee. “Where’s Jessie been all this time?”

“El Paso.” Reid rubbed his brow. He’d never learn why Stacy hadn’t reached out to him after she discovered she was pregnant. Her reasons had been cremated along with her body.

“I don’t remember any Stacy that we went to school with,” Logan said.

“She wasn’t from here.”

“Where did she live?” Gunner asked.

“I don’t know. The subject never came up at Jason Zelder’s house party where we had sex. Once.” Stacy had latched onto Reid when he’d walked through the front door and hadn’t let go until after they’d made out in his grandfather’s pickup in the driveway. “Stacy left the party with her friends and I never heard from her again.”

Gramps thumped his fist on the tabletop and they all jumped. “Why’d you wait six months to tell me about my great-granddaughter?”

“I wasn’t sure Jessie wanted anything to do with me.”

“What do you mean?” Gramps asked.

“The social worker suggested a six-month probation period for us to get to know each other. I quit my job in Albuquerque and moved to El Paso. At the end of six months Jessie agreed to leave her foster parents’ home and go with me.”

“So you got custody of her,” Gunner said.

“Temporary custody. The caseworker will reevaluate our situation in the next couple of months and either recommend that a judge give me permanent custody or place Jessie back into the foster-care system.” If he wanted to keep his daughter with him, Reid had to provide Jessie with a stable home life and a decent place to live. Right now they had neither of those things.

Logan crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m surprised you’d want anything to do with your daughter after the way you wrote off your family.”

Reid’s knuckles turned white against the beer bottle. “I think it’s the other way around.”

Their grandfather sliced his hand through the air, ending the tit for tat before it escalated. “How do you plan to show the social worker that Jessie belongs with us?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know the first thing about being a father.” And growing up, his father hadn’t been a good role model.

“I won’t be any help. As a first-time daddy I’m flying by the seat of my jeans.” Gunner nudged Logan’s arm. “You’ve been a father longer than I have.”

“Only by a few months,” Logan said. “I love the twins as if they were my own, but they’re a lot younger than Jessie. And they’re boys. I wouldn’t know what to do with a preteen daughter.”

“I got plenty of experience riding herd over teenage troublemakers,” Gramps said. “How long are you staying?”

“If I can find a job and a place for Jessie and I to live, then we’ll stay until the social worker makes her decision.”

“What about school?” Logan asked.

“Jessie’s mother and foster mother homeschooled her. I don’t know anything about that stuff, so she’ll have to go to the middle school in Mesquite.”

“We can make room for you two at the ranch,” Gramps said.

Logan raised his hand. “I need to check with Sadie first to see if it’s okay with two more people moving into the house.”

Reid didn’t want to add stress to his brother’s marriage and he didn’t want to kick Scarlett out of his grandfather’s bedroom. “If you can put Jessie up at the house, I’ll stay at the motel.” He nodded to Gunner. “I’ll pay for the room.”

“How are you supposed to bond with your daughter if you’re not living together?” Gramps asked.

“It’s only temporary,” Reid said. “Once I find a job, I’ll rent an apartment.” Living a few miles away from his family would give him a little breathing room.

“You’ve finally come home after all these years,” his grandfather said. “I won’t have you living in another town.” He rubbed the whiskers on his chin. “What about bunking down in the old hunting cabin at the back of the property?”

“I appreciate the thought, Gramps,” Reid said. “But it might be easier—” and less stress on the entire family “—if we find an apartment.”

“If you want our help,” Gramps said, “then you and Jessie should live at the ranch.”

Reid liked the idea of Jessie being closer to family and if they used the cabin, he’d be closer to Scarlett, who he hadn’t stopped thinking about since yesterday. And suddenly the thought of running into Scarlett on a regular basis appealed to Reid.

“What do you say?” Gramps said. “The cabin needs a good cleaning, but Jessie would have her own bedroom.”

“Sure. We’ll give it a try.”

Logan hadn’t said a word and Reid suspected his brother wasn’t thrilled with the living arrangements.

Gramps changed the subject. “Gunner, what time are you bringing Lydia and the baby home from the hospital tomorrow?”

“At noon,” Gunner said. “Why?”

“Stop by the ranch on your way into town. The women are cooking up a surprise party for the baby.”

“You weren’t supposed to tell Gunner,” Logan said.

Their grandfather scoffed. “Men don’t care about parties.”

“I need to get back to the hospital.” Gunner stood and pushed his chair in. “Thanks again for the car seat, Logan. It was easy to install.” Gunner turned to Reid. “Welcome home.”

After the youngest Hardell departed, Logan stood. “I’ve got to get back to the ranch. A group of trail riders arrives in a couple of hours.”

Reid wanted to learn more about the changes at the ranch but kept his questions to himself. If he and Jessie were moving into the cabin, he’d find out soon enough why a cattle ranch had been turned into a tourist attraction.

Logan placed his cowboy hat on his head. “You leaving or staying, Gramps?”

“I got a meeting with the town council at the library.”

“Town council?” Reid looked at his grandfather.

“Gramps is the mayor of Stampede,” Logan said. “You would know that if you’d come home before now.” He walked out of the bar.

“Don’t mind your brother. He’s a Hardell. We’re all too stubborn for our own good.”