Heather Teston
BRAD
“How would you and Mommy like to come to Texas and see my ranch?” Brad said.
“Are we going to live there with you?” Jessie squealed with childlike delight.
“No, honey,” Cassie said. “We’re just going for a visit.”
“But Mommy, we’re a family now. We have to live together.”
Brad could see how hard it was for Cassie as she tried to explain. She was obviously upset, and his heart went out to her.
“Jessie, Mommy and I aren’t married, and we’re not going to be living together. But you’re going to be spending a lot of time there.”
Jessie scrunched her face up. “What’s a ranch, Daddy?”
Hearing her call him Daddy felt so amazing he almost lost it, close to tears for the second time that morning. He managed to laugh.
“It’s a large piece of land with a big house on it. We have horses and cows, chickens. There’s a river close by where we can go fishing and swimming.”
“Can we go, Mommy? Can we?” Jessie asked, jumping up and down.
“Yes, baby, we can go.”
Brad stood up. “Then it’s settled,” he said. “We’ll leave tomorrow. For now, I have to get ready; I have a meeting to go to.” He took out his wallet and handed Cassie his credit card.
“What’s this for?” she asked.
“Go shopping while I’m gone. You’ll both need clothes and boots to wear on the ranch. Get whatever you need. And Cassie, get some new sleepwear. Maybe something silky and sexy.”
She rolled her eyes and looked away, saying just loud enough for him to hear, “As if you’ll see me in them.”
He winked at her, gave Jessie a kiss, and headed to his room to get dressed.
CASSIE
That night, once Brad got home from work, Jessie showed him everything she had gotten: blue jeans, button-up tops, boots, and a little cowboy hat.
“I love it all,” he said. “You picked well. What did Mommy get?”
“Oh, she just got boots and some pretty nightgowns to wear to bed. Wanna see them, Daddy?”
Cassie’s face turned red. “No, baby, Daddy doesn’t need to see them.”
Brad gave her a smirk. “Glad you took my suggestion. When do I get to see them on you?”
“You can wipe that smile off your face. They aren’t what you ‘suggested’ I get. I needed nightgowns and a robe, so that’s what I got.”
“Is that all you got yourself?” he asked.
“Yes, and boots.”
“Okay then. Would you mind if I take Jessie out for ice cream? I’d like to get to know her a little better.”
Cassie looked over at Jessie, who was jumping up and down, excited. How could she say no now? “Well, don’t be late, and don’t let her eat too much.”
“Yay!” Jessie yelled, running to put on her new boots.
***
Cassie paced back and forth, checking the time. It seemed as though they had been gone for hours, and when she finally heard the door to the suite open, she sighed in relief.
“Where were you? I was getting worried,” she said, picking Jessie up and kissing her cheek.
“We went shopping, Mommy. Daddy bought you clothes.”
Cassie turned sharply to Brad, seeing the bags he had carried in. Her eyes flashed with anger, and she put Jessie down and told her to go color in the bedroom.
Once Jessie was out of earshot, she turned furiously to Brad. “Take them back,” she yelled.
“Can’t. I threw the receipts away.” He smirked.
“I’m not a charity case. I don’t need you buying me clothes.” She was shaking with anger.
Brad ran his hand through his hair. “You wouldn’t buy anything, so I did it for you. Don’t be so uptight. Just accept them and say thank you.” He walked past her into the kitchen, grabbing a beer.
She scoffed and cursed him under her breath as she reluctantly carried the bags into the bedroom.
As she went through what he had bought, her anger slowly dissipated. He had really gone all out. There were jeans, tops, dresses, and even matching bra and underwear sets.
I have to admit, the clothes are really nice, she thought grudgingly. ~He’s got good taste. Even got my size right. Doesn’t have to be such a stubborn jerk though.~
She tried on one of the dresses, a beautiful red sundress, and looked at herself in the full-length mirror hung on the wall.
Seeing herself dressed up made her realize how much she missed nice clothes, but she didn’t let the thought linger for long. Jessie is worth more than beautiful things.
Brad called her to dinner, and she pulled on a cozy sweatshirt and a new pair of jeans. When she walked into the kitchen, he raised his eyebrow.
“Thank you for the clothes. You did an okay job,” she said, shrugging.
They managed to make it through dinner without fighting. Later, after Jessie was given her bath, Cassie decided to take a relaxing tub.
“Would you mind watching Jessie while I have a bath?” she asked Brad.
“It would be my pleasure,” he answered. “Does this mean I’ll get to see you in one of those new nightgowns?”
“Only if you can see through a robe,” she said gruffly.
He chuckled. “Take as long as you want. I can read her a bedtime story.”
“No, I’ll do that,” she said quickly. “I’ll be done before she goes to bed.”
Cassie walked toward the bathroom, pausing for a second when she saw Jessie jumping up on the sofa and Brad wrapping his arm around her.
Seeing them cuddle sent a pang of jealousy through her heart. For all of Jessie’s short life, Cassie had been the only one she was close to. But she had taken to Brad right off.
The two had bonded so quickly, and it made her feel as though she was losing her baby.
As soon as the tub was full, she climbed in and closed her eyes. The water was warm and soothing, and before she knew it, she drifted off.
Sometime later, she woke with a start. She had no idea how long she’d been asleep, and she rushed to drain the water, dry off, and slip on her nightgown and robe.
Her face darkened when she found Brad covering up a sleeping Jessie in her bed.
“You put her to bed already? Why didn’t you wait for me? I told you I’d do it; she’s my daughter.”
Brad took her and led her out of the room, obviously not wanting to wake Jessie. “Are you forgetting she’s my daughter too?”
Tears flowed instantly down her face. “I’ve never missed a night putting her to bed. Are you going to take that away from me too?”
She knew she was behaving like a child, but she couldn’t help it. She was hurt and jealous, and her whole life had been turned upside down in only a few days.
“I’m not taking anything away from you. Tell me, what have I ever taken from you?”
She stared at Brad. How could she explain to him how she had felt when he had left her alone in that hotel room, leaving her stripped of her self-respect, her dignity?
He sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Please don’t cry. I didn’t mean any harm. She fell asleep in my arms. What would you have me do?”
He went to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, but she quickly pulled away.
“You’re right,” she said quietly, lowering her head. “You had no choice but to put her to bed. It’s just that it’s always been the two of us. I guess I have to adjust to sharing her.”
He gave her a small smile. “Let’s have a drink,” he said, heading for the wine bottle on the kitchen counter.
“No thanks. I’m tired, and I’m going to bed. Good night, Brad.”
“Cassie, wait…”
She stopped to look at him. “What?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant with my child? You could have found me.”
Cassie stared at him in disbelief as she walked up and shoved him. “You bastard, why do you think? My God, you snuck out while I was asleep, like a coward.
“It was clear what you thought of me when you left that money on the nightstand, so why would I think that you’d care? You would have accused me of trying to trap you.”
She shook her head in disgust. “Just so you know, I left that five hundred dollars you left on the table for housekeeping. I told them it was a tip.”
She turned and left the room, leaving him standing alone, not wanting to hear any excuses he tried to come up with.
BRAD
Shame overwhelmed him. She wasn’t wrong; he probably would have thought she was trying to take his money if she had told him she was pregnant after a single night together.
He poured himself a glass of wine and stared at his reflection in the dark living room window.
My God, was I really that much of a jerk that Cassie felt she couldn’t tell me about the baby? She didn’t deserve the way I treated her. I’m going to make it up to her. To both of them, he vowed.