This Calder Sky (Calder Saga 3)

“My mother wouldn’t lie to me about that! She wouldn’t!”

“I’m not saying your mother lied. Maybe some man just told her that he was me and she believed him. I’m sorry, kid, but I don’t know your mother. I’ve never heard of her.” He walked to the door and opened it.

“Well, she knew you!” the boy raged. “She lived here! That’s how I knew where to find you!”

Chase stopped, holding the door open with one hand while he turned to frown at the boy. “Where did she live?”

The boy’s teeth were clenched together to hold back the sobs. “She said you wouldn’t want me, but I didn’t believe her. Why didn’t you just come right out and say it instead of pretending you’d never heard of her?” he challenged hoarsely. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard of the Shamrock Ranch, either! Or my Uncle Culley O’Rourke!”

Shock went through Chase like a cold knife blade. He was too stunned to react when the boy pushed past him to bolt out the door. But it was just the jolt he needed. In two strides, he caught up with him, grabbing his arm and jerking the boy around. Chase was angry, because if this was a joke, it was a cruel one.

“Maggie is your mother?” He demanded an answer. “Maggie O’Rourke is your mother?”

The boy’s anger matched his own, despite the. tear that slid down his cheek. “I told you! Her name is Mary Frances Elizabeth O’Rourke Gordon! Nobody calls her Maggie!”

“My God.” It was a whispered sound, as something like pain contorted his frown. “How old are you? Ty … is it?”

“Yes.” Ty eyed him warily. “I’m fifteen.”

Some grim, faraway look came to his eyes. “Has it been that long ago?” he mused.

“You did know my mother.” Ty realized Chase was admitting it.

“I knew Maggie O’Rourke, yes.” Chase relaxed his talon-hard hold on the boy and drew in a deep breath. “It’s late. You’d better come home with me.”

The moon was out and there were huge clusters of stars in the sky, a canopy of lights over the speeding car. For the first thirty miles, they drove in silence. Chase was staring at the road, driving as if there was no one in the car at all, except himself. Night air spilled in from the opened windows. Chase was resting his left elbow on the curved windowframe and rubbing his hand across his mouth in an absent fashion.

“Does your mother know you’re here?”

The question came so suddenly out of the silence that Ty nearly jumped. “No. I think she’s probably guessed, though.”

“You ran away?”

“Yes.”

“You mentioned you had been adopted. I guess your mother is married now.”

“She was. My … Phillip had a heart attack six months ago and died. He hadn’t been sick at all. It was a shock … for everybody.” He still felt sick and empty inside when he thought about it.

“What did he do?”

“He was a doctor, a plastic surgeon, and a real good one, too, not some quack.”

“I’m sure he was an excellent physician. Where do you live?”

“In Malibu. We’ve got about a hundred acres. We keep horses and show them.” Ty looked out the window. There was nothing for miles—no lights, no sign of life. “Where are we going?”

“To the Triple C.” There was a slight hesitation. “That stands for the Calder Cattle Company.” Chase glanced out the window, as if to get his bearings. “We crossed the east boundary roughly ten miles back.”

“How far do we have to go?”

“Another twenty-five or thirty miles.” He heard the boy’s low whistle at the implied size of the ranch, something he obviously hadn’t known. “What did your mother tell you about me?”

“Nothing, except you lived on the next ranch.”

In the dim light from the dashboard, Chase let his gaze slide to the boy who was his son. The shock of the discovery had worn off and acceptance had settled in. Ty was a fine-looking boy, obviously brave; otherwise, he wouldn’t have had the courage to come all this way by himself and confront a father he’d never seen. There was a lot of potential in him. Chase felt a swelling surge of pride. He had a son. A boy of his own flesh and blood. He wanted to shout it. He couldn’t help wondering if every father felt such dazed pride.

“I don’t know you and you don’t know me. I guess we’re starting out equal, son.” Just saying the word brought a slow smile to his mouth.