He had a son.
She’d been keeping the truth from him for a year and a half and he still felt that rush of desire he hadn’t found with anyone else. He looked at her and his body tightened, his heart banged against his rib cage, and his hands itched to touch her.
Didn’t matter, it seemed, what she’d kept from him. He wanted her.
Grimly, he pushed those needs aside in favor of facing her down with the hard truth currently smiling up at him from a drooly face.
“What the hell, Cassie?” The words were ground from his throat as sharp and cold as pieces of broken glass.
“Don’t swear in front of the baby,” she muttered and pushed right past him into the house. Then she stopped, looking up at him. “We have to talk.”
“Yeah,” he said, torn between dumbfounded shock and pure fury. “I’d say so.”
Anna came hurrying down the hall, glared at Jake and clucked her tongue at him so fast, it sounded like machine-gun fire. Then she dropped one arm around Cassie, enveloping her and the baby she carried, and steered them off to the great room.
“You come on in here and get warm by the fire,” his turncoat housekeeper was saying. “And you give me a peek at that little darling, too...”
Jake shook his head and snatched off his hat, crumpling the brim in one tight fist. The wind rushing through the still-open front door sliced through his coat with icy knives, but he hardly felt it. Mind racing, emotions churning, his gaze landed on Charlie, standing in the yard staring at him.
“Sorry, boss. Cass called Ben from the airport and Ben sent me to fetch her.”
Why the hell hadn’t Ben said anything to Jake? Warned him? That was a thought for later. Right now, he looked at his foreman and said, “It’s fine.”
“I’ll bring in the baby’s car seat and Cass’s bags,” Charlie said, wincing a little at the words.
“Her bags? Of course she has bags.” Seemed that she had plans to stay. Well, good, because she wasn’t going anywhere until Jake had answers to all of the questions racing through his mind. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Take them up to the room she had last time she was here. After I talk to Cassie, I’ll see you at the barn.”
As soon as he could breathe again. As soon as he had some answers from the woman who had walked into the great room as if she belonged here. As if she hadn’t been gone more than a year and given birth to his son.
Cassie had called Ben for help. And Ben had sent Charlie to the airport without a damn word to Jake. His own grandfather was a part of this. Then he had to wonder if Ben had known about the baby all along. Had he been a part of keeping Jake’s child from him? Betrayal stung and fury roared fresh and new through his bloodstream. The anger churning inside nearly stole his breath.
Anna had known about Cassie flying in, because Charlie had. How long had she known? Was she also in on the baby secret? She hadn’t seemed surprised by it. How long had Ben known? Was his whole ranch in on this? Was everyone calling him a fool behind his back? Laughing at the man who was so clueless he had no idea he was a damn father?
Tossing his hat to the nearest table, he shrugged out of his jacket and dropped it onto a chair as he marched into the great room. Anna and Cassie were talking together, huddled around the baby, peeling his little snowsuit off while he jabbered and made nonsense noises. Jake stopped dead and watched the little boy from a distance.
His feet wanted to take him closer, but his mind was keeping him in place. Before he let himself be distracted by the child, he needed some answers from the boy’s mother. As if the women could sense him watching them, they both turned around to face him. They’d stripped that cold weather covering off of the boy. Anna was holding the baby now and the infant—in a pair of tiny jeans, a flannel shirt and baby-size cowboy boots—gave Jake a grin that displayed four or five teeth.
Jake’s heart fisted painfully in his chest. His throat closed up with emotions too thick and too many to name. A child. He could see the resemblance. Hell, there was no denying this boy was his son—even if Jake wanted to, which he didn’t.
How was it possible to feel so much so quickly? Jake’s instincts were kicking in with a force that shocked him. He suddenly knew that he would do anything to protect a child he hadn’t known existed an hour ago. That boy was a part of him and no one would keep Jake from him. He’d already missed too much. Damned if he’d miss another minute. But for now, he needed some answers. Keeping his gaze fixed on the baby, he said quietly, “Anna, take him into the kitchen. Give him a cookie or something.”