“That’s me. What can I do for you?” Billy asked, struck by the serious expression on the man’s face.
“It’s about my granddaughter,” he said. His voice faltered. “And my great-granddaughter.”
Was the man looking for an autograph? It had been a few months since anyone sought him out for one.
“Son,” he said, putting his hand on Billy’s shoulder. “I have something I need to talk to you about. Can we go somewhere private?”
“Sure,” he said. “Come with me.” A pit formed in his stomach, and the further he walked, the bigger it got.
Billy had competed here before, so he knew there was a break room off the main barn. He doubted anyone was in there now, so they’d have privacy to talk.
He opened the door and switched on the lights. “Have a seat,” he said, motioning to the table in the middle of the room.
The man moved slowly, reaching into his back pocket, and taking out his wallet. He pulled out a photo and handed it to Billy. “This is the only picture I have of Roxanne with her baby.” A tear slid down his cheek.
Billy recognized the girl in the photo. Roxanne—yeah, he remembered her. He hooked up with her a couple of times. Sweet girl. That pit in his stomach had grown into a boulder.
The man swiped his hand across his cheek, brushing the tears away, and took a deep breath.
“Roxanne was in a car accident two months ago, on her way home from the store.” The man paused. “She said she’d be gone a few minutes. But my wife, she doesn’t believe in anybody ever leaving the house without a kiss goodbye, even for a few minutes.”
The man was openly crying now, trying to catch his breath to continue. Billy put his hand firmly on the man’s shoulder.
“She would’ve told you, eventually. I’m sorry she didn’t get the chance to do it herself.”
The conversation was taking a turn Billy didn’t understand.
“Willow is a sweet baby, but my wife and I are in our eighties. It’ll break both our hearts, but we want what’s best for this little girl. Roxanne’s mom died when she was a little girl herself, and we raised her. Never knew who her daddy was. I guess that’s why she was so set on making sure that when the time was right, Willow would know you. I believe she was working up the courage to tell you.”
Billy stood and walked to the other side of the room. Was this man trying to tell him that Roxanne believed he was her baby’s father?
“Roxanne?” he ventured, wishing he didn’t have to ask the question.
“She didn’t make it,” the man barely answered before his shoulders hunched over, and he cried again.
Billy paced, studying the photo. Why did Roxanne believe he was the baby’s father? They’d been careful. He was always careful.
His first reaction was to call Renie. His hand was on his phone, but he knew needed to deal with this news on his own.
The old man studied him. “I guess you want proof.”
He couldn’t bring himself to tell the man he doubted he was the baby’s father, no matter how much he felt he wasn’t.
“Listen…” Billy started to say, not knowing what he’d say next.
The man reached into his jacket pocket and drew out a letter. The return address on the envelope appeared to be from a law firm.
“You’ll have questions. Call me when you’re ready to ask ’em. The letter tells you how to reach me.”
Billy wanted to stop the man when he rose and walked out of the room, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He sat down and stared at the envelope.
An hour later, he hadn’t moved. Every time he went to open the letter, he tossed it back down on the table instead.
This was the fourth rodeo in the last six weeks he registered to compete in, and the first one he’d shown up for. He wondered if the m
an had gone to the other three looking for him.
He put his head in his hands. If only he could call Renie, she’d help him figure out what he was supposed to do next.