Page 63 of Hard Rain Coming

Vivian attempted a smile. “You must have so many questions about Summer.”

Dallas exhaled and stared up at the night sky. This was heavy and real and not something he could ignore any longer. He had a child. A daughter. That thought brought out something in him that was raw and protective and dangerous. He’d never felt that before.

“I never thought about kids,” he admitted. “I was busy working the ranch, building our breeding program, working on my house, tending to my animals, and relaxing when I could find the time. A kid, a wife, those didn’t factor in my life, but now… Now I can see it.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek and murmured, “I can see it with you.”

When Vivian wouldn’t look up at him, he frowned. “You have to talk to me. We can’t have silence and omissions and lies between us anymore. Not if we’re going to grab some kind of future and own it.”

“I need to go slow,” she whispered. “I need to deal with some things. I think we both do.” She looked so damn lost. He took a step forward, but she gave a small shake of her head, and he paused, not liking the turn in tone. “We have a chance to get this right, Dallas. We need to be sure, because I don’t think I would survive another lost chance at love with you.”

Dallas tried to keep his emotions in check, but he was feeling like they’d just made ten steps forward, and there was still something pulling them back.

“I know how I feel. I know what I want.” He all but growled the words, frustrated and trying his best not to show it.

“But knowing isn’t always enough. I need to face a part of my past that, up until a few weeks ago, I couldn’t bear to think of. It hurt too much.”

Vivian’s cell phone rang, and she inhaled quickly, then took a step back. It was then he realized the thing pulling them backward was the very thing they needed to deal with. A daughter. A child who was part of each of them. One he hadn’t had the time to think about or imagine or even grieve the loss of. And now they were out of time, it seemed.

“It’s Alicia,” Vivian said slowly as she read the message. She took a few moments, and he kept silent, though he was so tense, his muscles ached. He carefully unclenched his fists while watching the play of emotions cross Vivian’s face.

“She wants to meet. Oh God.” She turned to Dallas. “I’m a mess. I’m…I need to do something with my face, my clothes. I, shit…” She turned toward the deck and took one step up before stopping. “I need to do this on my own, but I don’t think I can get there by myself.”

His resolve hardened. “I’ll take you wherever you need to go. I’ll keep my mouth shut and stay in the shadows, if that’s what you need.”

“Thank you,” she whispered before disappearing into the house and leaving him alone in the gathering dusk.

Dallas stared up at the darkening sky, his mood murky, his thoughts scattered. Restless, he walked across the grass until the shadows crept over him.

A daughter.

He had a kid. Chest tight, he blinked hard and shoved his fists into the pockets of his jeans. He wanted to hit something. Destroy something. But he couldn’t. He had to stay strong. Stay focused. He had to be a better man.

“Are you done?”

Dallas cleared his throat and turned around. Miss Callie stood by the table, and he walked back to her. “Yes, thank you. Let me.” He grabbed up the tray, glasses, and the plate of cookies, then followed the older woman back inside, where he set it all down on the counter.

“My sugar cookies are the best in the South if you don’t mind a try.”

“They sure look good,” he replied, trying to smile.

She watched him for a few seconds and then motioned for a chair. “Trust me. Have one. It helps a soul when you’re feeling a bit down.”

She poured him another sweet tea, and, mostly trying to be polite, Dallas grabbed a cookie. He took a bite and nodded. “It’s good.” He took another bite. “Better than good.”

“My secret ingredient always does the trick.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“I add extra sugar, some cinnamon, and a pinch of love.” Miss Callie poured herself a glass. “Love always makes things better. Manageable. You might feel like you’re underwater, but love will lift you up. Help you float and tread until you get to a place with sure footing.”

“I don’t know about that,” he replied. “It’s been my experience that love isn’t always enough.”

“That may be,” Miss Callie said with a wink. “But you’re here, aren’t you? Holding her up? Helping her tread those waters until she can stand and breathe?”

A lump formed in his throat, and he cleared it roughly, washing down the cookie with the last of his sweet tea.

“I’m doing what I can,” he finally said. “What I should have done sixteen years ago.”

“And that’s all that matters. We tend to focus on our mistakes. The things we didn’t do. The things we should have. But mistakes and learning from them is what makes us into the humans we need to be. Focus on that. I can see how much you care for her.” Miss Callie smiled. “And if these old eyes can see that, Vivian can too.”