Page 51 of Knocked up By the Mountain Man

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BEAU

Idon’t know what the hell to say. My head is all over the place; it’s hard to even focus on the road as I attempt to drive us back home because I have so much circling through my brain, confusing every single inch of me. I mean, this is a whole heap of information, isn’t it? In the midst of Clara’s uncle being a massive asshole, some stuff really came out and I need to digest it. Clara left... because she was pregnant? Pregnant with Thomas, of course. The boy who has already been mistaken as mine because he looks so much like me, and I know she wasn’t sleeping with anyone else back then, which means...

I keep darting my eyes over to where Clara is sitting, not looking at me. I wish I could ask her if what I suspect is true, but I can’t. Not with Thomas in the car, even if he’s napping away back there.

Oh my God. Every so often it hits me that this is really happening, that Thomas could actually bemine. The idea that I’m potentially a father is a lot to take in, but the fact that I could have been one for years without even knowing is something else. There is so much I’ve missed out on, time I’ll never get back,things I’ll never see... which makes zero sense to me. It didn’t have to be like that...

I bite down on my tongue so those questions don’t come spilling out. I have no idea how much Thomas will overhear, even with his eyes closed, so this is going to have to wait. Much as it kills me, it’s probably for the best. I need time to wrap my head around this anyway, to work out which questions are most important to ask first.

“I know you probably want to talk to me,” Clara says quietly as I pull the car up by her home. So much has changed since we left for the carnival, it is utterly overwhelming. “But right now, I need to focus on getting Thomas to bed. Is that okay?”

I nod, a little shocked that she’s addressing this. I hadn’t expected that. “Okay sure. I’ll come by later and we can talk then.” There’s more I need to say, but I can’t work out what.

“Er, yeah...”

We lock eyes for a moment and I can see the truth swimming behind her eyes. I’m not sure if I’ll fully believe it until I hear the words come out of her mouth with clarity though. I won’t be able to. Even if it’s been staring me in the face ever since she came back, with Thomas’s looks and his age, and the way she seemed to keep us away from one another...

I don’t realize how loudly I’m panting, almost hyperventilating, until Clara slides out of the car and takes Thomas with her. She shoots me one final regretful look before she carries her sleeping son inside.Oursleeping son inside... that’ll take some getting used to, that’s for sure. It feels like a really thick pill to swallow right now, but I suppose not a terrible pill.

I like Thomas, I tell myself as I park up my car.And Clara as well. I’ve never stopped loving her, so this is good...

I touch my cheeks wondering if I’m smiling. Actually, I’m shocked to find myself beaming from ear to ear. I’m happy, evenif this is a surprise, even if I’ve missed out on lots, it’s good to know that I can still make up for lost time.

“Will Thomas like me?” I ask myself curiously. “As a father?”

As Clara goes to put Thomas to bed, I decide to confront my father one more time. This time, I’ll tell him that Thomas is my son, so I’ll be picking love. I’m not confused anymore. I know exactly what I want to do.

My father, with his unyielding ways and rigid expectations, is going to be a difficult hurdle, but for Thomas and Clara, I’m ready to face him.

The house is quiet when I walk in, a stark contrast to the storm brewing within me. I find my father in his study, buried in paperwork, likely related to the ranch and the sale he’s been threatening me with. He looks up as I enter, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Beau,” he says, his voice gruff, “what brings you here at this hour?”

Taking a deep breath, I steel myself. “Dad, we need to talk.”

His eyes flicker with curiosity, but he nods. “Alright, son. Sit down. I hope that this is the conversation me and you need to have…”

If he thinks this is me kicking out the Ryders… well, he has another thing coming!

I remain standing, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. “There’s something you need to know. Thomas... Thomas is my son.”

The shock on his face is immediate and profound. He stands up, papers forgotten, his eyes wide. “What? Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I reply firmly. “Clara and I... we were together before she left. She was pregnant, and Thomas is our child.”

My father’s expression shifts from shock to something darker, more complicated. “And you’re just finding out now?”

I nod. “Yes. Clara had her reasons for keeping it from me, reasons I’m trying to understand. But what matters now is that Thomas is my son, and I’ll be there for him and Clara, no matter what.”

My father’s face hardens. “So you reallyaregoing to let the ranch go. Prioritizingthem…”

I shake my head. “I’m not walking away from anything. I’m choosing to prioritize my son and the woman I love. The ranch can survive without me, but Thomas needs his father.”

He clenches his fists, his frustration evident. “You need to think about this. The ranch is everything. It’s what we’ve worked for, what you’ve been preparing for your whole life.”

“No, Dad,” I say, my voice steady. “You need to think about what’s important. Family is more than just a piece of land. Thomas is my family, Clara is my family. And I won’t let anything come between us again.”

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