Page 10 of Sweet Surprise

Brows dipped with confusion, Preston turned to his wife and back. “Was the question that hard?”

“No,” Carson snapped. “But it looks like we’re all going to the study.”

He’d barely crossed the threshold when Garret settled into his favorite chair and dropped his boot heel over his other knee. “Give.”

“Can’t a man bring an old friend home for dinner?”

“Of course you can.” Jillian poured a cola and handed it to her sister. “Now spill.”

“Fine.” He wished he’d had more time to process the day’s events himself, but here goes nothing. “Jessica and I had a few classes together back at UT.”

“That much you told us.” Considering Garret was the youngest of the brothers, right about now he looked like the big brother.

“Let me see if I can make this easier on you.” Rachel handed him a beer, then silently asked Preston if he wanted one before handing the other to Garret. “When did you learn that Mason’s your son?”

Jillian choked on her cola, Garret’s boot slid off his knee and landed on the wooden floor with a heavy thud, and Preston’s jaw fell open. “Make mine a bourbon.”

“How did you know?” was the only sensible thing he could say, because right about now he was wondering how the heck his sister had picked up on something his son’s own mother never noticed.

Rachel collapsed into the sofa. “You mean, besides the fact that he loves the same cookies you do, draws with the same skill you do, and has your smile?”

Okay, maybe Jess had no way of knowing he loved butter cookies or that he could do more than doodle in the corners of a notebook, and a smile isn’t enough to determine paternity, but still…“Yeah, besides that.”

“You look at him as if he were more precious than the crowned jewels.”

All heads whipped in his direction.

Why did he feel like a guppy in a fish bowl? Oh yeah—because he just brought home a son he didn’t know he had and everyone here wanted answers he didn’t have.

Chapter Five

Alice Sweet wasn’t saying a word, but did her son really think she wasn’t catching on to what was really going on? The way her son’s gaze filled with wonder every time he glanced at the child? The look of a nervous filly in the mother’s eyes? Though Alice had way more questions than answers, she was willing to bet the ranch she loved that this young boy was not just any boy, but a Sweet. What a precious gift after so much loss.

“Would you like to feed him now?”

Mason’s eyes widened. “Can I?’

“Sure.” Working with him, Alice helped him hold the bottle just right for the young calf to guzzle easily.

His laughter was worth it all.

“Be careful,” his mother said.

“It’s hard to mess this part up,” she reassured Jess. Oh, how she wanted to pepper Jess with questions. What happened? Did my son know? Why am I only meeting my grandson now? Have you been on your own? Was he an easy baby? So many questions.

At least from the way Mason behaved and how Jess eyed her son, any fool could see the child had been well loved.

Oh, Charlie, what did our son do?

“So, yes or no?” Preston asked him.

Swallowing hard, Carson nodded. “Yes.”

“Why now?” Garret leaned forward. “Why bring him home now?”

“Hey, I’ve only known about him for a few hours more than you.”

“What?” Jillian said a little louder than she’d probably meant to.

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