Page 3 of Sweet Surprise

What? Not Todd’s son? But…

“I’m guessing by that deer in the headlight expression, the answer is no?”

She slowly nodded. The only reason she’d married Todd was when she’d learned she was pregnant.

“I see. Well,” the man cleared his throat, “if you need to have me run any further testing, perhaps the father, just let me know.”

This time she could only blink. Perhaps the father. She’d only slept with one other man the entire time she and Todd were dating. One time. One Man. Holy Mary mother of Jesus, Carson Sweet was Mason’s father.

Chapter Two

As much as he hated to admit it, he’d taken to eating lunch at the café every day this week. The stress of not finding a willing female to help save the ranch was making it harder and harder to look his siblings—and mother—in the eyes. For a short minute he had hopes that maybe his friend’s sister Carolyn would be a good fit, but she was currently head over heels glued to some guy she’d started dating a few weeks back. Maybe the new romance would lose its luster, but for now, he couldn’t afford to wait and see. He had no idea why, but he felt as the second born it was his responsibility to move forward, more than Garret or the girls.

Of course Kade would be the most logical as the oldest, but away serving his country meant passing the baton to Carson. Removing his hat, he hung it on a hook by the booth and slid in. No standing on ceremony at the café. If there was an open table, the locals took it.

Agnes walked past him. “Be back in just a moment.”

Nodding, he glanced up at the recent addition of a blackboard with chalk specials on it. For years the menu had never changed, but for some reason, Agnes decided it was time for a little variety. Glancing at the booth in front of him, he noticed a little boy sitting by himself. Studying the child, he didn’t recognize the face. Honeysuckle wasn’t so small that he knew ever single resident, but it was small enough that he knew most.

Lifting his gaze from his artwork, the little boy smiled at him. No fear of strangers. Carson supposed in a small town like this that was a good thing. A moment later the boy looked up again, this time not fully raising his head, just glancing Carson’s way through thick lashes. The kid had the most startling green eyes. Not since, well, not for a long time had he seen eyes quite so green.

Wondering what was taking his parents so long to return to the table, Carson slid out from the booth and taking a few steps, slid into the empty seat in front of the boy. “Mind if I join you?”

The little boy shook his head.

“My name is Carson Sweet.”

“That’s a funny name.” The boy frowned.

Carson chuckled. He didn’t have much experience with little kids, but the boy was right, the family name was the butt of many a joke during his childhood. “What’s your name?”

“Mason.” The little boy didn’t look up.

“What are you drawing there?”

“A robobird.”

“Robin bird?”

“No. Robobird. A robotic bird.”

This kid must be older than he looked. “How old are you?”

“Nine.” He continued coloring.

Had Carson had that much imagination at nine? He remembered playing cops and robbers with his brothers, helping his dad to build a tree house—or at least their dad let them think they were helping—but he had no memory of being even a little creative in his stick figure artwork. “It’s a nice picture.”

The kid looked up and grinned. His smile was wide and bright and reminded Carson of his mother’s smile. One that he and his brother Garret had inherited. If Mason learned how to use that classic grin as he grew, the world could be his on a silver platter.

“Where are your folks?” Carson reached over and picked up a brown pencil, then straightened out a paper napkin and began doodling.

“My dad is sick. He says he’s dying, but my mom went to the bathroom.” Those big green eyes looked up at him. “Is my mom going to die too? She’s been really weird lately.”

The sudden sadness that filled the young artists eyes squeezed at Carson’s heart. What the hell was he supposed to say to the kid?

“Hey, that’s good.” The little boy’s eyes lit up as he reached for Carson’s napkin. “It’s a house.”

Carson bobbed his head.

---