Page 54 of Second Start: Family
“They’re Annie’s kids, too.”
“Yes, they are.”
She fired up. “You can’t blame her. It was your fault. You seduced her. And—”
“If there was any seducing going on, it was the other way around. You think I was her first?”
“She was seventeen!”
“So was I.”
“But you — you were — you’re…”
His grim-faced silence halted her the way no words probably would have. Most likely stopping her from saying he was the male, so it had to have been him initiating sex.
Yet he thought, deep in her eyes, he saw a recognition about Annie. A recognition she would never acknowledge. Maybe not even to herself.
“However it started, you got her pregnant and dragged her off to that godforsaken—”
“I dragged her? That’s bullshit, Naomi. You think if she didn’t want to live on this ranch, we’d’ve ended up here? You think she didn’t have her life exactly the way she wanted it? You think she wouldn’t have made sure we were — at least she was — somewhere else if that’s what she wanted? Cheyenne or Denver or Paris or wherever?”
“Just because Annie had determination—”
He snorted.
“—doesn’t mean you don’t bear any responsibility.”
“There we agree. Now I bear all the responsibility. Every bit of it. For my kids and their futures.”
“That’s exactly why you should let Dan come to Cheyenne. For him and you — I’m trying to take it off your shoulders—”
“Like you’re doing me somefavor?Bull. I’m their father and—”
“Fathers walk away all the time.”
His determination didn’t soften, but his voice dropped. “I’m not your father, Naomi. And you’re not your mother. You can’t take them away. Because I won’t let you.”
“It has nothing to do with my—”
“Yes, it does. It always has with you and Annie. Gramps might’ve been wrong then. But you’re absolutely wrong now, thinking I’m him and would let my kids go. I don’t think he’s that man anymore, either. You should talk to him. And you damned sure shouldn’t punish my kids for what you and Annie went through because of both your parents.”
*
Naomi left after pretending all was light and rainbows, hugging each of the kids with a cheek pressed to theirs.
He’d cued them to thank her for the gifts, but they did okay once reminded.
Then Hall returned to work.
At supper, the unpopular presents were long out of sight, but the topic of Naomi’s visit returned.
“Aunt Naomi says Mommy sent her pictures of us.”
Hall looked around at Molly. “I suppose she did. You know those pictures she took for putting in Christmas cards.”
Bobby rubbed his index finger under his nose.
“Bobby’s right, she smells,” Lizzie proclaimed.
