LITMIR.BIZ

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her, missing her and wondering what might have been if they’d made different decisions so long ago. He’d also spent many of those nights hating her.

      Almost ten years ago he’d called her to see if the baby she’d had was his. She’d told him it belonged to an old boyfriend and she’d gotten pregnant during the time after she and Knox had renewed their relationship. He’d hated her then for betraying his love.

      He’d already been reeling because of his mother’s arrest. He’d told Allison in the midst of that drama that he just needed some time and distance from her. He’d needed a couple of weeks to pull himself together and to make sure his siblings were doing okay. But with his younger sisters taken care of and the rest of the clan self-sufficient, Knox had left for Texas and gotten a job as a Ranger.

      He’d never really intended to leave Allison forever, but it had taken him months to get his head back on straight after his mother’s trial and all that dust had settled. Life with the Rangers had been all-consuming and just about the time he felt it was right to reach out to Allison again, he’d heard she’d had a baby.

      The timing was right for the child to be his, but then she’d told him it wasn’t and he’d been devastated. Her betrayal had been just another blow by a woman...one he couldn’t get past.

      But this betrayal cut even deeper. Dammit, she should have told him about Cody. He’d already missed so much of his life. Not only had he missed out on the wonder of his birth, but he’d also missed Cody’s first step, his first word...so many firsts.

      He took the turn into Thorne’s ranch a little too fast and dust kicked up as the back tires of his sports car spun out. He quickly righted the car and pulled to a stop in front of the attractive ranch house.

      “Hey, are you looking for a second job as a race-car driver?” Thorne shouted from the door of the barn as Knox got out of the car.

      Knox waited as his half brother approached him. Thorne’s dark skin gleamed in the sunshine and his smile eased some of the tension in Knox’s gut, some...but not all.

      Thorne’s smile fell and he obviously felt the tension radiating from Knox. “What’s up?”

      “Have you ever seen Allison Rafferty’s boy?”

      “Sure, I’ve seen him around town with Allison. Why?”

      “Have you ever noticed that he looks a lot like me?”

      Thorne’s light brown eyes narrowed slightly. “Why don’t we go inside? This definitely feels like a sit-down talk.”

      Knox nodded. The two men didn’t speak again until they were seated across from each other at the kitchen table. “I just found out that Allison’s son is mine,” Knox finally said.

      Thorne’s eyes widened in surprise. “I had no idea,” he replied. “I remember there was some speculation and a little scandal when everyone realized she was pregnant, but I figured if the baby was yours you would be here with her.”

      Knox fisted his hands on top of the table. “She lied to me, Thorne. Almost ten years ago she told me her baby’s father was an old boyfriend. She’s kept him from me for all these years.”

      Thorne leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. “Can you really blame her?”

      Knox stared at Thorne in surprise. The last thing he’d expected was for his brother to defend Allison.

      “Think about it,” Thorne continued. “You had pulled away from her when Mother was arrested.”

      “I had to make sure all of you were going to be okay. I thought I was going to take physical custody of Jade and Claudia. I was more than a little out of my mind when I left, but I always figured I’d eventually wind up with Allison.”

      “Did you tell Allison that at the time?” Thorne asked.

      Knox frowned. “No, I just told her I needed a little break from her.” He hadn’t wanted her to know how crazy he was at the time; he hadn’t wanted her to see him as weak. And then he’d heard about the baby and it had been the light in a sea of darkness...until she’d told him the baby belonged to an ex.

      “Knox, you were gone and the Colton name was being dragged through the mud because of Mother’s arrest. The whole town had turned against us. Is it any wonder she didn’t want to burden her child with anything Colton?”

      Myriad emotions flooded Knox’s head and he rubbed a hand in the center of his forehead where a headache had begun to pound. No, it wasn’t any wonder Allison hadn’t wanted that. At that time, Knox hadn’t wanted to be a Colton, but she still shouldn’t have lied to him when he’d asked her point-blank about the baby.

      “Allison is well respected in Shadow Creek.” Thorne leaned forward. “Now her reputation is stellar. She’s known as a great single mother, a savvy businesswoman, and is generous in charity work. She gained a lot of respect for nursing her sick father until he passed two years ago.”

      “She isn’t married?”

      Thorne shook his head. “From everything I hear she’s totally devoted to raising her boy.”

      “Why are you telling me all this?” Knox asked.

      “Because she has a good life here and I don’t want you to blow into town and screw things up for her before you leave once again and she has to pick up all the pieces.”

      “I have no intention of screwing anything up for her. I just want a relationship with my son,” Knox replied firmly. “Thorne, you have a great relationship with your father. You don’t know what it’s like not to have one in your life, but I do and I want better for Cody.”

      “Don’t be a father to him for as long as you’re back in town and then forget about him when you return to Ranger life,” Thorne advised.

      “I don’t want to be just a vacation father. I want to be in his life in a meaningful way until the day I die.” Knox’s heart swelled with love for the boy he had yet to really know.

      Thorne grinned. “Then congratulations, it’s a boy.”

      Knox laughed. “Thanks. I’m picking him up tomorrow and I thought I’d take him over to your father’s place. I figured maybe we could throw a couple of lines into the pond and do a little fishing.”

      “You know Dad would love to see you,” Thorne replied and stood. “I’m surprised Allison agreed to letting you take him.”

      “I threatened her with lawyers,” Knox admitted.

      “Whew, you must have been mad. And now I need to get back out to the barn. I’ve been cleaning tack all morning.” Knox stood as well and on impulse gave his half brother a quick man hug.

      “What was that for?” Thorne asked in surprise.

      “For the hard talk and good advice.”

      “Anytime,” Thorne replied and then he headed out the back door.

      Knox sank back down at the table, his thoughts on his younger half brother. Knox had been five when Thorne had been born, but it hadn’t taken him long to realize Thorne didn’t look exactly like him. Instead, Thorne had the same dark skin and curly hair as their African-American ranch foreman, Joseph “Mac” Mackenzie.

      Rumors had flown in the small town, and Livia, with her usual wicked machinations, had thrown her husband at the time under the bus. She’d transformed Wes Kingston, the father of her son River, from a dashing rancher to an abusive husband who eventually divorced her. Mac had stayed on as foreman at the ranch to be near his son. He’d even bought some of the land to ensure that he’d never be displaced.

      Wes Kingston hadn’t been the last of his mother’s lovers or husbands, and each one had left her financially better off until she was one of the wealthiest people in the area.

      Her last husband, Fabrizio Artero, had been a successful Argentine horse breeder.

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