Barbara McCauley - Texas Heat

“William?” Jake stared at his stepmother. “You mean Billy who used to work for me?”

“Yes, that’s him.” She snapped her purse shut and straightened her suit jacket.

Jake nearly choked. “Myrna, I fired the man because he has a drinking problem.”

“Nonsense. William is as dry as—” She stopped, her brow lifting in question as her gaze rested on Savannah. “Oh. You have company.”

The momentary silence was deafening. Who was this woman? Savannah wondered. And why was everyone acting so strangely? She glanced at Jake, and the tight expression on his face had her holding her breath.

“Myrna Stone,” he finally said, “Savannah Roberts.”

Myrna Stone. Savannah had heard the name, but where? Myrna Stone...Myrna Stone... Her breath caught as the realization hit her full force.

J.T.’s wife.

Before she came here, Savannah had realized that she and this woman might meet. But she certainly hadn’t expected it the first day. Savannah’s fingers stiffened on her niece’s back. Emma. Dear Lord, what about Emma?

“A pleasure.” Myrna extended her hand, then glanced down at Emma. “And this must be your daugh—”

Myrna stopped short, her smile frozen on her face. She stared at Emma, then Jessica, recognizing the resemblance.

Savannah stood slowly and faced the woman. “Emma is my niece, Mrs. Stone. Angela Roberts—Emma’s mother—was my sister.”

A lifetime passed through the heartbeat of silence.

Emma took hold of Savannah’s hand. “Did she know my daddy, too, Aunt Savannah?”

“Yes, sweetheart, she did,” Savannah answered, keeping her gaze on the woman.

Myrna’s face had paled at Emma’s question, and as she stared at the child, Savannah felt a wave of sympathy for the woman. Of course she’d be in shock at the realization she was staring at the child her husband had fathered as the result of an extramarital affair. Anger surged through Savannah. Anger at Jake. He should have prepared her for the possibility that the woman might drop by, just as he should have prepared his stepmother. But he hadn’t.

Eyes wide, Myrna continued to stare at Emma. “You mean, this is...she’s my husband’s—”

Jessica stood quickly. “Emma, why don’t we go wash some of that chocolate off your face? When we’re done, if it’s okay with your aunt, we can go out to the barn and feed Jake’s new calf.”

“Is it okay, Aunt Savannah? Can I?” Emma asked eagerly.

“Of course you can, sweetie.” Savannah forced herself to smile at her niece. “I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

Emma chattered all the way down the hall. When they were out of earshot, Myrna turned to Jake. “Would you please explain to me what’s going on?”

Jake had known he’d have to deal with his stepmother sooner or later, he’d just hoped it would be later. Dammit. Why couldn’t she have stayed in Houston like she was supposed to? “Emma is J.T.’s daughter, Myrna. Her mother died eight months ago and Emma lives with Savannah now. I’ve invited them to stay here for a while.”

“Stay here?” Myrna looked genuinely confused. “You’ve invited my husband’s illegitimate child to stay here? ”

Jake saw the indignant lift of Savannah’s chin and stiffness in her shoulders. It was all he could do not to throttle his stepmother. “Emma is my sister, Myrna—”

“Our sister,” Jared added sharply, rising from his seat.

Jake stood a step closer to Myrna. “ Our sister,” he repeated. “And I might remind you that she has Stone blood in her veins.”

Distress deepened the lines around Myrna’s eyes. “Jake, surely you can understand my reaction. It’s not easy to have J.T.’s—” she hesitated, as if searching for another word “—indiscretion waved under my nose like this.”

“Emma,” Jake said through clenched teeth. “Her name is Emma. You refer to her as anything other than her given name, and so help me, I’ll personally show you the door.”

Myrna clutched a hand to her throat, then looked at Savannah. “Miss Roberts, forgive me. I meant no offense. It’s just that this has all come as a shock to me. I had no idea that you and...Emma were staying here.”

“I understand your surprise, Mrs. Stone.” Savannah shot Jake a heated look. “But you needn’t worry yourself about it. We’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

Jake’s head turned sharply. “What are you talking about?”

Savannah gathered up a few dirty dishes. “There’s an afternoon flight tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll be able to catch it.” Ignoring the dark look on Jake’s face, she moved around him and deposited the dishes in the sink. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll join my niece in the barn.”

She’d barely made it off the front porch before Jake’s hand took hold of her arm and pulled her around to face him.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he snapped.

“I’m going to the barn.”

“You know what I mean. We had an agreement.”

“That’s right, we did.” Savannah put her hands on her hips and leaned forward. “I told you that if you or anyone in your family hurt Emma, we’d be gone before you could blink.”

“Myrna was supposed to be in Houston. I had no idea she’d turn up here today.”

“I’m not talking about Myrna. I’m talking about you. You never considered what might happen or how Emma would feel if your stepmother showed up. You only thought about what you wanted.”

His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her. “Okay. I messed up.”

“You got that right, mister.” The air was dry outside and a hot wind whipped her hair in front of her face, but she ignored it. She leaned even closer to Jake and lifted her face to his. “When Angela died I made a vow that nothing was ever going to hurt Emma again. Nothing—” she pressed a finger to Jake’s chest “—and no one.”

Frustration had Jake wrapping his hand tightly around Savannah’s. “Dammit, Savannah, I care about Emma. We all do. I admit I made a mistake and I can’t promise I won’t make more. But I can promise I’ll try my damnedest.” He loosened his hold on her and his voice softened. “Give me a chance.”

Could she take that kind of risk when it came to Emma? Savannah asked herself as she stared into Jake’s eyes. She’d sworn that her niece would never feel pain again, but in reality, she knew that some pain was inevitable. There were times when people would be cruel. And a loving supportive family would be the only safe haven. Jake and Jared and Jessica had already proved they could supply that haven by the way they’d banded together to handle their stepmother. In her heart she knew it would be wrong to take Emma away so soon.

But Savannah’s heart was telling her something else. Something she did not want to listen to. Something was happening here between her and Jake. Something that would only complicate matters. She stared at Jake’s hand still covering her own and suddenly realized how close she was standing to him. Her fingers rested against his rock-hard chest and she felt the steady beat of his heart.

“She’s just a little girl, Jake,” Savannah said quietly. “Angela and I have always done our best to shelter her. She doesn’t understand how cruel some people can be.”

He stroked the soft skin of her palm, and it was impossible for Savannah to stop the shiver that coursed up her arm and through her body.

“I’ll horse-drag anyone who even looks at her cross-eyed, myself included,” he said. “You can ride the horse.”

“I suppose Emma would be upset if we left so soon,” she murmured, and found that her throat was as dry as the Texas dust swirling around her feet. She felt the heat of his skin radiate through his cotton shirt.