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“I agree.” Jake smiled at the older man.
“So many years wasted. All because of that awful woman.”
Fighting the urge to apologize, Jake nodded instead. “I really appreciate how welcoming everyone here has been.”
“Welcoming?” Payne’s brows rose. “Son, even though we don’t have the DNA results, I can tell you’re one of us. It might have taken you forty years to find your way back, but you’re a Colton. Don’t you ever forget that.”
“I won’t.” Feeling absurdly relieved, Jake took another drink of his coffee. “I just wish I could have met my mother.”
“Me, too. I loved your mother,” Payne said. “I’ve been married three times. Tessa’s been gone just a little over thirty-five years, but I’ve never stopped missing her.”
Jake nodded. “You seem happy now, though. Genevieve seems nice.”
“Oh, she is. And I am happy,” Payne declared. “The only relationship mistake I ever made was marrying Selina. And now I can’t get away from her. Damn woman is even on the board at Colton Oil.”
Jake wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he simply sipped his coffee and said nothing.
“Wait here.” Getting up slowly, Payne disappeared for a moment. When he returned, he carried a large, faded photo album. “Come into the living room,” he said, leaving his cup on the table.
Jake did the same. Payne grunted, lowering himself onto the couch. “Sit beside me. This is a photo album, one of many. Though Tessa was the photographer in most of the others, all the pictures in this one were taken by other people, so she’s in them. Let’s take a little walk down memory lane.”
Once Jake had taken a seat, Payne opened the album. There, in the first photograph, a beautiful woman smiled at the camera, her face alight with love. She held a baby in her arms, whom Jake guessed must have been Ace. He felt a pang, well aware that this might have been him. Though he’d never wish to take that experience away from Ace, he couldn’t help but feel envious. Not once in his forty years had he known a mother’s unconditional love.
Payne turned the pages slowly, giving Jake time to study each picture. In all of them, Tessa’s love of her family shon
e through. She positively glowed with it.
And there, on the last page, Tessa and Payne. Gazing into each other’s eyes.
Swallowing hard, Payne closed the book. “Still gets me,” he said. “Even after all these years. She was a good woman.”
“Thank you for sharing that with me,” Jake told him. “I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.” Payne yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. “Sorry, son,” he said. “I need to go lie down. Colton Oil has a board meeting this afternoon, and I need to rest up for that.”
The way Payne casually called him son made Jake’s chest ache. He managed a nod. “A nap sounds like a great idea,” he said. “Do you need any help getting to your room?”
“No, thanks.” Payne waved him away. “I’m getting stronger bit by bit. The walk will do my legs good.”
As Payne pushed to his feet, Jake did, too. “At least let me walk with you. It’s always good to have company, just in case.”
“Am I that wobbly?” Payne shot him an amused grin. “Don’t answer that. You’re not much better yourself, you know. Come on then. You can escort me to my room.”
Once they’d reached the doorway, Payne turned and put his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “I know I can never make up to you all the years we lost. We can only move forward. You understand that, right?”
“I do.”
“You’re welcome to attend the board meeting this afternoon,” Payne said. “As my guest. I think it will do you some good to learn about our company.” And he went inside his room, closing the door without waiting for Jake to answer.
Jake took himself outside, slowly walking the grounds around the ranch. The Triple R was well maintained in addition to being beautiful. He admired the livestock, their coats gleaming with health, took in the clean barn, the outdoor ring with its freshly raked surface. Pride of ownership shone here, making him miss his own ranch. Though not nearly as large or prosperous as the Triple R, he’d worked damn hard to get it and keep it running. He’d built it from the ground up, and while the ranch was still a work in progress, it was his.
Turning slowly, he took it all in. The massive house, designed to blend in with the landscape. The barns, the acres of fenced pastures and the mountains in the distance. This place was now part of his life, too. He couldn’t imagine simply returning to his ranch and never seeing the Triple R or the Colton family again.
Or Fiona. The thought of going back to his old life—where he’d been a rancher with no real family—made his gut hurt. These people, each and every one of them, were important to him. Especially Fiona. He could see himself spending the rest of his life with her.
He’d simply have to figure out a way to make this work.
Ace arrived back home shortly after lunch. He sent Jake a text asking if he could meet him in the kitchen. Since Jake had been thinking about rustling up something for lunch, he texted back that he was on his way.
