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J.T. took the night like Jake suggested, but on Sunday morning, he couldn’t wait any longer. He left the house early to try to get to Freddy’s house before Joey left for the Sunday festivities. Sunday was all about horses. Pony rides, equestrian events, and crowning of the Memorial Day Queen. There was also a horse auction, which he and Sawyer usually attended. They didn’t go to buy. They just like the auction atmosphere and the chance to hang out with ranchers from the surrounding areas.
But today, all he had on his mind was talking to Joey. Even though he knew the truth about Finn. He had to hear it from her. And he had to know why she’d kept the boy from him for six years.
He drove to Freddy’s home, which was a rambling farm house on the edge of town. The house sat on an acre of land that was dirt with sparse sections of grass. The garden area hadn’t been touched since Joey’s mother had left eight years ago. It sat surrounded by a sagging fence and covered by weeds. Freddy spent most of his time at his bar. And his property showed his lack of care. J.T. hadn’t been there in six years.
He pulled in behind Joey’s car and parked his truck, then went onto the porch and knocked on the door. There was no hesitation in his actions. He wanted to get this over with.
After a few moments, Mandy opened the door a few inches and peered out.
“What do you want?”
“I need to talk to Joey.”
“She doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“I’d like to hear that from her, if it’s all the same to you.”
Mandy shrugged.
“I’m not leaving until she comes to the door.” He took a couple of steps back, then sat on the top step of the porch, resting his boots on the bottom step. He heard the door close behind him. A few minutes later, it opened again.
Joey sat on the step next to him and he glanced at her, then looked at the grass in the front yard that hadn’t been mowed since the spring rains turned it green.
He cleared his throat. “I just need a yes or a no from you. And don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. Because I know you damn well do.”
Joey was quiet for several moments and he could tell she was crying. She wiped her eyes, then whispered, “Yes.”
J.T. got to his feet and took several steps from the porch. He tried to breathe and gain back the control he’d arrived with. He rubbed his face, then turned and looked at her.
“Why? Why would you keep it from me? Why would you keep my son from me?”
She wasn’t sobbing, but the tears were flowing freely down her cheeks, and she kept wiping at them. “I wanted to tell you. So many times over the years. Not a day went by that I didn’t think about it or you.”
“Did you know you were pregnant before you left?”
She shook her head. “No. I didn’t know or let myself believe it for almost two months. And the first thing I wanted to do was…” She blew out a breath. “I wanted to call you. But I was afraid you’d think I did it on purpose to get you to follow me. Or get back together. I was really scared and confused. And…overwhelmed by it all.”
“I never would’ve accused you of manipulating me that way. I know that’s not you. At least not the you I knew. Now, I’m not so sure who you are.”
She swiped at her tears again. “When he was born, I wrote a letter to you. And when I didn’t get a response back—”
“I never got a letter from you.”
She nodded. “I know. But I didn’t know it was never sent. I trusted my father to send it. I didn’t find out until six months ago that he threw it away.”
“So, this is all your damn father’s doing? Is that what you’re saying?”
“He’s partly to blame, but I should’ve kept trying. I should’ve made sure that letter got to you.”
J.T. returned to the steps and sat next to Joey. “You know me, Joey. You had to know I wouldn’t have ignored that letter.”
“My family. I let them convince me. I’m so sorry, J.T. I know that is inadequate, but I truly am.”
He took a breath. “So, why are you back here? And why let me find out like that? Why didn’t you tell me when you got here?”
She wiped her face again. “When I found out about the letter. I was furious with my dad. I still am. I’ll never be able to forgive him. And I didn’t speak to him for months. Then, on Finn’s birthday, which is February twentieth, he called me. He knew through Mandy and my mother that I was trying to figure out how to get back here and how to tell you about Finn. He offered to help me buy the Bradford property and finance the renovation.” She glanced at J.T. “With the plan being to turn it into a…Bed and Breakfast, which is another thing I haven’t told you about.”
J.T. stood again. “A B and B. Wow. Yeah, let’s save that discussion for another day. You came back here with the intention of telling me?”
