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There was silence on the other end. “How would I know that? You’ve never told me.”
“Did you hear it from someone else?”
“No,” she said. “Your neighbor said she saw a man she recognized from the news visiting. She called to tell me that he had returned. Is Wyatt’s father back in the picture?”
How could she deny that his father was here when he wanted to meet her tomorrow night?
“Did you send an anonymous letter to the father telling him about Wyatt?”
Her mother laughed. “Dear, if I didn’t know his name, how could I send him a letter?”
Still she didn’t like the fact that Mrs. Anderson was communicating with her mother about Blake’s visit. And if she called to tell her he had returned, why hadn’t she told her his name?
“What is the name that Mrs. Anderson told you?”
“She only said she’d seen his face on television and thought he might be a big star,” she said.
Who the hell had sent that letter? If Lauren hadn’t sent it and her mother hadn’t, then who had? Surely Mrs. Anderson hadn’t sent it. The woman wouldn’t be so cruel, could she?
“So Wyatt’s father received a letter saying he had a child and he’s returned,” her mother said laughing. “About damn time. A father should be involved in his child’s life. Are the two of you getting back together?”
“No,” she said emphatically. How could she tell her mother they had never been a couple, only a one-night stand that she’d hoped would continue? But Blake had walked away and she didn’t know if she could ever trust him not to do the same thing again.
Her mother sighed.
“He wants to be involved with Wyatt. How can I refuse Wyatt the chance to get to know his father? How can I keep Blake away from his son?”
Silence filled the phone.
“He and I are talking,” she finally said. “Would you keep Wyatt tomorrow night so he can take me to dinner and we can discuss the arrangements for him to spend time with his son?”
This wasn’t a date. No, it was just time for them to get to know each other and lay down some ground rules for him seeing Wyatt.
“And he wants to meet the grandmother of his son,” Cristina said, quietly dreading this meeting.
Her mother giggled. “I didn’t think this day would ever arrive. Of course, I’ll keep the baby.”
Why did this feel like her mother was gleeful that Wyatt’s father had returned? Wait until she learned who his father was. That her grandson was heir to a family fortune and a ranch that had been in his family for many generations.
Already Cristina feared that conversation. Because her mother would be telling her to marry for money and not for love. And she’d seen how an unhappy marriage affected children. She wanted no part of that.
CHAPTER 12
Blake walked around his truck to help Cristina out of the vehicle. After that, he opened the back door to the double cab and pulled out the baby carrier. How his life had changed in the last week.
He’d never considered safety for a child before and now he was determined to keep his son and Cristina safe. He insisted on carrying the baby into Cristina’s mother’s house.
It was a small middle-class family home.
The door flung open and her mother stood in the doorway gazing at them, a big smile on her face. Did she know his background?
“Hello,” she said. “I’m Margery Howard, Cristina’s mother.”
“Blake Landry,” he said gripping her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Her brows rose as she carefully glanced over him. “Now I know where that baby gets his beautiful blue eyes.”
“Yes, ma’am, that’s a family trait,” he said wondering what she thought of the fact that he had not been around for the last fifteen months. “You’re going to be seeing a lot of me.”
