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And another baby in the family, and this time not only a little boy, but Kern’s baby. He thought how delightful his two little nieces were. Now they would have the girls and Kern’s little boy.
Marek canceled his appointments and called his pilot to fly back to the ranch to talk to the person he had been close to all his life.
Two hours later, Marek stood in the barn while his ranch foreman repaired a stall. Jess Grayson had pushed his battered, wide-brimmed brown hat back on his head and had his sleeves rolled high. While Jess drove in a nail, Marek held a board in place. “You can have a paternity test even with Kern gone.”
“I know I can and I will, but I don’t need to. That message is Kern’s. It sounds like him. The baby looks like him. I’ve asked for a paternity test just to be sure.”
“Good. So what are you going to do? Have you told Ginny?”
“Not yet. Wanted to talk to you first,” he said, looking at Jess’s weathered skin, which was the color of cowhide except for a pale band below his hairline where his hat shaded his skin from the sun.
“Ginny’s family. I’m not.”
“You might as well be. Your opinion still counts. I was all set to walk out of there and never look back when she pulled out Kern’s message. I want you to read it when you finish nailing this board.”
As soon as the board was in place, Marek fished the paper out of his pocket, unfolded it and handed it to Jess.
After a moment Jess looked up to meet Marek’s gaze. “Super-mega-duper,” Jess repeated. “That’s Kern.” He shook his head as he returned the paper. “An opera star.”
“A rising one. I don’t know if she’s a star yet. At this point, I don’t know anything about her. Except I’m sure she’s telling the truth about the baby.”
“You really think she’s not after money?” Jess asked, picking up another board and setting it in place below the first one. Marek stepped closer to help.
“She doesn’t act like she is. Doesn’t matter, really. Since I know this is Kern’s baby, I can’t walk away. He wouldn’t if this were my baby, and I can’t with Kern’s.”
“Even if he didn’t love the lady?”
“Even if. Besides, you read that message. I would bet the ranch Kern was running through his mind how he could get her to marry him.”
“Might be right. So you want this baby in the family?”
Watching Jess hammer, Marek thought a long time. “Yes, I do. Suppose he’s a lot like Kern or even a little like Kern? It would drive me nuts to think a little boy was out there, Kern’s son, who looked and acted like Kern and we didn’t know him and didn’t care. I can’t do that. She wants us in his life. She wants him to have an appreciation for ranching. I can’t argue against either of those.”
“Then you’ve made your decision. Tell Ginny.”
“I guess I have to.”
“Frankly, I’d kind of like to see the little fellow myself.”
“I’ll call Ginny and then I’ll call Camille and see if I can arrange to see her again, which will be easy to do. Per Kern’s usual taste, she’s a beauty,” he said, remembering his first impression of her. “Also, she said she’d like me to be a father figure for Noah.”
“That may be difficult if she doesn’t live around here.”
“True. She’s leaving Dallas in July and going to Santa Fe. She has a busy schedule. Until then, I’d like to know this child.”
“Have you called your parents?”
Marek nodded. “I’m going to call to tell them. I want this baby to know the Rangels and us to know him. I’ll go call Ginny. Thanks, Jess.”
“You might get a little bit of Kern back,” Jess said somberly.
“I’d like that, Jess, but I’m scared that’s too much to hope for. I’ll let you know what she says.” Marek jogged to the house and inside, letting the door swing shut behind him.
While he called his sister, he remembered Camille—her vivid looks, her energetic presence. Good genes with Kern’s genes. Should be a good combination. He talked for ten minutes, chatting briefly with each of his little nieces before his sister returned to the phone.
“Ginny, I have some news that will shock you. I can come back to Dallas to tell you or I can tell you on the phone, but you’re in for a giant shock.”
“You have to tell me now, Marek. Good grief, after that I can’t wait for you to get to Dallas. What is it?”
“Do you know who Camille Avanole is?”
There was a moment’s silence. “I don’t think so. I can’t think of a single Camille I know.”
“Do you recognize the name?”
“If you don’t tell me what you’re getting at, Marek, I’m going to reach through this phone and grab you.”
“Ginny, she called me and said she wanted to talk to me,” he said, recalling the sparks he’d felt when they had touched while shaking hands—something he hadn’t felt with a woman since the loss of Jillian. “She knew Kern,” he continued. “Camille and Kern went out on a weekend over a year and a half ago. She got pregnant with Kern’s baby.”
“Kern had a baby?” Ginny’s voice sounded faint and breathless.
“Yes, he did. He found out she was pregnant the day before he flew to Denver.”
“Oh, my word. Do you suppose that’s why he lost control and crashed? Was he thinking about the baby? Is it really Kern’s? Maybe it’s not and this is one of those women who try to take advantage—”
“Ginny,” Marek stated firmly. “Listen to me. She has a note Kern sent her right before the flight. It’s Kern’s message. It sounds like him. She gave me a copy of it, and I’ll show it to you.”
“Marek, I do need to sit. This is a shock. A baby.”
“A little boy named Noah. He’s six months old. I have dinner with Camille tomorrow night to talk about the future,” he said, realizing he was looking forward to seeing her again. Another first since losing Jillian. Maybe the numbness was wearing away. Or maybe it was Camille’s beauty and captivating presence that had stirred his reactions. “I can’t turn my back on that baby. I know he’s Kern’s son. She had a picture, and he looks like Kern.”
“We have to know this little boy. Will she let us? Is she famous? You asked if I know her.”
“She’s in opera. I’ve looked her up. She’s young. Only twenty-five. Her résumé is impressive to me,” he said, thinking her looks were just as impressive.
“Opera? How did she get with Kern?”
“A New Year’s Eve party where they had mutual friends.”
“No wonder I didn’t recognize the name. I’m country. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I’m thinking about options. I’ll let you know.”
“We have to keep this baby in our lives. If he’s Kern’s baby, we can’t cut him out. Does she live in Texas?”
“No. She’ll leave in July and take him with her.”
“Have you told Jess?”
“Yes. He’d like to see the baby, too. I guess we’re all hoping for a bit of Kern in our lives again.”
“Wouldn’t that be wonderful? You’ve given me a shock. You better break it gently to Mom and Dad.”
“I will. I’ll call Camille and see what I can set up to see him. I’ll let you know. We’ll both see him, I promise you.”
He told her goodbye and called his parents, spending the next half hour breaking the news to them and catching up on their news.
Finished with family calls, he phoned Camille. In minutes he had plans to pick Camille up the next day and take her to Houston for dinner.
“You’re not going out with him,” Stephanie Avanole said, glaring at her sister.
“Yes, I am. I’ve given this a lot of thought. We’ve talked about it. He’s Noah’s relative,” Camille replied, wiping her forehead and the back of her neck as she walked away from the treadmill. “I know you don’t feel the way I do about this, but I think the Rangels have a right to see their nephew.”
“They’ll want to take him from you or tell you what to do with him. They’re not going to ignore him. These are wealthy, powerful people, accustomed to getting their way. You said Kern said his older brother ran the family after he was grown. That he was much more serious than Kern.”
“Tomorrow night Marek Rangel can talk and I’ll listen. Stephanie, he’s had a terrible loss and this is a shock.”
“I still say you’ll be sorry. You should never have told them about Noah, much less have agreed to go out with Marek Rangel tomorrow night. He’s a tough cowboy and tougher businessman. I’ve heard a few people talk. He’s had big losses—his fiancée as well as his only brother. He doesn’t sound like the lighthearted, I-don’t-care type.”
“I had to tell him.”
“I’m warning you,” Stephanie said, frowning and placing her hands on her hips, “you’ll regret this day. Marek Rangel will want to be part of Noah’s life.”
“I think he’s entitled to be. I don’t think he’s any threat to me at all.”
“You’ll never convince me that this is good.”
“Then you have a closed mind about it. He’s not an ogre,” Camille replied, remembering a handsome man with troubled brown eyes, a man who appeared hard, closed in a shell, inscrutable and preoccupied. A man who was nothing like his charming, devil-may-care brother.
Late afternoon Wednesday she dressed carefully in a deep blue dress with a vee neckline and long sleeves. Hoping to look successful, attractive and poised, she twisted and combed her hair to one side of her head, fastening it with a blue scarf. She had butterflies in the pit of her stomach and she didn’t know why, unless deep down, she was more worried about what Marek might want than she had told her sister.
The moment he arrived at her house, dressed in a navy suit, a white Stetson and boots, he looked like the successful Texas rancher that he was. He also appeared powerful, commanding and threatening to her future. Stephanie’s warnings haunted her.
In spite of the veiled look on his face, he was handsome enough to cause a jump in her pulse. For a fleeting moment she had a jittery dance of nerves and wanted to reach up to pat her hair. With a deep breath, her confidence returned.
“Come in,” she invited, stepping back, feeling as if she had stepped into a new world where her life would never be the same. “Noah is still awake.”
Two
As he entered a hallway his boot heels scraped on the polished oak floor. To his right through a wide-open archway, he glimpsed a piano in the corner of a large room with a hardwood floor and a brown leather sofa. To one side stood a large wooden desk. Marek drew a deep breath. An uncustomary nervousness plagued him, and he hoped he hid it. “I would like to see Noah,” he answered in a voice that deepened and sounded strange to his ears.
She closed the door and motioned with a wave of her hand. “Come with me to the nursery. Both my sisters are here.”
As he walked beside her, his pulse quickened while uncertainty grew with each step. “My nieces aren’t babies any longer. I’ve forgotten how to deal with a baby. I don’t remember much about them.”
She laughed, a soft, delightful sound that made him relax slightly. “I’ll admit, I had moments before he was born when I felt terrified and overwhelmed. I’ve found out that you learn very fast when you have a baby to care for.”
He placed a hand on her arm. “I’m sorry you were alone when he was born. I’m sorry Kern didn’t live to be there. He would have been a huge support for you. I’ll try to do what I think Kern would have wanted, but I can’t take his place. Kern was unique.”
“I hope you will, and it’ll be wonderful if you do,” she said.
He followed her into a playroom in shades of blue with paintings of animals hanging on the walls. Two other attractive women faced him. One was a pretty brunette in a red sweater and matching slacks, who stood looking at him with curious blue-green eyes. “Ashley, meet Marek Rangel, Noah’s uncle. Marek, this is my sister Ashley Avanole.” Camille turned slightly to another woman, who bore little resemblance to Camille or Ashley.
He was momentarily startled by the hostility in her cold gaze and assumed she didn’t want him involved in Noah’s life. “Stephanie, meet Marek Rangel. Marek, this is my sister Stephanie.”
Marek greeted her, lost in thinking about being an uncle. His gaze shifted to the baby in a tire-shaped cushion on the floor.
Camille swept the baby up and held him, smiling and speaking softly to him. “Marek, meet your nephew, Noah Avanole.” Noah waved his arms, blowing bubbles. She held him out to Marek, who took him carefully. He pulled the baby close, cradling him in his arms and looking down into twinkling, wide brown eyes that were filled with mischief as Noah blew bubbles and drooled. Marek felt weak-kneed as he had a moment of déjà vu. It was as if he were looking into Kern’s eyes after he had played a joke on Marek. How could a little baby look like a grown man? If Marek had had a doubt before who had fathered this baby, it vanished now.
“He’s Kern,” he whispered without realizing he was speaking aloud. For a moment, he had a flash of the future, thinking this child and Ginny’s girls would be the children in his life. Since the loss of Jillian, he never expected to marry or have a family. His arm tightened slightly around Noah. He felt a warmth toward the baby while they looked into each other’s eyes; it was as if a tangible bond formed, which Marek knew was foolishness. From the first glance there was no way he could keep from loving this baby.
“He does seem to have a resemblance, but I’m going from memory and I thought maybe it was my imagination,” Camille replied.
“There’s more than a physical resemblance. He’s like Kern. Is he always this happy?”
“Yes, he is,” Camille answered, smiling and stepping closer to look at her son with Marek. “He’s a wonderful baby.”
Babbling unintelligible sounds, Noah blew more bubbles and Marek’s smile broadened. “He’s so tiny.”
“He’ll grow. He’s gained weight and gotten much bigger since his birth.” She gave him a moment longer. “If you’re ready, I’ll take him and we can go.”
Marek handed Noah to her, brushing her arms and catching a whiff of an enticing jasmine scent. He hated to turn loose Noah, whose brown eyes gazed intently at him.
“And you’re his nanny?” he asked Ashley, glancing at her and trying to politely include her.
“Yes. When he was born, I had to learn fast. Camille hired a nurse for the first month, so she taught me quite a bit. Being his nanny right now is a good job to have.”
“And I help manage my sister’s career,” Stephanie interjected. “We love Noah very much.”
Her tone was polite, but Marek’s caution returned. Her glacial dark blue eyes held a warning, which reemphasized what he guessed was worry about his claims on Noah. For the first time, it occurred to Marek he might not ever have easy access to his nephew.
It was obvious the sisters were not in agreement about sharing Noah with his paternal relatives.
“It was nice to meet you,” Ashley stated. Stephanie merely nodded perfunctorily, and Marek was certain about her feelings toward him. At the door he couldn’t resist turning to glance back at Noah, who was playing with a rattle, kicking his legs and enjoying himself.
Marek’s glance rested only briefly on Stephanie, who glared at him. Her mouth was set in a hard line. Marek followed Camille into the hall.
“I take it your sister Stephanie doesn’t share your feelings about allowing Noah to know the paternal side of the family. I couldn’t get a reading on what Ashley felt.”
“Don’t worry about Stephanie. Noah is my child, and I want you to know him. I told you, I want him to know the Rangels and ranching. I want you as an influence in his life. Ashley is all right with letting you see Noah.”
“I’m glad,” he said, “because we all want to know him. It’s startling to me to look at him. There’s something about him that really resembles Kern.”
As they walked toward the front, he caught another whiff of the perfume she wore. When they passed the room with the piano, he glanced inside. “Is this where you practice your voice lessons?”
“Yes. It’s an office of sorts, too. Stephanie wanted an office this spring to work on taxes. Noah disturbs her sometimes, so this room is the farthest from the nursery. I study languages every day, trying to improve my grasp of Italian, French and German. Wherever we go, I take my own furniture, so that’s why we have such a minimal amount. I like having my own bed. But I rent the piano. I can’t practice in a hotel.”
“Good idea. I don’t blame you. It sounds like it works out well,” Marek said, thinking she must not have much time in her life for Noah.
