Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
But fuck, it was good to finally have it out there.
“I’ve looked into all of them, and they’re good, decent, hardworking men. They own a ranch they all work not far from Oakbilly. The sons are both married, one to his high school sweetheart. The younger one to a woman he met twenty years ago, and they’ve been together since. You also have cousins. Three boys and a girl. They’re younger even than Dru, but they seem like good kids.”
“Jesus, this is a lot,” Judge muttered.
Jamie’s stomach twisted. “Too much?” he asked.
“No, Dad. I think it’s awesome. I should have known you weren’t of his blood. You don’t look like him. And you don’t act like any of them. Have you reached out to these folks?”
“I’m going to do it after I get the ranch.”
“Can I ask why you’re waiting?”
Good question.
“Dad?” Judge pushed.
“I keep trying to think how I would feel if the product of a relationship with a woman from my past, even a woman I cared about deeply, approached me decades later.”
“I know how you’d feel,” Judge stated instantly. “You’d be shocked, but, as long as they didn’t show up to milk you for money, you’d love it.”
His son was correct.
However…
“Not every man would, Judge,” he cautioned. “And he’s been with his wife for forty-five years. She might not like it that much either.”
“I hear you,” Judge said quietly. “But if he loved Grandma…and Dad, you’re no slouch. You’ve made an amazing life for yourself, and you’re a great guy. I think this man will be super freaking happy to know you’re his. And if his wife loves him, she’ll only dig that he has more family to add to their own.”
Fuck, he hoped so.
Jamie moved them on. “So…first step. Telling you. I’ll tell Dru soon. Once we know Chet isn’t going to bother her. And then I’ll figure out when I’ll reach out to this man.”
“What’s his name?”
“Morgan Rawlins.”
“Holy fuck,” Judge whispered.
That made Jamie smile, because he knew why Judge said that.
“Mom told Pop that she gave me my middle name after her side of the family, the Morgans,” Jamie told his son something he already knew. “Her journal refutes that. She named me after my father. Which means, I inadvertently gave you your middle name after my father.”
He could hear the smile in Judge’s, “Shit, AJ is gonna lose his mind.”
AJ was going to lose his mind.
There was a knock on the door, then Nico stuck his head in.
“Damn, sorry, I thought you might be done,” he said.
“No, don’t go,” Jamie called. “We’re finishing up.” He went back to Judge. “Sit with this. Process it. I’ll let you know when I talk to Dru. And then we’ll get together and figure out what’s next.”
“Okay, Dad. Thanks for telling me.”
“Thanks for handling it so well.”
“Not a problem, since I think it’s the shit. I can’t wait to tell Chloe. If you hear her shriek of glee all the way to New York, you know I’ve done the deed.”
And his son made him laugh.
Through it, he said, “Much love to you, Judge. Give Chloe and JT a kiss for me.”
“You got that back, and I will. Later, Dad.”
They hung up, and Jamie focused on Nico.
“You sure you were done talking to Judge?” Nico asked. “Honestly, I can come back.”
“We were done, Nico.”
And he’d been in the thick of it with Judge, but he knew the minute Nico showed late that morning that he needed to make sure there was time for this chat.
He knew this when Nico came through the front door wearing a brown Tom Ford button down and jeans, nice boots, and a brown military-style Tom Ford jacket.
Jamie sensed this was not an outfit approved by Felice.
It wasn’t like Nico had been in flipflops and a T-shirt that last time he came home. But the short-sleeved button down and faded jeans he’d worn that time were both probably purchased at the Gap.
Nico was reclaiming himself, and undoubtedly, Felice wasn’t a fan.
He watched Nico move to the sofa across from him and sit down.
“I’m going to make this easy on you and let you know that Darryn is a great guy, but he tells his wife everything,” Jamie said quietly.
Nico looked to the fireplace. “Right.”
“I’ve been divorced,” Jamie reminded him, getting his attention back. “And lost a wife to cancer.” He let his lips tip up ruefully. “I’ve got all the shitty experiences under my belt.”
“I love her,” Nico blurted.
Jamie nodded.
There was pain in Nico’s face, and his voice, when he asked, “Is sometimes love not enough?”
Jamie thought of Belinda.
“I hate to tell you this, but yes. Sometimes love isn’t enough.”
Nico’s face flushed with emotion, but he asked, “Are you cool with talking about this?”
“I’m very cool with it,” Jamie assured.
“This is a lot, we don’t know each other very well, but I don’t want you to think I’ve got some kind of screw loose.”