Lost Love (Cowboys and Angels #1)(14)

Cheers erupted as I glimpsed past the kids to see Steed still standing, staring at Chloe. He must have felt my stare because he looked at me. Lifting my brow, he nodded and left before Chloe turned to see him still there.

Clapping my hands, I pushed off my desk. I was in my element. I loved teaching. I loved being with these kids and I would certainly love the distraction of keeping my mind off of Steed Parker.

“The first thing we’re going to learn is how to pay attention when the teacher is talking. I’m going to teach a song we’ll use when I need to get your full attention.”

I scanned all the adorable faces and stopped when I saw big blue eyes staring back into mine. She was the spitting image of her father.

So much for trying not to think of Steed. He’d conveniently left me a little reminder with blonde pigtails and bright eager eyes.





The keys made a clattering sound as I dropped them in the small bowl Chloe had made last year. Walking into the large living room, I started talking to myself. “What the fuck am I supposed to do now?”

The doorbell rang and I spun to answer it. Opening the door, I smiled when I saw my baby sister standing there.

“Hey,” Amelia said.

“Hey back at ya. What brings you here?”

She shrugged, then walked in. She was carrying a computer bag over her shoulder, a diet Pepsi in one hand, and giant shopping bag in the other. “Thought I would do some work here and keep you company. I figured today would be a rough day with dropping Chloe off at school and all.”

I raked my hand through my hair. “Yeah, it was rough in a few ways.”

Amelia placed her bag on the coffee table and turned to me.

“Paxton?”

With a nod, I dropped into an overstuffed chair. I still wasn’t used to having all of this. Not that we didn’t have a nice home in Portland, we did. But that was all it was. Nice. This was over the top. My parents were loaded; we knew that growing up. But they never spoiled us and we all had to work on the ranch learning every single aspect of the business. I always thought I’d come back from college and work alongside my father. Instead I got a degree in business management with a minor in math. I fucking hated math, but I was good at it.

“Since you left, Paxton has pretty much avoided the family. I mean if she ran into us, she was always pleasant. But when she came home from college she never stopped by no matter how many times Mom begged her to. Then when she moved back to town, if she saw us, she’d go out of her way to go in the opposite direction.”

My stomach tightened.

“What in the hell did you to her, Steed? Whatever it was, I know you told Mom and that’s why she isn’t talking to you. She told Dad she’s never been so angry with one of her kids in her life.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but Amelia kept on. “She said she was ready to let Paxton make good on her threat. Now I remember that threat, even though I was twelve. You said something to her at y’all’s graduation and she said she hated you. Was going to cut off your—”

“Oh. My. God. Meli, stop talking.”

She leaned back in her chair. “Last week when you and Mom went out to talk, Paxton was a basket case. She tried to act like she was okay, but her hands were shaking, and she kept touching her stomach.” Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not stupid and I’ve put two and two together. Please tell me you didn’t make her do something you would both regret.”

I froze. “What? What in the hell do you mean?”

She leaned forward. “Abortion?”

I jumped up. “Fuck no. I would never do that!”

Letting out a breath, she mumbled, “Thank God. So why is Mom so pissed at you?”

I shook my head. The memories hit me hard. Paxton’s cries echoed through my thoughts. Maybe it was selfish to want to tell someone else, but I was tired of keeping it a secret. Tired of pretending it had never happened.

“The last day of school our senior year, Paxton told me she was pregnant.”

Amelia covered her mouth. “She was pregnant?”

Swallowing hard, I was transported back to the day.





Paxton sat in the stands staring out over the football field. I’d gotten her text to meet her there not long before. The second I walked up, I knew something was wrong. My heart started beating harder. We were both set to go to Texas A & M that fall. We were moving in together much to our parent’s disliking.

What if she changed her mind? Shit.

“Hey, pumpkin. Is everything okay?”

Paxton forced a smile. Then she started to cry.

Rushing to her, I pulled her into my arms. “Pax, baby tell me what’s wrong.”

She buried her face in my chest and pulled at my T-shirt. “Tell me it’s going to be okay, Steed. Please.”