"I'll walk her up there if you like, BB," Billy offered. "I see Nate's here as well."
Blue met his father's steady gaze. "Sure. Why don't you do that? Tell Ruth I'll be up in a minute."
He stayed beside January as Maria took Billy's hand and walked back up to the ranch.
"I think I scared her."
"You are a bit of a forceful personality." January gave him a sympathetic glance. "Don't worry, she'll come around."
"I doubt she'll be here long enough for that."
"Then you don't think she's your child?"
"I don't know, January. I'm still struggling to get my head round any of it." Blue took off his Stetson and slapped it against his thigh. "I feel like someone just threw a grenade in my face."
His acute hearing picked up the sound of an approaching truck, and he stayed where he was as Jenna pulled into the yard and parked alongside Nate. She wore her usual jeans, boots, and T-shirt combo but her smile was missing. She looked over toward the barn and went still when she saw him.
January patted his forearm. "I'm just going to find Chase, okay?"
"You do that, and ask him about getting that DNA sample going."
"Will do."
* * *
Jenna saw January going up to the house and spoke a few words to her before moving toward Blue, who didn't look particularly welcoming.
"Hey." He replaced his hat on his head, shading his expression. "Did you come to see Roy?"
"No. You and I were supposed to be going over to the Membler spread to see some horses today. I tried to call you, but your cell's been off."
He patted the back pocket of his jeans. "Damn, I must've forgotten to charge my phone last night."
"Not surprising considering what's been going on." Jenna cleared her throat. "How's Maria doing this morning?"
"She's fine. Ruth is taking good care of her." Blue leaned back against the wall, his relaxed posture at odds with the storm in his eyes. "You might as well let it out."
"What?"
"Your question, or shall I just answer it for you? I haven't been concealing a daughter for the last eleven years."
"I didn't think you had, and anyway it's none of my business, is it?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you give me the stink eye yesterday night?"
"Because I felt sorry for Maria." She shifted her grip on her bag.
"Hell, I feel sorry for her, but I didn't create this mess."
"So you're one hundred percent certain that she couldn't be your daughter?"
"No, I'm not."
Unsurprised by his honesty, she waited him out until he exhaled and continued talking.
"I did some crazy things when I was a teenager. I'm not making any excuses for myself because there's no one else to blame but me. I was newly enlisted, away from the ranch for the first time in my life, and thought I was fricking invincible." His mouth twisted. "So, yeah, I can't say that I might not have made a mistake. All I can tell you is that I didn't walk away knowing I'd made a mistake."
"I'm glad to hear it." Jenna took an equally deep breath. "I have a hard time sympathizing with men who walk away from their kids."
"Like my dad?"
"At least from what you told me, you had him for a few good years. I didn't even get that."
His blue gaze narrowed and focused entirely on her. "I thought you came from one of those well-to-do middle-class high-achieving families."
"Well, I do and I don't. I was adopted. Which probably explains why I got a bit defensive last night when I heard Maria's story. I was kind of reliving part of my own childhood." She half turned toward the house. "I assume we aren't going anywhere today? Is it okay if I just check in with Ruth to see if she has anything that needs looking at while I'm here?"
Blue moved to stand in front of her. "Jenna, you must know I'd never abandon my own kid."
She looked up into his clear eyes. "As I said, it's got nothing to do with me, but-"
"I'd never do what Billy did." Blue snatched a quick breath. "If she is my kid, I'll take care of her."
She couldn't help cupping his cheek and rubbing her thumb over his taut jawline. "You're a good man, Blue Morgan."
"I'm certainly more responsible than I was at eighteen, but what the hell am I supposed to do with a ten-year-old?"
"Ruth will help you." Her smile died as his hand closed gently around her wrist, keeping her palm against his face.
"How about you? If anyone knows how an abandoned kid might feel, it has to be you."
She shivered. "You have no idea."
His hand fell away and he opened his mouth, probably to ask even more questions, but she was done talking about her childhood. "Shall we go and see Ruth?"
"Okay." He held her gaze. "I know I have no right to ask for your help, but I'm still counting on it."
She rolled her eyes. "Instead of Boy, your middle name should really be Bossy."
He stiffened. "Who told you my real name?"
"Like I'd tell you. I hear you beat people up who call you Blue Boy."
"Not anymore, which means it must've been Dave, because I did thump him a couple of times back in elementary school when he tried it on."
"Which TV show?"
The look Blue gave her was resigned. "The High Chaparral. I checked it out once, and that character Blue Boy was a complete wuss."
"So, just like you, then."
He glanced down at her as they went up the steps into the house. "Is this your idea of cheering me up or something?"
"It might be."
He held the screen door open for her, but when she tried to duck under his arm, he trapped her against the door frame.
"Thank you, Jenna."
"For what?"
"For believing me and for trying to make me laugh. I needed that." He hesitated. "I just hate things being out of my control, you know?"
"I would never have guessed," she said solemnly. "You are normally such a free spirit-almost a hipster."
This time he actually did smile. While she watched that transform his face, he leaned in and kissed her mouth before letting her go.
She stumbled into the kitchen, her fingers on her lips, and sat down heavily on the nearest chair. God, he smelled so good up close, and the feel of his mouth on hers was way too exciting. For once she was glad that Ruth wasn't actually in the kitchen because she would've had a hard time explaining why she looked like a complete idiot.
"Ruth's in with Nate and Maria in the parlor. They should be done in a minute." Blue came in quietly without his boots and Jenna jumped. "Would you like some coffee?"
"Sure."
She needed something to do that didn't involve grabbing handfuls of Blue Morgan's T-shirt and ripping it off him. It was quite shocking that even when he was super worried and surly, she still couldn't stop lusting after him.
It was his fault for getting up close and kissing her. But she could hardly have stopped him, seeing as she was trying to cheer him up.
Yeah, right.
"You okay?" Blue slid a mug of coffee in front of her.
"I'm good. What did Nate want?"
"He's been following up with the bus company that dropped Maria off and dealing with the local CPS rep."
"They aren't going to put Maria in a temporary foster home, are they?" Jenna slammed her mug down so fast coffee went all over the table.
Without a word, Blue fetched a cloth and wiped up the flood of coffee. He refilled Jenna's mug and rinsed out the washcloth before sitting back down.
"You weren't adopted as a baby, I take it."
"No." She concentrated on sipping her coffee and avoiding his gaze. "I was about Maria's age when I was formally adopted."
"Not all foster homes are bad places," Blue said cautiously.
"That's true. The vast majority of them are excellent. My sister-" She swallowed down the rest of that sentence with some coffee. But of course he wouldn't let her get away with that.
"What's your sister's name?"
"I have two."
"The one who had a better experience in foster care than you did." He made it a statement rather than a question.
"That's Tessa. She was only in one place, so she transitioned into our permanent home really well."
"How many homes were you in?" Blue didn't look up as he traced the swirling pattern on the pine table with his spoon.
"A few." Jenna sighed. "My birth mom would occasionally get her act together and convince the authorities to let her have her children back." She attempted a smile. "It never lasted-especially if there was a man involved. So out we'd all go again."
"Until you were properly adopted, right?"
"Yeah. I was lucky. The McDonalds are such good people."
Blue nodded. "You certainly seemed to have turned out okay."
She managed to look up at him. "I'm the slacker in my family. Tessa's a surgeon and Lily went to MIT."
"Impressive."
"Yeah." She finished her coffee, her smile dying.
"I bet neither of them has ever held down a calf and castrated him, right?"
"I can't quite see either of them doing that, no."