Texas Ranger Dad by Debra Clopton Read Free Book Online Page B

the day I met him on the street. I haven’t spoken to him in over fourteen years. Not since he left my case. But—” she stopped and took a deep breath “—I was confused, and scared when I knew Zane. And I made a choice that was wrong. I didn’t know the Lord at that point either…and I fell in love—no, I believed I was in love with Zane. And, you know how we’ve talked about you being abstinent until you fall in love and get married.” He nodded. She knew he hated talking about this, but she’d insisted. Her mother had made the mistake. Because of her history, she’d made it a priority to be honest and open about relationships. Until now, he hadn’t known her frankness came from her own experience. Looking at him, she paused. How could she tell him that she’d made a mistake but that he was a blessing at the same time?
    Keep going.
    â€œMax. What I’m trying to tell you is that Zane is your father.” She said the words and the entire world came to a screeching halt. There was no sound. There was nothing but the fear that she’d just lost the most precious thing in her life. Her son’s trust.
    â€œWait, my dad isn’t…” He paused on David’s name. She’d gotten him away from David early enough and Max had stopped calling David his dad long ago. Max didn’t talk about him and despised the fact that he’d beaten her. Oh, how she’d longed to erase David’s name from Max’s birth certificate and to tell Max the truth.
    â€œNo, he isn’t.”
    Max bolted from the chair, his fists at his side as he glared at her. “All these years —you knew! All this time and you never said nothin’. And him—Zane, he knew,too, and he’s just now coming around. What kind of dad—”
    â€œNo.” Rose stood, too, and tried to lay her hand on his arm, but he shrugged her off and moved away. She blinked back scalding tears. “Zane didn’t know. I never told him. I haven’t told him yet.”
    Max was red with anger and Rose suspected the need to cry, also. Fury raged in his eyes and she’d put it there. Her heart was breaking.
    â€œHe doesn’t know? All this time, living in shelters—in our car—and he was out there all along. And you didn’t tell either one of us?”
    The accusing words tore at her heart. “I’m sorry—”
    â€œHow could you do that?” he cried, then turned and raced into the woods.

Chapter Six
    Z ane stopped in front of Rose’s house just as she came hurrying out of the woods. She was still pale and didn’t look happy to see him. So be it. She’d get no sympathy from him. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. He’d tried to stay away, to calm down before coming here, but one look at her and his anger reappeared front and center.
    He slammed his truck door while looking around for Max. He didn’t see him. That was good for the moment.
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell me?” he snapped, striding toward her, meeting her in the center of the yard.
    â€œTell you?” she snapped back, glaring up at him. “ You left me. Remember? Walked away from me like I meant n-nothing to you. Why would I tell you anything? And how dare you, Zane Cantrell, judge my motives!”
    Like I meant nothing. The words stung but he wasn’t in the mood for feeling sympathy. Or guilt. “I left you because I was doing what I thought was best for your safety. That was my job. Had I known about Max I would have come back.”
    â€œAnd that was the last thing I wanted.” The words were bitter. “I would never have used Max as a reason to bring you back. For all I know you might have slept with all of the women you were assigned to watch over.”
    The words struck him like a slap. “I’d never done that before,” he said in a low voice of barely refrained anger. He’d loved this