Valerie’s voice softened. “I’m sorry to tell you she passed away last week.”
“What? How?” All the air left my lungs. I wasn’t close to her—hell, I barely remembered her name—but death still had a way of punching holes in a man’s chest.
“A car accident. She left behind an eight-month-old daughter,” Valerie went on. “Her name is Calliope.” She opened the folder and turned it toward me. There was the birth certificate. Rebecca’s name was listed as the mother, and printed next to it, listed as the father, was mine.
The blood drained from my face, and my cheeks went numb. “That can’t be right.”
“I attempted to contact you,” Valerie continued. “When I couldn’t reach you, I called the town hall to find out if you still lived in the area. I was told you were in town but out working on a fire, so I headed this way. Usually, I’m much more discreet with this type of news, but I needed a place to stay last night, and Mrs. Nelson offered one of her cabins. She assured me she could get a message through to you as well.”
Ruby gave me a tight smile, her eyes kind but serious. “I told you it was urgent.”
“There are no other family members able to assume custody,” Valerie said. “Which leaves you.”
I stared at the folder, then at the baby carrier. A tiny hand flailed out from under the blanket, fingers curling and uncurling like she was trying to grab a handful of air. My throat went dry.
“We were careful,” I mumbled. The words sounded thin and useless. A dozen excuses crowded my throat. They had the wrong guy… there was some kind of mistake—but none of them made it past my lips. This couldn’t be happening. I’d never had unprotected sex. Never wanted to be tied down. Never wanted to be a father. I shook my head, unwilling to accept what Ruby and Ms. Hibbing were saying as truth.
“Mr. Jameson,” Valerie said, her voice gentle, her gaze steady on mine. “You’re welcome to do DNA testing if you’d like, but as far as the state is concerned, the child is yours.”
While I’d been struggling to make sense of what they were saying, Ruby had pulled the blanket off the carrier and now held a tiny human in her arms.
“Cullen,” she said, her voice full of warmth. “You’re a father. This is Calliope, your baby girl.”
The world seemed to narrow to the space between us. My chair felt nailed to the floor. I wanted to push back, to breathe, to wake up from the nightmare, but all I could do was stare at a small fist waving above the blanket.
Valerie got up and pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder. “My apologies for leaving so soon, but I didn’t expect to be gone so long. There’s enough formula and food in the diaper bag to get you started, and her schedule and doctor’s notes from her last appointment are in the folder. If you need anything, I’m just a phone call away.”
Wait. She was leaving? A vise closed around my chest as I pushed back from the table. Every instinct inside urged me to run, but I forced myself to stand my ground. “I don’t know anything about babies. Who’s going to take care of her?”
Ruby set a hand on my arm. “You will, sugar.”
Valerie offered an apologetic grin, like she actually felt sorry for me. Then she pulled her jacket tight. “It looks like you’ve got a good support system in place here, Mr. Jameson. But if you decide you’re not up for the task, there are plenty of families who would be willing to take placement of an infant.”
“Cullen,”—Ruby pressed the pink bundle into my chest—“don’t make any rash decisions. Sit with this for a little while.”
“You’ve got my number.” Valerie took one last look at the baby, then turned and walked toward the door.
I shook my head and looked down at the bundle of blankets. Brown eyes peered up at me, the same color as my own. Warmth seeped through the blanket, soft and impossibly light. Her tiny hand brushed my shirt, fingers curling against the soot still on my skin. For a heartbeat, something in me cracked open. Then the panic rushed back in. This couldn’t be happening. I didn’t know how to take care of a baby. Hell, I’d never even held a doll, much less a real-life kid.
“Ruby…” I pushed the baby back toward her. “I’m not dad material.”
“No one is at first, but you’ll learn.” She smiled and rearranged the blankets. “Let’s get her back to your place. I think you’ll feel much better after you’ve had a shower and a real meal.”
I stood by while Ruby put the baby back into the carrier and secured all the buckles. Then she flipped the handle up and grabbed a big black bag I hadn’t noticed that sat on the floor.
“I had time to gather a few things while you were at the fire. There’s a pack and play in my trunk along with a highchair Jonas said you could borrow. I’ve already got the base for the car seat secured in my backseat. We can transfer it to your truck now if you’d like, or I can do it when we get back to your place.” She nodded toward the baby carrier. “I’ve got the bag. Will you bring Calliope?”
All eyes in the Merc had turned on us. Whispers swirled, and it was only a matter of time before word spread faster than fire about my new predicament. I’d always tried to fly under the radar. Now I was going to be right smack dab in the center of attention. Eager to get out of the limelight, I wrapped my hand around the baby carrier and held it by my side as I followed Ruby out of the Merc.
I didn’t know anything about being a father. The only example I’d had left me with nothing except scars, both the visible and invisible kind, from his battle with the bottle he always seemed to lose. Ruby was wrong. The best thing I could do for this baby was let someone else take care of her. I’d seen enough damage in my life to know I wasn’t built to keep anything safe.
CHAPTER 2
ROSE
I stood on the porch of Cullen Jameson’s cabin and waited for someone to come to the door. I’d already knocked twice. I could tell by the sound of a baby’s cries coming from inside that someone was home. Ruby had begged me to come as soon as I could. She had an event over in Bozeman this weekend and asked if I could help Cullen take care of a baby until she could get back. I told myself I was just doing her a favor. That’s what I always did—help, then move on. No roots. No strings.
This wasn’t just any baby, either. I’d heard the rumors, and Ruby had confirmed them. Cullen found out he was a dad less than twenty-four hours ago, and everyone in Mustang Mountain already knew all about it. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen someone thrown into parenthood overnight. As a kid, I knew what it felt like to be dropped off and told to make the best of it. But I’d never been on the other end of it and couldn’t imagine the shockwave that had sent through his life. He had a reputation for being the kind of man who didn’t want to settle down. Ruby said he wasn’t sure what he was going to do yet, but he needed all the help he could get.
