Carbon: Stay in Duke’s room and don’t leave for any reason. Not until you hear from me and only me. Life or death, Reesie. Love you.
I nodded and turned away from her. I didn’t have a choice. I had to let her stay, but that didn’t mean I had to talk to her. I maintained my silence for hours. Finally, her phone buzzed again and she let out a sigh. When she started gathering her things, I asked, “Going somewhere?”
She whirled around, eyes wide. “Yes, I’m leaving. Carbon just sent a text telling me to meet him downstairs.”
“Good,” I said harshly. “Be sure you don’t come back.”
“What is your problem, Duke?” she asked.
I unleashed all the pent-up anger that had stewed for days. I said things just to hurt her, to get her to leave and not come back. I was angry about so many different things and I took every single one of them out on her. I expected her to lash out, to yell at me, or to at least show some kind of reaction, but no, not Reese Walker. She waited until I finished my tirade, picked up her belongings, and walked out the door. Little did I know, she was also walking out of my life.
CHAPTER FIVE
Duke
One year later
“Good job today, Noel!” I said to the little girl at my side.
“Thanks, Mr. Duke. That was my first time jumping. Did you see me?” Noel asked excitedly.
“I sure did. You’re going to know more about horses than me pretty soon. Are you going to quit school and start working here?”
She giggled, “My mom would never let me do that.”
I patted her head. “Good, because school is important. I’ll finish up with Buttercup for you. See you next week.”
“Thank you! Bye, Mr. Duke.” She ran off to find her mother while I untacked the horse. I finished grooming her and led her back to her stall. Buttercup was a sweet horse and Noel was an even sweeter little girl. Each of her siblings had a horse boarded at Blackwings Stables, but Noel and Buttercup were by far my favorite.
Ring! Ring!
I pulled my phone from my pocket and looked at the screen. I didn’t recognize the number, but it was a Devil Springs area code, so I figured it was Copper or one of his guys. “Yeah,” I answered.
The nasally voice of a middle-aged, and I would guess snobby, woman filled my ear. “Could I please speak with Mr. Jackson?”
“Speaking.”
“Hi, Mr. Jackson, this is Rita from Sunshine Springs Daycare. James’s mother hasn’t picked him up and we can’t get in touch with her-”
I interrupted, “I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong person.”
She huffed, “Is this Mr. John Wayne Jackson?” At the sound of my full name, I was suddenly on edge.
“Well, yes.”
“Good. We can’t get in touch with Reese so we need you to come pick up your son.”
Pick up my what?
Reese?
James?
My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest and my lungs refused to move air as realization dawned and a feeling of dread washed over me.
“Mr. Jackson? Are you still there?”
“Um, uh, I’m two hours away.” Yes, that was all I could come up with. My son? My freaking son? I had a son? And where the hell was Reese?
