are such a wonderful mother to him. I don’t doubt for even once second that you are everything that little boy needs.” She hesitated.
“Then what’s wrong?” I asked.
“I just don’t know how fair it is to Walker. What if he gets married and has a family of his own, then Harrison wants to know him years later? Are you always going to keep it a secret from Harrison?”
I slumped back against the desk we used as a register. It wasn’t something I’d given much thought too. In my mind, my only goal was to keep Harrison’s lineage a secret long enough to keep him away from the Wheeler family. I didn’t want him to never know who his people were; I just wouldn’t give up part of him to see that happen.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I really don’t. I haven’t thought about it, but I know that what the Wheeler family stands for and what I want for Harrison are two very different things. I want him to have a future beyond raising cattle and selling steaks.”
“What about what he wants, though? Let’s say he’s ten years old, and his biggest dream is to be a cowboy; when will you decide that he should know what his father does? And this is a small community. Eventually, Walker might put the pieces together on his own.”
“That’s why I have to stay as far away from that family as possible. I’m going to do Hailey's work because she is my friend, but I won’t commission the other pieces for her. It’s just too risky. I need to steer clear of that whole family.”
“Can you do that, though, for the rest of your life?”
I shrugged. “I guess we are going to find out.”
“What’s so bad about this Walker Wheeler, if you don’t mind me asking? Is he just like the others? Wants a woman to take care of him and nothing else?”
“I don’t think so. Hailey made it sound like he was a pretty modern man, but it’s still not a thought I want to entertain. Honestly, I’m second-guessing inviting Hailey to Harrison's birthday party. What if she puts the dates together on her own?”
“Does she know you slept with him?” Matilda asked.
I nodded. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean anything; maybe I had a boyfriend back home, you know?”
“Ah,” She cringed. “No offense but Hailey knew you in college, right? From the sounds of it, you weren’t really the party animal type. Did you even have a boyfriend?”
“No,” I muttered. “I guess I didn’t really think it through when I told her.”
“Maybe your subconscious knows something you don’t, and you were trying to get her to discover that Harrison is a Wheeler.”
“Hey,” I snapped. “Harrison will never be a Wheeler. I will never let that happen to him. That boy is my life, and that family has deep pockets. I wouldn’t put it past them to make me disappear just to get their claws on a Wheeler offspring.”
She laughed. “I think you’re being a little dramatic, but that’s okay. I’m sure seeing him today stirred up all sorts of feelings again.”
My fingers ran along the edge of the desk. I was trying deliberately not to think about all the emotions Walker had stirred inside of me. As soon as I’d seen him, my desire had bounded back to life. It wasn’t like that with other men. With him, one look, and I melted into his gaze. A shudder shook my body as Matilda gave me a quizzical stare. She was too smart for her own good. I’d need to be more careful about the time I spent at Hailey’s.
“Walker Wheeler is nothing but trouble,” I said. “Mark my words, the second he starts poking around here will be the end for our little dream. I don’t care if I have to take Harrison and you and flee the country.”
“Awe!” Matilda squealed. “You mean you would take me with you if you had to become a Swiss citizen?”
“You better believe it,” I laughed. “You are my family, Matilda. You’re like an older brother to Harrison and a little sister to me. I couldn’t run this place or my house without you.”
“Well, for the record, I think of you the same way. Don’t worry about Walker Wheeler or his family. These aren't the olden days when women didn't have any rights. Harrison is your son and yours alone.”
She scurried around the desk and pulled me into a hug. It was exactly what I needed.