Montana Cowboy Daddy (Wyatt Brothers of Montana #3) - Jane Porter Page 0,18
real job, and income, it’d all be different. But I’m not even halfway through.”
“What is a dissertation?”
“It’s a research project that completes the final step of my doctoral program, a compilation of academic and practical knowledge—”
“Doctoral?” he interrupted.
“I’m working toward my PhD in psychology.”
He was impressed. But also completely ignorant about everything she was saying, making him feel as if he was in a foreign country listening to people speak a language he didn’t know. “You’re nearing the end of your degree?”
“The dissertation is all that’s left, but it’s a big chunk of the degree, and I haven’t gotten anything done for the past month.”
“When is it due?”
“It’s not black and white like that. It’s due when it’s done, meaning when I’ve completed the research and writing. Most of my practical research is done. Now I need to structure and write it.”
“How long does it take to write it?”
“Again, depends. I’ve been warned that it could take anywhere from fourteen months to twenty months.” She grimaced. “I’m proving to be closer to the latter because I take on part-time jobs to help pay bills. I just finished a house sitting/dog sitting job when I got the call about Beck. Thank goodness, too. It would have been hard reaching JoJo’s owner in Patagonia.”
“JoJo?”
“A Chihuahua that likes to bite people.” Her nose wrinkled. “Not a good fit with a baby.”
“Uh, not a good fit with anyone.”
She laughed, the sound light and surprisingly bright, almost joyful. “JoJo tolerated me toward the end. But the beginning was rough. Once I realized treats were the way to get her to stop snapping, I carried them in my pocket all the time. Wouldn’t be in the same room with her without them.”
“This is why I like big dogs.”
“Oh, and big dogs don’t bite? Come on.”
“No dog should ever bite.”
“You have two very big dogs here.”
“We used to have three, but we lost our big boy, Runt, just after Christmas. Granddad took it really hard. Runt was his boy.”
“I’m sorry.”
Billy realized yet again he’d misjudged her. April and Erika were nothing alike, and that was both good and bad. Good, because Erika obviously had her act together, and was someone who could be counted on to make the right decisions for Beck. Bad because Erika intrigued Billy, and he couldn’t remember the last time a woman interested him at any level other than sexual. Erika was beautiful, but she was also smart, and he liked talking to her. He wanted to keep talking to her and that was not his norm.
“I don’t know how your family could not want you,” he said abruptly. “You’re incredibly successful—”
“But not a member of their church.” She gave him a tight, bright smile but he could see it didn’t reach her eyes. “And if you don’t believe, and don’t follow their principles, well, you don’t matter. You’re a heathen, and an outsider.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah, ouch.” She glanced toward the house, expression troubled. “But it is what it is. Dysfunction perpetuates dysfunction.” Her shoulders slumped and she looked weary. “It’s why I wanted to study psychology, why I wanted to learn, and grow, and try to learn what healthy behavior is. I don’t want to be like my family—”
“I don’t think you’re anything like your family.”
“You don’t know that.”
“As soon as you heard about April, you headed to Las Vegas and jumped into action, taking on her son”—he broke off, correcting himself—“possibly my son. You put your life on hold to handle her affairs and try to find Beck’s father. That’s admirable—”
“But it shouldn’t be admirable! It should just be what people do for each other. It should just be decency—”
“Exactly.” The conviction in her voice did something to him, making his chest tighten. He liked her. She wasn’t the enemy. And she wasn’t the problem. “I’ll get the paternity test done in Bozeman tomorrow. We should have results soon after, I imagine.”
“Thank you.” She drew a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “I’m thinking I should retrieve Beck from your mom. I don’t want to take advantage of her kindness.”
“She wouldn’t have offered if she didn’t want to do it. Mom is no pushover.”
Erika hesitated. “Do you mind telling me why she needs the walker? Is it arthritis?”
“We used to think it was arthritis, but she was recently diagnosed with MS. Fortunately, she’s on new medicine and it’s really helped her. Just two years ago Joe was carrying her up and down the stairs.”