insisting on calling him home. Palmer had a feeling he’d been with his latest mistress. Which had been confirmed when he’d finally arrived at the hospital.
“You’re my perfect little boy.” She held him, letting him nurse until he was full. When his first birthday arrived, she’d wean him. Already she was starting with a sippy cup of water, not much just enough to get him used to taking from something other than her. He’d never been a pacifier baby.
The alarm she’d set earlier dinged on her watch, letting her know it was time for them to go down to the study to meet with the lawyers. She gathered up his diaper bag and her purse. She double checked the room, making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything as she slid her computer into the bag. More than likely they wouldn’t be returning once she dropped the bomb that was her ticket out of the town she’d thought of as home. “It’s just you and me, kid.” She nuzzled her nose into his neck, loving his little giggle. For an eleven-month-old, he was big. That was something he’d gotten from his father.
Palmer tightened her grip on the bags, put Jaxson in the baby koala carrier around her chest, and headed out, head high like the Coker she was.
“Miss, do you need anything?”
She stopped at the head of the stairs, seeing the young housekeeper near her bedroom door. Palmer shook her head. “No, Missy, I’m fine. Thank you for inquiring.”
Missy was a young girl who had started after Palmer left. She gave a little nod, entering Palmer’s bedroom. She and Jaxson had spent the night, but she’d cleaned the room herself that morning, having gotten used to doing such things since her marriage. Missy would strip the bedding and gather up the towels, other than that, she’d not find a lick of dirt.
In the office, she could hear her grandfather and several other male voices. One step in front of the other, that was all she had to do. For the last one thousand and seven days, it’s what she’d done. One more day wouldn’t hurt. Hell, she’d do it for the next twenty years: she’d do it until she didn’t have to.
“Palmer, there you are, dear. Here, let me watch Jaxson while you take care of that unfortunate business. We’re all very sorry for your loss,” MeMaw said, holding her hands out.
Palmer looked down, watching Jaxson’s eyes drift closed. “It’s alright, he’s sleeping. He’ll rest better next to me especially if he wakes up hungry.” It wasn’t an out and out lie since he would rest better close to her, and if he did wake needing to be fed, she was his food source. What she didn’t say was he’d just eaten, nor did she say she didn’t want him out of her sight.
“All right, but if you need me to take him just give a holler.” MeMaw turned her cheek, waiting for Palmer to kiss her like always.
The familiar scent of Chanel No. 5 brought tears to her eyes. “I love you, MeMaw.”
Her grandmother patted Jaxson’s back, a glimmer of moisture in her eyes. “You’re so much like your mother was. You both were so maternal and beautiful with that blonde hair. I’m so happy little Jaxson has your coloring.” She pressed her hand to her lips. “You best get in there. Your PopPop doesn’t like to be kept waiting. I’ll see you when you get finished. I had Cook fix a special lunch for us.”
Her MeMaw had always called the woman who cooked for them, Cook, although her name was Brittany. Palmer took a deep breath before heading into her grandfather’s office, knowing her and Jaxson’s lives were never going to be the same. In reality, she’d known it wasn’t once she’d sent the email to Silas, or rather to Keys as he was calling himself now. If he showed up as she suspected he would, none of their lives would be the same again. The true prodigal son of Lion County would be returning to claim his birth right. All the property they owned was his. The poor boy from the dirt road, the young man who’d fled with the clothes on his back was actually Jack Lion’s son.
KEYS CHECKED HIS SADDLE bags one last time, making sure he had all he’d need for a long ride. His brothers’ actions shouldn’t have surprised him, but they had. Shit, he’d left the shithole he’d lived in with nothing but a