- -
- 100%
- +
www.millsandboon.co.uk
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Judy Christenberry has been writing romances for over fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. A former French teacher, Judy now devotes herself to writing full-time. She hopes readers have as much fun with her stories as she does. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy lives in Texas.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Chapter One
“Rebecca, I found a job for you!” Vivian Greenfield exclaimed as Rebecca Barlow entered the house. Her fall semester had begun this morning at the university, but she was looking for a part-time job to bring in some money to help pay her tuition.
“You have, Vivian? What kind of job?” Rebecca had worked at the nearby mall all summer selling clothes, and she was hoping for something with a more flexible schedule now that she was back in school again. She hadn’t taken classes since her life had been turned upside down when she’d discovered she was pregnant almost five years ago.
“You would be working in the law office of Murphy and Jenkins. They’ve been my legal representatives for a long time, and Harriet, the office manager, said she could use some help.”
Rebecca didn’t much like lawyers, especially since her son’s biological father was one, but Vivian made it impossible to do anything but thank her. “Is it a large firm?” Rebecca asked after hugging and thanking Vivian.
“Heavens, no. That’s what I like about it. Harriet said you could come in tomorrow for your first day.”
Rebecca went upstairs to her bedroom. She’d moved into Vivian’s Dallas house in May, after Vivian’s husband, Will, had found her and her son, Joey, and insisted they leave Arkansas with him.
Rebecca had been so happy to have family at last. She not only found her blood sister, Vanessa, but she gained Vanessa’s mother and stepfather. They were such warm, loving people. They’d made a major difference in Joey’s life. So Rebecca felt sure that she could handle any kind of job, if only to please Vivian.
The next afternoon, when Rebecca arrived at her new job, there were no lawyers in sight.
“It’s vacation time,” Harriet Graham reported. “Next week we’ll be back hard at work. That gives you four days to learn as much as you possibly can.”
Everything quickly fell into place for Rebecca. She went to classes every morning and worked with Harriet in the afternoons. Then she hurried to Vivian’s home and spent her evenings with her beloved son. Joey would be four in October. He was already attending preschool and enjoying being with other children his age. He seemed happy and settled…. Unlike Rebecca’s own childhood.
She and her siblings had been separated from one another. Some had been adopted, and some went into the foster-care system. Both Rebecca and her twin, Rachel, almost three years old at the time, had been adopted by different parents. Her brother David, five at the time, had been adopted by another family. Vivian and her first husband had adopted Vanessa, who was about three months old then. But Walter, seven, and James, eight, had been put in foster homes.
Will, Vivian’s new husband, was the private investigator she’d hired to find Vanessa’s siblings. Rebecca was the first they’d found. Vivian had taken her in as if she were a long-lost daughter. It was a welcome change in Rebecca’s life after her adoptive parents had thrown her out when she discovered she was pregnant. She was thrilled to live in the house with Vivian, Will and Vanessa. She loved having a family to surround her son with.
Joey wasn’t the only one to benefit from family. Rebecca did as well. She had talked to her adoptive mother a few times after Joey’s birth, but the woman was too afraid of her husband to actually have a relationship with Rebecca. Having stood alone through her pregnancy and Joey’s young life, it meant a lot to Rebecca to have family to rely on.
And the prospect of having even more family was just so exciting. Will was looking for her and Vanessa’s siblings. He’d actually found James, but he was serving in the Middle East in his capacity as a marine. Rebecca’s twin, Rachel, and their brother David had not yet been discovered. Their brother Walter, sadly, had lost his life in combat years ago.
So everything seemed to be moving along smoothly until Friday afternoon.
“Jeff just called. He and his fiancée will drop by this afternoon,” Harriet announced with some pride.
“Who is Jeff?” Rebecca asked cautiously.
“He’s our boss. Didn’t I tell you?”
“Is he Murphy or Jenkins?” Rebecca held her breath, praying that Harriet would choose one of those two names.
“Neither one,” Harriet said with a laugh. “Jeff was Mr. Jenkins’s nephew, but his name is Jacobs. He worked with his uncle, Mr. Jenkins, for several years, until he died. Mr. Murphy died five years ago. Jeff’s wonderful. You’ll enjoy working for him.”
Harriet was sorting through a file as she talked and didn’t see Rebecca’s face turn white. Rebecca abruptly sat down in a chair before she fell over. She couldn’t believe it. Jeff Jacobs. She hadn’t seen Jeff in five years, and now she’d ended up working for him? Impossible.
“His fiancée is very nice, too. You’ll like her. She’s the perfect wife for Jeff. She has great contacts in the area. She was a debutante, of course, and her family has lived here for four generations.”
“How…nice.” Jeff was engaged. Well, that explained a lot. She should’ve expected it. He was handsome, charming and now a lawyer. He was sure to be chased by women.
“Oh, here they come now. He must’ve called on his cell phone. I didn’t expect them this soon,” Harriet said, all smiles. Obviously she adored Jeff.
Rebecca had hoped she could make up an excuse and leave before Jeff came in, but it was too late.
Jeff Jacobs entered the office with a smile on his face, holding his fiancée’s hand. He bent over and kissed Harriet’s cheek. “Did you miss me, Harriet?”
“Never,” Harriet said with a cheeky grin. “Hello, Chelsea. You look very nice.”
Rebecca didn’t move, hoping Harriet would forget about her. She couldn’t take her eyes off Jeff. After all, it had been five years since she’d last seen him. He hadn’t changed much. His shoulders had broadened a little. Maybe he had a few new laugh lines, but they didn’t detract from his looks.
“Where’s our newest employee?” Jeff asked.
Rebecca rose from the chair she’d fallen into that had partially blocked her from their view. She had to. She wasn’t a child. She wouldn’t run and hide.
“Oh, here she is. Rebecca Barlow, and she’s a good worker.” Harriet beamed at Rebecca, sharing her good will.
Rebecca looked at Jeff, saying nothing.
“Well, Rebecca Bar—Becca? Becca, is that you? Where did you come from? Where have you been?” He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her for a tight embrace.
He held her closely against him. Rebecca couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to. But she didn’t. She’d forgotten how wonderful it was to feel his arms around her. She wished this feeling would never end…even though she knew it was about to.
Jeff swayed back and forth. “I looked for you everywhere. I even went back to Arkansas to find you. You’d disappeared. I kept waiting for you to contact me. Where did you go? What happened between you and your parents?” he demanded, backing away but not letting go of her.
Before she could even begin to compose an answer, his fiancée, Chelsea, took charge. “Perhaps you should introduce me, Jeff?”
“Oh, yeah, sure. This is Rebecca…Barlow, was it? We were in school together in Arkansas. After I moved, I lost track of her. Though that wasn’t her name at the time. You married?”
“No. I found out my real name from Mom. I was adopted.”
“What? They weren’t your real parents? That must’ve been a shock! How did you—” he began, but Chelsea interrupted.
“Jeff, I hate to rush you, but we did tell Mother we’d be there early for dinner.”
“Yes, of course. Is there anything I need to deal with immediately, Harriet?” Jeff asked, but his gaze remained fixed on Rebecca.
“No, there’s nothing urgent,” Harriet assured him, frowning.
“Okay, I’ll see you Monday. Rebecca, will you be here Monday afternoon? I’d like to hear more about what happened to you.”
Rebecca said yes, but she wasn’t sure about her returning to her newly found job. She had a major decision to make that would affect her life greatly.
Whether or not to tell Jeff Jacobs that he was the father to her almost-four-year-old Joey.
“MOMMY! DIDN’T YOU HEAR ME?”
“What, honey? Oh, I’m sorry, Joey. I had something on my mind. What did you ask?”
“Will you play ball with me? Grandpa Will showed me how to throw it.”
The sun was shining outside, and Rebecca couldn’t think of any reason not to grant her son’s wish, so she nodded and followed an enthusiastic Joey outside. He had benefited from Will’s masculine influence.
But he would benefit even more from his biological father’s influence.
That thought had played in Rebecca’s head all weekend. And she still hadn’t made up her mind. If she told Jeff and he wanted to be a part of Joey’s life, it might affect his engagement. Was it fair to do that to Jeff? But was it fair not to tell him about Joey at all?
“Mommy! You didn’t catch it!”
Rebecca looked up to see the white ball rolling past her. “Oh, sorry, honey.” She picked up the ball and rolled it back to Joey.
“You’re supposed to throw it back. Grandpa Will said.”
“But I’m afraid it might hit you. I think you need to grow more before I throw it to you.”
“I’m big enough. Come on, Mommy.”
Rebecca complied, gently tossing the ball to her son, holding her breath that he wouldn’t get hurt. After half an hour, she told him it was his naptime.
“Mommy, I’m too old to take naps!” he complained.
“Well, it’s quiet time, really. You can lie on your bed and read one of your books, if you want.”
“Can I watch television?” he pleaded.
“No. I want you to read.” Not that he really could read, but he knew most of his books by memory. He could look at the pictures and remember the story.
He wasn’t happy with her decision, but she didn’t mind. Being a parent meant you had to disappoint your child every once in a while.
What if Jeff didn’t know anything about parenting? What if he gave in to every demand Joey made? That would undo everything she had already set up with Joey and that would be terrible. Maybe that was another reason not to tell him.
Rebecca was going crazy trying to make the decision. In her heart of hearts, she knew she should tell Jeff the truth. But this was a life-altering decision, one that couldn’t be taken lightly. For whatever she decided, it would affect not only her and Jeff, but most important, Joey. She just wanted to do right by him.
After she got Joey settled in his room, she knocked on the door of Vanessa’s room. Having a sister to discuss things with was one of the newfound joys of family life.
“Rebecca, come on in,” Vanessa said, swinging open her door.
“I need someone to talk to,” Rebecca said apologetically.
“Sit down,” Vanessa said, waving her sister to the only chair in the room while she sprawled on her bed. “Is something wrong?”
“Sort of. You know your mom found me a job at that law firm?”
“Yes. Isn’t it going well?”
“It was going well until today. The only lawyer in the office came back from vacation today.”
“Is he awful? Did he make a pass at you?”
“No, not that. Vanessa, he’s—he’s Joey’s father.”
Vanessa stared at her. “How can that be? You got pregnant in Arkansas and had Joey there, didn’t you?”
“Yes. But Joey’s father was a prelaw student then. He left because his parents died and he moved in with his aunt and uncle here in Dallas.”
“Oh, my. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to decide if I should tell him about Joey.”
“He doesn’t know? Well, of course you should tell him. He has a right to know.”
“Are you sure? He’s engaged to another woman. What if she doesn’t want a stepson and it breaks up his engagement? Would that be fair?”
“Hmm. I think you should talk to Mom and Will about it. They’re wiser than I am.”
“Will they mind?”
“Of course not. Mom will be pleased. Come on. I think they’re in the library. Will was going to do some paperwork while Mom read a book.”
When the two young ladies entered the library, they discovered Will working at the desk, but Vivian was dozing in a big chair.
Will greeted them quietly. “Do you need something?”
Vanessa stepped closer. “Rebecca has a pretty big problem and wanted to ask you and Mom what you think she should do, but Mom’s asleep and—”
“I am not,” Vivian protested, having awakened while Vanessa talked. “What’s the problem?”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Rebecca asked hesitantly.
“Of course not, child. I don’t know why I fell asleep. I just seem to be tired lately.”
Will smiled at his wife. “I think maybe you need a checkup, Vivian. You may be low in iron or something.”
She made a face at him but promised to make an appointment next week. “Now, what’s the problem? Do you not like one of your classes?”
“No. I—I’ve found Joey’s father.”
Will looked at her sharply. After all, it was his business to find people who were lost. “I could’ve helped you if I’d known you were looking.”
“I—I wasn’t looking. It turns out he’s the lawyer I’m working for.”
Vivian stared at her. “Jeff Jacobs is Joey’s father? Well, I would’ve thought better of him!”
“It’s not his fault, Vivian. I never told him. I know I should have, but he left just before I found out I was pregnant. His aunt and uncle took him back to Texas. They weren’t very friendly, kind of looking down their noses at me. Then when Mom and Dad threw me out, I decided it was just me and my baby on our own. I didn’t make any attempt to find Jeff.”
“I see. It must’ve been a big shock.”
“Yes. And to add to the dilemma he’s engaged.” Rebecca didn’t say anything else.
“Yes, I’d heard that. Chelsea Wexham, isn’t it? Her family has been here for many years.”
“Yes. My problem is, I know I need to tell Jeff about Joey. But what if I do and it breaks up his engagement?” Rebecca couldn’t confess that she secretly hoped it would and that’s why she couldn’t make the decision. She didn’t trust herself enough to do the right thing.
Will frowned. “I don’t think you can let that stop you, Rebecca. I think Jeff deserves to know he’s a father. You understand that he may not choose to be involved in Joey’s life? I think that would be a bad decision, but he may choose it. Of course, you could sue for child support then.”
“No! I wouldn’t do that. But I feel guilty for not having told him before now.”
“Will’s right, dear. Better late than never. I’m sure he’ll understand when you explain.”
Rebecca wasn’t sure Jeff would understand. She felt sure he would acknowledge Joey as his son, but he might never speak to her again.
“Are you sure?” she asked faintly, giving them one last chance to tell her she should run away and hide. Joey had been her only family for so long. She was a little worried about sharing him, even with Jeff. Jeff and his wife.
“If you want to do the right thing, Rebecca,” Will said slowly, “then, yes, you have to tell Jeff about Joey.”
“I know. I just dread facing him.”
“I’ll go with you when you tell him if you want me to,” Will offered.
Rebecca actually smiled at his gesture. “Thank you, Will, but I think I’d better face the music alone. Though I guess I’ll be looking for a new job after Monday.”
“We’ll help you find one, dear,” Vivian assured her. “There has to be another job available.”
All Rebecca could do was smile gratefully. Already she was struggling with how she would face Jeff and tell him about his son.
JEFF JACOBS WAS DISTRACTED all weekend long. He tried to hide it, but he felt sure Chelsea realized it. And the reason for his distraction. He’d tried to explain the surprise of seeing Rebecca there in his own office after having looked for her five years ago. But he hadn’t succeeded.
He needed time to absorb Rebecca’s return to his life. And he needed the answers to a lot of questions. Like why had her parents kicked her out of their house. Her father had been difficult, but he hadn’t threatened to disown her before. But when Jeff had called the house, her father had told him she didn’t live there anymore. Then he’d hung up.
Jeff had called back the next day when he knew her mother would be the only one at home. She had said the same thing, only in a nicer tone of voice. But she’d added that she couldn’t say anything else.
He’d flown up the next weekend and visited their old haunts. He’d already discovered that Rebecca was no longer attending classes at university. He checked with Information, too, but she wasn’t listed. He even went so far as to check with the police.
He’d come back to Dallas distraught. His uncle had just lost his wife to cancer, after their trip to Arkansas. That was the reason Jeff hadn’t managed to call Rebecca right away. He’d done what he could for his aunt and uncle. After all, they had taken him in and raised him.
So he and his uncle mourned together. After a year or so, his uncle began to push him to date. Jeff did so, because he understood his uncle’s reasoning. He met several nice women, but still, he kept Rebecca in his heart. Gradually his memories dulled.
After a while, he began to think about his future. After his uncle’s death, he realized how important family was. When he met Chelsea, he didn’t “fall in love” with her, as he had with Rebecca, but she was a nice woman and they became friends.
When she pushed for something more than friendship, he agreed and proposed marriage. Now he wondered why he’d done such a thing.
When he got to work Monday morning, he questioned Harriet about Rebecca.
“I only know she’s Vivian’s daughter’s sister. And she’s living with them. She’s a lovely girl.”
“Yes, she is. When does she come in to work?”
“At one, after her classes.”
“Fine, I want to talk to her when she comes in.”
“Yes, sir.” Harriet didn’t make any comment, but Jeff avoided her knowing gaze and escaped to his office. He didn’t need anyone to remind him about Chelsea.
He settled into his office, trying to concentrate on business while he waited to see Rebecca again.
AFTER REBECCA’S LAST CLASS, she darted into the ladies’ room and combed her hair and powdered her nose. It was going to be hard enough to face Jeff without knowing her nose was shining. When she’d done all she could to improve her appearance, she reluctantly gathered her books and walked the two blocks to her job.
As she entered the office, she immediately said to Harriet, “I need to speak to Jeff as soon as I can.”
“Really? Well, he wants to talk to you, too. Just a minute.” She picked up the phone and said, “Jeff, Rebecca is here and would like to meet with you as soon as possible.”
After she hung up the phone, she said, “Go right in, Rebecca.”
Rebecca had expected questions from Harriet, and she hadn’t been sure how she would answer them. But there were no questions. Oh, well, she would face questions when she talked to Jeff.
He stood and came across the room to greet her. “Come in, Becca.” He reached for her, as if he were about to hug her again.
Rebecca drew back. She couldn’t bear such close contact with what she had to tell him. “I—I need to talk to you.”
Jeff frowned. “Of course, I want to talk to you, too.”
Without waiting to be asked, Rebecca sat down in one of the big leather chairs in front of his desk. She didn’t think her legs would continue to hold her up.
To her surprise, Jeff sat down in the other chair, close to her. “Aren’t—aren’t you going to sit in your chair behind the desk?”
He laughed. “This isn’t a legal matter, is it? We’re just friends talking, aren’t we?”
Rebecca didn’t smile. And she couldn’t answer his question. Looking away from him, she said, “Look, Jeff. I’m sure you have many questions for me, but I need to tell you the truth about why my parents disowned me.”
“Okay, but whatever it was that you did, I doubt that I’ll agree with their decision. That’s not how parents should behave.”
“It’s not something I did,” she protested indignantly. “It’s something we did.”
He stared at her.
Without waiting for him to ask a question, she stumbled on, hoping their conversation would soon be over. “After you left, I discovered I was pregnant.”
Jeff continued to stare at her, horror dawning in his eyes. “That’s why your parents—damn! I’m sorry. I should have been there for you. I guess you had no choice about what to do. Why didn’t you call me?”
“Because it was obvious your aunt and uncle considered me unsuitable. If my own parents thought me white trash, I figured your relatives would, too.”
“Surely you didn’t think I would think you below me?”
“I don’t know. I was in shock. I had a little savings, and my mother slipped me some money. It was difficult at first.”
He reached over to take her hand, but she wouldn’t let him touch her.
“I’m sorry, Becca. I wish I’d known and we wouldn’t have lost our baby.”
She stared at him. “You think I had an abortion? You think I killed our baby?” Her voice rose in horror.
“I understand. You were all alone. You didn’t have many options.”
“I came to tell you that my son will be four on October 2. I don’t know if you have any interest in him at all, only learning about him now. That’s fine. I thought I owed it to you to tell you that you are a father.” She got up out of her chair and headed for the door.
He grabbed her arm, stopping her. “I have a son? You’re telling me you had the baby and all this time you neglected to tell me that I had a son?”
Chapter Two
“Yes,” Rebecca said succinctly, a mixture of guilt and irritation affecting her.
“And you think I might not care? Do you think I’ve changed that much, Rebecca? Do you not know me at all? Do you think I don’t miss having family, someone of my own blood? Yes, I want a part in my son’s life.
“In fact, I think you owe me the next four years, since you managed to take the first four years without me.”
“Have you finished ranting?” she asked coldly.
“No, I haven’t!” he snapped back. “I have four years’ worth of ranting stored up. How dare you not tell me that I had a child! You know me better than to think I wouldn’t care!”
“I knew you five years ago, Jeff. I don’t know you at all now. Your fiancée may not be prepared to be a stepmom, even if you want to be involved in Joey’s life. You need to take that into consideration.”
“Hell! I haven’t had time to consider anything. And that’s your fault!” He was almost shouting now.