The Cowboy's Twins
~ Chapter 3 ~
Abby pushed the button of her garage door opener. She zoomed inside, then quickly closed the door, blocking herself from view. Jess couldn’t find her car if he couldn’t see it.
In this small town, everyone knew where she lived. It was just a matter of time before he came knocking. Did he know? She hurried the kids out the back door to play so she could pull herself together.
She sat in a chair and wrapped her arms around her waist, watching Lane and Lizzie chase each other around the backyard.
Their giggles floated on the June breeze and the tension inside Abby eased. She didn’t have to answer to Jess. He’d made his decision and she’d made hers.
The knock at the door startled her. He was here. Jess McQuire had come looking for his wife.
Jess removed his hat as he waited for Abby to open the door. He was angry. He’d never been this angry in his whole life and he was trying hard to control it. But he was losing the battle.
The door slowly opened and she stood there, her dark hair in a ponytail, as she’d always worn it. The fire in her dark eyes he knew well, too. She was as mad as he was. But right now his anger took precedence.
He walked past her to the triple windows facing the backyard and watched the two kids playing. He couldn’t look away from the blond-haired little boy chasing the little girl with blond pigtails. They fell to the ground giggling. So many questions filled his mind and he turned to face Abby.
“They’re twins and they’re mine, aren’t they?”
She took a seat in a chair and crossed her legs. In denim shorts and a tank top, she looked mature, poised and sexy as hell.
“What does it matter?”
“It matters if they’re my kids.” He heard his voice rising.
She never lost her cool as she replied, “You left us for the rodeo. Remember?”
He remembered it every day of his life and he didn’t want to rehash it now. He’d made a mistake. Oh, man, had he made a mistake. He had to stay calm and sort through all of this.
“Are we divorced?”
She swung one foot back and forth, her eyes centered on the motion. “No. Once I found out I was pregnant I couldn’t go through with it.”
Shrieks filled the air and he glanced outside. They were his kids. That settled in his stomach like sour milk. He wanted to reach out and touch them, hold them and beg for their forgiveness. “I want to meet my kids. Now!”
She got to her feet, her back ramrod straight. “How dare you come in here issuing orders! You will see them when I say you can.”
“How could you do this, Abby? How could you? I screwed up. I know. But—” he flung his hand toward the backyard “—keeping my kids from me is worse.”