"You all right?" Jack asked gently, and Riley closed his eyes briefly then opened them.
"I want it done," he replied.
"You and me both, het-boy."
They separated to face Eden, the owner of the chuckle, who had her back to them filling a mug with coffee.
"Hey, Eden," Riley said. He didn't ask the obvious question about why the hell his little sister was here this early. He knew she was here for him, and for Jack, but most of all for Hayley. She turned to look at them and blew on the hot drink, looking at them over the rim of the mug.
"I didn't sleep one minute last night thinking on what's happening. Wish they'd hurry up already," she grouched, then narrowed her eyes at Jack. "You gonna shave, cowboy?"
C
HAPTER
5
It was actually a little after nine when the plume of dust from a cab on the long drive leading to the D indicated the arrival of Riley's future. He had thought to call his mom and Jim but put the cell down as quickly as he'd picked it up. Eden told them she and Donna had decided to keep the news confined to Riley and Jack, and for a while, that's what Riley wanted to do. He wasn't sure he could handle his mom and the arrival of a potential daughter all in the space of an hour. Cup of coffee number five was long past, but Eden had shut him down by tipping the rest of the pot down the sink. Jack had shaved and dressed in his best jeans and a startlingly white shirt. He looked gorgeous, sexy and every inch the gentleman rancher. The cowboy inside had been tamed to within an inch. Riley glanced down at what he was wearing—a charcoal Armani suit, a white shirt, and a dark blue and gold tie. All remnants of his life in the tower of HayesOil. The suit had been in a garment bag, pushed to the back of his closet. Too many memories were attached to the clothes to make them something he wanted to see every day. He'd become too used to dressy denim and fitted shirts to go back to the restrictions of shirt and tie. Even for his consultation meetings, he attended in dress pants and a button-down.
"Do I look okay?" He needed someone, anyone, to tell him.
"You look like a sensible businessman," Jack replied just as Eden and Donna chorused "fine".
"Which is it? Is it just fine? Is it too much? Should I change?"
"Riley. You look like a PTA daddy. Okay?" Trust Jack to say the thing that made Riley choke up. A daddy? Him?
The cab drew up in the dusty courtyard and parked between Jack's truck and his own 4x4. Two people climbed out. One an older woman, clearly the aunt, who stood and looked at the house, and a second, much smaller person. Riley held his breath and reached blindly for Jack's hand, interlacing their fingers and gripping tight. Hand in hand they exited the house and stood at the bottom of the stairs. The aunt took the few steps nearer. The child by her side was a small scrap of humanity with the biggest brown eyes Riley had ever seen, and she simply stared at him. Riley had never felt so tall in his life before, and using Jack's hand to balance, he hunkered down to kneel so he would be at her height.
"Riley Hayes? My name is Sophie McGuire," the aunt said, but Riley couldn't talk to her. He was so focused on the child, on Hayley, and he ignored her.
"Hi, Hayley," he said instead, and released his hold on Jack's hand. "How you doing?" he added with a smile. She hid momentarily behind Sophie who gently encouraged her to step forward. Riley had his first look at the beautiful child. She was the image of Eden at this age with brown eyes and blond locks that fell nearly to her waist, curled and shining in the bright sunlight. There was stubbornness to the lift of her chin, and while Riley could see that in his own features every time he looked in the mirror, she was very much her momma's child.
"Are you my daddy?" she finally asked.
"Yes, he is," Sophie interrupted. Her tone was daring Riley to deny Hayley's parentage.
That single question hovered between them despite what the aunt said, and there was no conscious thought in Riley as he answered.
"Yes, sweetheart, I am." Jack joined Riley by crouching low.
"So I can stay?" Hayley asked warily, looking from her aunt, then to Riley and Jack.
"Of course you can, baby. This is Jack, my husband."
"Hi, Hayley," Jack responded.
"She was right then?" The aunt snorted softly. "Could be worse I s'pose." She was close enough for Riley to hear, and he wondered why she was leaving her niece with them if she disapproved of him and Jack. Tension curled into Riley.
"Two daddies," he said instead. "And this is your Aunty Eden and Jack's mom, Donna."
"Uh huh," Hayley said carefully, and then looked between Eden and Donna.
"Hello, Hayley," Eden said quickly. "We met yesterday."
"I remember," Hayley replied. She was staring at Donna and looked as if she was going to add something, but Sophie talked over her.
"Mr Hayes," she began, "Lexie wanted me to look out for Hayley until I could pass her on to you."
"Campbell-Hayes," Jack commented quickly as he stood and stared pointedly at the woman. She inclined her head at the words, long white hair falling about her face and then passed Riley a folder she'd been gripping in her hand.
"These are papers from the lawyers dealing with Lexie's estate. Her details are inside the folder."
"Thank you," Riley said. Everyone stood quietly for what seemed like hours but was only probably a few seconds, no one quite knowing what to say, the pause pregnant with questions. Finally Donna managed to push the conversation along.
"I imagine Hayley would like to see inside her new house," she encouraged, and Riley snapped awake like he'd been in a daze.
"Of course. You want to see inside, Hayley?" Riley said quickly.
Donna offered her a hand, and trustingly, Hayley took it before looking back briefly at Sophie with a small smile. Riley saw affection on his daughter's face, but Hayley made no move to hug Sophie.
"Bye, Aunt Sophie," Hayley said, and allowed Donna to lead her up to the porch.
Jack placed himself between front door and the aunt, and at somewhat of an impasse, Riley didn't know what to say. As soon as the door shut, her mask of icy indifference fell and her true emotion showed on her face. Riley saw sadness and concern, and eyes wet with tears, she clasped her hands together.
"I didn't want to do this," she said quickly, "but Lexie said she would be safer with you, and I'm not getting any younger." This was possibly the oddest situation Riley had ever found himself in, and the most uncomfortable.