Under the Midnight Stars (32 page)

“Don’t you worry about the garage until after the honeymoon. It’s coming along just fine. We’re actually ahead of schedule. It seems like Jack was able to pull some strings and get the inspections sped up.”

Colt shook his head. “Is there anyone Jack
doesn’t
know?”

Zeke chuckled slightly. “That boy has always been a charmer.”

“Come on, Zeke.” Colt headed toward the house. “Let’s go see how the preparations are coming along inside.”

“And we’d better check on our women with all those fireman around,” Zeke teased as he followed Colt across the yard.

Colt chuckled.

They entered the house via the back door. In the kitchen three firefighters were busy chopping, marinating, and cooking. At the dining table sat three more chatty firefighters preparing various side dishes. The fire chief was among them. Shane Whitley sat across from him.

Colt grinned when he saw the familiar face, wondering how he missed seeing him earlier.

Shane stood and made his way around the table to Colt. “Damn, Colt.” He extended his hand. “It’s good to see you.”

“Shane Whitley.” Colt shook his hand. “It’s been too long.”

“It sure has,” Shane agreed wholeheartedly. “I was here helping with the candles yesterday for a bit, but I guess I missed ya. So tell me — how in the hell did you manage to waltz into town and snag yourself the most beautiful woman around?”

Colt tipped his hat back as he recalled the hardships he and Brielle had been through. “It wasn’t easy. She’s as stubborn and hot-headed as they come.”

Just then, Brielle approached from the hallway and entered the kitchen. She walked right up to Colt and playfully pushed his shoulder. “I heard that!”

The firefighters chuckled their amusement.

“Mr. Hartly.” Brielle smiled at the fire chief. “You must’ve snuck in through the back when I wasn’t looking.”

“Hello, Brielle.” Gary Hartly stood and hugged her.

“So, when are you going to make an honest firefighter out of my brother?” she asked as she hugged him. She stepped back and put her arm around Colt’s waist.

“Jack is our most dedicated and determined volunteer. He’s well on his way. He’ll be ready for testing once his summer class is all wrapped up.” He looked at Colt. “Colt, you sure have grown since I saw you last.” He extended his hand.

Colt grinned and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Gary chuckled. “I’m not that much older than you — it’s just Gary. So have you lit any more grass fires since I saw you last?”

Colt cringed with humiliation as a childhood memory sparked to life. He remembered sneaking one of his father’s cigars, taking it to the field across the road, and attempting to smoke it. Coughing and sputtering on his first puff, he tossed it aside, forgetting to extinguish its red glow.

Brielle’s eyes widened. “You started a grass fire?”

“He did,” Gary replied flatly. “On my first day of training too.”

“Yeah, but in my defense, I was only ten,” Colt reminded. “And I’ll have you know I learned my lesson and never took up smoking because of it.”

Brielle giggled. “You’ll have to fill me in on the details later.” She turned her attention back to Gary. “So, my brother tells me you’re getting married?”

The entire room fell silent.

Gary sighed. “Well I was, but I don’t wanna dampen your day with such a pathetic story.”

Brielle’s eyes widened in shock. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t know!”

Gary patted her arm reassuringly. “It’s all right. I understand.” He looked at Colt. “So how’s Junior adjusting to all of this?”

Colt shrugged. “How should I know?”

Perplexed, both Gary and Shane gave each other a quick glance.

Brielle grew uncomfortable. “Is there a reason he should know?”

Shane opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He swallowed nervously and looked to Gary for help.

Gary sighed regretfully. “You don’t know, do you?”

Colt stared blankly at him and shook his head, barely noticing that Mimi and Emmit had emerged at the mouth of the hallway. The air was thick with tension.

Gary swallowed hard. “You’re his father, Colt.”

Brielle’s mouth dropped open in utter shock.

Colt shook his head and chuckled slightly, incredulously. “No, I’m not. I’ve been tested. Miranda already told me that Shane was the father.”

“Whoa —
what?
” Shane snapped in surprise. “There’s no possible way I can be the father. I’ve never slept with her.” He looked completely offended. “She was
your girlfriend,
for crying out loud. What in the hell kind of friend do you think I am?”

Colt’s blood turned cold and drained from his face.

Brielle’s bottom lip began to quiver as tears filled her eyes. She pursed her lips to hide the trembling.

Colt clenched his jaw. “If this is some sort of joke, it isn’t funny.”

Gary spoke up for Shane. “It’s no joke, Colt. I saw the test results. Didn’t Miranda show them to you?”

Stunned, Colt pulled out a chair and sat down. He swiped his mouth and slammed a fist on the table. The dishes of food rattled as the force of his blow echoed throughout the room.

Brielle jumped at the unexpected fury.

“Son of a bitch! Literally!” Colt gritted his teeth. “What in the hell is the matter with that woman?” he asked furiously.

He felt like a fool. She’d single-handedly led him to believe not only that his best friend had betrayed him, but more importantly, that Junior wasn’t his son. She had tried to keep his own son from him. But why? Because he was in love with Brielle? Because she didn’t want to risk losing Gary? What could possibly possess someone to be so manipulative?

Gary came to Miranda’s defense. “Don’t be so hard on her, Colt.”

Colt stood, angrier than hell. It took every ounce of strength to keep from shouting. “What do you mean
don’t be so hard on her?
I have a son and she told me that I wasn’t the father. She’s keeping him from me. It’s just outright wrong. There’s no excuse for what she’s done.”

Mimi emerged from the hallway. “Yes, there is, Colt. It’s because she’s dying.” Her shocking words cut through the thick tension, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.

Gary stared at Mimi blankly. “She didn’t want anyone to know, Mimi.”

All eyes and mouths agape were now on Mimi. She cleared her throat. “These two deserve to know.” She pointed to Colt and Brielle. “Her deception has nearly torn these two apart. And now more shocking news — on their wedding day?”

She shook her head and looked at Colt. “I overheard her talking to a friend one day at the diner. She has breast cancer. She beat it the first time around, but it came back with a vengeance. There’s nothing else they can do. She was gonna tell you, Colt. But she wanted more time alone with her son first. I don’t know what she was thinking, making up the story with Shane. Maybe she was just desperate for an excuse to keep Junior to herself awhile longer?”

Colt’s chest grew heavy. He sat back down slowly, suddenly feeling like the biggest jackass in the world. He sighed and shook his head. “I had no idea.”

Brielle stood behind Colt and placed her hands on his shoulders.

Colt reached up and clasped his hands tightly around hers. “I’m so sorry about all this, Brielle.” He shook his head in shame, staring at the table.

She stepped in front of him and knelt down to look him in the eyes. She placed her hands over his. “Don’t be sorry, Colt,” she said softly. “None of this is your fault. So you have a son. I was willing to accept it before. And I’m willing to accept it now. I love you — no matter what. And I always will.”

He swallowed back his tears and embraced her tightly. He gave her a kiss and pulled away to gaze into her loving eyes. “I love you so much, baby.”

A warm smile crossed her face. “I know you do.”

“How long have you known?” Mimi asked Gary.

Gary shrugged. “Two months ago when we agreed to just remain close friends. She didn’t want to marry me and then turn around and leave me. I tried to talk some sense into her, but she refused to make me a widower. And she didn’t want to spend the last days of her life worrying about a wedding. She wanted to devote as much time as she could to her son.”

Colt furrowed his brow. “So you two weren’t together when I moved back?” He recalled Miranda’s unwanted advances upon him that day in the diner. He was relieved that she hadn’t turned out to be unfaithful after all, though she still had no right to prey upon him in spite of his and Brielle’s relationship.

Gary shook his head. “No. She asked me not to say anything. She wanted everyone to go on thinking life was normal for her. For Junior’s sake.”

Colt thought of Junior, remembering his look of innocent oblivion. He was sure his son hadn’t known of his mother’s ailment then. He wondered if he knew now. And though he hardly knew him, he suddenly had the urge to see him. To be there for him during such a difficult time. Losing your mother to cancer was hard enough at twenty-seven. He couldn’t imagine the tragedy at such a young age.

He looked at Gary. “Does Junior know now?”

Gary nodded. “I’m afraid so. He took the news pretty hard. But he’s faring well. He’s trying to be strong for her.”

The heaviness in Colt’s chest grew tenfold.

“He knows you’re his father, too,” Gary added. “Miranda finally told him. He’s looking forward to meeting you. And if it means anything, right after she found out, she was actually gonna track you down to tell you about Junior. But you saved her the trouble moving back here when you did.”

Brielle sighed heavily and turned to the window. Staring out over the backyard, she spoke softly. “Colt … Maybe it’d be best if we postponed the wedding until you get all this straightened out?”

The room grew heavy with silence again.

Colt was shocked at her proposal. He stood and gently cupped her chin to turn her sad gaze toward him. “Baby, you never cease to amaze me. I may be your hero, but you continue to save me right back. You are a true heroine. And we aren’t postponing this wedding. I can’t wait another day to make you my wife. Okay?”

Brielle let out a relieved breath and nodded. “Okay.”

“And I surely can’t ask all of these men to set up all of those candles again,” he teased.

Light chuckles and giggles filled the room as the dark cloud of sorrow began to lift.

Brielle giggled slightly. “I guess I wouldn’t have them go through all the trouble again either.”

Colt’s smile faded. “But I’m gonna have to ask a favor of you.”

“Anything you need,” she replied lovingly.

Colt stood on the front porch of the small rundown home nestled amongst other neglected houses. The neighborhood reminded him of the Dallas suburb he’d fled only weeks ago. He had no idea his son was living a mirror image of his old life. He knocked on the door.

Miranda opened the door, clearly shocked to see him standing before her.

Colt stared, dumbfounded at her drastic change in appearance. Her pale complexion and the dark circles of exhaustion around her eyes gave her a haunted appearance. Though he had mentally prepared himself during the drive over, the reality of her illness suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. Memories of his mother’s deterioration from the same disease flooded his mind. He swallowed back his weakness, determined to remain strong.

Miranda expression showed immediately that she knew someone had opened their big mouth. Even so, she was too ashamed to admit her wrongdoing. “What are you doing here?” she asked tiredly.

“I think you know, Miranda,” he replied solemnly.

Miranda stepped out onto the porch and motioned for him to sit in one of the white plastic lawn chairs there.

“Ladies first.” He gently grabbed her arm and guided her to the first chair. Then he took the chair beside her and placed it where he could sit facing her.

“You don’t owe me an explanation, Miranda.” His voice was soft and caring. “Mimi filled me in on what’s important. I’m not happy about the way you handled it, but I understand. I’m not angry with you.”

“You’re just saying that because you feel sorry for me. If I weren’t dying, you’d be angry with me.”

“You wouldn’t have behaved this way under normal circumstances, Miranda. I’m sure of it. I was angry before. But now it all makes sense. I wish you would’ve been able to tell me.”

“I tried, Colt. Believe me, I tried. And after the test results came back I was gonna tell you then, but I just couldn’t bear to tell you so soon after you having lost your mother to the same disease. Plus, I suddenly wanted Junior to myself for a while longer. So I thought it would just be easier for you, and for me, to make up that crazy story about Shane.”

She shook her head ashamedly. “But then I also couldn’t bear to watch you walk out of my life and to never see you again. That’s when I got desperate and … you know … tried to seduce you.” She shook her head again. “I’m not that kind of person, Colt. I never have been. And I’m sorry I caused you and Gabrielle so much trouble.”

“You didn’t have to explain, but I appreciate it. I’m just sorry I wasn’t there for you and Junior all these years,” he replied.

A slight smile broke her dismal mood. “You’ll always have a piece of my heart, Colt.” Her smile faded. “Even though you’ve never truly returned the feelings.”