Free The Sheriff's Son by Stella Bagwell Page B

cream all over his shirt.”
    Grunting with annoyance, he reached for a napkin. “This is—” He paused as he awkwardly tucked the paper around the baby’s throat. “You can’t just expect me to pick up a baby and know what to do with him.”
    The sight of Roy’s big hand against Adam’s little cheekstirred a bittersweet ache in Justine. This man was Charlie’s father, yet he’d never touched his son. He’d never held him or fed him or kissed his cheek.
    Maybe if he’d known about Charlie…Her regretful thoughts skidded to a jarring halt. If Roy had known about Charlie, he would have become a father to him out of obligation. Justine wanted more than that for her son. He deserved more, and so did she.
    â€œIt won’t hurt you to learn,” she said, trying her best to sound casual. “You might want to become a father someday.”
    He snorted, and Justine’s heart cringed.
    â€œI doubt I’ll ever become a husband, much less a father,” he told her.
    Justine’s eyes dropped to the crown of Anna’s red head. “In other words, you still don’t want a family.”
    If there was a caustic sound to her words, Roy didn’t appear to notice. He spooned into the small mound of ice cream, then offered it to Adam. The boy promptly opened his mouth, and Roy cautiously slipped the spoon inside.
    â€œIt’s not a matter of what I want,” Roy said after a moment. “It’s just that I—” He paused and gestured toward both twins. “This isn’t for me. I’m a sheriff and a rancher. What time I’m not doing law work, I’m taking care of cattle and horses. Besides, I never met a woman I wanted to get that close to.”
    Other than you, Roy very nearly added, but he stopped himself short of that admission. It was bad enough that Justine had walked away from him without a word. The last thing he wanted was for her to know just how much she’d hurt him. She’d made his life sweet, filled it with purpose and meaning. He’d been able to talk to her about anything and everything. She’d not only been his lover, she’d also been his friend and companion. Since then, Roy had never found another woman who could fill the empty hole she’d left in him.
    Deciding she’d heard enough of his cutting remarks, Justine put all her attention into feeding little Anna. After a few moments passed in silence, a burly man with balding gray hair and a thick walrus mustache approached their table.
    â€œHello, Roy. I see you made it in with the kids,” the man said, casting an eye at the twins and Justine.
    â€œFred, this is Justine Murdock. She’s the lady who found the twins,” Roy told him.
    Fred grinned with recognition. “She’s also the lady who gave me a shot the last time I visited Dr. Bellamy.”
    Justine nodded and smiled. “I hope I didn’t hurt you too badly.”
    Fred laughed and winked. “Best shot I ever had. Didn’t feel a thing. ‘Course, it makes it a lot easier for a man to get jabbed with a needle when he has a beautiful woman to look at.”
    Roy made a big production of clearing his throat. “What about the babies, Fred? Do you remember seeing them in here? Or was it another set of twins altogether?”
    The middle-aged man stepped back from the table and carefully eyed both Adam and Anna, then nodded. “Yep, I’m pretty sure these are the two who were in here that day. I remember the boy having slightly darker red hair, and the girl had brighter hair like you, Ms. Murdock.” His expression suddenly turned thoughtful, as his gaze went from Justine to Anna and back again. “I know this sounds odd, but something about these babies look like you.”
    Justine’s mouth dropped open. “Me? Oh, no. It must be their red hair that’s making you think such a thing,” she said with faint