Broken Road

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

There was a knock on the door and then an awkward silence.

   Winthrop unfolded himself from his chair and stocked to the door. He peered out through the screen to see a thin figure in the porches bad lighting. Frowning he opened the door and barked, “Who the hell are you and why in the hell are you on my ranch?”

   He froze when he got a better look at his little trespasser. She was a thin little thing and looked barely old enough to be in high school. She was coated from head to toe in mud and soaked to the bone, shivering. She even had mud smeared across her face. With the lighting he could see much else. But then she set her chin, looked him in the eyes and he nearly died inside for the third time.

   Icy blue eyes glared up at him, flashing with anger and she snapped back, “I’m Devil.”

   Lighting flashed in the sky and the thunder boomed as if in agreement with her words. Then her next words sank something else in his heart.

   “And I’m here for the baby.”

   Oh brother…you didn’t…

   His frown deepened. Had she just called him Mr. Canter? She had just called him Mr. Canter as if he were his father’s age!

   “Kid, listen, I don’t know why you came to my ranch looking like that. But I sure as hell don’t know why you came talking about a baby,” Winthrop said with an easy tone. “Go home kid, you’ll worry your folks.”

   Surely this isn’t the kid’s mom. She looks so tiny and young, but those eyes! The same eyes as not only Wade, but the baby too.

   “I came for Lilla, Mr. Canter. I assure you that I will not just take her away from you, understanding you are her family too. But I will have to take her back soon and as for your other demand I must say that I can’t,” the girl told him.

   He couldn’t believe his own ears. She might as well have told him plainly to his face that she was a teen mom and proud to be one.

   Oh go…brother you didn’t, he groaned inwardly again. But he knew the answer and it made him sick. The girl barely looked old enough for high school!

   Then what she said hit him.

   “You say you can’t what,” he echoed.

   “I can’t go home. I don’t have a home,” she replied as if that didn’t matter.

   “For Christ sake,” Winthrop groaned, “I will not let you take the child if you don’t have a place to stay.”

   She crossed her arms over her chest, raising a brow at him. “Oh really? She’s all I have and you’re going to keep her from me?”

   Of all the crazy things he could think about doing, he knew what he was thinking was going to turn around and bite him in the ass.

   But what choice do I have? My brother left her and the baby behind without telling me a thing!

   Winthrop rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “No, I couldn’t do that to you, but I can’t just let you take her. You’ll stay here for the time being.”

   The girls eyes widened and he mouth dropped open the briefest fraction. Her amazed expression told him that he had shocked her.

   Winthrop had only known her for five minutes and he had surprised her by being kind. It’s not like he had much experience with women in the first place, but now he felt ashamed at his lacking in knowing.

   A blush crept into his cheeks and he turned toward the inside of the house. He cleared his throat and said gruffly, “Come inside. She’s upstairs.”

   The girl looked as if she wanted to bolt straight up the stairs to the baby, but she stayed on the porch.

   She played with a long lock of hair with dry mud on it, picking at it in a nervous gesture. “Um, well that is kind and nice of you but you see I’m all dirty. Is there a hose around here somewhere I could use to clean off with?” She bit her lower lip and almost made him groan.

   Just to end his torture he picked her up around the waist which caused her to squeak and then he promptly set her down inside the door.

   “Up stairs on the first floor there is a shower on your right. Use that,” he said walking past her to show her the stairs.

   “Clothes? I didn’t bring any,” she said worried.

   He rubbed his face. “I’ll find some.”

   She walked up a few of the stairs and turned around.

   “Thank you for taking care of Lilla for so long, Mr. Canter,” the girl said with a small smile and went up stairs.

   Winthrop waited, tensed, until he heard the shower start and then he sat back down in his chair. “Brother what have you done, you son of a bitch,” Winthrop groaned into his hands. “She’s just a little kid!”

   Then why did he feel stirrings for the girl in his heart too?

   He slammed a lid on those thoughts. Best not go there. He had other problems to take care of. Like his niece and her young mother