Chayton's Tempest (39 page)

over a whisper. “I’d take it back in a second.”

“What was? Letting me go full term?” Her tone was

cutting.

“No, letting you go. Never about your birth.”

Tempest shrugged with as much nonchalance as she

could muster. “Well, you can’t take it back.” She was not going

to weaken before him. This was
her
home.

“You have no idea how sorry that makes me.”

“You’re right. I don’t. What do you want? Money?

What?”

He held up a wrinkled hand and waved it before him.

“No, nothing like that. Please, I wanted to apologize. Try to

mend fences. Make amends for my stupidity.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her

brows. “And you think by showing up here…unannounced…is

going to further your cause?”

“Didn’t think you’d agree to meet if I called first.”

Tempest sank heavily into her overstuffed recliner. “I

wouldn’t have. But why should I? You tossed me away like

garbage when you were supposed to protect me.”

He couldn’t hold her gaze. As if ashamed, he glanced

down and began wringing his hands together.

Pushing up, Tempest asked, “Can I get you something

to drink?” She wasn’t sure why the offer slipped from her

mouth, but it was out now.

“That would be lovely. Coffee, if you have it.”

“Sure, no prob.” Tempest got up and set two cups, a

plate of cookies, cream and sugar, and the coffee pot on a tray.

Once back in the living room, she set it on the table between

them. She poured him a cup and placed it before him. “Here.”

“Thank you.”

His hands trembled as he reached for the steaming mug

and added two cubes of sugar. She noticed the pallor of his

skin.

 
“Are you okay?”

He took a sip of the drink and nodded. “I’m fine. Just

getting old. That’s all.”

She doubted that but let it go. What business was it of

hers anyway? “So say what you need to say.”

“There’s so much. So much I want to say. I know he

warned us to leave you alone, but I can’t, not anymore. I have

to tell you.”

She believed she knew who he meant. Maverick. But

still, Tempest asked, “Who?”

“Mr.
Lonetree
.”

Warmth filled her. He was doing his best to protect her,

even when he wasn’t near. “Well then, get to saying it.”

“I wish there was a way I could make you understand.”

She ground her back teeth. “That makes two of us. I

would love to understand how you can toss your youngest

child off to the side.”

He licked thin lips. “I didn’t want to. Lord, help me, I

didn’t, but I honestly believed it was the safest thing I could do

for you.”

Tempest snorted.
Right, and monkeys fly
outta
my ass!

“I didn’t think you’d believe that, but I swear by

everything I am, that’s the God’s honest truth.”

“Why
should
I believe you?”

He looked up at her and in that moment, Tempest saw

not the name who’d abandoned her, but an old, worn down

man who seemed desperate to get her to understand. His heart

was in his eyes, his soul bared.

She swallowed. “Why don’t you just finish telling me,”

she suggested, her tone much softer. Tempest sat there and

listened as Mitchell Whitehall did his best to explain his

position. She remained silent and her coffee grew cold, sitting

untouched beside her.

“Carol’s a narcissist. She had plans,” he paused and

poured more coffee, “grand plans and grander delusions of

how you could make her life better. All of that was threatened

when you told us you were pregnant. And with your news, all

of her dreams vanished. In her mind the only way she could

save face was to eliminate the problem. That meant getting rid

of you and pretending you never even existed. You simply had

to vanish. So, when I knew all her anger and rage would be on

you, I did what I thought would save you. Carol has always

been unstable, but I knew she was really losing her grip on

reality.”

Plans. Everyone had plans and none of them had

included her. Not in the least.

Tempest licked her lips and kept her pain inside. She

would hear him out. She wasn’t a scared little girl anymore.

And the man before her didn’t seem as imposing anymore.

“So I’d hoped Bertha would provide you with a safe

home, even though we’d lost touch since I married Carol. I can

only hope you had a kind stay with her.”

“She was my mother,” Tempest insisted. “
We
were a

family.”

Mitchell worried his lower lip. “Bertha never spoke to

me again.”

“I see.” Tempest had done her best to forget about the

life she had left behind in South Dakota.

“I wish things could have been different.”

“Don’t we all,” she said absently, her mind drifting to

thoughts of the handsome Maverick.

“Were you…happy?” he asked quietly.

“Yes. We had a rough start; but like I said, we became a

family. Her adopting me only furthered our bond.”

“What about…about my
gra
…your son?”

“Dakota?” Her father nodded as he ate another

chocolate chip cookie. She continued. “He should be home

soon. You can wait and ask him if you wish.”

Eyes filled with hope. “You’d let me meet him?”

An eyebrow rose. “If James warned you away, then I’m

sure you’ve seen him.”

“That man is very protective of you. He always was.”

That intrigued her. “What do you mean?”

“Young
Lonetree
always stood up for you. Beat up

Mitchell Jr. once.”

This was news. “I didn’t know.”

“Carol hated him from the get go. Never got along with

his parents, especially Dawn.” A short chuckle burst from him.

“I don’t know why they despise each other. Just always have.”

The door opened and Dakota walked in. “Hi, Mom,” he

hollered before falling silent and frowning at the man in the

room. “You! What are you doing here?” Dakota bit out.

“It’s okay,
Dak
,” Tempest said.

Her son stepped toward her, searching her face.

Tempest sent him an encouraging nod.

Dropping his bag on the floor, Dakota kissed her cheek

and looked at the third party. “What are you doing here?”

Dakota asked again, with only slightly less animosity in his

voice this time.

“I wanted to see my daughter. And my grandson.”

Tempest watched her son cross strong arms over his

chest.

“Didn’t you give up that right when Bertha adopted

her?”

He is so much like his father.
Tempest saw her son

protecting her with the same fierceness she’d seen in Maverick.

“Yes,” Mitchell said. “I made the biggest mistake of my

life when I listened to Carol. I just want a chance to get to know

you.”

Dakota glanced at her again. Tempest shrugged. She

wasn’t going to force anything on him. It was his decision.

Twenty-Five

The home phone rang.

“Excuse me,” Tempest said as she went to the kitchen to

answer. Leaning against a counter, she watched her son sit

warily in the chair she’d just vacated.

“Hello?”

“Good evening,
mitawin
.” Maverick’s voice wound

around her like a warm velvet blanket.

“James,” she replied, her belly flip-flopping at hearing

his tone.

“I miss you.”

She smiled. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” he purred. “After you tell me you miss

me.”

“Why would I say that?”
Even if it
is
the truth…

He sighed. “Because I need to hear it.”

The pain in his voice was palpable. “I miss you, James.”

“
Pilámaya
ye,
mitawin
. Thank you for telling me.”

“It didn’t kill me,” she said lightly, determined not to

ask him what he insisted on calling her.

He chuckled. “What’s your question?”

“Did you tell the Whitehall’s to leave me alone?”

“Are they harassing you?” There was no longer any

warmth in his timbre.

Suppressing a shiver, Tempest peeked into the living

room where the tension was still just as thick. “Mitchell

showed up at my door tonight. He’s here now, talking with

Dakota.”

“Are you okay, baby?” he asked with intense concern.

“Surprisingly, yes. I’m doing okay. I was shocked, but

he doesn’t seem so scary anymore. Somewhere along the way,

he turned into a sick and frail old man.”

 
“I
told
them to leave you alone,” he grumbled in a deep

tone. “I
warned
them.”

She heard him take a drag of his cigarette. “You need to

stop smoking,” she said instinctively. “And I don’t need you to

protect me, James. No matter how sweet the gesture may be.”

“It’s my job to protect you,” he determined.

She changed the direction of the conversation. “Was

there a specific reason why you called?”

“I wanted to hear your voice. I want you beside me; but

since I can’t have that yet, hearing your voice is the next best

thing.” He hesitated a brief moment. “Unless you have a

webcam you’d like to tell me about.”

She laughed outright at that. “The only computer I have

is at work; and even if I did have one, I don’t think I’d spend

time in front of it for you.”

“Then come here to me so I can see you. Hold you.

Worship your body the way I long to every second of every

day.”

Oh damn, he was good. Her body thrummed with

passion. The lower portion grew moist at his words. “What do

you need?”

“You,
mitawin
. I need you, Tempest.”

Tears threatened as his words reached her. How could

this one man make her feel so important?

She cleared her throat. “I have to go, James. I think I

should be with
Dak
right now.”

He muttered something in Lakota. “Okay. Have a

wonderful night at work, baby. Stay safe.”

“Goodnight, James,” she whispered before hanging up

the phone.

Unsure of the emotions coursing through her, Tempest

got another mug for Dakota and went back to the living room.

Maverick swore a blue streak. It was after eleven at

night and he was so full of pent up energy it was unbelievable.

He was angry and longed to be with Tempest. Pure

astonishment at Mitchell Whitehall’s actions, despite his blatant

warning, coursed through him.

Every cell in his body screamed for him to protect and

defend Tempest. At her side was where he belonged, keeping