Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
T aylor Montgomery stood at the kitchen counter, her hands dusted with flour as she worked the dough for Liam’s favorite blueberry muffins. Sunlight streamed through the window, warming her childhood home’s small, cheerful space. The faint hum of cartoons drifted from the living room where her three-year-old son was sprawled on the rug, clutching a toy fire truck with intense focus.
Her gaze flicked to the clock on the oven—10:13 a.m. Time was slipping away faster than she wanted. By this time tomorrow, she’d be on a plane to Washington, D.C., her carry-on stuffed with pitch decks and polished shoes, preparing to navigate a room full of big-city professionals at the marketing convention.
A knot of guilt tightened inside her. Oh, how she hated leaving Liam, but this could be what her career needed to get her and Liam into a home of their own—a place where she didn’t depend on her mother so much. And yet, her mother was the only one she’d ever leave her son with.
Not long after she’d given birth to Liam, Taylor’s world had been rocked again. Her father, strong and steady as the oak trees he loved, had suffered an unexpected heart attack. One moment, he was there, teasing her about naming the baby after him, and the next, he was gone.
The loss had left her reeling, but it was her mother she worried about most. Her parents had been inseparable, their love a quiet, unwavering presence in her life. Watching her mother navigate the heartbreaking void of his absence had been devastating.
Taylor was grateful she’d been there, rooted in Austin, to help her mother through those dark days. Together, they had grieved him, finding solace in shared memories and the laughter Liam brought to their lives. It hadn’t been easy, but being there for her mother had been as much a comfort for herself as it was for her mom.
“Mommy, look!”
Taylor glanced up to see Liam waving the fire truck triumphantly, his dark curls bouncing. His face was lit with the kind of unrestrained joy that only a toddler could manage. Her heart squeezed. He had Caleb’s smile—a little crooked with just enough mischief to melt defenses.
His big brown eyes, framed by impossibly long dark lashes, were a mirror of his father’s. Even his hair, now turning the same dusty brown with streaks of auburn, was another unmistakable mark of where he came from.
Taylor couldn’t help but smile, bittersweet and amused, as she studied him. Someday, Liam would grow up to be quite the charmer—just like his father. The thought was equal parts endearing and exasperating, knowing firsthand how Caleb’s easy grin and natural confidence had a way of turning heads and stealing hearts.
“That’s awesome, buddy!” she said, mustering a smile.
Liam giggled and zoomed the truck along the edge of the coffee table, complete with his sound effects.
Taylor returned to the dough, kneading it harder than necessary. The thought of leaving Liam even for a few days felt like a physical ache. He was her whole world. The reason she’d rebuilt her life from the ashes of her broken heart and a surprise pregnancy.
College had been a whirlwind of ambition and uncertainty until Caleb Burnett had walked into her life like a cowboy out of a movie. He’d been magnetic—confident and charming in a way that made her believe in fairy tales again. But fairy tales didn’t account for real life. And Caleb had shattered her illusions with a single, cold phone call when she needed him most.
She could still hear his words, clipped and distant: “I can’t do this, Taylor. My family needs me. I’m sorry. I’m not coming back. It’s over.”
The memories bubbled up unbidden, and Taylor shoved them down with practiced determination. That was a lifetime ago. She wasn’t that na?ve, lovesick girl anymore. Now, she was a mother, a professional, a woman with a carefully curated armor. And if the convention went well, she might finally land high-profile clients that could elevate her business to the next level.
Still, the thought of being away from Liam left her aching with sadness. She’d never been away from her son before.
“Taylor?”
Her mother’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. Turning, Taylor saw her standing in the doorway, a dish towel slung over her shoulder. Grace Montgomery had the serene confidence Taylor had always admired—earned from decades of a steady, loving marriage to Taylor’s father.
The kind of marriage she’d always dreamed of but now had no chance at.
“You’re quiet this morning,” Grace said, entering the kitchen. She gestured toward the counter. “Muffins for Liam?”
Taylor nodded, wiping her hands on a towel. “He loves them.”
Grace smiled. “He’s going to miss you while you’re gone.”
“I know,” Taylor said softly. She hated the rawness in her voice. “I’ll miss him too.”
It wasn’t often that she left him behind; this was the longest time they had ever been separated. Phone calls were no comparison to reading to him each night, tucking him into his bed, and kissing him goodnight.
Grace leaned against the counter, her expression careful. “It’s only a few days. He’ll be fine with me. You know that.”
“I know.” Taylor busied herself with scooping dough into muffin tins, avoiding her mother’s probing gaze.
Grace hesitated, then asked the question she had been dreading. “Do you think you’ll see Caleb while you’re there?”
The name landed like a stone in Taylor’s heart. Her hands stilled for a moment before she forced herself to keep working. “I don’t know,” she said evenly, though the possibility had lingered in the back of her mind since the moment she booked her flight.
They were both in marketing, but that didn’t mean he would attend the same convention as her. They hadn’t seen each other since he’d left college unexpectedly. As far as she knew, he may have never graduated.
“You haven’t seen him since...” Grace trailed off, a faint crease forming between her brows, “since before Liam was born.”
Taylor nodded, her jaw tightening. “And I’d like to keep it that way. There’s no reason for him to know.”
Grace sighed. “You’re probably right. But Caleb—he has a right to know about Liam.”
“That’s not your decision to make,” Taylor snapped before catching herself. She exhaled and softened her tone. “Sorry, Mom. I just... I made my choice a long time ago. Caleb made his. We’re fine without him.”
Maybe Caleb had a right to know he had a son—maybe—but Taylor couldn’t shake the belief that he’d forfeited that right the moment he broke things off with her. He hadn’t even given her the chance to tell him she was pregnant.
When he’d finally returned her calls, it wasn’t to check on her or explain his sudden disappearance. No, it was to deliver the final blow: he wasn’t coming back to college, and they were done. His voice had been cold and distant as though the months they’d spent together had meant nothing.
That phone call had left her shattered, standing in her tiny dorm room with her heart in pieces and a life-changing secret she suddenly had to face on her own.
Someday, Liam would ask about his father, and then she would tell him the truth, but until that day arrived, her secret was safe. From the moment her parents had learned of her pregnancy, they had encouraged her to tell Caleb, but his phone call had been cold, brief, and he’d given her no explanation.
No, he didn’t deserve to know about the life they had created and see their son.
Her mother studied her for a long moment, then squeezed Taylor’s hand. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. But you don’t have to be strong all the time, sweetheart. It’s okay to let people in.”
Taylor pulled her hand away gently, shaking her head. “I’m not reopening that door. Not for Caleb. Not for anyone.”
Grace didn’t press further, but her eyes held a quiet sadness that made Taylor sigh. She turned back to the muffins, sliding the tray into the oven with a little more force than necessary.
By noon, Taylor had packed most of her suitcase, checked her email, and wrangled Liam into his favorite overalls and sneakers. She was double-checking her presentation slides on her laptop when Liam ran into the room, clutching his favorite stuffed bear.
“Mommy, can we go outside?”
The child was all boy and loved spending time outdoors especially if he could find dirt or mud nearby.
Taylor glanced at her to-do list, then at Liam’s eager face. Guilt tugged at her again. “Okay, but just for a little while.”
His face lit up, and he grabbed her hand, tugging her toward the backyard.
The late autumn air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of fallen leaves. Liam immediately headed for the small sandbox in the corner of the yard, plopping down with a determination that made Taylor smile.
She sat on the edge of the deck, watching him dig tunnels and build castles, his imagination running wild. Moments like these reminded her of why she worked so hard and poured every ounce of energy into creating a life that would give Liam the stability and love he deserved.
But as much as she tried to stay present, her mind wandered to the convention. To the possibility of running into Caleb. It was a freakish fantasy she didn’t particularly want to experience.
Would he even recognize her after all these years? She wasn’t the same girl he’d left behind, and she had no intention of letting him see the vulnerability she’d once worn like a second skin. If their paths crossed, she’d keep it professional. Cordial. Detached.
“Mommy, look!” Liam’s voice broke through her thoughts.
Taylor glanced up to see him holding a handful of sand, grinning from ear to ear.
“You’re a mess,” she said with a laugh, knowing there was a bath in his future.
“Am I gonna go with you on the plane?” he asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.
Taylor’s heart ached. “No, sweetheart. You’re going to stay with Grandma. But I’ll be back before you know it.”
Liam’s bottom lip jutted out. “I don’t want you to go.”
“I know, baby.” She hugged him, his small body warm and solid against hers. “I don’t want to go either. But this is important for Mommy’s work.”
He clung to her momentarily, then pulled back, his expression serious. “Okay. But you hafta bring me a toy.”
Taylor smiled, kissing the top of his head. That was a given. It would ease the heartache she felt at leaving him. The kid knew how to work her. “Deal.”
Later that evening, after Liam was bathed and tucked into bed, Taylor sat at the kitchen table with her laptop open. Her mother joined her, setting a cup of tea before her.
“Thanks, Mom,” Taylor said, taking a sip.
“You’re doing the right thing, you know,” Grace said after a moment.
Taylor glanced up, surprised. “Going to the convention?”
Grace nodded. “You’ve worked hard for this. You deserve it. And Liam will be fine here with me. He’s loved, Taylor. You both are.”
The words eased some of the tension in Taylor, but leaving her son was harder than she’d ever thought possible. She reached across the table to squeeze her mother’s hand. “Thank you. For everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Grace smiled. “Always, sweetheart.”
As Taylor returned to her laptop, her thoughts drifted once again to Caleb. She’d built a life for herself and Liam without him, and she was proud of that. But a small, treacherous part of her wondered what it would feel like to see him again.
To look into those familiar brown eyes and know she had moved on, even if she wasn’t sure she believed it herself.
She shook her head, brushing the thought aside. Tomorrow was about the future, not the past. And she intended to keep it that way. Caleb had made his choice with that cold, unfeeling phone call. Maybe he did deserve to know about Liam, but she’d deserved a better explanation.
It would be best if he were still at home on the ranch, taking care of his family’s drama. All she wanted was to find more clients until her business took off. Then, she and Liam would make a life of their own together.