Chapter 18
CHAPTER 18
T aylor sat at the kitchen table, staring into the steam rising from her untouched cup of coffee. The house was quiet except for the refrigerator’s faint hum and birds’ occasional chirp outside the window. Liam was still asleep in his room, worn out from the ordeal at the hospital, and Taylor was grateful for the stillness.
Her hands wrapped around the mug, seeking comfort in its warmth, but her thoughts refused to settle. Everything was out in the open now—Caleb knew. The secret she had carried for years, the truth she had protected, was no longer hers alone.
Who could have predicted that a childhood strawberry allergy—of all things—would be the thing to out her to Caleb? For days, she’d wrestled with the thought of telling him, the words circling in her mind but never reaching her lips. She had planned to do it on her terms, in her own time, with careful consideration.
But life, as always, had other plans.
She let out a shaky breath, her mind replaying the moment in the hospital when Caleb had asked her the question she’d dreaded most. The look on his face when she told him the truth—equal parts shock, hurt, and something she couldn’t quite name—was seared into her memory.
He seemed shocked when the truth hit him—that Liam was his son. How could he not have noticed? The boy’s smile, the sparkle in his eyes, even his laugh—all of it was so unmistakably Caleb.
Some days, being with her son felt like both a blessing and a curse. Liam brought her more joy than she thought possible, but she was reminded of Caleb every time she looked at him. The stubborn tilt of Liam’s chin when he was determined, the way he ran his hands through his curls when he was thinking—it was like Caleb was woven into the very fabric of who Liam was.
And now Caleb saw it too.
Where did they go from here?
That question had circled in Taylor’s mind since yesterday, refusing to let her rest. Caleb’s family ranch wasn’t just a sprawling piece of land—it was a legacy that came with deep pockets and undeniable influence. The Burnetts weren’t just ranchers but a privileged group, connected and powerful. Would Caleb try to take Liam from her?
The thought chilled her. She didn’t want to believe he would, but fear gnawed at the edges of her thoughts. She didn’t have the resources to fight a man like Caleb Burnett if it came to that. And if he even considered taking her son from her, it would destroy whatever fragile feelings she still harbored for him.
Her fingers tightened around the coffee cup in her hands, the weight of her worry pressing down on her like a heavy storm cloud, dark and unrelenting, refusing to lift.
Hopefully, her son would become an accepted Burnett. That was all she wanted—for Liam to be embraced by the family he’d never known. She wasn’t na?ve enough to think it would be simple, but the look in Caleb’s eyes yesterday gave her a glimmer of hope. He’d seemed determined to do right by Liam, and for now, she had to trust that.
Yesterday, they had agreed: one step at a time.
But as she sat there in the quiet of the morning, she couldn’t help but wonder—what would that next step be? Would it be something minor like Caleb coming over for dinner again? Or would it be something bigger, something neither of them was ready for?
Taylor sighed, her gaze drifting up the stairs to Liam’s bedroom. Whatever came next would have to be what was best for her son. She just hoped Caleb would keep his promises.
Her mother’s voice broke the silence, pulling Taylor from her thoughts.
“Sweetheart, you’re going to burn that coffee with how hard you’re staring at it.”
Taylor looked up to see Grace standing in the doorway, her expression soft with concern. Her mother carried a plate of toast and slid it onto the table before sitting across from her.
“I didn’t even hear you come in,” Taylor admitted, forcing a faint smile.
Grace studied her for a moment before reaching over and gently squeezing her hand. “How’s Liam?”
“Still sleeping,” Taylor said. “He’s okay, thank God. But I’m keeping a close eye on him. No more strawberries.”
Grace nodded, her brow furrowing. “And how about you? How are you doing?”
Taylor sighed, leaning back in her chair. “I don’t know, Mom. Everything feels... messy.”
Grace’s gaze remained steady, waiting for her to continue.
“Caleb knows now,” Taylor said, her voice barely above a whisper. “About Liam. About everything.”
Grace didn’t react with surprise; instead, she nodded slowly as if she had expected this moment. “And how did he take it?”
Taylor let out a bitter laugh. “About as well as you’d expect. He was angry—hurt too. He kept asking why I didn’t tell him sooner, and I don’t know... I don’t know how to make him understand. He left, Mom. He was gone . What was I supposed to do?”
Did Caleb think she’d enjoyed being single and pregnant? Did he think she’d been fine walking into every doctor’s appointment alone, answering the same silent questions with a brave face while everyone around her whispered about the baby without a father?
It had been the most painful, isolating time of her life.
First, she’d lost Caleb, the man she thought she’d build a future with, and then she’d discovered she was pregnant—carrying his child—with only the help of her Mom. Those months had stretched endlessly, a lonely haze of heartbreak and fear.
She hadn’t had anyone to share her joy or her fears with, no one to feel the baby’s first kicks or to hold her hand during sleepless nights. It was a dark, relentless time, and no matter how much she loved Liam now, nothing could erase how devastating it had been to realize she’d have to do it all alone.
Grace leaned forward, her voice calm and steady. “You did what you thought was right at the time, Taylor. You were young, scared, and alone. It’s not easy to carry something like that.”
Taylor blinked back the sting of tears. “But now he’s here, and he’s trying. And I don’t know how to feel about that.”
Grace studied her for a moment, her expression thoughtful. “Maybe the better question is what are you feeling?”
Taylor hesitated, her fingers tightening around the mug. “Confused. Angry. Relieved. All of it, all at once.” She paused, her voice softening. “And scared. Mostly scared.”
“Scared of what?” Grace asked gently.
“Of letting him in,” Taylor admitted, her voice trembling. “Of letting myself believe that he’s changed, that he’ll stay this time. What if he doesn’t? What if Liam gets attached, and then he walks away again? I don’t think I can handle that, Mom.”
Grace reached across the table, taking Taylor’s hand in hers. “Taylor, I can’t promise everything will be perfect, but I’ve seen Caleb with Liam. And I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
Taylor glanced up, her brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”
Her mother’s smile widened slightly. “You two look good together. There’s something there, even if you’re both too stubborn to admit it outright. Are you falling in love with him again?”
The question hit Taylor like a jolt, her breath catching. She looked down at her coffee, her thoughts spiraling.
“I don’t know,” she said finally, her voice barely audible.
“Don’t lie to yourself, sweetheart,” Grace said, her tone kind but firm. “You’ve been falling for him since he came back into your life. I can see it plain as day.”
Taylor’s hands tightened around the mug, her heart aching at the truth in her mother’s words. “I’m fighting it,” she admitted. “Because I’m afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
Taylor swallowed hard, her voice breaking. “Of losing him again. Of letting myself hope, only to have it all fall apart. I can’t go through that again, Mom. And I won’t put Liam through it, either.”
One thing was certain—she would never let her son feel that kind of pain. Never.
Liam deserved stability, love, and the childhood she’d once dreamed of giving him with Caleb by her side. She’d do whatever it took to protect him, even if it meant guarding her heart and keeping Caleb at arm’s length. Because Liam’s happiness came first, and she wasn’t about to let history repeat itself.
Grace nodded, her expression softening. “You’re protecting yourself and your son. That’s what a good mother does. But, Taylor, don’t let fear keep you from something that could be wonderful.”
Taylor blinked back tears. “How do I trust him, Mom? After everything?”
Grace gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Trust doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something you build step by step. And from what I’ve seen, Caleb is trying. He’s here, Taylor. He wants to be part of Liam’s life—and yours. Let him prove himself.”
Taylor exhaled shakily, her mind swirling with emotions. Her mother’s words made sense, but they didn’t make it easier.
“Take it one day at a time,” Grace continued. “You don’t have to have all the answers right now. Just give him the chance to show you who he is. And give yourself the chance to see it.”
Taylor nodded slowly, her grip on the mug loosening. “One day at a time,” she repeated, the words feeling both daunting and comforting.
Grace smiled, brushing a strand of hair from Taylor’s face. “That’s all any of us can do.”
As her mother stood to refill her coffee, Taylor leaned back in her chair. Her thoughts were still tangled but slightly less overwhelming. She wasn’t sure what the future held, but for the first time in a long while, she felt like she didn’t have to face it alone.