Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
C aleb sat on the edge of the hotel bed, the stillness pressing in on him. His hands were clasped together, his elbows braced against his knees, and his eyes fixed on the worn carpet. A low hum from the air conditioner filled the silence, but it did little to drown out the thoughts crashing through his mind.
I’m a father.
The words rolled over and over, each repetition hitting with a new wave of weight. He’d said it to himself a dozen times since the hospital, but it still didn’t feel real. He had a son. A little boy with his eyes, his laugh—and his allergy to strawberries, of all things.
As he thought about Liam’s reaction, the fear in Taylor’s eyes, and how her voice cracked when she told Liam to breathe, fear clutched him. That moment—seeing Liam struggling to breathe—had been enough to terrify him. But the truth that came after? That had shaken him to his core.
He leaned back, rubbing a hand over his face, trying to steady the thoughts running wild in his head.
How had he not recognized all the signs immediately? The dimple in Liam’s cheek when he smiled, his brow furrowed when he was deep in thought—it was all right there.
They had been right there in front of him—the way Liam’s smile mirrored his own, the stubborn set of his jaw, even Taylor’s lingering anger and resistance every time they edged too close to the truth.
No wonder she’d been so guarded. No wonder she’d hated him.
And yet, she hadn’t taken the easy way out. She hadn’t walked away from the life growing inside her, even after he had walked away from her. She’d carried their child, raised him, and done it all alone.
Their child.
His son.
The realization hit him with the force of a runaway horse, and the weight of it stole his breath.
And Caleb had missed it all—the first three years of his son’s life.
Three years of firsts: the first steps, the first words, the first toothless grin. He’d missed watching Liam grow from a tiny, helpless infant into a curious toddler and now a bright, energetic little boy.
The weight of those lost years settled heavily on him. It was time he could never get back, and the ache of it was sharper than anything he’d ever felt.
And yet, it wasn’t just the revelation of fatherhood that had his stomach in knots. It was the nagging, inescapable fear clawing at the back of his mind.
What if I’m not good enough? What if I screw it up?
He thought of his father, the cold, distant man who’d been more interested in another woman than his own family. The way he’d spoken to Caleb like a burden, a disappointment, a problem to manage. Caleb’s stomach churned as the memories resurfaced, sharp and bitter.
His father had always been so controlled, so unyielding, yet somehow so fragile in his anger. And Caleb had spent his entire life trying to prove he wasn’t like him—by working harder, staying out of trouble, and keeping everyone at arm’s length.
And yet, he’d become as controlling as his father.
But now? Now, he had a son. And he couldn’t stop wondering: Could I be different? Or am I just fooling myself?
He pushed to his feet, restless energy coursing through him as he paced the small room. The carpet muffled his footsteps, but the movement did little to calm his mind. The walls felt like they were closing in, the air thick and heavy.
Children mirror their parents. Caleb had heard that saying countless times, but it hit differently now that he had a son.
His mirror growing up hadn’t been a good one. His father’s anger, his mother’s quiet despair—it was a reflection he’d spent years trying to avoid. And yet, the fear lingered, whispering that he might not be any different.
Would he make the same mistakes? Would he let anger or fear define him the way it had described his father? Would Liam one day look at him and see the cracks Caleb had spent his life trying to hide?
The thought chilled him, but deep down, a flicker of hope stirred. Maybe, just maybe, the reflection Liam saw didn’t have to be the same. Maybe Caleb could be better.
But what if I’m not enough?
A sharp, lilting voice broke through his spiraling thoughts.
“Well, look at you, pacing a hole in the floor. All that brooding and not a lick of action to show for it.”
Caleb stopped mid-step, his head snapping to see Eugenia perched in the armchair by the window. Her form shimmered faintly, her hands folded neatly in her lap as she watched him with amusement and exasperation.
“Eugenia,” he muttered, dragging a hand through his hair. “Not now.”
“Oh, especially now,” she said, rising from the chair in one smooth motion. Her voice had an edge of playfulness, but her eyes were sharp, cutting straight through him. “You’ve got a lot on your mind, don’t you, sweetness? Seems like the perfect time for a little wisdom from beyond the grave.”
Caleb let out a frustrated sigh, crossing his arms. “I don’t need wisdom. I need... I don’t even know what I need.”
“Well, for starters,” she said, floating closer, “you need to stop pacing like a caged horse and start thinking about what you’ll do next. I’d think a ring might be in order.”
He turned away, his jaw tightening. “What can I do, Eugenia? I just found out I have a son. A three-year-old son. ”
“Yes, and he’s a fine boy,” Eugenia said, her tone softening. “Sharp as a tack too. He’s got the Burnett spark, that’s for sure. Oh, how I love seeing my grandchildren.”
At her words, fear clutched Caleb and he sank back onto the bed, his elbows on his knees. “What if I’m not good enough for him? What if I mess this up? I don’t even know how to be a dad. I didn’t have a good example.”
Eugenia floated closer, her expression turning serious. “You’re already better than you think, Caleb. The fact that you’re even asking these questions means you’re nothing like your father.”
He flinched at her words, but she pressed on.
“You’re not that man, Caleb. Not unless you choose to be.” Her voice softened, carrying a weight that silenced his rebuttal. “Your father built walls so high, no one could climb them. He didn’t care enough to ask the questions you’re asking now. He didn’t even see the value in trying.”
Caleb looked up at her, his throat tight. “What if I don’t know how to be better? What if I end up making the same mistakes he did?”
Eugenia smiled gently, her shimmering form bending slightly as she leaned closer. “Mistakes are part of the deal, sweetheart. You’ll make them. Plenty of them. But the difference is, you’ll try. You’ll show up. That’s more than your father ever did.”
Absolutely, he’d try. He’d be there for his son—at baseball games, birthday parties, and all the in-between moments that made a childhood special. When Liam had questions, Caleb would do his best to answer them, and if he didn’t know the answer, he’d admit it, and they’d figure it out together.
One thing was certain: he would not repeat his father’s mistakes. He would not steal the magic of childhood from his son the way his father had stolen it from him. Caleb would break the cycle. He had to.
The words settled over him like a balm, easing some of the tension radiating from him.
“And besides,” she continued, her tone lightening, “don’t you think I want to meet my latest great-several-times-over-grandson? Burnett boys are my pride and joy, you know.”
A faint smile tugged at his lips despite the storm still swirling inside him. “He’s not ready to meet a ghost, Eugenia.”
“Nonsense,” she said, waving a translucent hand. “That boy’s got Burnett blood in him. He’ll handle it just fine.”
Caleb shook his head, a quiet laugh escaping him. “You’re impossible. I never saw you before.”
“Oh, I was there. That’s because none of you blasted kids were getting married. Someone had to save this family,” she said. “Twelve of you and not a one married until I stepped in.”
“Travis married,” he said.
“Until some drunk ended that marriage, and then he was never going to marry again,” she said.
None of them had been interested in getting married, and that’s when she’d shown up, scaring the crap out of all of them.
Eugenia’s expression softened again, the teasing glint in her eye fading. “You’ve been given something precious, Caleb. Something worth more than all the land and cattle in the world. Don’t waste it.”
He looked away, her words sinking deep. It was true. He and Taylor had created this little human being—a bright, lively boy—out of love. And yet, he had let his family’s problems come between them, pulling him away when he should have stayed.
She deserved the truth. Taylor deserved to know why he had left without saying good-bye, why he had broken things off so abruptly. She deserved to know the storm he had been caught in back then, the weight he had carried, and the fear that had driven him to run.
It wouldn’t erase the past, but maybe it would give her some of the answers she had been denied for so long. And maybe it could give them both a chance to move forward.
Start over.
And more than anything, she deserved his promise—a real one, not empty words spoken in desperation. A promise to her and Liam that he would be the father their son deserved.
He would be there not just for the milestones but also for the small moments—the scraped knees, the bedtime stories, the endless questions about how the world worked. He would show Liam what it meant to have a father who stayed, cared, and tried every day to do better.
And he would show Taylor that she wasn’t alone anymore. That this time, he wouldn’t run.
“And don’t forget about Taylor,” Eugenia added like she’d been reading his mind. “That girl’s been through hell raising that boy on her own. She loves you, even if she’s too stubborn to admit it outright. And you love her.”
Caleb’s head snapped back to her, his eyes narrowing. “How do you know that?”
She raised a ghostly brow. “Oh, please. You think I don’t see the way you look at her? The way you light up when she walks into a room? You might as well have it tattooed on your forehead, sweetheart.”
The truth of her words were comforting and terrifying. He’d sworn never to marry.
“Marry the girl, Caleb,” Eugenia said firmly. “Make her yours. Create a family.”
He swallowed hard, the weight of her words settling over him. “What if she doesn’t want me?”
Eugenia smiled, her gaze softening. “Then you fight for her. You show her that you’re worth the risk. That you’re not going to run this time.”
Her form began to shimmer, fading slightly as she added, “You’ve got something worth fighting for, Caleb. Don’t let it slip away.”
As she disappeared, the room fell silent again. Caleb sat on the bed, her words echoing in his mind.
He wasn’t his father. He didn’t have to be.
And for the first time, he felt like he could believe it.