The Baby Truth Read Online Free PDF Page B

far, it had worked. Mainly because brother and sister always spoke frankly to each other.
    “I’m sure the news was burning your tongue,” Jett said drolly.
    Bella gave him a sweet smile. “Well, Sassy is very pretty. And you’ve never brought a woman to the ranch before.”
    “Sassy is here because I was concerned she might faint again. No other reason.” Except that she had an alluring quality about her that had grabbed him from the very start. Within moments of meeting her, he’d felt himself being drawn into her plight and wanting to make things better for her. It had been years since he’d allowed himself to feel that level of protection for any woman other than Bella or his mother. It was an odd feeling, and he wasn’t sure where it was leading.
    “Oh. Well, maybe you’d better take a closer look and you’ll find a reason to keep her here for a while longer.”
    Not bothering to reply to his sister’s suggestive remark, Jett turned on his heel and started out of the room only to have Bella snatch hold of his arm.
    “Where are you going?”
    “To change clothes and start supper. It’s that time of evening,” he said pointedly. “Or hadn’t you noticed?”
    Bella slipped her arm through his and pulled him over to the couch. “Well, you can give me a minute or two. I want to talk to you before Sassy gets up from her nap.”
    His expression full of warning, he allowed his sister to pull him across the room. As the two of them sat on connecting cushions, Jett asked, “About what? If you’re going to start digging into me about her—”
    Bella impatiently shook her head and lowered her voice. “I’m worried about you, that’s all.”
    Jett snorted. “Worried about me? Why?”
    She squeezed his hand, and in that moment Jett realized that, in spite of Bella’s independent nature, she needed his support. Just as he’d always needed hers. With their mother living miles away in Truckee, and their dad leaving the family years ago, the two siblings had stuck close. Especially after both of their marriages had fallen apart.
    “This thing with Sassy,” she answered. “I’m afraid the Calhouns are going to blame you for all this.”
    His brows arched with innocence. “All this? Nothing has happened.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Not yet. But it will. I’m certain of that, and so are you.”
    Jett glanced over at the open doorway that connected the living room to the rest of the house. The last thing he wanted was for Sassy to overhear their conversation. She’d probably take the first flight out of Carson City. And he didn’t want that to happen. Even though his ex-wife, Erica, had made his life a living hell and caused him to swear off women for the past five years, it was nice to be in Sassy’s company. She was fresh and frank, and one of the sexiest women he’d ever seen in his life—which was weird since she looked so much like his friend. And somehow her youthful energy—even despite her faint—made him feel alive and good. He couldn’t see anything wrong with that.
    “If Sassy’s visit to the Silver Horn opens a can of worms, it’s not my fault.”
    “Oh? Then whose fault would it be? You’re the man who set up this meeting. Why did you get involved, anyway? If Finn wanted to visit his dead friend’s girl, then he should’ve done it on his own and left you out of it.”
    He glared at his sister. “Bella! It isn’t like you to be so unfeeling. And being the Calhouns’ lawyer always makes me the middleman. Anyway, that part doesn’t matter. I want you to put yourself in Sassy’s shoes for a moment. Wouldn’t you welcome any sort of help in finding your parents?”
    She grimaced. “We haven’t known our father’s whereabouts since we were teenagers. And I’m not asking anyone to help me find the man,” she pointed out.
    “No. But you don’t have to wonder who he was. And you have a mother in your life. Sassy has neither. Her adoptive parents were killed in a house fire