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The Dillon ranch was rarely deserted. Bert was there all the time, it seemed. Except on Thursday when he worked the halfway house in Finley Creek.
His son was gone more often, having a job at the library and classes somewhere.
Lou Moore had to admit they were good people. He’d watched Bert fix Bailey’s car for her one weekend. And Bert’s son made his girl laugh. A lot.
She sure did look pretty whenever she carried Bert’s grandbaby around, too. Lou was hit with a sucker punch when he realized he’d never get to see her carry his grandbaby around. Not like that.
Just Bert’s.
Bert got everything good now.
Lou’s own fault, and he knew it. He’d made this happen. Robbed himself of everything the future held. For Bailey and him. Bert had told Lou that once at the halfway house where Lou had lived for a few weeks and Bert volunteered. That poor decisions would rob him of everything good in the world.
And they had.
They’d robbed him of his Bailey.
The first time Lou snuck into Bert’s house had been two weeks after Bailey had moved in with the other man.
Bert had replaced Lou in a heartbeat. No surprise. Bailey was such a sweetheart, and Lou had left her alone. A good man like Bert was going to step up and do the right thing for a young woman like Bailey. To think of his little girl alone after the hell Pete had put her through...well, it sickened Lou that he hadn’t been able to be there for her.
Better than he had been before.
All Lou wanted in the world was a chance to be a better father to his little girl. To protect her, for once. Instead of sit back and let her be hurt. Not like he had before.
His cowardice shamed him. He had been stronger than that.
He sank onto Bailey’s desk chair and played with the glass border collie figurine that had once been her mother’s. It was an older desk, scarred and much used. The Dillon house was like that. Warm, inviting, older, but well-loved.
Bailey had photos on her wall now. They were new since the last time he’d visited. Most were of the Dillon baby. Maybe that’s the way the wind blew. She was certainly with Bert’s son enough. And she was living just down the hall.
Lou liked that thought. It was poetic justice in his mind. Bailey and Jake Dillon had both been hurt by the sins of their fathers, but now they could find happiness together.
Bailey sure loved that little baby.
She’d be a good mama. And there was nothing to stop her and Jake from having more children someday. Even half a dozen. Little blond ones or little dark-haired ones. It didn’t matter. They’d be beautiful babies, like their momma had been.
He wanted his little girl to be happy.
And she was getting to an age where she was ready to be a mother, have a husband and a family.
He couldn’t think of a better man than the town librarian. The librarian would never strike her or run around on her or do much of anything to hurt her.
The boy didn’t have the temperament for that.
Lou had watched all on the Dillon property for more than five weeks now. He’d like to think he knew them well.
Knew they would never hurt his baby.
The way it should be.
He couldn’t be there for her, but at least she had someone to love her the way she deserved to be loved.
Lou had to be content with that.
If it bothered him sometimes that it was Bert, well...Lou would just have to get over that, wouldn’t he?