Knocked up by the Mountain Man (Silver Ridge Mountain Men)

24. Beau

24

BEAU

I don’t know what the hell to say. My head is all over the place; it’s hard to even focus on the road as I attempt to drive us back home because I have so much circling through my brain, confusing every single inch of me. I mean, this is a whole heap of information, isn’t it? In the midst of Clara’s uncle being a massive asshole, some stuff really came out and I need to digest it. Clara left... because she was pregnant? Pregnant with Thomas, of course. The boy who has already been mistaken as mine because he looks so much like me, and I know she wasn’t sleeping with anyone else back then, which means...

I keep darting my eyes over to where Clara is sitting, not looking at me. I wish I could ask her if what I suspect is true, but I can’t. Not with Thomas in the car, even if he’s napping away back there.

Oh my God. Every so often it hits me that this is really happening, that Thomas could actually be mine . The idea that I’m potentially a father is a lot to take in, but the fact that I could have been one for years without even knowing is something else. There is so much I’ve missed out on, time I’ll never get back, things I’ll never see... which makes zero sense to me. It didn’t have to be like that...

I bite down on my tongue so those questions don’t come spilling out. I have no idea how much Thomas will overhear, even with his eyes closed, so this is going to have to wait. Much as it kills me, it’s probably for the best. I need time to wrap my head around this anyway, to work out which questions are most important to ask first.

“I know you probably want to talk to me,” Clara says quietly as I pull the car up by her home. So much has changed since we left for the carnival, it is utterly overwhelming. “But right now, I need to focus on getting Thomas to bed. Is that okay?”

I nod, a little shocked that she’s addressing this. I hadn’t expected that. “Okay sure. I’ll come by later and we can talk then.” There’s more I need to say, but I can’t work out what.

“Er, yeah...”

We lock eyes for a moment and I can see the truth swimming behind her eyes. I’m not sure if I’ll fully believe it until I hear the words come out of her mouth with clarity though. I won’t be able to. Even if it’s been staring me in the face ever since she came back, with Thomas’s looks and his age, and the way she seemed to keep us away from one another...

I don’t realize how loudly I’m panting, almost hyperventilating, until Clara slides out of the car and takes Thomas with her. She shoots me one final regretful look before she carries her sleeping son inside. Our sleeping son inside... that’ll take some getting used to, that’s for sure. It feels like a really thick pill to swallow right now, but I suppose not a terrible pill.

I like Thomas , I tell myself as I park up my car. And Clara as well. I’ve never stopped loving her, so this is good...

I touch my cheeks wondering if I’m smiling. Actually, I’m shocked to find myself beaming from ear to ear. I’m happy, even if this is a surprise, even if I’ve missed out on lots, it’s good to know that I can still make up for lost time.

“Will Thomas like me?” I ask myself curiously. “As a father?”

As Clara goes to put Thomas to bed, I decide to confront my father one more time. This time, I’ll tell him that Thomas is my son, so I’ll be picking love. I’m not confused anymore. I know exactly what I want to do.

My father, with his unyielding ways and rigid expectations, is going to be a difficult hurdle, but for Thomas and Clara, I’m ready to face him.

The house is quiet when I walk in, a stark contrast to the storm brewing within me. I find my father in his study, buried in paperwork, likely related to the ranch and the sale he’s been threatening me with. He looks up as I enter, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Beau,” he says, his voice gruff, “what brings you here at this hour?”

Taking a deep breath, I steel myself. “Dad, we need to talk.”

His eyes flicker with curiosity, but he nods. “Alright, son. Sit down. I hope that this is the conversation me and you need to have…”

If he thinks this is me kicking out the Ryders… well, he has another thing coming!

I remain standing, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. “There’s something you need to know. Thomas... Thomas is my son.”

The shock on his face is immediate and profound. He stands up, papers forgotten, his eyes wide. “What? Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I reply firmly. “Clara and I... we were together before she left. She was pregnant, and Thomas is our child.”

My father’s expression shifts from shock to something darker, more complicated. “And you’re just finding out now?”

I nod. “Yes. Clara had her reasons for keeping it from me, reasons I’m trying to understand. But what matters now is that Thomas is my son, and I’ll be there for him and Clara, no matter what.”

My father’s face hardens. “So you really are going to let the ranch go. Prioritizing them …”

I shake my head. “I’m not walking away from anything. I’m choosing to prioritize my son and the woman I love. The ranch can survive without me, but Thomas needs his father.”

He clenches his fists, his frustration evident. “You need to think about this. The ranch is everything. It’s what we’ve worked for, what you’ve been preparing for your whole life.”

“No, Dad,” I say, my voice steady. “You need to think about what’s important. Family is more than just a piece of land. Thomas is my family, Clara is my family. And I won’t let anything come between us again.”

For a moment, we stand in complete silence, the weight of my words hanging in the air. My father looks at me, a mixture of anger, disappointment, and something I can’t quite place in his eyes. Finally, he sighs, a long, weary sound.

“Do what you have to do,” he says, his voice resigned. “But don’t expect me to support this decision.”

I nod, feeling a strange sense of relief. “I understand. But this is what I need to do.”

I turn and leave the study, not looking back, feeling unburdened as I go. There’s no indecision anymore. I know exactly what I need to do, and it feels good.

The air outside feels fresher, lighter, and as I walk back to the guest house, the relief of standing up to my father starts to settle in. The night air is cool, a stark contrast to the tension still lingering in my chest. But as I approach the guest house, I hear raised voices. My steps quicken, and I recognize Clara’s voice, strained and defensive. Wyatt is back, and he’s arguing with her again.

I burst through the door to find Wyatt standing too close to Clara, his face twisted in anger. Clara’s eyes flash with a mix of fear and defiance as she holds Thomas protectively in her arms.

“What the hell is going on here?” I demand, my voice booming in the small space.

Wyatt spins around, his eyes narrowing as he sees me. “This is none of your business, Beau.”

“The hell it isn’t,” I shoot back. “Everything involving Clara and Thomas is my business. If you can’t talk to us calmly, then you need to leave, Wyatt.”

He sneers, stepping closer to me, his posture aggressive. “You think you can just waltz back in here and play the hero? You have no idea what you’re getting into.”

I move to stand between him and Clara, my body a protective barrier. “I know enough. And I know you’re not welcome here. Leave. Now.”

Wyatt’s face contorts with rage, but he backs off slightly. “You’re making a big mistake, Beau. You can’t save everyone.”

“I don’t need to save everyone,” I reply, my voice steady. “Just my family. And that’s what Clara and Thomas are.”

For a moment, it looks like Wyatt might lash out, but then he stops, a strange expression crossing his face. His eyes flick between me, Clara, and Thomas then between me and Thomas. Something clicks in his mind, and his face goes pale.

“Wait a minute,” Wyatt mutters, more to himself than to us. “Thomas is... yours? Is that what you mean?”

The room falls silent, the weight of his realization sinking in. Clara’s grip tightens on Thomas, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and hope.

I nod, stepping closer to Wyatt, my voice firm. “Yes, Wyatt. Thomas is my son.”

Wyatt stumbles back, dropping into a chair, his face a mask of shock. He looks at Thomas, then at Clara, and finally back at me. “I... I didn’t know. I thought... Clara, why didn’t you tell me?”

Clara’s voice is soft but resolute. “I didn’t think you’d understand, Wyatt. I thought you’d side with our uncle. I was scared. I know Beau is your best friend and I didn’t think you’d like it.”

Wyatt runs a hand through his hair, the anger draining from his face, replaced by confusion and regret. “I... I can’t believe this. All this time, I thought I was protecting you from Beau, saving you from making a mistake.”

Clara steps forward, her voice gentle but firm. “Wyatt, I appreciate that you wanted to protect me. But Thomas is Beau’s son. And we need to figure this out together, as a family.”

Wyatt looks up at her, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions. “I didn’t know, Clara. I swear, I didn’t know. I wasn’t on your side…”

I take a deep breath, feeling a tentative sense of hope. “Wyatt, this isn’t about sides. It’s about what’s best for Thomas. We need to put our differences aside and work together.”

He nods slowly, his eyes clouded with thought. “You’re right. This changes everything.”

Clara reaches out and places a hand on Wyatt’s shoulder. “We need to talk, all of us, properly at last. We need to figure out how to move forward.”

Wyatt nods again, more firmly this time. “You’re right. Let’s talk.”

We all sit down around the kitchen table, the tension in the air palpable but different now, tinged with the possibility of resolution. Thomas, still half asleep with no idea what’s going on around him, sits quietly in Clara’s lap, watching us.

Clara takes a deep breath, her voice steady. “Wyatt, I need you to understand that I never wanted to hurt anyone. I left because I was scared and confused. Because our uncle found out that I was pregnant and he wanted me to get an abortion. He didn’t support me, obviously, and I knew if I didn’t go, he’d try and turn you against me as well.”

“But… I would have supported you.”

“I wasn’t sure you would and wouldn’t have blamed you if you hadn’t. It was a complicated situation.”

Wyatt shakes his head, processing the information. “I’m sorry, Clara. I should’ve known something was wrong, but I was so caught up in my own stuff.”

Clara’s eyes soften with understanding. “I know, Wyatt. We were young and life was crazy. It was hard for both of us. But now we need to focus on what’s important. Thomas and making sure he has the best future possible.”

Wyatt nods, determination replacing his earlier confusion. “You’re right. So, what do we do now? How do we make this right, because I did come back here wanting to make this right. I don’t know why I always end up yelling when really I just want my family.”

I can see Wyatt’s sincerity, and despite the tension, feel a glimmer of hope.

“Yeah,” Clara agrees. “I think that’s what we all want.”

“Are you going back to Lewistown? Or staying here? Because I would love to have you stay for longer. Spending time with Thomas has been the best in my life.”

Clara glances at me as a pinkness stains her cheeks. “Maybe. I don’t have what I did waiting for me back in Lewistown now, but I still have to figure things out.”

My heart skips a beat.

I didn’t even think about the possibility of her leaving, but now I know that I desperately need her to stay.