What they had was temporary. Temporary was all he was good for.

And all those things he’d done with her lately, the things that went beyond sex and a good time, he was concerned that they’d muddied the waters. He’d hardly been able to say no to her birthday camping trip idea, but this... Yeah, he wasn’t going to tell her about it. And she would be pissed later, but well, he’d deal with that when he had to deal with it.

He hightailed it out of the ranch before running into her that morning, stopping for coffee at The Sugar Cup before getting on the road. And when he pulled his truck up to the dilapidated house on the very end of a dead-end street, fury ignited his blood.

Whatever money his mother had given to this woman clearly hadn’t been enough.

And then there was fury at himself.

That he hadn’t done anything for them when he had been told of their existence. Sure, he might not have been given a name, but that didn’t fully absolve him.

Of course, fifteen years ago, it hadn’t been quite so easy for someone to just look up an address at home, but that was beside the point.

He put his truck in Park, grateful that there was a run-down car in the driveway. It meant that someone might be home.

He walked up to the front door, his hands stuffed in his pockets, and then he knocked, rocking back on his heels while he waited.

It took a few minutes, but then the door opened, a thin, young-looking woman answering. It surprised him how young she looked, though he supposed she could be his mother’s age. Her hair was dark and neat, her frame slim. She was tiny, only coming up to the bottom of Gabe’s chin. She had no makeup on, which added to her youthful appearance. “Can I help you?”

“Are you Leonora Caldwell?” he asked without preamble.

“You’re not going to serve me papers or anything, are you?” There was a glint of steel in her eyes. And it let him know that no matter how young she looked, she was a woman who’d done a lot of living.

“No,” he said. “I’m not going to do that.”

“I’m Leonora Caldwell.”

“I’m Gabe Dalton. I’m Hank Dalton’s son.”

A parade of emotions went through those dark eyes. Disbelief, hurt. Anger. Then she made a scoffing sound. “Oh, you’re his real son, then.”

“I’m his son just like any other he’s responsible for. I’m looking for my half brother.”

She straightened, tilting her pointed chin upward. “Why are you looking for him?”

“Because I figure it’s time someone in my family tried to do right by the both of you. And if that has to be me, then it’s me.”

“Well, don’t stress yourself out none.”

“You should’ve been treated better than you were.”

She looked around. “You’re not going to yell at me for having an affair with your father?”