Tucker's Crossing. Marina Adair

her feet rooting themselves in the doorway. “Earlier today, Lulu called Jacob ‘JT.’”

      Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned her head. The insecurity she saw there, burning in Cody’s eyes, was enough to bowl her over. “His friends call him ‘JT.’ It’s short for Jacob Cody Tucker.”

      Outside of her pounding heart and the hum of the refrigerator, the room was so quiet it made her even more aware of Cody’s strained silence. Whether it was from anger or relief, she couldn’t tell—but the recognition that flickered over his son’s bearing his name was undeniable.

      “He’s your son, Cody. I never hid that from him. . . .” She paused, letting him absorb the information. “Or anyone else.”

      The silence stretched on for so long Shelby began to wonder if this conversation was over, at least for the time being. When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy with emotion. “What did you tell him about . . . me?”

      She wanted to cry at the pain she heard in his voice, the shame in his sunken shoulders. But then she reminded herself that he’d chosen this. He’d been the one to turn his back on them. And until she had his commitment in writing, she had no intention of making this easy on him.

      “I didn’t downplay what happened back then. I told him that you loved him, but you weren’t ready to be a daddy yet.”

      Cody gave a single, jerky nod. “I’m sorry I wasn’t the man you needed me to be back then.”

      Shelby’s heart squeezed painfully at the words she had waited so long to hear, but feared it was too late.