Jo felt as if she'd just been struck by lightning. "Oh, no!" she groaned. "But why didn't Patty tell you?"

Doug could only shake his head. "God only knows. I called her once to make a date, and she told me she'd met another guy. That was the last time I ever talked to her."

"And you're sure that she wasn't still sleeping with Randy?"

"She told me she wasn't." For the first time, he seemed doubtful.

"What if she was lying? Randy sure seems to think that Travis is his."

"Look, all I know is his birthday's in mid-January, so he was conceived the previous April. She and I were seein' each other just about every day that month. As much as we were together, I don't see how she could have had time to be with Randy even once."

"You must have kept her pretty busy." Jo wasn't able to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"Hey." Doug reached for his wife to hug her, and she reluctantly allowed him to. "That was a long time ago. We were just a couple of horny kids. I didn't even know what love was at that age."

"Do you now?" Jo didn't mean for her voice to come out sounding so cold.

"Of course I do, sweetie. How could you ever doubt that?" He began to fondle her, and soon she was burning with passion.

After making love with her husband, Jo lay awake in his arms for most of the night. If Travis was really Doug's son, then he was Jo's stepson, and his children were Doug's grandchildren and Jo's step grandchildren. As hard as she tried, she simply couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she was married to a man who was old enough to have grandchildren. It also meant that Doug had missed out on the first almost forty years of his older son's life. How did he feel about that? Suddenly she understood why Patty had dumped Doug so quickly and with so little explanation. She must have been afraid he'd sue for custody, she told herself.

Before she knew it, Doug was shaking her awake. "Wake up, sleepyhead! I think somebody's ready for her breakfast."

"Oh my gosh..." Feeling slightly disoriented, Jo sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes.

Doug laughed. "You were sleepin' like a rock!"

Jo yawned mightily. "I wonder what made me so tired..."

Doug kissed her cheek. "Yesterday was a big day, and you really outdid yourself with that meal. I reckon you're entitled."

Jo fed Bethany her breakfast. Randy and Travis arrived just as she was finishing. "I told the guys Clay and I would go huntin' with them today." Doug sounded almost, but not quite, apologetic.

"That's all right." Jo stared hard at Travis, trying to discern Doug's features in his face. He caught her gaze and gave her a questioning look, and she quickly glanced down. "I'll have dinner ready when you get back."

After the men had left, Jo decided to call Blair. Since Doug was spending the day with the guys, she may as well have a girl's day out with her best friend, she reasoned. Luckily, Blair was home and was happy to hear from her. They made plans to meet at the mall. "So tell me about this long lost son of Doug's," Blair said as the two of them strolled in the mall with their children. Jo pushed Bethany in her stroller.

"He's thirty-eight," Jo told her. "He lives in California. He's divorced and has two little girls."

"And Doug's sure Travis is his son and not Randy's."

"He told me he and Patty saw each other just about every day the month she got pregnant."

"Well, there's one way to find out for sure, you know," said Blair.

"What's that?"

"All three of them could take a paternity test," Blair suggested.

"But wouldn't that be awfully expensive?"

"If they really want to know which one of them is his Dad, it might be worth it."

For dinner that night, Jo made pork chops, macaroni and cheese and green beans. Doug and Clay came home late, exhausted. "Well, did you kill us tomorrow night's dinner?" Jo asked them.

"I shot five quail and two rabbits," Doug replied.

"I just shot a couple of birds," said Clay.

"Quail," his father corrected.

"With some veggies to go along with it, that's plenty enough for a meal," said Jo.

"Once again, you did an outstanding job," Doug told her as he hungrily wolfed down the pork chops. "These are delicious!"

"I'm glad you like them." Jo smiled. "I took the girls shopping with Blair today."

"That's nice. Did you find any good deals?"

"Not really, but we did have fun looking." She couldn't ask him what she really wanted to know until Clay and Jamie were out of earshot. "Well, did you tell Travis that you're really his Dad instead of Randy?"

"Didn't get the chance. Not sure if I could work up the courage to, anyway."

"Why? Are you afraid he'd be disappointed?"

"Naw, it ain't that. I'm scared he'd tell Randy and Randy would get mad at me all over again."

"Blair thinks you guys should get a paternity test so you'd know which one of you is his Dad."

"I guess that would be the only way to know for sure," Doug admitted. "And I sure would like to know."

"I'd really like to know, too."

"But I'm still scared to talk to Randy about it."

"You really think he'd get mad about something that happened that long ago?"

Doug chuckled and shook his head. "My brother can really hold a grudge sometimes."

"So, when do I get to meet these guys?" Blair asked Jo.

"We're meeting them at Western Steer for dinner Sunday afternoon," Jo replied. "Why don't you meet us there too?"

"Sounds great!" Blair replied. She and Adam and Alyssa arrived at the restaurant at the appointed time. She was dressed stylishly in black leggings and heels with a grey sweater and matching scarf.

Jo made the introductions. "This is my best friend Blair from high school. Blair, this is Randy and Travis."

"Pleased to meet you." As Travis shook Blair's hand, she saw the spark of attraction that passed between them and smiled to herself.