They had decided to have the meeting in the sunny yellow and white salon where a cheerful fire was blazing in the hearth. Breakfast had been served there as well, not that anyone had done justice to the scrambled eggs, freshly baked bread, and crispy bacon. The coffee pot was getting all the work out.
Zoe had left a while ago for kindergarten. The meeting had started as soon as Adelaide had arrived. She was sitting in a wingback chair close to the fire, her posture straight and unbending. Abigail had called her last night to explain what was going on.
"He came to the bookstore. I will forever blame myself for not anticipating he would. Zoe was there."
"He took one look at her and figured it out." Andre decided he would have coffee after all. Last night had been... energetic and a complete surprise.
He had spent the entire night getting acquainted with every inch of Jillian's delectable body. Even now, he could hardly keep his mind from straying to her. "It was bound to happen sooner or later." He glanced at his sister. "You were hoping for later."
Taking the cup with him, he went to sit on one of the delicate chairs plumped with cushions. "He just wants to meet?"
"Yes. Or so he said. He's given me until tomorrow." Her hands trembled and she had to put the cup down. "I'm scared."
"That he will want full custody." Andre nodded.
"Can that happen?" Adelaide demanded, speaking for the first time since the meeting started.
"We're getting ahead of ourselves." Andre figured he was going to have to be the voice of reason. Glancing at his sister, he continued. "Has he made threats?"
"Not specifically."
"Word for word, tell me what he said."
She did the best she could and related the conversation.
"Seems to me he just wants a chance to get to know his daughter." He looked around the room at the anxious faces. "And Zoe is his daughter. He does not have to do a DNA test to find that out. She looks too much like him to be otherwise."
"Here are the facts. You're the mother, and the courts do not look favorably on taking a child from his or her mother. But--" His gaze touched on each of them in turn. "He was not made aware that he had a child. That could weigh heavily on his side."
He glanced at his sister, his gaze sympathetic. "Not to mention that his name happens to be Tyrell. People like them tend to have a fleet of very expensive lawyers on retainer."
"You're not making me feel better." Abigail had to rein in the panic.
"I'm here to state facts. So far, he's given you a choice. Have you told Zoe?" The expression on her face gave him the answer.
"Let's face reality, and this is it." He eased forward, his expression intent. "He's her father, and he wants to be in her life. You're going to have to bite the bullet and deal with him in a civilized manner."
"Meet with him, arrange a time for Zoe to see him as well. Tell her, Abby. As soon as she comes back from school, tell her."
"Sit her down, take her to the park or out for ice cream, and explain as best as you can that her daddy has come back and wants to get to know her." He gave her a hard stare. "She's going to ask why he wasn't there for her before. You're going to have to tell her he didn't know she was his."
"You cannot make him out to be the bad guy here. I don't need to tell you that we're dealing with a very powerful family, and I'm sure by now, Tyrell has already informed his family about her. They will want to meet her as well. She's the only heir to that particular fortune."
"She's not a damn heir! She's my little girl." Fighting the panic was not working. She could feel the pressure on her chest.
"Stating facts." He rose and went to her. "I'm here." He turned her to face him. "We're all here. We love her too, but you're going to have to let her go, learn to share her."
"She has a whole different set of family, and they will want a piece of her too." He brushed the tears that had trickled down her cheeks.
"Send him the message that you'll meet him. I would suggest somewhere neutral but private. Like I said, he's a Tyrell, and his face has been splashed all over the press for one reason or another."
He bent to kiss the tip of her nose. "If you need me, just call. Now, I'm afraid I have to dash." He turned just inside the doorway. "It's going to work out."
She wasn't so sure. What was she going to tell her daughter? 'Hey honey, guess what? Your daddy wants to meet you.' And if she asked where he had been, what was she supposed to say?
'Oh, we had sex one night, and he went his way and never returned my call, so I decided to keep you to myself.' Would Zoehate her? She mentally shook her head. Her little girl was too sweet, too good-natured to harbor hate. She might be puzzled, but hatred? Never.
"Girl, sit. You're making me tired just watching you prance all over the room."
