On the surface, her appearance reflected her living situation. But deep down she’d never been this cold.
“Seriously? Because it sounds to me like you haven’t been much of a mother and might have just as happily handed him over to me.”
Baylee stared at him. “Then I wouldn’t have gotten assistance.”
“I don’t buy this is about food or rental assistance,” he said. “There is more to it. You would have gotten money from me.”
“He was mine,” Baylee said, lifting her chin. “I’ve never had anything that was mine before. Not new. You saw where I lived. I grew up in places like that. I had to work hard for what I had and it was never enough. I finally got to a place where I was experiencing the finer things.”
Drug running. Look at how well that worked out.
“And it didn’t occur to you to give our son something better?” he snarled. “Rather than leave him with your mother?”
He couldn’t control the shaking of his voice. She needed to see how livid he was.
He didn’t have much growing up either but never lived in filth. Never complete neglect. He received everything in life from his grandmother and nothing from his mother, but that didn’t mean he was going to treat his child the same way he was raised.
“I didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it’d be.”
“Being a parent isn’t, and I’m not sure why you thought otherwise,” he said. “But it sounds like you just picked up whenever you wanted and left him with your mother who appears barely able to help herself.”
He’d texted a few pictures of Maverick to Nettie. To just keep her as part of her grandson’s life. He didn’t get a reply to the last two for a few days, then finally a message that she was glad Maverick was doing well and adjusting.
He took that as a subtle sign to give her more space, which he was more than willing to comply with. He wanted to say he had tried.
“She could handle Maverick good enough. He’s walking now and talking.”
“Barely talking,” he said. “He’s doing better now that he’s getting the care he needs and should have gotten all along.”
“Why are you here?” Baylee asked, looking at her hands rather than him.
“I want answers,” he said.
“I told you why I did it.”
He didn’t believe it. “Come on, Baylee. Seriously? Either you didn’t know I was the father, which is ridiculous since he looks just like me, or you didn’t care.”
“I didn’t know right away,” Baylee admitted.
“Then why name him that? You told me I was a Maverick.”
Baylee laughed. A nasty, evil sound. “Come on, Chance. I always liked the name. It had nothing to do with you. I called every guy I was with a Maverick. It makes them feel good about themselves.”
He couldn’t remember her being like this, but then told himself, he didn’t know her that well.
For a month they hooked up, got some food, some drinks, and hit the sheets. Nothing more in his eyes and obviously not in hers.
He didn’t even know or remember what kind of a job she had other than that she came to his place because she had roommates.
“How long are you going to be here?” he asked. There was no reason to ask more of why she did what she had.
There was a darkness in her he hadn’t witnessed before and didn’t want to see anymore. He wasn’t sure what was truth or fiction out of her mouth.
“No clue. My mother isn’t posting bail, and I don’t have it. Could be months before a trial. I’ve got a court-appointed attorney. He says I can plea when the time comes and I’ll get a few years.”
He let out a breath. “You were arrested for the sale of drugs?” He knew this but wanted her to tell him.
“I was working.”
