“One of us will call you tomorrow. Even if it’s checking in on you and Maverick. I promise. Can I ask what Baylee is in jail for?”
“Sale of drugs. She’s been hanging out with the wrong people for the past year. I’m positive she was a drug runner for this group. She was pulled over in another state with a large quantity on her. She’s always been a troubled child. Shouldn’t have had this one either.” Nettie was looking at Maverick.
She was ill hearing that said to the baby that she was positive was Chance’s.
“But she did. And she didn’t tell Chance. Do you know why?”
“Because she’s careless and always has been. She thinks only of herself and having Maverick got her government money.”
She had no words and wouldn’t even come up with them.
When they got to the old, rusted minivan in the parking lot, she was hesitant to hand the baby over. But keeping him might not be the right thing either.
They had to do this by the book. It’d only help them in the end. And if Maverick wasn’t Chance’s, then there wasn’t anything they could do about it either.
She buckled the toddler in, his cries and tears didn’t stop. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Yeah. He’s tired and doesn’t get out much. He wanted to run around and we’re leaving again.”
There was nothing more she could do other than take Nettie’s word on it.
“I’ll call tomorrow. I promise.”
“Not your boyfriend? Or is he your husband?”
“Boyfriend.” It was close enough.
Nettie turned the van over, it stalled twice before it coughed and held on, then she pulled away.
Jocelyn all but ran upstairs to Chance’s apartment and saw him on his computer.
“I found a lab that will do a DNA test tomorrow. I can expedite the results in less than two days if I pay more.”
“That’s great,” she said, pulling him up to stand. Her arms went around him. “Take a deep breath. This is a shock. You need an attorney just as fast as you do a DNA test.”
He returned her hug, squeezing her tighter than she was holding on. “I’ll do that in the morning.”
“Or we can do it now,” she said. “Walker Olson. If he can’t take it, someone in his firm can.”
“Then your parents might find out,” he said.
“Don’t piss me off, Chance. There is no hiding this and you shouldn’t. You work on Tuesday.”
“I’ll get someone to switch with me,” he said. “Shouldn’t be a problem. I do it a lot for others.”
“Good. I’m here with you. Do you want to call your grandmother?”
“Absolutely not,” he said. “Not until I know for sure.”
“Is that why you wouldn’t look at him? I saw you pale when you heard his name. Why?”
“Because Baylee called me Maverick. She had a thing aboutTop Gunand said I was cocky, had a need for speed, and broke the rules.”
“I think that was true in your youth, not so sure about rule breaking now.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “Just like nothing I do in my life will ever get me out of the cycle I grew up in.”
“Stop it right now,” she said. “You’re not going to feel sorry for yourself. There is a little boy who needs someone in his life.”
