This is how the wonderful rides always ended. A bitter taste in my mouth. The magic would fade, curtains would draw, and I was left with the broken pieces.The skydiving didn’t help. The margaritas didn’t help. The one night standsdefinitelydidn’t help. And as wonderful as Pat was, he wouldn’t help either.
Patrick Moore, the one person who made me feelwhole and happy again, would walk away from me. And who would blame him?
I pushed him away. “Sorry,” I murmured. “I got hot.”
The shiver betrayed me. I crossed my arms so he wouldn’t notice.
The night sky never looked emptier. The deafening silence overwhelmed me.
“Can you take me home?”
“Baby—”
“Please.”
He sat up and sighed. My heart was in two. One half for Cameron and one half for Patrick. How would I juggle the pieces? I loved them both so much. I tried to deep-breathe through my emotions as the conflict ripped through my chest.
His voice held no hostility. “Okay, I’ll take you home.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
Patrick
Iwas on the jobsite when my phone rang. My heart raced when I saw a 6-1-5 number. “Hello?”
“Hi, is this Patrick Moore?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“This is Kendra from Biotech. I’m calling to confirm the results of a paternity test.”
“Oh man, I’ve been waiting for this call.” I held my breath.
Please. I want to meet her.
“Well, hopefully you will be pleased then. Looks like you are the biological father of Sunny Mason.”
I had a daughter.
Of all the horror Gracie and I had to endure, one good thing happened: our daughter!
My throat thickened with emotions, and tears leaked out before I even realized they were there. The tension I’d been carrying since I read the letter drained away.
Sunny is mine.
The woman gave me some clarifying details and explained the paper results were on their way. I thanked the woman and hung up. Immediately dialed Jules.
Her voice was cheery. No trace of animosity from stargazing the night before. “Good morning!”
My voice cracked. “Good morning.”
“Oh my goodness, what’s wrong? Are you crying?”
“Yeah,” I palmed the back of my neck, a bit embarrassed she’d become so familiar with my crying voice, but too overjoyed to care. “I’m crying like—like a total baby. Sunny is my daughter.” My voice broke on the last word.
She gasped. “Pat—oh, Pat, that’s so wonderful.” Emotion swelled into her voice too. “I’m so glad!”
“Me, too. I’m about to call Debbie.”
