It's been three years since he's been gone, and each year, I drown myself in a bottle of whiskey. Partly to numb the pain, but also to ignore the guilt I feel over his death.
He left too soon, leaving a ranch behind that has been a struggle to make profitable, hence the much-needed shift to its current stint as a dude ranch.
So, if what Davie says is true, I very well could have met her sister on one of those drunken nights and gotten her pregnant.
I open the door to the house and wave Davie through to the sitting room.
“Why don't you tell me the full story? What's this about the courts?” I ask, bracing myself in a leather chair by the fireplace while she sits on the edge of a loveseat my momma adored.
“Where to start?” She offers a half-grin and licks her lips nervously.
My gaze drops to the wet gleam on soft, rosy pink before dragging my eyes somewhere safer, like the windowpane behind her head.
“Jessica has always been a wild child. She does what she wants when she wants, and unfortunately, that means drinking too much and experimenting with drugs. She also tends to gravitate towards people that enjoy the same things, like her ex-boyfriend Cody.”
Davie tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, though it immediately pops free. She swipes at it again, and this time I notice the slight tremble of her fingers.
She’s nervous and scared, and I wish I knew how much of her fear was because of me and how much was due to our situation.
Because the last thing I want is for this woman to be afraid of me.
Why? So, you can fuck her, too?
That’s never happening, especially if you fathered a son with her sister.
“Cody and Jessica were on a break when she passed through High Ridge. I can't say for certain if that truly would have mattered—whether she was in a relationship or not when she met you—or if things wouldn't have happened the same, but that's what she told me.”
Another deep breath, then she continues.
“She found out she was pregnant ten weeks later. I'm guessing that herextracurricularsmessed with her birth control.” Davie shrugs after using air quotes aroundextracurriculars, clearly referring to Jessica’s drug use. “Eitherway, she moved in with me so I'd be able to take care of her during the pregnancy and the baby when he came. He's eight months old.”
“His name is Jesse. After her.” She rolls her eyes toward the ceiling. “I assumed Cody was the dad, and she let Cody believe that, although she's never officially confirmed it. He actually hasn't been in Jesse's life very much because they haven't been together in a while. But a month ago, Jessica got pulled over for driving under the influence, and now she’s serving time for the next two years, which means Jesse needs a guardian.”
My brows furrow. “You don’t qualify?”
A flash of annoyance erases some of her discomfiture before she explains, “Cody decided he wanted to protest my custody. Jessica assumes it's for the welfare money. That's why she finally told me that Cody may not be the dad.”
“And that's where I come in,” I say, sorting through everything she shared.
“Right. The judge ordered a paternity test to be taken by you and Cody. If Cody is the biological father, I'm worried the judge will side with him. I guess he has a thing against single women, and likes to keep children with their biological parents, especially dads. It would not be safe for Jesse to be with Cody and his mom,” she stresses. “So, I'm really hoping that you are his dad. We're not expecting much, just for you to agree to me having custody.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I stop her with a wave of my hand.
There’s a knot in my gut at the knowledge that I might have had a kid the past eight months and not known it, but the idea of ignoring a child once confirming his paternity is a hard fucking no.
“If he's my son, I'm not going to abandon him.”
“You can't expect me to leave my nephew with a stranger,” she says, wringing her hands until the knuckles turn white. “The judge would probably approve, but?—”
“What if we give the judge exactly what he wants and strengthen our case against this Cody guy? In case he tries to claim parental rights, since he's been around since the baby's birth.”
A crazy idea takes shape in my mind as the words spill free. I’m not prone to spontaneous decisions, but Davie and my potential baby have decimated the past, responsible Cormac.
Current me is hungry for what Davie is offering… and willing to bargain for what she’s not.
“What do you mean?” she asks.
“Well, if I'm the biological dad, and you’re the biological aunt, wouldn't that mean our case is stronger together versus a parent who doesn't share any DNA with Jesse?”
