"Because you were pregnant?"
"Yes. I didn't want to reveal to him that I'd been going to sex clubs, you know? Anyway, before I knew what I was doing, I told him I was a surrogate."
"How did you know she was mine?" The question burned on the tip of my tongue, and I knew it would until I asked.
"The guy I was with down here? He wouldn't let me do anything with the other guys, just, you know, suck them off and take it up the ass, stuff like that. But he saw how big you were and wanted me to take all of you, so I did."
I frowned, not liking the sound of that.
Judy shook her head. "It's okay, I wanted to. I mean, you look like you do, and it was a good experience for me. Anyway, I knew because I wasn't with anyone else that night."
"Not even your boyfriend?"
She sighed. "He was upset about how much I enjoyed you and how much you, ah, stretched me out. We had a big fight, and I hopped on a bus out of Texas the next morning. She's yours."
"I know."
"Right. Of course. One of the regulars from the club told me you lived up here on the mountain, and when I had confirmation, I left her."
"And now you're back."
Her gaze darted around the cabin, and I was officially unsettled. "I'm moving to Los Angeles with my fiancée, and he's been asking how I plan to invest my money from the surrogacy and, well, I don't have it."
And here we go.
"And I was thinking that you could, you know, help me out so Max doesn't think I'm irresponsible with my money."
Of course she wanted money. "And why would I do that?"
"Because it's nothing to you, right? What's thirty grand to Xavier Holloway? Just because you're playing at being some dirt-poor mountain man doesn't mean that's what you are." Her fire was back, replacing the timid act she'd hoped to use on me. "Give me what I want, and I'll keep it all a secret, and I'll sign whatever you need for Violet."
I smiled. "All for the low price of thirty thousand dollars?"
Her smile grew. "Yes," she sighed. "I knew you'd see the benefit to us both."
"Except," I began, feeling good when her smile slipped. "I don't give a fuck what people think about me. My company is strong, and I don't need you to sign anything. Violet is mine, and there's nothing you can do about that."
She stood with a huff. "The courts almost always favor the mother."
"Usually, you're right. Except you abandoned her on my goddamn doorstep, which worked in my favor to get everything expedited. She's legally mine, and she's right where she belongs. You have nothing, I'm afraid, Judy."
"Xavier, please," she begged. "Be reasonable here."
"I am being perfectly reasonable, Judy. I'm guessing you didn't justchoose'surrogate' with your fiancé; you thought you'd waltz up here, threaten to take my kid away, and I'd pay you just to keep her. You didn't count on me taking care of everything before you made your way back to me, did you?"
"Maybe, but is what I did really so wrong when it's nothing to you?"
"You don't know a damn thing about me!" The words came out in a roar, but I quickly got myself under control. "It's my money, and I worked hard for it." I gave up a lot more to achieveit. "I'll make sure my daughter benefits from it, and that should be all you care about." I shot out of my seat and went to the door. "Thanks for stopping by, Judy."
"This isn't over," she threatened.
"It is, you just don't know it yet. Don't waste Max's money trying to fight me because I promise you will lose." Because I didn't lose. Not ever.
Not anymore.
I was fuming as the sound of Judy's rental faded into the distance. I went outside, prepared to take an ill-advised run, but I stopped at the mailbox and pulled out several days' worth of mail. There was just one envelope that caught my eye. It was large and a pale green color, but the thing that grabbed me most was that it only had my first name handwritten across it.
I swallowed hard as I went back inside and opened the envelope.
