“You’re so good with him.”
“It feels natural, Blair. It’s amazing, actually, how easily it’s coming to me. I don’t remember it being like this with Taylor. I was so much younger then, so unprepared to be a father. I feel ready this time.” His eyes brimmed with hope.
“I can relate to being wholly unprepared.” I chuckled.
“You’d never know it now.” Tate smiled. “He’s such a sweet and well-behaved kid, and that’s all you. You’re a freaking wonderful mother.”
I had to smile at that. It felt good to have my efforts acknowledged.
“I’ll be in touch,” Tate said after a moment. “I’m going to a lab tomorrow to get swabbed.”
“Oh, right. Us too, actually. Thank you for doing that.”
“Of course. Anything you need. Always.”
I was pretty sure there were a few things on my list Tate couldn’t give me anymore.
Silence fell between us, although neither of us moved.
Then he reached for me, pulling me into a hug. His warmth engulfed my body, and the intimate contact was almost too much to bear. I could feel his heart beating against my chest, and in that moment, I was nineteen-year-old me again, remembering the reasons I’d gotten into this predicament, the magnetic pull he’d had from the very beginning. I felt so safe in his arms and had no desire to move away.
Just as I was about to force myself back, he hugged me tighter. Surrendering, I relaxed into him, intoxicated by his scent and touch. Being in his arms felt so good. And yet this was innocent. It wasn’t a passionate kiss or anything sordid. Just an embrace between two people who had to keep so much inside.
“I wish things were different,” he finally whispered.
I knew exactly what he meant.
Chapter 26
TATE
My heart raced as I logged into the portal four days after I’d taken the DNA paternity test. Not sure why I was so nervous. Iknewwhat it was going to say. I’d have bet my life on it.
I clicked into the report, and the words appeared in bold, clear as day:
High probability of paternity. 99.9 percent.
I closed my eyes and laughed almost deliriously. Taking a test to confirm this seemed comical. But now any shred of doubt had been removed.
My complete and utter love for that boy washed over me, chased by a desire to make up for lost time so he never remembered me not being his dad. There was only one thing in my life equally as urgent: protecting my relationship with my older son.
Speaking of Taylor, I’d been getting ready to pay him a visit when I got the email about the results. Now I was officially late to his house.
I got into my car and raced three miles to the condoTaylor had recently rented with his new wife. They’d just returned from their honeymoon a few days ago.
Taylor was outside washing his car when I arrived.
“Hey, dude,” I said.
“Hey.” He grinned and put the hose down.
“How’s it going?” I smacked his shoulder.
“Good. Tons of shit to do since we got back. You know how it is when you go away. You gotta pay for it when you come home.”
“How was Aruba?”
He shook his head, a dreamy look on his face. “So freaking nice, man. You should go sometime.”
