His body went cold. Was it from Paige? Had she decided she wanted to be a mother, after all? Hehadto know what rights he had as a father. His attorney had made it clear. Eb not having gone after Rue in the beginning had weakened his case as thelegalfather. Actual paternity would help, but how much would depend on the judge.
With a shaking hand, Eb clicked Open. He had to wade through a bunch of legalese, but finally got down to the meaning. It was a notice of intent to sue for custody, saying he’d be served in person as well.
He leaned back in his chair. Paige had already had custody. Why dump her daughter off, make no contact in the following weeks, and then sue him? When she’d filed for divorce, he’d been too depressed to fight her on anything. His adrenaline surged, and Eb jumped from his chair to pace his office. It was wrong to play games with a child as the prize.
His daughter—and shewashis daughter regardless of what the DNA said—deserved the stability of a loving family, to know she was wanted. To know she wouldn’t be dropped off somewhere like a stray dog at the pound when she became inconvenient or got in the way.
He was so agitated it took three tries to forward the email to his attorney. Eb needed to talk to someone who understood. His instinct was to call Sandra, but he didn’t want her to think he was forcing himself on her. But after pacing his office for a few more minutes, he went to his phone and sent her a text.
Eb
Sandra, please tell me we can talk about Rue.
Almost immediately, his phone rang.
“What’s wrong with Rue?” Sandra asked, her voice full of worry.
As Eb sank into his office chair, he sent a silent prayer that, even if Sandra didn’t wanthim, she cared for his daughter.
“You won’t believe what I got by email today.” Eb launched into his story.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
Sandra paced the small basement apartment, her phone on speaker. She hadn’t been able to face going into the condo yet, so she’d rented this dark hole for the month of December. Because she was a coward. At least it was a test drive to see if she could live in four hundred square feet.
“Eb, I don’t get your ex. This isn’t something a rational person would do. Drop her child off for a few weeks with the claim she was done being a parent and then come back at you with a lawsuit.”
“I agree, and I appreciate you calling me.” Fear laced his tone, and it broke her heart. Eb’s voice went down to almost a whisper. “I don’t know who else to talk to.”
Sandra clenched a fist and pressed it to her mouth to stop the trembling. Just like her, Eb had shut himself off from his friends after his divorce. Now rich and famous people surrounded him, who were happy to help but the very asking must make Eb feel like he was taking advantage of their generosity.
What a selfish brat she’d been to get the basement apartment.Shewas the one determined to keep him as a friend. It was time to act like one.
“Well, you have me. What did the paternity test show? Is Rue yours?”
“I don’t know yet. I got busy with work and everything and didn’t stay on them like I should have. They’re telling me it got lost in the mail. We did another one, but I’m waiting for the results.”
“Seriously?” Sandra took a deep breath. She couldn’t let her anger at his situation overrule her brain. Accidents happened all the time, but it seemed unfair so much had come upon Eb in such a short time. The gift of his daughter should not have been followed by so many hard things. “Well, you need to push them to move you to the top of their priority list. Remind them of how they dropped the ball if you have to. I assume you’ve already forwarded this to your attorney.”
“Of course.” Eb’s voice took on a note of frustration which echoed what she was feeling. “I wish I understood why Paige is doing this.”
Sandra blinked. “Just a second. That’s a great question. I’ve been so mad at her that I haven’t been thinking. Whatisher endgame? Does she need money, and she’s hoping you’ll offer to pay her off?”
“I do have a decent amount invested, but it’s only because I was a single guy with no life. Even if it were easy to get to—which it’s not since it’s in long-term investments—it wouldn’t last long for someone with expensive tastes like Paige. And definitely not in more expensive California.”
“Working for Walt has made me suspicious of people. I’ve learned to always put my phone on record if anyone approaches him, and we always record phone calls. Since you don’t know what your ex is up to, I’d suggest you do the same. If she makes any kind of suggestion about trading her parental rights for money, you have her.”
“I can’t imagine she’d do that.” Eb sighed. “But I’d never have thought she’d abandon Rue here either.”
“I’m guessing this will make you uncomfortable, but we need to enlist some help. Is it all right if I talk to Walt about this?” Sandra’s mind spun with ideas of how best to get the scoop on Paige’s motivations.
“I don’t mind if Walt and Linda know.” Eb hesitated before adding, “Do you think it could be what’s behind her motivations?”
“What do you mean?”
“Could she be trying to use my connections to further her career?”
“Hmm…” Sandra said, moving to the tiny dining table where she had her laptop. “I only know her by reputation. From what I’ve heard, she’s ambitious. It always surprises me what lengths people will go to get what they want, including using a child as leverage.”
