At the courthouse…
Dash exited the records office with the last bits of documentation he needed, Emerson at his side. His stomach’s butterflies had butterflies of their own circling. Before they’d left home, he’d thrown up breakfast, unsure if it was morning sickness or just his nerves. Emerson assured him it was too soon for morning sickness, so nerves it was. While he’d been confident in his decision the night before, daylight had brought doubts with it.
His doubts appeared to be fueling Emerson’s, too. His mate wore a tense expression and hadn’t said much all morning. As they approached the scheduled courtroom, Dash noticed his parents and Oakley seated outside it.
Dash walked closer. “What are you all doing here?”
“Creed told us you had court this morning,” his papa said before kissing his cheek. “We’re here for moral support.”
Oakley approached, hugging him. “I guess I was wrong about you, hmm? Sorry.”
“No. You weren’t exactly wrong,” Dash said to Oakley. “I’m actually glad you called me on it. What you said made this decision easier.”
Oakley squeezed him in another hug. “What you’re doing is brave, Dash.”
After Oakley stepped back, Dash’s gaze went to his father. Daniel Keller had both hands shoved into his pockets, his face a neutral mask.
“You’resureyou want to do this?” his father asked.
His doubts whispered, but he ignored them. “It’s the only way Emerson and I can be together.”
A hint of a scoff came from Emerson at his side. Dash turned to survey his mate, finding another mask of detachment that mirrored his father’s.
“Have you got everything you need?” his papa asked him.
Dash lifted his parents’ birth certificates he’d just picked up. “Yeah. Not sure why I need your and Dad’s birth certificates, as well as my own, but they were on the list I was emailed.” Dash scanned the one on top, noticing a mistake. He re-read it a second time before shaking his head. “Papa? Why is Tolliver McCreary listed here as your father?”
“What?” Papa asked loudly. He snatched the papers from Dash’s hands. Brows furrowed, his papa read over his birth certificate himself. “It’s a mistake.”
“Are you sure?” Dash asked.
“Yes!” his papa snapped, lifting his gaze to Dash’s. “I have a copy of my birth certificate at home, and his name isnoton it. I swear to you.” He handed the birth certificate to Dash’s father, who read it over, wide-eyed.
“How could they make such an error?” his father said. “This is simply a print out from whatever data is in the system.Someone changed this information and we need to find out how or why.”
Before anyone could respond, a door beside the courtroom entrance swung open—one for the judge’s private chambers. Tolliver McCreary stepped out, leaning heavily on a gold-tipped cane. He shook the judge’s hand and smiled broadly before noticing them staring.
Rage filled Dash. He’d never wanted to come face-to-face with the arrogant bastard.
His papa snatched the birth certificate and marched forward. “I suspect you have something to do with this, hmm?”
Tolliver eyed the waving paper before his gaze fell on his nephew. “Hello, Aspen. It’s a pleasure to see you after such a long time.”
“Can it, old man. Why isyour namelisted onmybirth certificate?”
Tolliver wavered a bit. He walked past Papa, the tap of his cane echoing in the space.
“You’re not even going to answer me?”
Tolliver sat down carefully and turned to look at Dash’s papa, both hands atop his cane. “Had either you or Dashiell come to speak with me, as I’d requested, this would’ve come as less of a shock.”
“I guessI’mnobody,” Oakley muttered under his breath beside Dash.
Before Tolliver could continue, Quinn, Bellamy, and Beau rounded the corner, all smiles. They approached. Their smiles turned to concern when they noticed Tolliver was there.
“Grandfather?Howdid you get here?” Quinn demanded. He searched the halls. “Where is your nurse?”
“I gave him the slip this morning,” Tolliver said. “I had business to attend to.”
