Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
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 condo Taylor 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.”
I grinned. “Bet you didn’t want to come back.”
“I sure as heck didn’t.” He laughed. He used his hand as a visor as he looked up at me. “How are things with you?”
“Good.” I let out a long breath, feeling guilty already.
“Things still going well with Leah?” he asked.
My stomach tightened. I didn’t know how to break it to him. Taylor had been happy that I was in a relationship because it brought some stability to my life. I assumed that made him feel like I was more prepared to be the kind of dad he’d always wanted—a father less likely to fuck up again and move away. But I had to be honest with him where I could, since I was still hiding so much.
“I don’t know if things are going to work out with her,” I admitted.
His eyes widened. “Seriously?”
I nodded. “I know that sucks to hear, because you like her.”
His face changed. “It’s not that. I just feel like you deserve to be happy. I mean, no offense, but you’re forty years old. You’re not getting any younger.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“Although, some of my friends who saw you at the wedding thought you were, like, early thirties.” He rolled his eyes. “One of them said you were hot.”
I knew which friend hadn’t made that comment. I cringed. “Sorry about that.”
“It kind of made me want to vomit.” Taylor chuckled.
I cringed again. You have no idea, my poor son.
“It was cool that so many of my friends got to finally meet you, though.”
I gulped, feeling beads of sweat on my forehead. “Yeah. It was great to meet them, too.” I cleared my throat, eager to change the subject. “What time does Juliana get home?”
“Right around five. And then we’re going out to dinner with my friend Blair. You met her at the wedding, too.”
My pulse raced. “Right.” I nodded. “I do remember her.”
“Blair’s one of my best friends. I tried to set her up with my friend Adam that night, but she wasn’t feeling well at the wedding. She didn’t seem too into him. But he liked her, so I’m inviting him to come along, see if maybe there’s a spark tonight now that she’s feeling better.”
“I see.” I swallowed. “Does she know he’s going?”
“No.” He shook his head. “She’s probably not gonna be very happy about the surprise, but I think he’d be good for her if she took the time to get to know him.” He paused. “She has a three-year-old son, Nicholas. And Adam’s good with kids. He’s got a ton of nieces and nephews and didn’t seem turned off by the fact that she had a child when I told him.”
My chest constricted. I sucked in some air, trying to be inconspicuous. “That’s kind of you to look out for her.” I paused, cognizant of the fact that I might’ve been showing too much interest. “Seems like she’s important to you. How did you and she meet?”
“We went to Camp Mystic together and then were counselors there, too, for a few summers in a row. Remember how I used to go there every year?”
I nodded. “Of course, I do. Yeah.”
“Well, she and I talked a lot during those years. I was struggling with stuff. And she always seemed to make things better.”
Stuff. Mostly issues having to do with me, I presumed. “And you never liked her as more than a friend?” I couldn’t help but ask, because, well, I needed to know just how badly I’d be hurting him.
He shrugged. “She had this boyfriend, Daniel, for a while, and then I met Juliana. She was very loyal to him, even though he ended up doing her dirty.” He paused. “I did sort of like her that way for a while in the beginning. She probably doesn’t realize that. I always thought the world of her, but in retrospect, it’s better that we remained friends.”