An Early Spring

by Ann Lister

  Nick shook his head in defiance. “Nope. It’s not gonna happen.”

  “This boy deserves a father!”

  “Yes, he does, and when his real father steps forward, he’ll have one, but it isn’t going to be me.”

  “Why are you being such an ass about this?” Colby screamed.

  “Because I’m not his fucking father!” Nick yelled back at her, then moved through the living room, kicked open the front door and sat in a chair on the porch.

  A few minutes later, Colby followed Nick outside. “So, you’re refusing to take a paternity test?”

  Nick turned his head, his angry eyes hitting Colby’s with force. She had never seen such rage in his face before and it scared her.

  “Yes, I’m refusing to take a test, so, I think you should let this go,” he snapped.

  “I can’t believe you,” she said, tears began streaming down her face. “I never would have thought you’d be the type of guy to turn his back on something this important.”

  “I look forward to the day I can be a father, Colby. When the time comes, I will embrace that role and give it everything I have - emotionally and financially, but it will be a child that you and I create - not Nathan. If he was my son, I’d have no problem accepting him - but he’s NOT my son. Do you really think I should be responsible for a child Sarah created while she was out whoring around the resort? I don’t think so!”

  “You’re missing the point, Nick! You don’t have any factual proof saying Nathan ISN’T your son, so what gives you the right to declare he isn’t?! Are you a scientist now? I can’t believe Sarah hasn’t forced you to take a paternity test!”

  “That right there should tell you something, Colby! If she was certain I was Nathan’s father, don’t you think she would have forced the issue with me by now?”

  “Sarah wouldn’t have sent all those pictures to you if she didn’t believe you were the father. It makes no sense to me.”

  “Nothing Sarah did makes any sense!” Nick ground the heels of his hands into his eyes. “Look, I think we need to stop talking about this, before one of us says something they’ll regret, and I’m guessing that will most likely be me.”

  “Fine. I don’t want to talk anymore, either. I’m done,” she spat and walked back into the cabin.

  Colby went directly to their bedroom and stepped into her running shoes and tied them. She combed her hair back into a pony tail, slid on a pair of sunglasses, and walked out the front door. She ignored Nick sitting on the porch and stepped down the stairs.

  Nick saw her walk across the porch and sat upright in his chair. “Where’re you going?” he asked.

  “For a run,” she said. “And I don't want company.”

  She ran a lateral trail from Nick's cabin toward the cabins her boss rented last Winter. The marked path took her through a lush field filled with a variety of wild flowers, across a ski trail with scattered boulders, and beneath a canopy of fragrant aspen pine trees.

  She ran full-force, dodging large rocks and fallen pieces of tree along the way; her anger at Nick the driving force behind her speed and endurance. His actions made no sense to her. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't want proof of paternity, either including or excluding him as the father, and his ambivalence toward the issue was maddening. What the hell was he thinking? The boy deserved more – she deserved more.

  She was covered in sweat when she returned to the cabin almost two hours later. She was a little bit relieved to see Nick's truck was gone from the driveway, then wondered where he had gone. She used the spare key hidden on the porch to let herself inside, then finished putting away her clothing before showering.

  Colby was preparing dinner when Nick finally returned. He walked into the kitchen where she was stir-frying strips of chicken and fresh vegetables. She glanced over her shoulder at him, then turned back to the steaming vegetables in the wok; adding a drizzle of soy sauce to the pan. He leaned in to kiss her cheek and Colby pulled back.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  He pulled out a bouquet of flowers from behind his back and extended them to her. They weren't store-bought; which he knew she disliked. He had taken the time to hand-pick wild flowers that grew in such abundance this time of year in the fields near the cabin.

  “I'm sorry,” he said.

  She turned to him, her eyes dropped to the beautiful rainbow of colors he held in his fist. Fuchsia, crimson, golden yellows, white daisies; it seemed every color imaginable was there.

  She took the flowers from him and lifted the bouquet to her nose. “This doesn't change the issue, Nick. You know that, right?”

  He leaned against the counter-top and looked at the floor. “He's not my son,” he said softly.

  “Then prove it,” she said. “Take a test. It's that simple.”

  Nick shook his head and watched Colby putting the long-stemmed flowers into a glass vase and filling the container with water. “I see no need to take a test.”

  She stared at him and waited until he looked up; her jaw clenched so tightly it was starting to make her teeth ache. He was tense, every muscle rigid, his brown eyes cold. He seemed undeterred; his decision had been made, and he was unwilling to see her side of the issue.

  “Wow, so this is how you handle conflict,” she said.

  Colby set the vase into the center of the table and went back to the wok, stirring the chicken and vegetables again.

  “What's that supposed to mean?” he asked, his arms crossing over his chest.

  “You're leaving no room for compromise,” she said.

  “Compromise for what?”

  His voice pitched and Colby didn't appreciate the tone he was using. She laid the stirring spoon beside the wok and faced him.

  “You really don't see the importance of this?” she asked.

  “I get why you want me to take the test, Colby. I just don't see a reason to.”

  “Because you're convinced Nathan isn't yours.”

  “Correct.”

  “But that doesn't make it so, does it?”

  “If Sarah seriously thought I was the father, she would have pushed for a test years ago and she hasn't.”

  “Maybe she didn't ask because she knew you'd act like a jerk about it!”

  “Stop it, Colby. Us fighting over this doesn't do any good.”

  Colby tapped her foot on the hardwood floor. Her eyes drifted out the window above the kitchen sink. It was a glorious Summer evening and instead of being outside enjoying it, they were inside locked in a heated debate over something that could be fixed so easily and that annoyed the hell out of her.

  “Take the test,” she said.

  “No.”

  They ate in silence sitting in separate locations. Nick sat on the porch in a rocking chair while Colby remained inside seated at the kitchen table. Tears streamed down her cheeks. The pain in her chest growing by the minute.

  After cleaning up from dinner, Colby retreated to the bedroom. She stripped down to a pair of panties and a t-shirt and curled against the pillows at the headboard of the bed with a book.

  By the time Nick came to bed, Colby had fallen asleep laying on her side facing away from him. He walked to her side of the bed, carefully slid the book from her hands, and shut off her bedside lamp. He undressed in the dark, then rolled naked up against her backside; cradling her against his chest in his arms. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and felt her beginning to stir in his grip.

  “I love you,” he said.

  Colby felt his hardening cock flex against her bottom and moved away from him.

  “Stop it, Nick.”

  He reached for her again and she shoved him away. “What the hell are you doing?” she asked.

  “I want to move past this disagreement,” he said.

  “Disagreement? Is that what you think this is?”

  “You know what I mean,” he said.

  Colby sat upright against the headboard and pulled her knees to her chest.

  �
�This is serious, Nick, and you seem to think all you need to do is pick some pretty flowers and shove your cock at me and all is forgotten.”

  Nick pushed himself up to sit beside her; his hands folded in his lap, legs stretched out straight beneath the sheets.

  “I know it's serious,” he said, in a gentle voice.

  Colby pressed her forehead to her knees and hugged her shins. “I can’t plan a future with you until I know your past. It’s that simple. I have no problem being a step-mom to Nathan. If it turns out you are his father, I will love that boy as if he were my own flesh and blood, but we need to know, Nick. We need to know. Why can’t you understand that?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The next morning, Colby drove Nick's truck down the mountain and parked in the lot for the medical building. Spending the day with Nick close-by didn't sit well with her and she needed to get away, needed time to think.

  She walked to the main lodge and sat down in an Adirondack chair in the sunshine. She was deep in thought when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

  “Hey Colby,” Glen said, stepping beside her. “What're you doing sitting here all by yourself. Where’s Nick?”

  Colby forced a smile onto her face. “At the cabin,” she said in a flat tone.

  Glen nodded at Colby, sensing something was wrong, but was unsure if he should ask. He considered Colby a friend, but felt she always had her guard up around him and wasn’t sure why.

  “Can I ask you something, Glen?” she asked.

  “Sure,” he said, and took a seat beside her in another chair.

  “I hope you don’t mind if I’m blunt.”

  “Not at all, go for it,” Glen laughed.

  “Do you think Nick is the father of your nephew?”

  “Jesus! You weren’t joking when you said you were going to be blunt,” he said, quickly stiffening in his chair. “I take it, Nick told you about Nathan?”

  “No, actually I uncovered that bit of his past all on my own. Apparently, your sister has been sending Nick photographs of Nathan on a fairly regular basis since the boy’s birth and, for reasons only Nick knows, he’s kept every one of them. Nick swears up and down that he isn’t Nathan’s father but refuses to take a paternity test to prove otherwise. I don’t know what to do. That boy looks exactly like Nick.”

  Glen shook his head. “Nathan does have an eerie resemblance to Nick.”

  “Do you think Nick is the father?” Colby asked again.

  Glen met her gaze and nodded. “It’s possible, but there were…others, too.”

  “Yes, I know Sarah cheated on Nick. What did the ski instructor look like?”

  “Blond hair. Blue eyes.”

  Colby closed her eyes tightly and cursed under her breath. “Then, I guess it’s safe to say the ski instructor isn’t the father.”

  “It’s doubtful,” Glen said.

  “But, you say there were others?”

  “There were at least two other guys that I knew of. I overheard them bragging about sleeping with Sarah. They both had dark hair, like Nick, so I guess it’s possible either of them could be the father.”

  “Does Nick know about the other two, besides the ski instructor?”

  “I never told Nick what I heard, but I know he suspected it,” Glen said. “This is a small community, Colby. It’s hard to escape the gossip, especially something as salacious as that.”

  “Does your sister think Nick is Nathan’s father?”

  “I know she wants him to be the biological father, but that doesn’t make it true.”

  “I guess that explains why she keeps sending him the photographs.”

  “I wasn’t aware she was sending pictures to Nick. That’s news to me, but like I told you before, Sarah has always been a forbidden subject for Nick and I to discuss. From the beginning, Nick made the boundaries very clear to me and I always respected it and let it go with that.”

  Colby leaned across the table toward Glen. “Do you think your sister would agree to return to the resort and have her son’s DNA profiled?”

  “I don’t know, Colby,” Glen said, shaking his head. “I’m not sure I want to get involved.”

  “Glen! This is your nephew we’re talking about! The boy is almost four years old. I think it’s time for a paternity test. Don’t you?”

  “What’s the point? You’ve already said, Nick is still refusing to take a test.”

  Colby began to cry softly. “I don't know what to do,” she said.

  “Give it time,” he said. “Nick will come around.”

  “He needs to resolve this paternity issue or I don't think I can be with him.”

  “This is really messed up,” Glen said. “But I can't say I'm surprised. I knew one day this would become a major issue and I guess that day has arrived. I’ll give my sister a call and see what she says. That’s the best I can do.”

  “Thank you, Glen,” she said. “I appreciate your help. I’d call her myself, but I think Sarah might be more receptive if you contacted her. When you talk to her, be sure to tell her I’ll pay for the paternity test. Hell, I’ll even pay for her plane ticket, if it means she’ll agree to have Nathan tested.”

  “Okay, I’ll mention that to her,” he said, and stood up from his chair. “I’ll give her a call and get back to you.”

  The next day, Colby worked a few hours in the morning, then bumped into Glen at lunchtime inside the lodge. He came up beside her at the food counter and draped an arm around her shoulder.

  “I talked to my sister last night,” he said.

  “And?”

  “She’ll be here on Wednesday.”

  “You’re kidding! That’s only two days from now!”

  “I told her it was best for everyone involved if we get this settled as soon as possible, so you and Nick can go ahead and get married.”

  “You told her Nick was getting married?” Colby asked.

  “I knew hearing that would put a fire under her heels. She’s hoping to talk to Nick while she’s here, too, and she’d also like to meet you.”

  Colby dropped her gaze to her feet and shrugged. “Okay. I can do that. I’m a little curious about her, too.”

  “Are you going to tell Nick she’s coming back, or let it be a surprise?” Glen asked.

  “I don’t think Nick would appreciate Sarah’s visit being a surprise, Glen. I'll tell him.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right about that,” he said. “I’ll call you when Sarah arrives.”

  Later in the day, Colby spotted Nick walking through the door of the gym. She was running on a treadmill, when she saw him. He looked incredibly handsome, wearing loose fitting, black athletic pants and a tight white tank top. Skin tanned from the sun, which accentuated his muscles and facial features. Seeing his impressive image fluidly moving across the room made her stumble on the treadmill. She caught her footing before falling off the machine, but caught Nick’s attention in the process.

  Colby saw him approaching her and shut off the treadmill. She stepped down from it and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her neck.

  “Hi,” he said, standing beside her; his deep brown eyes warming her. “Do you have a minute?” he asked. “I’d like to talk to you.”

  “Actually, I have something to tell you, too,” she said.

  “Okay. Lets go outside,” he said, and escorted her to the exit door.

  Nick guided her to a private picnic table outside the gym and sat on the top of it with his feet resting on the seat. He saw the reluctance in Colby’s eyes, appearing uncomfortable to even be standing near him, and it broke his heart.

  “You can sit, Colby. I won’t bite,” he said, trying to make a joke, but Colby didn’t smile and she didn't sit down. He hated the awkwardness between them. It made the ache inside him even more profound.

  He sighed loudly and reclined across the top of the table, then covered his face with his arm. “I missed you around the cabin today,” he said quietly.

  “I missed you, to
o, but I thought you could use the time alone to think,” she said, trying to ignore his stretched-out form across the table. The toned muscles of his stomach clearly outlined beneath the thin cotton fabric of his shirt made her heart begin to race.

  “I did do a lot of thinking, Colby,” he said, rising up on his elbows.

  “Have you decided to consent to a paternity test?”

  Nick shook his head and looked away. “No. My thoughts haven’t changed on taking that test.”

  “I’m sorry to hear you say that, Nick, especially since Sarah and Nathan are returning to the resort on Wednesday. She’s agreed to have Nathan’s DNA profiled. I was hoping you’d do the same, so we could resolve this issue, once and for all.”

  Nick hopped off the table and stepped toward her. “Sarah’s coming here?”

  “That's what I said.”

  “Why are you doing this? Do you really think this is necessary?” he asked.

  Colby began to cry and turned her face away from Nick. “This is important, Nick, and I was hoping by now you would have come to that same conclusion – on your own. I guess I was wrong,” she said. She wiped her cheeks and stepped away from him.

  “Colby. Wait.”

  “Wait for what - you to change your mind? It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.”

  “Because I see no reason to take that test,” he said. “I already know he’s not mine.”

  She shook her head and stepped back toward him. Her eyes rose to meet his. “It’s a simple, painless test, Nick,” she said evenly. “I was hoping you’d be man enough to subject to it on your own, without making me feel like shit for asking or feeling like I’m shaming you into doing it.” She lowered her head and inhaled slowly. “I was hopeful I meant enough to you that you’d take care of this so we could get on with our lives, but again, I guess I was wrong.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “Can't we compromise in another way?”

  “There is no other way to prove or disprove this, Nick.”

  He leaned against the picnic table. “And if I don't take the test? What then?”

  Colby looked away. She didn't want to think about that option. It hurt too much, but she knew not knowing the certainty of Nathan's paternity wasn't something she could live with. It would gnaw at her until she began to despise Nick for refusing to claim or disclaim the boy. It wasn't fair to Nathan and it was disrespectful to her.