“She punctured the condoms. She intended to get pregnant.”
“So, there’s still a possibility,” she growled.
I nodded against her head. She slid her hand over my side and rubbed my back. “We’ll figure it out, okay? It’ll all be over soon…”
CHAPTER 13
“Is this Mr. Dane Foster?”
“Yeah. Who’s this?” I didn’t recognize the voice. I glanced at my phone to read the number, but didn’t recognize that either. It was the middle of the workday. Most of my calls were fielded by Gervais, but this one had come through my personal cell. I sat back in my desk, feeling anxious.
“This is Blaire, and I’m a nurse with Dr. Yori. She’s Annabeth’s midwife. Your partner wanted us to call you and let you know she’s going into labor.”
My heart slammed to a halt in my chest as sweat beaded on my forehead. I reached up to unbutton the collar, my shirt tight around my throat, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. “Annabeth is in labor?”
“Yes, she is. She’s in the final stages. Your fine baby boy will be entering this world any minute now.”
“Where is she?” I asked hoarsely.
“Well, she elected to have a home birth. She’s at her condo. Um…you know where it is, right?”
“Yeah.” I snapped out of a haze and shook my head. “Tell her that—tell her I’m on my way.”
I flew out of the building and ran to my car, and took the Aston out of the garage with one hand to the steering wheel and the other trying to dial Hanna’s number. She picked up on the first ring. I didn’t even know what to say to her. “Hanna,” I said in a pained voice.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” she asked.
“It’s Annabeth. She’s…having the baby.”
There was a pause from the other end of the line. My eyes darted left and right, following the flow of traffic, as I sped down the interstate in the direction of Annabeth’s place. I hadn’t been there in so long that I wondered if I remembered the way. Finally Hanna responded, “You have to go.”
“I’m going.”
She sighed. “Bring back pictures,” she ordered before hanging up the phone.
I slammed on brakes at Annabeth’s apartment complex and ran to the elevator. I pounded on the door and was let in by a woman dressed in scrubs, who beamed with excitement when she saw that it was me. “Right this way, Mr. Foster.”
I sucked in a breath of air and followed the nurse to Annabeth’s bedroom, remembering with regret all the nights we had made love in the very bed where she was supposedly laboring over my child. We had had some great times, and she had been integral to me getting over Lynn, but now I wanted to take it all back.
I had never imagined Annabeth would be so callous as to scheme to get pregnant for me. When I walked into the room, I was hit with the metallic smell of blood, which nearly made me gag. I fought for composure. My gaze fell on Annabeth crouched over the bed, her eyes glowing and her face red with exertion and pain. I should’ve felt something other than anxiety.
Her blond hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat. Nothing about the scene was how I had pictured seeing my first child come into the world, and my stomach flipped with angst. I wanted to be happy. Under other circumstance, I would’ve been.
I forced myself to walk forward and grab Annabeth’s hand. Just like in the movies, I found the voice to murmur “push” when the midwife coaxed her to push. I used a damp cloth and wiped her forehead, thinking I was in the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong person, but with each contraction there was a tug at my heart.
I thought about the nights I had lain awake wondering about my real dad after I had found out about him. I had never really pictured having a child of my own with Annabeth. Now, I was about to come face to face with a possible mini-me, and I didn’t know what to feel. I was excited. I was saddened by the situation. My heart was ready to love, but my brain spat facts and logic with each passing second. There was such a slim chance the child could be mine. I inwardly cursed Annabeth for her deceit.
But for her sake, and the baby’s sake, I was there to provide support.
The midwife pressed down on Annabeth’s belly and cried out, “One more hard push! Here we go. One, two, three!”
“Push, Annabeth,” I said. She stared me in the eyes as her face contorted with pain, and I smiled, nodding. “That’s it. You’re doing it. You’re doing a great job. The baby’s almost here.”
Annabeth let out a tired, agonized wail as a sound like a rushing faucet filled the room, followed by a weak mewl, and I looked ahead to see the midwife come up with a writhing, wriggling ball of baby. The speed with which everything had happened alarmed me. I hadn’t known what to expect.
I watched in amazement as the two nurses sprang into action, suctioning his little nose as his tiny fingers waved angrily and he let out a yowl like an irritated bobcat. Annabeth reached for him with tears streaming down her face. It was as if, despite all the things she had done wrong, she had done this one thing right. I stared down into the face of the child that could be mine as the nurse handed him to Annabeth, and he rooted around Annabeth’s chest for his first feeding.
I tried to see myself in his face, and I couldn’t quite. He had the largest eyes, a gauzy grey color. His head was misshapen from labor but covered with white blond curls coated in blood and residue, and his body was covered in pasty white cream. Annabeth laughed through her tears and snuggled him closer, wrapping him up tightly in the blanket the nurse had provided.
I pulled out my camera and took a photograph, and another, another. It was possibly the most life-changing day of my existence.
“What are you going to name him?” The midwife looked at Annabeth and me, and I couldn’t do anything but shrug, but Annabeth had an answer ready.
“I’m going to name him Chance.”
I nodded, thinking the name was appropriate. I glanced up from the child and rocked back in surprise, startled at the sight of the other man who had quietly entered the room. It was Tom. Our eyes connected, and I saw the aggrieved look on his face, wondered if he and I were in the same position. The child could be either of ours.
“May I see him, please?” he asked in a thin voice.
Annabeth’s smile instantly turned to a deep scowl at the sight of him. “What the hell are you doing here, Tom? I told you I didn’t want to see you anymore.”
The medical personnel stepped up immediately. The nurse who had let me in looked timidly at the midwife. “I thought I locked the door.”
“I have a key,” Tom said. “Yeah, I made a copy.”
I rose from the edge of the bed where I had been snapping pictures of the baby. “Let him see the baby, Annabeth,” I murmured. “What’s it gonna hurt? You got me here, just like you planned, and you used this man to do your dirty work for you. It’s the least you can do.” I reached out a hand to shake Tom’s. He ducked his head, ashamed, looked back in my face with appreciation and respect. I was willing to let bygones be bygones, even if it was only temporary. The birth of Chance was bigger than our petty grievances.
“Fine,” Annabeth said in aggravation. She held her baby closer but didn’t protest when Tom walked over to peer down at the little face. I noticed Tom had grey eyes. I didn’t say anything. It took a desperate sort of woman to lie to a man and say a baby wasn’t his. I identified with Chance. I felt in my heart that the crown of fatherhood belonged to Tom, but I also felt a connection with the little guy. Whatever it took to make him happy and keep his real father in his life, even if it was me, I was willing to try.
Tom and I left Annabeth’s apartment at the same time, after the midwife and nurses got mother and baby cleaned up and brought out paperwork to set up home health care. I followed him as he walked dejectedly to the elevator bay. I pressed the button to go down, staring at the floor as the doors opened. We hadn’t spoken with each other since I had fired him from his job.
I sighed. “How have you been making out?”
Tom looked startled by me talking to him. He stepped into the elevator and I followed. “I’ve been making it,” he murmured.
“Job okay?”
He snorted, looked away. “It’s not like you care,” he muttered. “You probably already know I didn’t get the position at AmerExpand.”
I put a hand on his shoulder. He whipped his head around to look at me suspiciously, but I wasn’t in the mood for a confrontation. I held up my hands.
“What you did at Excelsis was fucked up, and it unfortunately blackballed you out of a lot of other corporations once word of it got around. But Tom, you started out with my dad, and I know you’ve got a solid history behind you. I believe if you hadn’t gotten mixed up with Annabeth, you never would’ve done half the stuff you did. So…if you need any letters of recommendation or anything like that to get the ball rolling, I’d be happy to put in a good word.”
“Why would you do that?” His voice held an edge, as if he didn’t trust my offer.
I shrugged and answered as honestly as possible. “Because I really don’t believe that’s my kid. And if he turns out to be yours, you’re going to need a good job to take care of him. Hell, even if he doesn’t turn out to be yours, you got caught up in Annabeth’s scheme. Only thing I need you to do is be a damn sight wiser in the future about the women you deal with. On the other hand, she got us both, so…”
“Annabeth, man. I tell you,” he mumbled. “She says he’s yours.” We walked out of the elevator together and paused in the entry hallway, neither of us sure of how to continue.
“Look, she probably thinks so. She may hope so. But I sincerely doubt it. If I’m wrong, forgive me, but I don’t think I’m wrong.”
“Time will tell, though, right? I hear you’re taking it all the way to court. I was surprised at that. I figured you’d probably pay her off, a settlement or something to sweep everything under the rug. You were always so worried about your goddamned image. Who’s your lawyer? What’s your game plan?”
“I’m not particularly comfortable talking intimate details of my personal life with you anymore, Tom, given the way you stabbed me in the back. I mean, I can forgive, but it’s a little bit harder to forget.” I shrugged. “But let’s just say if I find out anything different about Chance’s parentage, I’ll have my people give you a call.”
“I guess that’s all I’m asking. She doesn’t want me anywhere near him…or her.”
“You loved her, didn’t you?” I asked. Tom hadn’t worked with Annabeth to hurt me; he had done it to win her favor. Things had just turned against him.
He sighed and shook his head. He reluctantly replied, “I still do.”
I shook his hand goodbye. I had to get home to Hanna. She was waiting up for me.
#
I breezed into the penthouse and jetted to my bedroom, where I found her in the bed wearing one of my shirts and looking sad. I peeled off my clothes and climbed into the bed in my boxers and socks. She moved into my arms with a smile.
“How was it? I’ve never seen a baby born in real life before.”
I frowned dramatically, making a gagging sound. Hanna laughed softly. I answered, “No, it was beautiful. She was a natural at it. Just pushed that baby right out like it was easy as Sudoku.”
“Did you take pictures?”
I dug out my phone and repositioned myself on the bed with Hanna lying on my chest. I navigated to the photo album and pulled up the latest pictures. “She named him Chance.”
“Really? I was kinda worried she’d call him Dane, Jr.,” she said.
“That would be bold of her. The crazy thing is I think the real father showed up, Tom Wakefield. He used to work at Excelsis, but I ended up having to fire him for trying to sabotage the company. I found out later it was all because of Annabeth. Once he got mixed up with her, she had him wrapped around her little finger, and she convinced him to turn against us. He nearly sold us out to the competition.”
“That’s dramatic! So he showed up at the delivery? That had to be awkward for her. Were guns drawn or anything?”
I chuckled, cuddling her. “No, silly girl. We shook hands like gentlemen, and I tried to ensure Chance has a bright future ahead of him. In case Tom really is the father, I offered to write him a letter of recommendation.”
“Well, that was noble of you. Nothing like the Dane Foster I’ve heard about.” She squealed with laughter as I tickled her sides. “Stop it! I want to know what prompted you to do that!”
I chuckled, finally letting up. “Ah! Didn’t I tell you once that my reputation exceeds me?” I asked softly. I kissed her lips and turned her over. She straddled my lap and kissed me deeper. I stretched her out in the bed, where we lazily made love, despite all the questions remaining, and many of my fears about our future were laid to rest. The baby was born. We still didn’t know whether he was mine, but Hanna hadn’t left me. I considered it a milestone.
“Your parents?” I murmured afterward.
Hanna lay on her side with her ass pressed against my semi-rigid cock. I rubbed my erection against her body teasingly. She squirmed sensually. “My parents?” she moaned.
“I think it’s time I met them…don’t you? You’ve met mine. I’m ready, Hanna. I’m ready to get serious with you.” I kissed the back of her neck. She groaned and arched her spine, stretched against me like a cat seeking petting. I slid my hand around to her stomach and down to the V between her legs, where her damp pubic curls were still dewy from our lovemaking.
“Eventually,” she murmured languidly.
I dipped a finger inside of her and stroked her slowly, deeply. Eventually…it was the best I could hope to get for the time being. At least it wasn’t never.
She whimpered and turned over, opening herself to me. I wrapped my arms around her and rose over her to do it again. I couldn’t get enough of her. It was strange. So many other women had come and gone, unable to keep my attention, but we had been together for a year. Our relationship hadn’t gotten old, stale, and predictable like I had always pictured relationships getting over time. I grunted with pleasure as I sank into her tight sheath, feeling possessed…and liking it.
CHAPTER 14
The courtroom was nearly empty thanks to an injunction pressed by my lawyer, which barred access for the press. Annabeth had already made enough of a spectacle of my life. I was grateful for old friends in high places.
I stood with my counsel when the judge entered the room. Hanna stood with me, and I worried it would be the last time she willingly supported my bullshit. It was a situation she should never have had to deal with, and I felt a mix of embarrassment and resolve. After this day, she might leave me, but whatever happened, I had made up my mind to deal with the consequences of my actions. I wouldn’t let my child grow up as I had, without a real father.
Across the room was Annabeth with her people. Chance wasn’t present, I noticed, realizing with a twinge of surprise that I missed his little face. Annabeth hadn’t made it easy for me to see him in the months leading up to the court date. She had only allowed me to visit him a few times since his birth, which seemed odd to me, considering he was supposed to be my child.
The time that had passed had only served to make me more and more uncertain about whether I was Chance’s father, but it had bothered me to be separated from him in the event that he was mine. Concurrently, I couldn’t help fervently wishing that he wasn’t. My relationship with Hanna was tenuous, at best. I didn’t know what would happen if the judge fatefully announced there was a DNA match.
The gavel dropped, and I sat down, waiting impatiently for the pomp and shit to get over with so we could get to the results. With Hanna holding my hand, I looked straight ahead. I didn’t want to see Annabeth’s confident smile. She had no idea the damage she could potentially do to her innocent son if she held on to her vendetta against me. Because if Chance was my son, it meant that a grudge was the least of our worries. Annabeth and I would have to work together to co-parent, despite our dif
ferences.
“The results are conclusive.”
I leaned forward anxiously as the judge opened the envelope.
“According to this document Mr. Foster, the probability of paternity is… absolutely zero. The news was delivered matter-of-factly.
A smile split my face, and I felt the weight of the world lift off my shoulders. Hanna covered her mouth in surprised relief. She wrapped her arms around my neck in a show of support. I squeezed her to my chest. Over Hanna’s back, I saw the look of mystification on Annabeth’s face. “What’s the matter? Not what you expected, considering how hard you worked to ensnare me?” I asked, loud enough for her to hear. She scowled at me and put her head down.
At that moment, Tom slipped into the courtroom. I knew he had been waiting just beyond the doors to hear the results, but Annabeth had no idea of that, and she wasn’t the least bit ready for the second part of the suit. It had taken a few weeks after the birth of Chance to convince Tom he had as much right to question Annabeth’s claims as I did, but he had finally relented and allowed me to utilize my legal resources to get answers for him, too.
“The results are conclusive,” the judge said. “Mr. Wakefield’s sample was 99.998% a match. Mr. Tom Wakefield is the father of the decedent.”
“What?” Annabeth shrieked. “How could you? You bastard! Who told you to do that?” She hopped up from her bench and tried to approach me, but the judge swung his gavel down for order. Her lawyer quickly persuaded her back into her seat.
The judge pointed the wooden hammer at Annabeth and said, “Not in my court.”
I grinned triumphantly and kissed Hanna’s lips. “We did it,” she whispered.
“Now that little boy never has to wonder about who his real father is, and I have a hunch Tom will do the right thing. He got the job with Flynt & Uhle.”
“That’s fantastic!” Hanna hugged me close. “You’re a great person, Dane. You really are. I’m proud to be a part of your life.” My heart swelled at the compliment.
Dane - Book 3: A Foster Family Saga Page 11
