will.” She wished she could make him
truly understand the good, generous heart of her lost friend. But she didn’t
really understand herself why Anne hadn’t done the right thing concerning her
child’s father. She put her hands between her knees, rubbed them together—and
gave it one more shot. “Anne was...so independent. She never wanted to be tied
down. She had her work that she loved. I don’t think she ever planned to marry.
And when she got pregnant with Ben... I don’t know. She was happy to be having a
baby. She told me so more than once, when we would speak on the phone. And then
after Ben was born, I could hear the joy in her voice every time she mentioned
her baby. But she still had no desire to have a husband, to make the traditional
sort of family.”
His jaw was set, his mouth a hard line. “None of that’s an
excuse for keeping him from me. You know that, right?”
She swallowed, hard. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
“So let’s leave it at that.”
“All right. Let’s.” She sighed. “Please.”
The fitful snow had stopped for the moment. It was fully light
now. She tipped her head back, stared up at the slice of gray sky between the
buildings.
He spoke again. “I want my son.”
The four words landed like blows. Yes, she had expected them.
But that didn’t make them any less painful to hear. She thought of Ben, that
morning, crying his heart out, his soft little face pressed into her neck, his
tears on her skin. “I understand.”
“You’re saying you’ll give him to me, then?”
“That is my intention. Eventually.”
“Eventually. I’m not sure I like that word.”
She turned toward him on the bench and she looked at him
squarely. “As I said, I am his legal guardian.”
His eyes blazed blue fire. “You can’t keep my son from me. I’ll
take you to—”
She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Please, no threats.
It hurts me, more than you will ever know, to be losing him. But more important
than my pain or your needs as a father, more important than anything else, is
that we do right by Ben. Surely you agree with that.”
“Of course I do.”
“I think we can avoid an ugly legal battle. I think we can...do
better than that.”
He looked away, tipping his head down, touching the brim of his
hat, and then he sat tall and faced her once more. “You have some kind of
plan?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
“Tell me, then.”
“First, the paternity test.”
“I don’t need a damn test to know my own son.”
“Of course you don’t. But why not establish your paternity in
the eyes of the law from the start? Might as well clear up any doubts now. I’ve
already contacted a lab in Missoula. We can go today, if that’s possible for
you. It’s a simple procedure. They take a buccal swab from inside the cheek. The
test will be conducted under a strict chain of evidence. That way, the fact that
you are Ben’s biological father can be established legally beyond any
doubt.”
He seemed wary, but not altogether unwilling. “How long do we
have to wait for the results?”
“If the test is done today, we should have results by early
next week.”
“Next week,” he echoed, as though turning her answer over in
his mind, checking it for flaws.
“That’s right, and in the meantime, do you, er, think you have
room for us at the ranch?”
* * *
Belle’s question took Pres by surprise. With
considerable cautiousness, he asked, “Room for whom, exactly?”
“Ben, Charlotte, Marcus and me.”
She expected to move into his house? “Why?”
Her soft mouth trembled a little. He could see this wasn’t any
easier for her than it was for him. “Ben needs time. Surely you can understand
that Charlotte and I can’t just drop him off at your house and go home to
Montedoro?”
It was so strange. His life had been feeling pretty
meaningless, a little empty, since the whole thing went to hell with Lucy. But
now that he’d seen the child, now that he knew
truly understand the good, generous heart of her lost friend. But she didn’t
really understand herself why Anne hadn’t done the right thing concerning her
child’s father. She put her hands between her knees, rubbed them together—and
gave it one more shot. “Anne was...so independent. She never wanted to be tied
down. She had her work that she loved. I don’t think she ever planned to marry.
And when she got pregnant with Ben... I don’t know. She was happy to be having a
baby. She told me so more than once, when we would speak on the phone. And then
after Ben was born, I could hear the joy in her voice every time she mentioned
her baby. But she still had no desire to have a husband, to make the traditional
sort of family.”
His jaw was set, his mouth a hard line. “None of that’s an
excuse for keeping him from me. You know that, right?”
She swallowed, hard. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
“So let’s leave it at that.”
“All right. Let’s.” She sighed. “Please.”
The fitful snow had stopped for the moment. It was fully light
now. She tipped her head back, stared up at the slice of gray sky between the
buildings.
He spoke again. “I want my son.”
The four words landed like blows. Yes, she had expected them.
But that didn’t make them any less painful to hear. She thought of Ben, that
morning, crying his heart out, his soft little face pressed into her neck, his
tears on her skin. “I understand.”
“You’re saying you’ll give him to me, then?”
“That is my intention. Eventually.”
“Eventually. I’m not sure I like that word.”
She turned toward him on the bench and she looked at him
squarely. “As I said, I am his legal guardian.”
His eyes blazed blue fire. “You can’t keep my son from me. I’ll
take you to—”
She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Please, no threats.
It hurts me, more than you will ever know, to be losing him. But more important
than my pain or your needs as a father, more important than anything else, is
that we do right by Ben. Surely you agree with that.”
“Of course I do.”
“I think we can avoid an ugly legal battle. I think we can...do
better than that.”
He looked away, tipping his head down, touching the brim of his
hat, and then he sat tall and faced her once more. “You have some kind of
plan?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
“Tell me, then.”
“First, the paternity test.”
“I don’t need a damn test to know my own son.”
“Of course you don’t. But why not establish your paternity in
the eyes of the law from the start? Might as well clear up any doubts now. I’ve
already contacted a lab in Missoula. We can go today, if that’s possible for
you. It’s a simple procedure. They take a buccal swab from inside the cheek. The
test will be conducted under a strict chain of evidence. That way, the fact that
you are Ben’s biological father can be established legally beyond any
doubt.”
He seemed wary, but not altogether unwilling. “How long do we
have to wait for the results?”
“If the test is done today, we should have results by early
next week.”
“Next week,” he echoed, as though turning her answer over in
his mind, checking it for flaws.
“That’s right, and in the meantime, do you, er, think you have
room for us at the ranch?”
* * *
Belle’s question took Pres by surprise. With
considerable cautiousness, he asked, “Room for whom, exactly?”
“Ben, Charlotte, Marcus and me.”
She expected to move into his house? “Why?”
Her soft mouth trembled a little. He could see this wasn’t any
easier for her than it was for him. “Ben needs time. Surely you can understand
that Charlotte and I can’t just drop him off at your house and go home to
Montedoro?”
It was so strange. His life had been feeling pretty
meaningless, a little empty, since the whole thing went to hell with Lucy. But
now that he’d seen the child, now that he knew
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