“Of course. Always.”
Tucker’s word was as good as gold.
“I have to tell you though. Hair isn’t the best sample from which to extract DNA. Are the roots intact?”
“Yes, yes,” I said. “You know me better than that, Tuck.”
“True, Roo.” He glanced at the samples in their clear plastic bags. “These look good so far as the naked eye can tell. I’ll be able to tell more once I get them under the scope. So let me make sure I’ve got this right. You want to find out if the sample marked RS is a match to be the child of the sample marked WM.”
“Yeah,” I said.
“And the samples marked TS, JS, and MS should be compared to RS to see if they’re full-blooded siblings, just as an extra precaution.”
“Yeah,” I said again.
“Good enough. I’ll get started. You’ll hear from me in twelve.”
“The sooner the better,” Marjorie said.
“Oh? You willing to—”
“For God’s sake, Tuck. Is ten K not enough for you?”
“Sure. But I’m good at this, as you know. I can shave several hours off for, say, another five?”
“Done,” Marjorie said. “We’re good for it. I only have ten with me now.”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s a genius, but he doesn’t work for free.”
Marjorie laughed. “I don’t know anyone with great skills who does.” She pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed it to Tucker. “Here you go.”
“Just so you know, if the samples aren’t viable…”
“Don’t worry. You still keep the cash,” Marjorie said.
He smiled. “Just so we’re clear.”
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“Thanks, Tuck,” I said. “You’re the best.”
Marjorie and I left. As we drove back to my office, I was silent.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Ruby?” she asked. “How are things with Ryan?”
Oh, great. I’m in love with him, in fact. But I wasn’t ready to say that to anyone. Not yet. Especially since, if this test turned out positive, I would probably lose him.
So I said simply, “He’s great. Really great.”
“Yeah, he is,” she agreed. “He’s a great brother. I really hope this test shows that Wendy is not his mother.”
I nodded, staring at the road as she drove.
Hoping I hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of my life.
Chapter Twenty–Eight
Ryan