“Why? Will she try for more money? Will I not get to see my daughter?”
Doug pursed his lips. “I’m advising you to get a paternity test.Ifyou are indeed the father, we’ll request a full child custody evaluation and then reevaluate with her lawyer and maybe a mediator. If she’s not reasonable, we’ll let the judge determine how much visitation you receive and how much child support you should pay. Even if you pay a lot more than what she’s asking for, you’ll do what’s right for your daughter, and for you.” He blew out a breath. “Something’s off. This feels like a scam to me, Luke.”
Luke’s heart wrenched painfully. He was obviously too emotionally involved to feel that something might not be right. He just wanted to sign and be with Lacey. “You don’t think I’m the father?”
Doug splayed his hands. “Why would she be pushing you to sign so quickly?”
“She feels guilty for not telling me about Lacey.” He looked down. “And I’m sure she needs the money.”
“I don’t doubt that.” Doug’s mouth twisted. “Let’s slow down, get the test done, and go from there. I think they take seventy-two hours and can sometimes be expedited. We can all wait that long for those papers to be signed.”
Luke knew Doug was right, but for some reason, Tracey’s urgency had infected him. He didn’t care about paying her some extra money if it meant he could get more time with Lacey. He wanted to be around his daughter, get to know her, spend time with her and Mar, introduce her to his parents and siblings—wonderful people she’d never met—and eventually be a real father to her.
“If you are the father, you want to make sure your daughter’s home environment is good and you get the most time you can with her while still giving her a stable childhood. Those documents in there give you a decent amount of visitation for probably less than you’ll end up paying if it goes to court, but if Tracey will be reasonable and wait for the paternity test, maybe we can work it all out without a judge.”
Luke’s gut twisted again. If he could get more time with Lacey, it would be worth waiting a few more days. He didn’t care if he ended up spending more money. Yet that meant more time away from Mar. He knew Mar was strong, but she’d been abandoned as a child and he wanted to hold her and reassure her he’d never leave her. Why had he let her leave? Well, she’d been the one to leave, but he still wished she were here.
Instead of asking his dry lawyer for love advice, he focused on the issue at hand. He nodded. “Let’s get the paternity test done.”
* * *
Tracey got sad and withdrawn when Luke requested a paternity test and a child custody evaluation. Luke stood firm, even though he didn’t like hurting her. The hospital who did the test said it usually took seventy-two hours, but they would expedite it, and hopefully it would only be forty-eight.
The next forty-eight hours seemed to take years off Luke’s life. He buried himself in work and went on countless hikes and mountain bike rides. He thought about Mar and Lacey all the time. He could hardly wait to spend more time with Lacey, and he missed Mar. Had she left because she thought he needed time with Lacey? Was she worried about having an instant family if their relationship progressed? Or had she wanted the break? Neither of them were experts in relationships. Maybe he’d messed something up again, and instead of getting mad, Mar had decided it was time to walk away. He wanted to call her and talk things out, but it had to be in person. He had to be able to see her, read her cues, know if she loved him like he loved her. He’d never gotten the chance to tell her that there were two people who loved her now: Cosette and him. Sadly, he couldn’t act until he knew what was going to happen with Tracey and Lacey.
Luke’s phone rang at hour forty-four. The hospital. He swiped to answer the call with a steady hand, but his heart was walloping out of control. “Hello,” he said.
“Mr. Jewel. We have the results of your paternity test.” The person paused, and Luke knew the next words across the phone line would change his life.
He was more than prepared to be a father. It might be a lot of work co-parenting with Tracey, and he’d probably have to relocate, but it would be worth it to have his daughter in his life. If only he could have LaceyandMar in his life. He couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.