She stiffened. “She could have told you.”
“You could have too. You’re my mother.” I turned away and sucked in a breath trying to get myself under control. I knew my mother would find it easier to dismiss me if I appeared unhinged. Finally, I turned back, and pointed my figure at my mother. “He’s coming here tomorrow and you will be kind to him.”
“Maybe you should take him to your place,” Bri said.
“He needs to meet his family. He’s a Roarke. All this,” I held my hands out to indicate the house and all that my family owned. “It will be his someday.”
My mother hissed out a breath. “He’s not one of us.”
I leaned to her. “Whose fault is that?”
“You don’t talk to me like that.” Her hard eyes stared back at me. “That woman wasn’t good enough for you.”
She was right about that, but that wasn’t the point. “He’s a part of me. A part of you. Can you be so heartless?”
“Devin.” My father’s voice was stern but not censuring. “If you believe he’s your son, the boy will be welcome—”
“We should have a DNA—”
“The boy will be welcome here,” my father said to my mother.
She gave him a scathing glare.
“This is an innocent child, Katherine. It isn’t his fault he’s in this situation. It sounds like it’s partly your fault.” I wondered if it was his illness that made my father seem much more empathetic.
“I will not—”
“He will be welcome in the home and Devin and the mother can work out whatever needs to be done.”
“What about our reputation?” my mother hissed.
“I suspect that if what I’m hearing is true, we’re probably lucky that this woman didn’t sell the story about how Katherine Roarke tried to sell her grandchild.” My father sat and ran a hand over his head. He looked exhausted.
“I did not sell my grandchild. I’m not convinced it is my grandchild.”
“You offered her money to go away,” Bri said. “That sounds like selling to me.”
“I don’t have to take this!” With her chin up, my mother strode out of the room.
My father looked up at me. “You’re sure that this child is yours?”
I nodded.
“Have you talked to a lawyer yet?”
“Not yet.”
“What? Why? You’re not going to take him away from his mother, are you?” Brianna stepped up next to me, putting her hand on my arm. “That would be too cruel.”
“You think I should be nice to her?” I quirked a brow.
“I meant for the boy.”
I gritted my teeth, wondering how long before they fell out from all the tension. “I’m not taking him from her, but I’m damn well going to protect my rights.”
“Good.” She smiled. “I’m an auntie. How fun.” She turned and skipped from the room.
I was left with my father. Slowly he stood. “I’ll do my best to keep your mother under control, but you’d be wise to have a paternity test—”
“You saw him.”
My father held up his hand. “I did. But your mother may not be the only one to question his paternity. It would protect him and you to have it confirmed officially. It would protect the mother’s reputation as a gold-digger as well.”
While I didn’t care much about protecting Serena’s feelings, I didn’t want her smeared either.
I suppose he had a point about having a confirmation to shut up people who might question it. But in the end, all that mattered was that I believed it. I knew it. Andrew was my son.
“Now. You’re going to have to think about running this business and being a father. I know today, young people think they can do everything, but you’ll need to consider getting a nanny.”
I closed my eyes, remembering what it was like spending time with Andrew, in contrast to my doing that stuff growing up with a nanny.
“One step at a time,” I said, not wanting to discuss it with my father. Would I need childcare? Probably. But right now, I was going to focus on being Andrew’s father.
I headed up to my room. As I went down the hall, I considered which might be best for Andrew. Or maybe I should have him sleep in my room.
I opened my door and found Bri sitting on my bed.
She stared at me with that smile sisters got when they were ready to hassle you.
“I’m not in the mood.” I took off my coat and tie, tossing them on a chair.
“Oh come on, Devin. You have some explaining to do. Who is the mother?”
I went to the window, looking out over the river. “It doesn’t matter.”
Bri came and sat in the window seat. “I know I’m a pain in the ass sister, but I’m a pain in the ass sister that cares for you.”
I sat next to her. “Her name is Serena.”
“The event lady? No wonder she was pissed when I told her you were canoodling Evie at the anniversary party.”
God, that felt like a million years ago. “She accused me of cheating and lying and the whole time she was keeping him from me.” I looked at Bri. “Is there something wrong with me?”
Her expression was a mixture of pity and annoyance. “Don’t get all melodramatic, Devin. No. There’s nothing wrong with you. But there is with this family. I have to tell you, in her situation, I might have thought twice about disclosing that information.”
“Really? I’m his father.”
“His grandmother offered money to make her go away. Mom knew that child was yours. Was her grandchild, and she sent her off. Who’d want their kid around that kind of callousness?”
I rolled my shoulders. “I can see that, but—”
“But what?”
“I told her I loved her. Since the moment I saw her again, I’d pursued her hard. Worked to convince her I was sincere.” I looked at Bri with my heart bleeding out. “She wouldn’t have ever told me if she had her way.”
“Oh Devin.” She threw her arms around me. For a moment, I let myself be held by her. But I didn’t have time to wallow in
