“You haven’t met Levi’s wife.” For the first time, Dylan’s expression relaxed. “Piper is special.”
Jealousy, unwanted and unexpected, trickled along Eve’s skin. Just once, she wished a man would look at her with the kind of wistful longing she saw in Dylan’s eyes.
“Are you in love with her?” Eve asked. “Your friend’s wife?”
“Everyone who meets Piper falls a little in love.” Dylan shrugged. “Guess I’m no different.”
“You have my sympathy,” Eve said. “Unrequited passion is the worst kind of frustration.”
“To be clear, your opinion means less than nothing to me.” Dylan pinned her with his gaze. “However, because rumors tend to travel, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. Piper is a sweetheart. Levi is a lucky man. But I consider her a friend. There is nothing unrequited about my feelings for any woman.”
“Not sure why you felt the need to add any woman, but okay.” Eve snorted. “No need to get your boxers in a twist.”
“Are you finished?” Dylan asked.
Unsure why she felt chastised and unhappy with the feeling, Eve gave a short nod. Frowning, Dylan looked around.
“Where’s the girl?”
“Her name is Daisy.” Eve nodded toward the bedroom. She grabbed Dylan’s arm before he could barrel through the door. “She’s taking a nap.”
“I won’t wake her,” he said with more understanding than she expected.
Still dressed in her best romper, Daisy lay on her back, sound asleep and blissfully unaware of adult matters. She was as pretty as a picture and though Eve wasn’t thrilled by Dylan's presence nor the upheaval he represented, Eve felt a burst of pride when, seeing his niece for the first time, he smiled in bemused wonder. She knew the feeling.
“She’s a beauty,” Dylan whispered. “I can’t see Tanner in her.”
Praise or rebuke? Eve couldn’t tell but if the shape of Daisy’s nose or the color of her eyes bothered Dylan, too damn bad.
“Petal favors her mother.”
“Petal?” Dylan paused. “Isn’t her name Daisy?”
“Daisy Juniper.” Eve left off the Montgomery because she didn’t consider Dylan’s brother to be anything but a sperm donor. “Petal is the nickname Ellie used while she was pregnant.”
“Cute.” Dylan nodded. “Accurate.”
“I need to break the habit,” Eve said. “I’m afraid Daisy might reach an age when she’ll be embarrassed if everyone calls her Petal. Teenagers can be sensitive about such things.”
“Not only teenagers.” Ever so lightly, Dylan brushed the hair from Daisy’s forehead. “For now, she’s Petal. When she’s older, she can decide what she prefers.”
Surprised by Dylan’s sensitive words, Eve started to warm to him—just a bit—and felt a burst of hope. She wasn’t ready to let him take Daisy without a fight, but if the day came when she was forced to concede custody, he seemed willing to step up in the uncle department.
“I need to have a DNA test done.”
“A what?” Eve blinked. Maybe she spoke too soon.
“DNA.” Dylan took something from his pocket. “Swab the inside of Daisy’s mouth. I’ll express the sample to a lab in Seattle. We should have the results in about four days.”
“Ellie had the test done when Petal was born,” Eve told him. “She didn’t want her daughter to ever question her paternity. I can show you a copy.”
“I’d rather have a doctor I can trust to take care of the test,” Dylan said.
“Do you think Ellie doctored the results?” Eve exclaimed. “How could she?”
“Where did she get a sample of Tanner’s DNA?” Dylan wanted to know.
“From a clump of hair from the brush he left behind,” Eve said with a smug smile. “So there, jerk.”
“Can you prove the hair belonged to Tanner?” When she didn’t answer, Dylan’s smile was just as smug. “My brother might take a one-night stand’s word as the gospel; I’m not as trusting.”
“One-night? One night?” Eve poked Dylan in the chest, emphasizing her words with each jab. “Ellie was seduced. Sweet talked into bed by a man who for two weeks, made a lot of big, shiny promises he never intended to keep.”
“Two weeks?” The shock he didn’t try to hide flashed through Dylan’s dark eyes. “Fuck.”
“Watch your language,” Eve warned, nodding toward the still sleeping baby. She nudged him out of the room, closing the door with a soft click. A second later, she rounded on Dylan. “Ellie was the gentlest soul I’ve ever known. When Tanner said he’d be back for her, she believed him.”
“I did my homework. Ellie was twenty-nine when they met,” Dylan said. “Old enough to understand that sometimes there are consequences when you invite a man to your bed.”
“Unbelievable,” Eve scoffed. “You plan to defend your brother at every turn?”
“Just stating the facts,” Dylan said with a shrug.
Eve rarely let her temper get the better of her, but nothing would have made her happier than to slap the smug off Dylan’s face.
“Let’s say you’re right,” Eve said. “I know the price Ellie paid. What about Tanner? After he slithered out of town, what kind of consequences has he suffered through?”
“None,” Dylan admitted without blinking an eye. “I thought you already knew. The world isn’t always fair, Eve.”
Eve understood what Dylan said was true. Her mother pounded the fact home from the moment she was born. She continued to do so right up until the day she tossed her only child out on the street. Why? To quote her mother, just to prove her point.
“You don’t believe Daisy is your niece?” Eve jumped on the fact and ran. “Good. Great. Leave her alone. I’ll take care of her. When Daisy is eighteen, if she wants to find her father, I’ll give her the information I have. The rest will be up to her and Tanner. Until then, consider your duty done.”
“Are you Daisy’s legal guardian?” Dylan asked.
Eve could summon up an argument for any situation. She could out-talk anyone. However, when the moment was right, she knew when to keep her mouth shut. Like right now.
“Take
