"This is Madison, and she's yours."
His world tumbled off its axis. "How do you know?" The words came out without thought.
"Because she said so." She pointed at the picture. "Layla was a lot of things, but she was never a liar."
The woman opened her bag, which was large enough to hide a body. She pulled things out as Mary Poppins did. First was a manila folder, next was a small photo album. He looked at the little girl again. Really seeing her this time, he noticed the small teddy bear she hugged to her chest and the tiny wheeled suitcase sitting next to her—things he hadn't seen when they arrived.
"What do you want? Where is Layla?" He had so many questions. His eyes drifted to the blonde in the booth, who'd taken a keen interest in what was happening.
"Her mother is dead." She leaned in and whispered. "Drug overdose."
That didn't surprise him. "Again, what do you want?" He imagined this was an extortion attempt.
"Nothing. I'm doing what I told Layla I would do if anything ever happened." She looked at Madison. "She left behind directions, if you know what I mean."
Holy hell, she killed herself. This was his worst nightmare—life repeating itself. "Why?"
"She was a mess."
"Because of me?" His throat tightened.
"Drugs, depression, and a diagnosis of breast cancer," she said. "No insurance, no money, no hope."
"Was any of this my fault?" he always felt responsible for his mother's death. She died the first year he went on tour. He was another man who had let her down.
"Don't be so arrogant. You were a blip on her radar. If she hadn't found that fan's site which listed your digs, Madison would have gone into the system, but now she'll go with you."
"What? I can't…" He stared at the little girl who bit her lip and looked ready to burst into tears. "I'm not ready to be a dad."
"No one is." She opened the folder. "Here's her birth certificate. You're listed as the father, so there are no custody issues. Layla left you a letter." She touched the photo album. "I gathered the pictures I found. It would be nice if you could help her remember her mom."
"You're leaving her with me?"
"Yep, I've four kids of my own, and my mother won't watch them forever." She laid her hand on Madison's head. "She's smart but behind in her learning. Layla wasn't much into school, so she didn't have a lot to offer." She kneeled, so she was in front of Madison. "Hey, Maddie, girl, this is your daddy. He's going to take really good care of you."
Madison or Maddie started to whimper. "I want to go with you."
"Sorry, kid, we don't always get what we want." She kissed the top of her head and stood.
She turned and glared at him. "Don't be a shit to her. She's had a rough life already. Make it better." She spun to walk away.
"Wait. What's your name?"
"Doesn't matter." She walked out of the diner.
His heart raced while his stomach flipped. What the hell was he supposed to do? He didn't want a kid and had no idea what to do with one. The tiny whimper he heard seconds ago coming from Madison turned into a full-blown cry.
He had no nurturing skills. Absentee dads didn't raise sons who would become the father of the year.
"Madison, you need to stop crying."
The little brown-haired girl with his eyes looked at him and cried harder.
"Madison, please stop crying." He attempted to move out of the booth toward her, but she stepped back.
"I'm not going to hurt you." That was a damn lie. He'd never physically hurt her, but it was in his genes to fail at parenthood. That's why he never ventured into long-term relationships. His career of choice made it hard to establish trust.
"Maddie," he said, and she stopped the sounds even though her tears still fell. "Is that what you like to be called?"
She nodded.
He’d only heard her say a few words. The woman who brought her said she was behind in learning. He didn't even know how old she was.
"Have a seat, and we'll get to the bottom of this." He pointed to the bench across from him, but she didn't move to it. Instead, she turned her suitcase on its side and sat on it.
Maisey swung by. "Who's this little beauty?" She stared down at Maddie, who was in the middle of the path.
"Apparently, she's my daughter."
Maisey dropped her order pad. "Oh my. What are you going to do?"
What was there to do? As far as he knew, the kid could be anyone's. He wasn't the only man in the world with hazel eyes and brown hair.
"First, I'm going to read the letter her mother sent, and then I'm going to get proof."
Maisey leaned down to pick up her order pad. "You hungry?" she asked Maddie.
Maddie nodded. "I wike chicken."
"So, she talks. That's a plus."
Maisey scowled at him, then turned back to the child. "Nuggets and fries it is."
He opened the folder and found Maddie's birth certificate with him listed as the father. Madison Alexandra Cruz was born five years ago on June 10th. He pulled out his phone and scrolled back in his calendar. Nine months before June would have been September.
That feeling of falling raced through him. On September 18th, he was in Madison, Wisconsin.
Fear clawed past his belly and crawled into his heart. There was a reasonable likelihood Maddie was his.
His fingers shook as he took the letter out of the envelope.
Axel,
I never asked you for anything until now. Take care of my baby.
Layla
"What the hell?" He looked down at Maddie, who clutched her teddy bear like it was the only thing she had left on earth, and by the looks of it, that might not be far from the truth.
Chapter Five
Mercy watched everything unfold. A rock star. A child. A
