Chapter 25
Lance
Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-beep!
Lance's cell phone alarm woke everyone in the room at six in the morning. Irie immediately began to cry, and Paige rushed out of bed to pick her up from her crib. Paige slipped the sleeve of her night gown off her shoulder and gave Irie her breast, and the child's cries came to an abrupt end as she began to nurse.
“Morning, birthday boy,” Paige said.
“Morning.”
She climbed back into bed, sang him 'happy birthday' in a sexy, feather-light voice, and concluded with a kiss.
He smiled at her, touched. “Thank you.”
“Today's the big day!” she said happily. “I still can't believe it.”
Lance watched Irie nurse. He was slow to rise; he didn't want to get up at all. He wished he could stay in that room, just the three of them, for all time.
But last night had changed his mind, at least. Making love to Paige had brought her closer into his heart—and sleeping in her bed, with his arm wrapped around her warm body, with their daughter sleeping just a few feet away, was the final straw. He knew he couldn't do what Kip was asking. He couldn't call off their plans—not after convincing Paige to quit her job and pack her bags. There was a middle way, wasn't there? She could come to Boston and they could still have a paternity test done … he'd just have to keep the truth from Kip a little bit longer. And maybe that meant no one could know about Paige until they had the results of the paternity test. But that wouldn't take too long, right? A few days at most.
After breakfast, Lance loaded Paige's bags into her car.
“Alright, that's it!” he said, dusting his hands. “Car's loaded and ready to go. Soon as you two are ready, we're off.”
“Great,” Paige said as she dressed Irie. “So what are we going to do to celebrate your birthday tonight? Should we invite your sister over, so Ella can meet her niece? Maybe your hockey buddies, too?”
“Hm.” Lance pretended to think it over. He didn't have the heart to tell Paige that they couldn't do that just yet. “I dunno.”
Paige pulled over Irie's Brawlers jersey over her head. That detail nearly broke Lance's heart. He looked at his little girl, the girl he was pretty damn sure was his, still wrestling with what he had to do. Paige studied him quietly. He could tell she'd suspected something was wrong since last night, and his heart hammered in his chest. He hoped she wouldn't take offense at what he had to ask her to do once they got back in Boston.
“You know, you're awfully quiet this morning,” she said.
He sipped the last of his coffee. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“You're not having second thoughts about me coming with you, are you? Because if you are, just say so. I don't have to come with you just yet. We can slow things down if you're not ready.”
He shook his head. “No. I want you in Boston with me, Paige. You and Irie both.”
She smiled, relieved. “Good.”
They left her apartment and climbed into Paige's car. It was a bright morning in Nashville and the snow was quickly melting under the morning sun. The traffic was light, and they made it to Lance's hotel in no time. He fetched his bag from his room, checked out from the hotel, and the family sped off to the airport.
They were only miles from the airport when Paige suddenly struck her forehead with her palm. “Oh my God. I totally forgot to tell my parents what we're doing—I'm the worst daughter ever!” She passed Lance her phone. “Can you dial my Dad?”
Lance and stared at the phone. “Right now? Are you sure?”
“I should tell them I'm going to Boston for a few days at least, right?”
Lance gulped. “Yeah, you're right.” He dialed Paige's Dad, hoping he wouldn't pick up. But of course, her Dad answered on the first ring. Lance set it on speaker so they could all talk.
“Hello?”
“Hey there, Mr. McMillan.”
“Who's this?”
“This is Lance Couture.”
“Hey there, Lance! What can I do for you?”
“I'm here with Paige and Irie. We're in the car.”
“Hi Dad!” Paige said.
“Hi sweetheart! What are you two up to today?”
“Lance and I have some pretty big news, Dad,” Paige said. “Is Mom there? She should hear this too. Put us on speaker.”
“Here I am!” Paige's Mom called from the background. “What's the big news?”
Paige looked at Lance, biting her lip, her eyes silently begging him to rescue her.
Lance forced a smile through gritted teeth. “Hey there, Mrs. McMillan. So this is kind of super last-minute notice … sorry for that … but Paige and Irie are actually coming with me back to Boston.”
“What?” her Mom gasped. Lance couldn't tell if she was happy, appalled, or both. “You are?!”
“Yep!” Paige answered. “I'll come back to Nashville in a week or so, so I can tie up some loose ends. We'll have a more proper goodbye then, okay? And I can explain everything.”
“What?” her Mom gasped again. “But what about your job?”
“Yeah—I quit the Burger Stand last night.”
“Oh … wow … it's all so sudden. So you two are dating now?”
“Er, yeah, we sure are,” Paige bleated anxiously. She gave Lance a timid glance. “Anyway, we're on our way to the airport. I should hang up since I ought to be focusing on the road. I just wanted to let you guys know what was up before we took off.”
“Well, thank you very much for the notice, sweetheart,” her Mom said, her southern drawl suddenly quite thick.
All four people yelled into the speaker at once, “Byeeee!”
The call ended.
“Yikes.” Paige's cheeks blushed red with shame. “That did not go so well.”
“No? It seemed to go okay to me.”
“Are you kidding? Mom was ready to explode at the end there. Don't let her politeness fool you. She's doing that southern kill-'em-with-kindness thing. In reality, she's furious with me. I can't blame her, either.”
Lance frowned. “Damn. Sorry.”
“Oh well! It's done. And you were right. I feel a lot better now that I told them … although I'll have to tell them the whole story later.” She winked at Lance. “Hopefully by then, she'll have cooled down. Or she will assume the worst. But once I tell her the truth, that you're Irie's father, and an amazing one at that, she'll understand.”
Lance's shoulder sank. Every compliment she paid him felt like another shovelful of dirt thrown over his body.
The car veered gently to exit the highway. The airport was just ahead and jets, hanging low in the sky, thundered overhead.
***
Lance, Paige and Irie lounged at the departure gate. Their plane was almost ready for boarding, and the airport workers began to buzz like bees in a hive. They were that much closer to their new lives.
Lance knew he'd been quiet all morning. He could see a suspicion lurking in Paige's eyes, and he tried his best to avoid it. It was easier to focus his attention on Irie instead. He bounced the laughing, babbling cutie in his arms.
He felt a tugging on the sleeve of his coat. “Hey. Lance.”
“Yeah?”
“Look. I can tell something's bothering you, you know. We might not know everything about each other just yet, but I'm not stupid.”
Lance went silent.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I shouldn't say.”
Her jaw fell open, as if she were both stunned and livid that her gut instinct was actually right. “So there is something bothering you.”
Acid roiled in his stomach. “Ugh.”
“Tell me what it is now, Lance. Before the three of us get on that plane.”
All this time he'd been wondering the best way to bring it up, and yet he still had no ideas. He did the only thing he could—he took a deep breath and blurted it out.
“Do you know, for sure, that Irie's my daughter?”
Paige's mouth cinched shut. “Whoa, wait. This again? Now? After what I just told my parents?”
“I'm only asking because—”
She clamped a hand on her temples. “Because now you're having doubts. Because you don't believe me.” She swore under her breath. “I'm so stupid. I can't believe I quit my job—”
He pulled her by the waist. “No, you're not stupid at all. I believe you, Paige. It's just …” He trailed off, hunting for the right words.
The announcement came over the PA. “This is the pre-boarding announcement for Flight 3898 to Boston Logan International Airport. We'd like to invite those passengers with small children to begin boarding at this time.”
Lance rose from his seat, but Paige didn't.
“Tell me now, Lance. I can't get on that plane if you're having second thoughts.”
“Damn it,” he mumbled. “Last night, I told my PR guy about Irie. He thinks I'm making a mistake.”
“A mistake.” Her eyes narrowed. “But what do you think?”
“I told you, I believe you. But …”
“But?”
“They're hanging the captaincy over my head, Paige. I don't know what to do. I'm always in trouble with these guys. And now he says I need to get a paternity test done.”
“I told you, I'll take one. I don't have anything to fear, Lance. You're her father. Period.”
“I know,” he said quietly, and he gave both girls a kiss on the forehead.
“So what's the problem?” Paige asked.
He lowered his voice. “Once we're in Boston, we might have to lay low for a few days.”
“Lay low? What does that even mean?”
“… My PR guy said that I'm not supposed to make any sort of plans with you. I'm supposed to keep my contact with you limited until we have the results from the paternity test.”
She guffawed. “Unbelievable, Lance. You are unbelievable.” She glanced towards the airport exit. Was she considering running out? “I can't believe you're telling me this now. After I quit my job and everything.”
“I talked to him after you quit your job. I swear I didn't know yet.”
“But you knew when you slept with me last night, didn't you?”
He dropped his head. “Paige, I …”
“So that's what was bothering you. And you wouldn't just come out and say it. Wow, Lance. Wow. At least you got to enjoy yourself one last time, huh?”
“I swear, it's not like that. I wanted to tell you.” Lance tried put his arm around Paige to calm her, but she shrugged him off.
“Don't.”
He sighed. “Look, I don't care what the team says, alright? I want you and Irie with me. But I can't get in any more trouble with these people. They're killing me. I was only telling you what was bothering me, since you wanted to know so bad. But now, ugh, you're pissed at me. I shouldn't even have said anything.”
A voice came over the PA again. “Attention passengers, we are now beginning regular boarding …”
“I quit my job for this, Lance. For Irie, for you, for the three of us together! And all you care about is being the captain of a dumb hockey team?”
“That's not all I care about …”
“Yet you're not even willing to fight for us.” Her nostrils flared. “I can't do this, Lance.”
His eyes grew in a panic. “Can't do what?”
“Boston. I can't do it.” She put her arms out for Irie. “Pass her to me.”
Lance turned to the side, shielding Irie. “No—Paige—please no.”
“I can't get on that plane with you, Lance. I'm sorry, but I can't. I told you I couldn't do this if either of us had doubts. Please, don't make a scene. Just pass me my daughter.”
“But she's my daughter too, Paige.”
“I'm glad you know that. And I won't keep you from her, if you truly want to be in her life. But I can't bring Irie into a situation I'm not certain about. She needs stability. I'm her Mom and I've got to watch out for her.” She held her arms out again. “Please, Lance. Pass her to me. Let's not make a scene.”
Lance froze. He needed to think of a way out of this situation; he needed to find the right words to convince Paige and get her to understand, but his mind was a blank.
“Final boarding call for Flight 3898 to Boston ...”
“Come with me,” he muttered. No other words would come to him.
“I can't. You know I can't.” She shook her head sternly. “I'll come out to Boston later. So we can take your stupid paternity test and everything else. But I'll stay at a hotel.”
Defeated, Lance nodded. “I'll pay for everything,” he said quietly.
Paige reached out for Irie and took her daughter away from Lance. Snatched from her father's embrace, Irie began to scream, her arms futilely reaching for him. It was the worst cry Lance had ever heard, the saddest sight he'd ever seen. A pain sheared through his heart.
“Okay. So. I'll be in touch,” Paige said, her voice trembling. Tears welled in her eyes. She turned her head so Lance wouldn't see.
“I'll—I'll stay. I'll stay with you.” He reached for her one more time, but she swatted his hand away.
“There's no point. Your life's in Boston and you can't make your team mad.”
“But—”
“Bye, Lance. I'm going.”
“Wait. Wait.” Lance opened his wallet and fished out a healthy stack of hundred dollar bills. He thrust them at Paige. “Here. Please. Take this. It's only a grand or two, but it's all I've got on me. I'll send more as soon as I get home.”
Paige pushed the money away. “I don't want your money, Lance. I never did.”
“But you quit your job—”
“Better get on that plane, Lance. They're closing the door right now.” Her tears finally broke and flowed down her cheeks. She hurried off with Irie screaming the whole way.
Lance could only watch in stunned silence as the two girls he cared about more than anything else left his life.