Zach rapped his knuckles against the door of Josh and Grace’s hotel room, then pressed both hands to the frame and hung his head.

The drinks he’d stopped to hammer back after leaving Tessa at the restaurant hadn’t helped calm the panic tripping through his gut. His heart still raced. His brain continued to spiral.

Josh opened the door, his expression intense and sharp. In moments like this, Zach could see the warrior Josh had been before an injury ended his career with the SEALs. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Zach straightened. “Can we talk?”

Josh spent another millisecond assessing Zach, processing a million things at once before stepping back so he could come in.

He walked into the suite and turned toward Josh, who was wearing a pair of gym shorts, making Zach realize he’d probably been in bed with Grace. “I’m sorry to bother you, man.”

“Don’t be an idiot.” The Frogman tat on Josh’s back rolled as he turned the dead bolt. “That’s why I’m here.”

“This isn’t work related.”

Josh faced him. “That doesn’t matter, and you know it.”

Grace turned out of the bedroom in a hotel robe, combing her fingers through her hair. “Everything okay?”

“Sorry—” Zach started again.

“Stop. You’re always welcome.” She waved away his apology. “I’ll just let you two—”

“I wouldn’t mind a woman’s perspective, if you’re up for drama,” he told her.

She smiled. “I work with female performers. Drama extraordinaire right here.”

“Please, by all means, stay.” He closed his eyes and scraped a hand through his hair.

“You look like you could use a drink,” Josh said.

Zach shook his head. “The last three haven’t done me any good.”

“What’s this about?” Grace took Josh’s hand and pulled him to the sofa.

“Remember that woman I met at the Outrigger a couple of nights ago?”

Josh groaned. “Nothing good ever starts like that.”

Zach paced as he explained the situation. And just reiterating it all made him break out in a sweat. He felt like he’d had a load of cement dumped into his gut. But he also had the sensation of something fluttering beneath, like a trapped butterfly. And it was making him insane.

He pulled the documents from his pocket and handed them to Josh. Then he crossed his arms and faced the sliding glass doors to the lanai, staring out at the night.

After a moment, Josh asked, “Is there a chance this is really your kid?”

The butterfly in his gut got a burst of energy. “If you’re asking if we used birth control, the answer is yes. I always do.”

“But we all know it doesn’t always work,” Grace said, her voice compassionate as she reviewed the documents.

Zach chewed his bottom lip. “That’s all I’ve been able to think about for the last hour.” That and the realization he might have a daughter. A daughter. His stomach clenched. He squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his head back. “Fuck.”

“You can’t just put any guy’s name on a birth certificate, can you?” Grace asked. “Don’t you have to have their permission or something?”

“No,” Josh told her. “One of my teammates went through this. He hooked up with a girl in a bar on leave. Nine months later, out of the blue, he’s getting his paycheck garnished for court-ordered child support. He had to demand a paternity test, which came back with a mismatch for his DNA. That’s the only way you get out of the legal obligations tied to a child. And it takes time. There’s a lot of red tape and lawyers. Even after he was cleared of responsibility, he couldn’t get the thousands he’d paid in child support back from the woman. She was a deadbeat.”

“Could this woman be playing you?” Grace asked Zach. “Maybe she heard about Ian leaving the show and sees you as a meal ticket. You know how crazy these groupies can be.”

“It’s definitely crossed my mind.” Zach squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head. “But her asking me to sign over parental rights doesn’t make sense.”

“What does Marshall say about all this?” Josh asked.

“He didn’t answer his phone. I left him a get-back-to-me-right-fucking-now message.”

“Well, a paternity test is a given,” Grace said. “If Tessa is legit, are you going to sign off on the girl?”

“Hell no.” The words were out of his mouth with such vehemence, his skin heated with embarrassment. This situation gnawed at the heart of him. “I would never give up on my kid. That’s one of the things that’s fucking with me—that anyone would even think to put a kid in the middle of a scam like this. If I had a kid, no one would fuck with him.”

Or her.

This iron-willed streak was nothing new for Zach. He might be generally laid-back. But he was also competitive and driven. What kept hitting him sideways was the possessiveness that overwhelmed him when he let himself even consider that this little girl might be his.

“Okay,” Grace said, her tone a little more cautious. “So, you know what you’d do if she turned out not to be your daughter. The next thing to think about would be what steps you’d take if she turns out to be yours. To get your mind around this and find solid ground, I think it would help to have a game plan in mind before you find out.”

Turning his mind that direction meant accepting the possibility that this child was his, but every time that thought snuck in, a hot strike of panic rattled him to the core. Zach blew out a hard breath and pulled at his shirt to get air on his sweaty skin.

“That might be asking too much,” Josh said. “We should start by trying to disprove some of this evidence, investigate her background, and find out what’s what. If she’s not telling the truth, it’ll come out pretty quick. That would help us figure out what she really wants.”

“I like the sound of that,” Zach said.

“She told him what she wants,” Grace said. “Nothing. I understand you’re looking for a scam because this is a sudden shock, but she’s not asking for anything. In fact, signing these papers would take him off the hook for all responsibility. She wants to adopt the girl. And, Zach, I know you’re not going to like hearing this, but you and Ian really do look a lot alike. She might have made an innocent mistake.”

“You’re right. I don’t like the sound of that,” he told her.

“I think that’s because you haven’t thought this through all the way down the line. How would you take care of a three-year-old girl? With your schedule? Your traveling? You don’t even talk to your family, you’re not married, you’re not steadily involved with anyone. Think about how taking on responsibility for her would change your life. And her life.” Grace sat back and looked over the papers again. “Sorry, guys, with what I see right here, I’m leaning toward believing Tessa.”

Fuck me. Fuck me. “Fuck me.”

Josh looked at his wife. “What about the mother? However this check happened, the fact is she took twenty-five grand and walked away. If he was the father, don’t you think she’d have stuck around and fought for more? For regular child support?”

“She had cancer,” Grace said. “When she slept with Zach, he was nothing but a hot surfer dude.”

“Hot surfer dude in the hall of fame,” he added.

“Okay, a hot surfer dude with a little street cred,” she amended sarcastically, like his award meant little to nothing, which in this case he had to agree was pretty accurate. “Which would be the bigger dragon to slay? Getting cash to help with medical care, or trying to track down this surfing gypsy to tap the change in his pocket?”

“Hey, I’m not hand-to-mouth,” Zach said. Then amended, “Not yet.”

“Stop thinking about this like a scam,” she told them, “and look at the story she’s presented at face value for a second. You’ve got a new single mother who finds out she’s going to die. If she doesn’t have any close relatives to depend on, it only makes sense that she’d seek out the father to give that child some roots.”

Zach’s stomach surged with anguish. He rubbed his eyes and heaved a shaky breath. “Shit.”

“Imagine how she’d feel if she got a big ‘No thanks’ and someone threw money at her?”

“But I didn’t—” Zach started.

“Zach, I know you wouldn’t do that. But right now, that check looks like it came from your bank account. If she had cancer, she probably wasn’t working. I don’t know what DC’s disability system is like, but California’s sucks. She wouldn’t have been getting much. I seriously doubt it was enough to support herself and a child. And who knows what kinds of expenses she had. One of my clients started stripping because her husband’s cancer treatment drove them into bankruptcy. If Tessa’s story is true, I’d bet she’s been shouldering this responsibility with Corinne and Sophia. Which would explain why she wants to adopt the girl.”

All these possibilities made Zach sick with guilt and fear. He wiped one hand down his face and waved at Grace with the other. “Stop, stop. I think I’m gonna puke.”

He dropped to a seat on the edge of a chair, propped his elbows on his knees, and covered his face with both hands.

“How well do you know Marshall?” Josh asked. “I know he’s been your agent for several years, but does he have this in him?” He gestured to the photocopy of the cashier’s check. “Did you ever notice money missing from your payments?”

“He’s always been great. He’s gotten me good gigs—all kinds of photo shoots, article ops, endorsements, even some modeling gigs that I hated but kept my lights on. Everything goes through him. He tells me the terms offered, the pay, and I say yes or no. He handles the paperwork; I sign on the dotted line and do the work. He gets payment from the client, takes his cut, and deposits the rest in my account. I’ll admit to having a pretty lousy business side, but I’ve never noticed any discrepancies, and I’ve never had a reason to question him.”

Josh’s brow was pulled in a tight frown as he studied the photocopy of the check. He cast a look at Grace, and they did that silent communication thing.

“What?” Zach asked. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

They both looked at him. Josh was the first to speak. “Sounds to me like Marshall has a lot of power over your finances and your career.”

“He’s the one who’s gotten me where I am. I could never have picked up some of the gigs he’s found for me. He’s negotiated great contracts.”

“And he benefits from every one,” Grace said.

Zach pushed to his feet and started pacing again. His stomach ached. “Holy fuck.” Now he was facing the possibility of an embezzling agent and insta-fatherhood. “What the hell am I going to do?”

No one answered for a long moment. Zach’s heart had to be triple-timing when Josh finally said, “You’re going to leave these documents with me, and I’m going to dig.”

Zach tented his hands over his mouth. This was going to kill him before an answer materialized. He was sure of it.

Josh looked at Grace. “And I’m going to call Ellen.”

Grace nodded in agreement. “Good idea.”

“Who’s Ellen?” Zach asked.

“An attorney in LA.” He sat forward and flattened the papers on the coffee table. “She handled cases for the insurance company I worked for before the Renegades, and she’s helped Jax and Lexi with a number of issues, including contract negotiation. Beyond being as sharp as they come, she’s passionate about a father’s right to their child, because her own father was cut out of her life by a bitter mother. In the event this girl is yours and you want to negotiate custody, you’ll want Ellen in your corner.”

“Dude, I already know I can’t afford Ellen in my corner.”

“Can you afford to lose your daughter?”

His daughter.

Zach stumbled to the sink in the kitchenette and splashed water on his face.

When he turned off the faucet, Grace said, “I agree with Josh. You’re going to need the best attorney you can get to defend your right to your daughter. Think about it. To a judge, you’re going to look like a guy who knocked up a woman in a drive-by and paid her off to get rid of the problem.”

“But I didn’t—”

“I’m just telling you how it looks,” Grace cut him off. “Let’s say you find a way to prove that wasn’t you and that you didn’t know about Sophia until now. And even if you are her biological father, the court won’t grant you automatic custody. They’ll look at both you and Tessa, your relationships with Sophia, your ability to support her. After going through this with a number of my clients, I can tell you your sketchy employment and your travel schedule are going to become a problem. Granted this is information coming out of California, but from any unbiased view, you don’t exactly look like stable parent material.”

All this just put added pressure on him to get this part on Hawaiian Heat.

“I agree,” Josh said. “This is all food for thought down the line. But first things first—let’s call Ellen.”

“Yeah, fine.”

Josh grabbed his phone on the coffee table.

“What?” Zach said. “You’re calling her now?”

“It’s only eleven in California. She’s a workaholic and a night owl. I guarantee she’ll be up.”

Grace kissed Josh’s cheek. “I think I’ve stressed Zach out enough. I’m going to turn in.”

She wandered to Zach, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her cheek to his chest, giving him a squeeze. He hugged her back. “Thanks, Grace.”

She smiled up at him. “We’re here for you. Anytime for anything. If she is yours and you choose to be part of her life, she’ll be grandfathered into the Renegades. That might not carry much weight in court, but in the real world, you’ll always know you’ve got a wall of muscle and heart behind you both, wherever you go.”

He hugged her again, and his eyes stung like they did when he first opened them under water. “God damn, you’re going to give me a panic attack.”

She patted his back. “One step at a time.”

When Grace disappeared into the bedroom, Josh gestured Zach out onto the lanai. Exhausted now, he joined Josh and dropped to the edge of a deck chair and propped his elbows on his thighs. “I fuckin’ need this job, Josh.”

“Slow down. We don’t even know if the girl is yours yet.”

“Jesus, I feel like I’m pinned beneath a pipeline.”

“Something’s pushing your buttons,” Josh said. “Something beyond the obvious. What is it?”

He thought for a minute, staring at his hands clasped between his knees. “I believe her. Tessa,” he clarified. He lifted his gaze and met Zach’s. “At first, I didn’t. At first, I thought she was just a crazy chick who’d heard about the possibility that I’d get a part and wanted to cash in. But then I go back to our night together and the way she talked about Sophia when she supposedly didn’t know I was me…”

His mind drifted—to the way she’d massaged and stretched his shoulder for him. The way she’d kissed him from shoulders to toes when he’d been laid out on his belly, catching his breath, then stretched out on top of him. The way she’d laughed when he’d flipped her. They hadn’t talked about anything deep or complicated, just a little about their families, what it was like to live in different places, and what they liked in bed, but he’d felt like he could have. Like she would have been there for him and listened. And if what she’d told him was true, she was definitely the kind of person who would stick through the hard times. He’d never found that. Not even in his own family.

He shook his head, feeling foolish over wishing she turned out to be that person. The daughter part of the whole thing… His belly fluttered again.

“I don’t know,” he finally admitted. “I can’t explain it. Just a feeling I got.”

“Your gut is credible,” Josh said. “It’s not like you don’t have any experience with opportunists.”

“I’m pretty sure I should be offended by that statement.”

Josh just grinned. Then he looked at his phone. “I’m going to call Ellen, give her the story, and let you talk to her. But I know her, and her advice is sound. Don’t be surprised if she suggests that you stay cozied up to Tessa while you’re going through this.”

“That sounds like surefire trouble to me.”

“Think about what Grace said. Tessa has been in this girl’s life from day one. That’s going to weigh heavily in any court’s decision. If it were my kid and I’d already missed out on her first three years, I wouldn’t risk losing another minute. And I’d jump through hoops to prove to Tessa I was trustworthy and reliable and competent to be a good father. She’s got all the power in this situation, Zach. Your best move would be to establish a little muscle on your side in case you need it. And if I were you, I wouldn’t tell Tessa you’re consulting an attorney either.”

Zach closed his eyes and rubbed his face with a groan.

“Try to relax,” Josh said, dialing his phone. “Nothing’s going to happen until we have proof this kid is yours.”

* * *

Tessa stood out on the lanai, her phone at her ear, her heart in her throat. “Give it to me straight,” she told Sharon, a friend from law school who specialized in family law and the woman who’d drawn up the documents Tessa had taken to Zach for his signature. “What’s the worst-case scenario? I can’t lose her, right? I mean…”

She choked back the panic threatening to close her throat. She’d left Zach several voice mail messages, but he hadn’t responded. After she sent him numerous texts, he’d sent one back: I need time.

Her panic ticked higher with every hour that passed without a response. She’d convinced herself he’d consulted an attorney and was having custody documents drawn up now, right along with a custody hearing request.

She wished she’d never come to this godforsaken island. Wished she had been satisfied being Sophia’s guardian. It had been four days since she’d met him at the restaurant, and Tessa couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, couldn’t focus.

“Your legal guardianship is ironclad,” Sharon said. “That said, he is still her biological parent. His rights as a parent aren’t automatically revoked just because he hasn’t been involved. So, yes, if he wants custody, it could get complicated. Worst-case scenario would be that he petitions the courts to revoke your guardianship, but he’d have to prove you’re not competent, and there’s nothing to support that.”

Tessa’s stomach bottomed out. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She might always have harbored an inkling of fear over this possibility, but she’d never truly believed it would happen. Now she was in the big fat middle of it, and the thought of losing Sophia made her feel like she was bleeding out.

“But, honestly,” Sharon said, “given what you’ve told me about him, about his career, he’d be an idiot to sue for sole custody. He couldn’t possibly believe he can care for a three-year-old little girl on his own. We also have Corinne’s letter and video with a dying declaration of who she wanted raising Sophia and why. That would go a long way with a judge.”

Jesus, she didn’t want this to go to a judge.

“There would have to be extreme extenuating circumstances to have your guardianship revoked or for Mr. Ellis to be granted full custody.”

Like hooking up with him while thinking he was someone else? Like leaving Sophia with a nanny while she was out screwing some stranger? She couldn’t bring herself to ask Sharon if that would be adequate grounds to revoke guardianship.

“Then there’s the evidence you’ve uncovered related to his callous disregard for both Corinne’s wishes and Sophia herself. Based on those facts, I can’t imagine a judge or jury taking Sophia out of your custody and putting her in his.”

“None of that is exactly comforting,” she said.

“Sweetie,” Sharon said, her tone sympathetic but edged with tough love, “you’re worrying about problems that don’t even exist.”

“Yet.”

“Yet,” Sharon agreed. “You need to focus your energy on making Mr. Ellis see that signing over his parental rights is in Sophia’s best interest. I’d advise you not to go in with a balls-of-steel attitude. It would be far less problematic if you win him over, because if you two go up against each other in court, it will take time and money to sort out the details. In the end, all three of you will be losers. I know how important she is to you. Now is the time to fight for her—with compassionate but firm gloves. Not later, not hard-core, and not in court.”

“Mommy,” Sophia said from the doorway, holding up her latest drawing. “Look what I made.” Tessa dropped into a crouch and held her free arm open. Sophia came to her and climbed into her lap. “This is Corinne.” She pointed to her raggedy clouds. “She’s in heaven. And this is us.”

On a strip of green, Sophia had drawn her typical stick figures depicting Tessa, Abby, and Sophia.

“That’s beautiful, baby.” She kissed Sophia’s head. Into the phone, she said, “Thanks, Sharon. I’ll call you when I have news.”

“You bet.”

She disconnected, set the phone aside, and pulled Sophia close. Tessa pressed her face to Sophia’s neck and tried to hold her as tight as she could without hurting her. It didn’t matter that Tessa hadn’t given birth to Sophia, she still felt physically connected to her, like their hearts were fused. The fear of losing Sophia wasn’t solely selfish. Tessa could overcome loss. But she truly wanted the very best life for Sophia. The one she’d promised Corinne she would provide even as her friend’s eyes had closed on her last breath.

Tears blurred Tessa’s vision. The pain of Corinne’s loss still cut deep.

“Why you crying, Mommy?” Sophia asked.

Tessa sniffled. “Happy tears, baby. I love you so much.”

“Love you too.” And in the next breath, she said, “I’m hungry. Want mac-roni and cheese?”

Tessa laughed and wiped at her tears. “I think we used the last of our mac and cheese last night. How ’bout peanut butter and jelly?”

“And apple juice?”

“Of course.”

She lifted Sophia off her lap as the condo’s front door closed.

“Who’s watching Frozen without me?” Abby’s bubbly voice drifted through the condo. “I go to the grocery, and this is what happens?”

Sophia giggled and cut a conspiratorial smile at Tessa. “Uh-oh.”

How this little creature could infuse Tessa’s heart with so much love she thought it would burst constantly mystified her.

“Sorry,” Tessa said, pushing to her feet and sharing Sophia’s grin. “It was me.”

Abby appeared at the door, hands on hips, head tilted, a dramatic look of exasperation on her pretty face. She had her hair up in a ponytail and lifted one hand to waggle her finger at Tessa. “You know better, young lady.”

Sophia burst out giggling. “It wasn’t Mommy.”

Abby feigned suspicion, wrinkles maring the perfectly smooth skin of her forehead. “It couldn’t have been you. Because you know what happens to little girls who watch Disney without their nannies…” Abby bent, hands outstretched in tickling posture, and chased Sophia around the lanai and back into the condo.

Sophia’s giggles echoed in the air and made Tessa laugh. Made her heart surge with joy.

She turned to look out at the mountains, her mind drifting back to her conversation with Sharon. How could she fight for Sophia if Zach wouldn’t cooperate?

“Hey.” Abby stood in the doorway and lowered her voice when she asked, “What did Sharon say?”

“That if he wants to be involved in her life, he could make things very difficult.”

“Did you tell her about the other night?”

Tessa returned her gaze to the lush mountains, but she didn’t even see the beauty; she was suffering too much anguish. “No,” she admitted. “I can’t help but think that sleeping with a stranger instead of spending the night home with Sophia could be considered…I don’t know…negligent or something.”

“If it was, thousands of parents would be guilty,” Abby said. “And considering his lifestyle, he’s not exactly the kind who should throw stones.”

True. But working in a male-dominated profession in a town where power was wielded mostly by men, Tessa knew firsthand how alive and well that old double standard remained. “Maybe.”

“You should do some research,” Abby suggested. “You know, find something you could threaten to expose to use as leverage.”

That had crossed her mind, but only for a millisecond. “That is exactly what I want to avoid—the nastiness, the drama, the fight.”

“That was when you thought he didn’t want her.”

Tessa had planned on approaching Zach with cool, no-nonsense, competent control. Instead, she’d slept with him within two hours of meeting him. As Abby had so boldly pointed out the day after, there was no cool, competent control when the opponent had seen your O face.

Her cell buzzed, and her heart jumped. She turned it over with hopes of seeing a number she didn’t know, raising the chances of having it be Zach. But Gordon’s name stared up at her. She exhaled and connected, shaking her head at Abby’s expectant expression. “It’s just Gordon.”

Abby frowned and turned into the condo with a roll of her eyes.

“Hey there,” she said to Gordon.

“Just Gordon?” he said, his voice playfully miffed. “Seriously? Do you know how hard I’m working at keeping shit together around here? I’m breaking my back for you over here.”

Tessa smiled. “I’m sorry, it wasn’t meant the way it sounded.”

“Hmmph. Heard that before.”

“Thanks for making me smile,” she said. “What’s up?”

“What’s not is a better question. This place is on fire lately. Bruce and Vanessa are going to break out in hives if they don’t get it on soon. Tiffany and Jennifer can’t even manage a cordial hello since Tiffany stole Steven away from Jen’s neglectful arms. Rodney’s been acting really weird. I’m more convinced than ever that he’s in the closet and that he dreams about my gorgeous body when he sleeps—”

“Gordon,” she laughed, rubbing her eyes. “TMI, buddy. I meant, what’s going on that I need to know about?”

“Oh. That.” Clearly disappointed she didn’t take an interest in the firm’s latest gossip, he got to the point. “Debra called. Veterans Affairs wants changes under Eligibility, Terms and Benefits and Fiscal Impact.”

She closed her eyes on an exhale. “Hell, that’s only half the bill. Why stop there? Don’t they want changes to the other three sections?”

“Don’t pose questions like that to the universe,” he chastised. “You’re begging for trouble, sweetheart.”

“You mean more trouble.”

“Yes, like this: Debra’s requests directly conflict with the terms Warren from Pharmaceuticals United agreed to.”

Tessa closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “Oh, perfect.”

“I forwarded all the emails to you and highlighted the sections where the required changes are outlined.”

She sighed, thanked Gordon, promised to kiss Sophia for him, and disconnected. Under the circumstances, she was glad for the work. It would help her mind stay busy.

Turning into the kitchen, she found Sophia helping Abby make the macaroni and cheese Abby had picked up at the store. She came up behind Sophia where she stood on a dining room chair and kissed her head. “At this rate, you’re going to be a chef by the time you’re ten.”

“A mac-roni chef,” she confirmed with perfect mispronunciation and a solid nod.

Tessa met Abby’s eyes. “I have to do a little work. Mind holding down the fort? I’d like to hit the library for a few hours.”

“Of course.”

“Thanks. I won’t be late.” She bent to kiss Tessa’s cheek. “I’ll be back soon, my mini-chef.”

Sophia returned Tessa’s kiss. Then her little hand touched Tessa’s cheek and her big blue eyes held Tessa’s with serious intent. “When I’m a mac-roni chef, you won’t have to work so hard, Mommy.”

Emotion swelled in her heart, and tears surged to her eyes. Tessa smiled and buried her face against Sophia’s soft curls. “Thanks, baby. I love you.”

“Love you,” she answered, but her attention was on the stove again. “Is it noodle time yet?”