Max parked his truck outside the Sunshine Motel, cutting the engine but not getting out. Eve had been texting him every half hour, insisting he meet her, or she would come look for him herself.

And her showing up on the ranch was the last thing Max wanted.

He had no doubt that Eve would make good on that threat, though, so he had pretty much raced over, hating how he was giving in to her the whole way to the motel. But not only did he not want to bring his personal drama to Gage and Addison’s yard, he wanted to keep Eve away from Olivia and Riley, as well.

As far as he was concerned, Eve no longer had the privilege to see her daughter whenever she wanted, not that she had even asked him about Olivia at all. On top of that, Max had no idea what kind of shape Eve was even in.

It was unlikely she had changed her party-all-the-time lifestyle, and even if she had, it didn’t change the way she had acted.

With a resigned sigh, Max got out of the truck, slamming the door after him.

Better get this over with.

Eve had already given him her room number, so he just walked inside, giving the bored clerk behind the check-in desk a nod of acknowledgment. Climbing the stairs, he made his way to the second floor and stopped in front of the correct door.

The motel itself didn’t look bad, just a little dated with the busy carpets and faded pictures on the walls. He knocked on the flimsy-looking door, listening to footsteps coming from inside. There was only one heartbeat, so he knew Eve was alone.

When the door swung open, he was taken aback at the flood of emotion that rolled over him as he saw Eve again. She had dyed her hair a fiery red, but otherwise, she looked much the same. Her gray eyes were a little watery as she studied him for a moment before stepping aside to let him in.

“Took you a while to get here,” she remarked, flaring his temper.

Clad in a tight top and short shorts, she walked into the room, leaving him to close the door. Max’s bear was already growling in his chest, but he forced himself to remain calm. Eve had to have a good reason for showing up here the way she had, and he needed to find out what that was.

Rubbing her button-nose, she whirled around to face him, cocking her hip. Max was aware he had yet to say a word, but that didn’t bother him. Eve had been the one who wanted to meet, so it was time for her to start talking.

Crossing his arms in front of him, Max stood in the middle of the room, staring her in the eye. Eve shuffled on her feet, giving him a once-over.

“So you came back home, huh,” she said. “I tried tracking you down in Carson City, but your landlord said you had moved. I had to chase your old boss down to get your new number.”

Max was barely listening.

“Why are you here, Eve?” he asked.

“What, you aren’t happy to see me?” she countered, almost managing to look offended.

“You mean after you hid the fact I had a daughter from me for months, only to show up unannounced and bail on her?” Max asked. “Happy is not the word I was thinking of.”

Pouting, Eve took a step closer. She smelled like cigarettes, and there was a blotchy flush to her cheeks. He could still see the pretty girl she used to be, but it was clear she had been living fast and hard.

“We had some good times, too,” she purred.

“Cut to the chase,” he said, an edge to his tone.

“Fine,” Eve sulked. “I’m here to see my daughter.”

“Your daughter?” Max couldn’t help but scoff. “Funny, she hasn’t been your daughter for the past six months, and now you’re suddenly the concerned mom?”

“Hey,” Eve objected, pointing a finger at him. “I had some shit I needed to deal with, all right?”

Max couldn’t hold back any longer. Standing there, facing Eve, after having so many months to think about what he might say to her if he ever saw her again, the words just poured out, and he had trouble keeping his voice from rising.

“Have you ever in your life thought of anyone but yourself?” he demanded, without even giving her time to respond. “You robbed me of being there for my daughter from the moment she was born, then you abandoned her, and now you show up out of the blue with nothing but excuses?

“You’re a mess, and there’s no way I’m letting you anywhere near Olivia right now.”

It was clear Eve wanted to look shocked, insulted or sad about what he had said, but she couldn’t quite pull it off. More and more, Max got the distinct feeling Eve had an ulterior motive for showing up the way she had.

Letting the growl he had been holding back echo out from his chest, Max took a step closer to Eve, grinding his jaw together. Eve had never seen him angry, and this new side of him had an immediate effect on her.

She tried to play brave, but was clearly rattled.

“What do you want?” he ground out.

“Well, if you’re not going to let me see my daughter, you could at least help me out a little. You know, financially,” she replied.

Max nearly laughed at the pure gall required for Eve to even come out with a request like that.

“You have to be kidding,” he said. “I’m not giving you anything.”

“You will if you want me out of your life,” she shot back. “I’m still Olivia’s mom. I have rights.”

“What, you’re going to take me to court, is that it?” Max scoffed. “There’s a pile of empty beer bottles stacked under the desk, you look like you haven’t slept in days, and oh, did I forget to mention you’ve already abandoned Olivia once? No judge is going to give you custody.”

A mean grin tugged at the edges of Eve’s mouth, taking him off guard. Eve didn’t have any cards left to play, so what the hell was she smiling about?

“You think you have a claim on her because you’re her daddy,” she spat out, some of her bravado coming back. “But do you really think you were the only man in my life back then? Come on, you know me better than that, baby.”

Max could feel every muscle in his body tense.

“What are you saying?” he asked.

“I gave Olivia to you because you were the most responsible one, not because I thought you were actually the most likely to be her dad,” she replied. “Once this goes to court, there will be a DNA test. And I bet you’ve gotten attached to the kid by now, haven’t you?

“What if it turns out she’s not yours? There’s a good chance of that, too, let me tell you. But we don’t have to go through all that.”

Thoughts racing, Max remained perfectly still, afraid of what he might do if he let himself react. Every protective instinct in his body was screaming at him. Olivia was his, there was no doubt in his mind. For Eve to even suggest anything else was mean-spirited and contrived.

Not only did everyone say she was the spitting image of him, his bear had recognized the little girl as family the moment he had laid eyes on her. That instinct couldn’t possibly have been wrong. It went deeper than his bones, straight to the core of his being.

Yet Eve clearly believed someone else could be Olivia’s father, and she would play that card whether it was actually true or not. Even if everything worked out in court, dragging Olivia through that lengthy, traumatic process wouldn’t do anyone any good.

Would she be placed in someone else’s custody until it was proven he was in fact her father? Or would Eve get her until it was all sorted out? Looking at the woman now, Max had serious doubts Eve could look after herself, let alone a child.

Max couldn’t believe Eve had completely managed to upend his life again, but he knew he was out of choices. No cost was too high when it came to his daughter. Whatever he needed to do to keep that little girl safe, healthy and by his side, he would do.

His voice sounded faraway and defeated when he spoke.

“How much do you need?”