Chapter Four
“You’ve got a healthy son here, ma’am. You must be a proud mama with this little guy in your life.”
Clara offered a brittle smile. “He’s not mine.”
The pediatrician blinked and glanced between her and Walker. “Sorry. Not all families are brought together through biology. A child this young should have no trouble bonding with you, however. Already he understands who loves and cares for him.”
This is not getting any better. Maybe I should have led with “He’s not mine but my idiot best friend’s. A man who understands the inner workings of the most complex software on the planet but struggles to comprehend latex.”
Probably not the best first impression to make on the top pediatrician in the city.
Keeping her thin smile in place, she stayed quiet.
“He came into our lives in an unorthodox way,” Walker cut in. “We just want to know if he’s healthy.”
“Smart,” the doctor replied. “You’ll need regular checkups, of course, but my initial exam suggests your son is doing just fine. No need to worry.”
“That’s a relief,” she said. “We want to make sure he’s doing well.”
“I can promise he is,” the man said. “He appears to be a healthy baby progressing as he should be. I’d say there’s no need to worry, but I understand how overwhelming having a new baby can be for first-time parents.”
“Yes, it’s been a shock,” she said. “Doctor, how soon can we get a paternity test done?”
Both men blinked.
“It is a relatively simple test,” the doctor said, recovering first. “I can do it today and you’ll have the results next week.”
“Excellent. We’d like to do one.”
“Doctor, could you give us a minute?” Walker interrupted.
“Absolutely. I’ll go check on another patient and be right back.” Excusing himself, the pediatrician let himself out of the small white office.
When the door clicked shut, Walker turned to her. “What are you doing?”
She arched a brow. “I should be asking you the same thing. You need a paternity test.”
“Why?”
“Why? Your net worth has more digits than my phone number. You don’t think it might be in someone’s best interest to fake a pregnancy?”
“I don’t think anyone would go this far for a paycheck,” he said, giving Hunter one of his fingers to gnaw on.
Sighing, she walked over to the pair, resting her hand on his shoulder. “I’m not saying he isn’t yours,” she said quietly, crouching down. “I’m just saying let’s make sure now before this goes any further.”
He gazed down at his son. “It’s only been one night,” he said. “One awful, sleepless night and yet…”
“And yet you don’t want the test to say this is all a lie.”
“It’d be the easiest way out of all this, but I can’t believe anyone would use a child as a pawn like this.”
Her heart cracked just a little more. For a man as brilliant as Walker, he’d always struggled to recognize the extent some people would go for a payday. His mind was all logical and reason. He’d forget the outside world existed if she wasn’t around to pull him back to reality every now and then.
Which was why he needed her. This was her area of expertise, not his. She’d spent her life writing about human nature and knew firsthand not all of it was rosy. She hoped for Walker’s sake that Hunter was exactly what they thought he was, an abandoned child in need of his father’s protection. But she wasn’t going to shy away from answers, even if they weren’t the ones she wanted to hear.
“You need to know,” she whispered to him. “You need to protect yourself. Having proof he’s yours also allows you to better protect him. It gives you legal claim over him. You need this documentation, Walker. Please, trust me on this.”
Blue eyes met hers before he drew one finger down her arm in an absentminded caress.
“I hate that you’re always right,” he murmured.
Her heart kicked up a notch. “I know,” she replied. “It’s a terrible cross I have to bear.”
His lips twisted in a brief smile. “Okay. Let’s do the test.”
She gave his hand a squeeze before pushing to her feet again. “I’ll go get the doctor.”
Leaving Walker behind, she slipped out of the room and went in search of their pediatrician. She found him at the front desk, talking with a nurse.
“Ah, Mrs. Beckett,” he said when he saw her.
A shiver ran down her spine.
Mrs. Beckett.
She didn’t hate the way it sounded.
Stop it. That will never be my name. I shouldn’t want it to be. And I don’t.
That would be the most ridiculous thing she’d ever done. She knew how Walker felt about relationships.
He felt the same away about babies, and look at him with Hunter.
Forcing her mind back to the matter at hand, she said, “We’d like to go ahead with the paternity test.”
The doctor touched her arm, gliding her into a hall corner that offered at least the semblance of privacy.
“I’m sorry you must deal with this unpleasantness,” he murmured. “If you need support dealing with your husband’s…infidelities there are numbers I can get you.”
“No, it’s not that,” she replied. “Walker isn’t my husband, and he hasn’t done anything wrong. I’m just trying to protect his best interests.”
The doctor blinked. “All right, then. I’ll go and collect the samples. Would you like to come with me or wait in the waiting room?”
“The waiting room is fine,” she said.
“This shouldn’t take too long. I’ll send them out to you shortly.”
“Thank you.” Taking a seat on one of the white chairs, she grabbed a glossy magazine and stared sightlessly at the page.
One day down, twenty to go.
It’d be a piece of cake.
Right?
…
Hunter slept happily in his car seat as they drove home from the doctor’s office. In a few days, he’d have the verdict. The paternity test would prove Hunter was his.
He might not be.
The thought brought a tangled surge of emotions to the surface. If the child wasn’t his, he’d make sure it was cared for but he’d be off the hook. He could go back to his normal life and so could Clara.
Then again, he’d be back to where he started. No family. Only Clara. That should be the outcome he hoped for. What did he know about raising a child? Hunter’s mother clearly felt the same or he wouldn’t be in the position now.
Once more his mind drifted to the nameless woman who’d helped get him into this mess. Part of him wanted to track her down and demand answers. But another side, the side that wanted the paternity results to come back positive, wanted to keep her away for as long as possible. He needed time to process. To understand what it meant to be responsible for another human being before he could deal with a mother who had no qualms about abandoning a baby.
He dragged a hand down his face. What a mess this all was. He wasn’t father material. Never had been, never wanted to be. But there was no escaping his new reality.
Glancing in the rearview mirror he saw Clara staring at the baby. A baby that wasn’t hers regardless of how the test came back. Yet she still had a soft smile on her lips as she looked down at the child.
“Andrew said he sent a nanny to the penthouse for us today. He interviewed several and thinks she’s the best,” he said to his companion.
Clara glanced up at him. “Your poor assistant. I hope you give him a good bonus for doing all this.”
“He’ll be fine,” he assured her. With the salaries he paid his people, Andrew was probably happy to jump at any request, no matter how unusual.
“If the nanny works out, I’ll call Diane and let her know I’ll be in tomorrow for work.”
“We’ll be fine. Give her a call.”
Pulling up in front of his building, Walker swept from the car and handed the keys to the waiting valet before helping Clara unbuckle Hunter. Pulling the baby into his arms, he tried to ignore the still uncomfortable feeling of holding his own child.
You’ll get the hang of it eventually. Right?
He had no choice. And if there was one motto in his life, it was never to quit. Over and over the world had tried to crush him and where was he now? Living most people’s fantasy.
Or at least, he had been.
Clara swung the baby bag over her shoulder and followed him into the luxury condo building. Within minutes, he was trying to pull the key from his pocket while juggling Hunter.
“You need to make me a key,” she said, batting his hand away and slipping her fingers into his pocket for him.
He stiffened as she fished for the keys in an action she obviously didn’t think twice about.
But while he might be her best friend, he was still man enough to notice just how close her fingers were to a certain part of his anatomy.
This is Clara. Get your brain out of the gutter.
Because as much as he might want to teasingly suggest she shift her hand over a little bit, those were words he could never say to her.
“Got ’em,” she said, sliding the keys into the lock before opening the door.
He cleared his throat before saying, “Thanks.”
They’d just stepped into the entranceway when a woman rounded the corner.
“Mr. Beckett,” she greeted, striding over with a bright smile. “I’m Emily Williams, the nanny. Your assistant arranged for me to come over.”
“Great to meet you, Emily,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand, looking her up and down. The petite woman barely looked older than Clara, and he couldn’t help wondering how useful she’d be to them, for all her professional demeanor. “We’re looking forward to seeing your skills.”
“I’ve been working with kids for over ten years,” she said, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. “My references are impeccable, I assure you.” She leaned down to examine the baby. “Andrew told me you all had a busy day figuring out this little guy’s health. Why don’t I put him down for a nap and you two can take a breather? There’s a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen.”
“I think I might love you,” Clara said. “Coffee sounds perfect right now.”
Emily smiled. “Then Hunter and I will give you a little space. May I?” She held out her arms, waiting expectantly.
His hands tightened on his son automatically.
“Walker?” He glanced at Clara and the question in her eyes. “It’s okay,” she said, putting her hand on his arms. “We’re right here if he needs us.”
“Of course.” He held Hunter out for the nanny to take. Watching Clara pick up his child was the most natural thing in the world, but watching the baby in a strange woman’s arms stirred something inside him he’d rather not examine too closely.
“I’ll settle him in your room,” Emily said. “I also set up a baby monitor in the kitchen so you can keep an eye on him.”
“Thank you,” Clara said. “We’ll take advantage of that coffee now. Let us know if you need any help.”
“I’m sure this little guy is tired out. Shouldn’t be too much trouble,” Emily answered with a warm smile. She took the baby bag from the floor and headed to the staircase that led to the second floor and the bedrooms.
“Come on, let’s get you some coffee,” Clara said when he followed Hunter’s progression with his gaze.
Grabbing his arm, she steered him into the kitchen and into one of the chairs at the marble island. Within minutes, there was a steaming cup of sinfully black liquid sitting before him.
“Better?” Clara asked, hopping up onto the chair beside his, a cup nestled in her own hands.
“Hell of a day.”
“Tell me about it,” she replied. “Everything is shifting in your world. Just lean into it. What else can you do?”
“I don’t ‘lean in.’”
“You do now,” she said, taking a sip. “Children are tiny bundles of chaos. Time to learn to go with the flow.”
He ran a hand down his face. “Nothing will ever be the same.”
Her brown gaze met his for a second as if to say, “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
She didn’t voice the words, however, but simply turned her attention back to her drink.
“Was the paper okay with you skipping today?” he said, trying to change the subject. “I don’t want your work impacted by all this. I can give Diane a check for your time if it helps.”
She rolled her eyes. “Not every problem is solvable with money.”
His chuckle was self-deprecating. “You have no idea how naive that sentence is.”
“If that’s how you approach your days, then maybe shaking up your life is a good thing. Not everyone has an agenda.”
He reached over and took her hand in his. “I like your view of the world better than mine.”
Her eyes were on his again. Coffee forgotten, he allowed himself this moment to enjoy the simple pleasure of touching her. Even if only as a friend.
His fingertips glided over hers before he flipped her hand palm up to stroke the more sensitive skin with his thumb.
“Are you calling me an optimist?” she asked. Her voice had a breathless quality to it that he hoped was real and not just wishful thinking.
“You always see the best in people. Me included.”
“It can be a trial sometimes,” she teased.
“I know,” he answered in all honesty.
The smile dropped from her face. “I was joking,” she said.
“I wasn’t.”
“Walker…” Her fingers entwined with his as she leaned closer. “You’re a good man.”
“I’m better with you by my side.”
The corners of her lips kicked up, but it wasn’t a happy smile. “But I’m not always at your side.”
“I know.” And every time she walked away from him it was becoming harder and harder not to call her back.
Don’t think about her that way.
His fingers tightened on hers as he stared at her. She’d always been an open book to him, and this close, there was no missing the moment something shifted in her gaze. A tremor ran through her hand as she looked up at him. An emotion swirled in her eyes he couldn’t quite put his finger on. It was different than how she usually looked at him. Different in a way that made his heart beat a little bit faster.
“I should go check on Hunter,” she exclaimed, shooting to her feet so fast coffee sloshed out of her cup as she set the mug on the table.
“I’m sure the nanny has it under control,” he said as he, too, rose to his feet.
“She’s new to this.”
“We are, too.”
“It’s better to be safe than sorry, don’t you think? I’ll just be a minute.”
“If you feel you need to.”
She tossed him a smile, her gaze not meeting his, and walked forward. Or rather, she tried to. But her heel slipped on the spilled coffee and she windmilled for balance as he reached for her.
Only to find her tumbling right into his arms.