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He took her out for dinner several times in Rollinsburg, and they went on a couple of day excursions as she showed him around the area. They always left the babies with Momma Jones or in daycare.
Heath had settled into the evening routine with Sylvie though he’d often arrive shortly before the babies’ bedtime. Coincidence? She didn’t think so.
Still, it was nice to just hang out with him, to sit next to one another on the sofa and watch TV. It all felt good and right, except when the twins were around. That part kept her from pulling the trigger on telling him the truth.
“Daydreaming again? You better watch that around Neesa. Get it out of your system during lunch. If you don’t do a better job this afternoon and quit missing all those weeds, she’ll have you hoeing out in the field,” Phae said as she put her hands on her hips and stretched from side to side.
Sylvie chuckled. “Sorry, I’ve got a lot on my mind lately.”
“Would any of those things have to do with a tall, handsome reporter?”
Sylvie stepped up onto the wide, wrap-around porch and glanced from side to side. No one else was close-by. Her face flushed warmly and she knew it didn’t have anything to do with the heat.
“I have been spending a lot of time with Heath, if that’s what you’re asking,” she said.
“I wasn’t really asking. Don’t have to. Everybody around town has been reporting back every single detail of what you two have been up to around town. I don’t even have to drive in to find out the latest gossip. I’m getting texts, emails and phone calls all hours of the day and night. Maybe Heath should start writing The Heath and Sylvie Gazette. It’d sell out in seconds.”
Sylvie groaned.
Phae put an arm around her shoulders. “Aww, I’m putting you on. It’s not quite that bad. Remember, I’m your best friend. You have to tell me the good stuff first. And I’m nothing but a big fat pregnant lady now. No more romance for me.” She made a ridiculous pouty face.
Sylvie heard a snort of outrage from somewhere close-by … Kent.
Sylvie laughed. “I have a feeling you see way more romance than I do these days.”
She hadn’t meant to say it like that out loud. She was perfectly content with the fact that Heath wanted to take things slow. She did, too. But she didn’t want everyone else guessing that her bed was empty as ever. She’d rather they guess the opposite. Less embarrassing.
Phae raised an eyebrow. “What are you saying, girl?”
“Nothing. Nothing.”
She turned as she heard the rumble of a car coming up the driveway. She recognized the car. A cherry red convertible. Brand new. The same one James ticketed the day Heath showed up in town.
Alan’s car.
Chapter Twenty
WHAT THE HELL?
“Uh-oh,” Neesa said as she came out of the house and stood at Sylvie’s side. “Who invited him?”
“I certainly didn’t,” Sylvie said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“No one would have,” Phae said. “Kent, what’s he doing here?”
Kent stepped up and slipped an arm around Phae’s shoulders. “No idea. I can’t imagine he’s here for anything good. Can you?”
“No,” Sylvie said with the finality of an expert.
Everyone watched the car stop at the end of the circle driveway. Alan got out of the car.
Sylvie thought that he looked ridiculous. He was wearing khaki pants and a long flowing shirt that she wanted to tell him the ’80s wanted back.
His hair was parted off to the side, and she could see he had been getting his fake tan on again. He looked like a dissipated “Miami Vice” Don Johnson trudging toward them, and she wondered how she’d ever been attracted to him.
When his glare settled on her, she returned his nasty look in kind. She hadn’t spoken more than half a dozen words to Alan since their break-up, and those had all been stiff nods when they had inadvertently passed each other in the street.
The fact that he was at the farm couldn’t be a good sign. And the way he was scowling told her this wouldn’t end well.
“There you are, Sylvie. I’ve been looking all over town for you.” His tone was nasty, accusatory, as if she’d been hiding from him or something equally ludicrous.
Sylvie stepped off the porch and met him halfway to the house. She realized that both Heath and James flanked her as she went. Any other time their protection would make her feel more confident, but she just wanted to make Alan to go away.
“They have these things called phones now. You might have tried using one.” She couldn’t keep the snark out of her voice.
“Har-har. I have a bone to pick with you.”
“Oh, please. Why are you acting like such an ass?”
“Why are you breaking the damned law?”
“What’s this about?” James asked.
“Stay out of this. You’re not on duty,” Alan sneered.
“I’m always on duty, little man. I’m the Sheriff.”
“Whatever. Doesn’t matter. There’s only one lawbreaker here and that’s your cousin there.” He lifted his chin and tried to look tough. “I want to know how you thought you’d get away with it, Sylvie. I can’t believe you would run a paternity test without my permission.” His voice was loud and carried across the property. His face was turning red.
Sylvie’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected that. Her relatives were everywhere. And not just her relatives, but Heath, too. She didn’t know how to respond. Then she realized that Alan was just getting warmed up.
“Back it up, Alan,” James warned.
“You know what? I’m glad you’re here, Sheriff, because I have a complaint that I want to file against this woman.” Alan pointed at Sylvie with narrowed eyes.
Sylvie wished for one crazy moment that she had something that she could bop him on the head with, to make him shut up and forget everything about that paternity test. It was a dumb thing to think, she knew, but right then, it was the only way she could think of to stave off imminent disaster.
“I’ve known ever since we got back from Chicago last year that you were going to try and pin those little bundles of joy on me,” Alan said. “You illegally took DNA from me without my consent and ran a test, and I’m going to sue you for everything you’re worth. I’ll take your shop and every dime you have, and if you think for one second I’m going to give you one penny of child support for those little bastards, you’re delusional!”
Alan didn’t have a chance to say anything more because Heath charged forward and lightning quick, punched Alan square in the nose. He went down with a wail.
Sylvie rushed to Heath’s side and grabbed his arm just as he was winding up again.
“Please, don’t,” she said. “He’s not worth it.”
James moved in between them and pushed Heath on the chest. “Stand down. I’ve got this.” The Sheriff had taken over.
Alan was wailing on the ground, muttering curses and yelling about having Heath arrested and suing him, too. That was interlaced with more venomous spewing about Sylvie and her bastard babies.
It was a spectacle to end all spectacles, and a few dozen Joneses were present and accounted for on the lawn. Sylvie felt sick. It couldn’t get worse than this.
She was wrong.
Will marched up and put his arm around her. He stared down at Alan with a distasteful look on his face. “Sylvie didn’t have anything to do with that test. It was all my fault. I was the one who took your DNA.”
Alan scuttled to his feet ignoring James’s outstretched hand. One hand over his bleeding nose, he pointed at Will with his free hand. “You Jones twerps are all the same. You think because there are so many of you around that you can bully people into doing what you want. But I’m telling you I will never, ever pay one dime of child support. I didn’t want them, so I won’t pay. And you can’t make me.”
“Well, that’s just fine!” Will yelled.
Sylvie tried to grab onto his arm, but Will shook h
imself loose. “Don’t, Will!”
Too late. There was no stopping what was about to happen.
Will delivered the coup de grâce. “Nobody wants your damned money! You’re not the babies’ father. The DNA test proved it! So get the hell out of here!”
The silence that fell was thunderous. Sylvie covered her face with her hands. She heard Alan muttering, but then it was as if he realized there was nothing else to say. She peeked at him between her fingers and saw him struggle to get to his car.
He spat on the ground and looked at her with hate-filled eyes. “I knew I dumped you for a reason. You’re nothing but a backstabbing whore. Good riddance.”
