Merry Anna put her hand out on the rail and leaned against it. “Wow.”
“Yeah, exactly! I’ve had my share of women—not bragging,just being honest—but I’ve always done the right thing. I don’t play wild and risky with that. It would be one of those .09 percent situations if that child was mine.”
“It does happen.”
“Well, I’m not the kind to run from responsibility. Man, this is such a convoluted story. Let me back up.” And he did, taking Merry Anna through all that had transpired, with the hospital calling about the accident and the voice mail from Carly’s mother. “I’ve been a wreck.”
“I bet. Adam, I’m so sorry.”
Her irritation with Kevin and her mother seemed negligible in comparison.There’s always someone who’s going through something worse.
“You’ll have a paternity test?” she asked.
“Yeah, and I spoke to Carly’s folks a little while ago. Her dad had a stroke last year, and her mom hasn’t been in good health for as long as I knew about them. Carly had been staying there with them and helping out. Her mom said Carly had been dealing with depression and just sort of snapped and took off with Zan.”
“And now you have her?”
“Yes. My friend Ginger is watching her today. Zan’s a good little girl, but I don’t know what the heck I’m doing.” He twisted his hands together. “Even if she isn’t mine, I want to help.”
“Of course.”
“I’m going to take care of her until I get the paternity test results back, and then I’ll go from there.”
“That’s a lot to take in.” Her head was swimming, her emotions swirling. She could only imagine how he felt. She had feelings for this man, and this was one messy situation, but it made her feel closer to him that he told her andtrusted her with the information. Small-town folks were funny about stuff like that. They liked to keep things close to themselves, although it seemed as though everyone always knew everyone else’s business. “I admire the way you’re handling this.”
“Well, don’t be too impressed. I’m just taking one step at a time, and some of those steps have felt like greased logs.”
“Good thing you’re known for your excellent balance.”
“Put me on a bull any day of the week. Cakewalk compared to this.”
“You know,” she said, softly because she knew it was going to be a touchy point to make, “you can’t spend your time risking your life on bulls if you’re a father.”
“There are plenty of bull riders with families, Merry Anna.”
“That would be a really unfair thing to do to a little girl who just met her dad.”
He shook his head. “Well, that’s true. I hope Carly won’t be gone too long. Zan’s a little confused about her mom being in the hospital, but then, so am I.”
“Kids are smart. They take in way more than you think.”
“Merry Anna, I know we haven’t known each other long, but I need and want your help through this, if you can find it in your heart to give it.”
That was asking a lot. “I don’t know a thing about kids.”
“Me neither. Also don’t know a thing about relationships. I’ve pretty much succeeded in not relationshipping.”
“I don’t think they give badges or belt buckles for that.”
“No.”
“When’s the paternity test?”
“I’m going this afternoon. Because of the situation, they are going to expedite it. Doc said we might know as early as Wednesday, but probably not until Friday.”
“Are you going to take some time off until you get this figured out?”
“I feel like I can’t take my hands off the wheel. I’m so close to winning. There are big changes coming in my life no matter what the test says. I don’t want to take my eye off any single part of all this.”
