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Just as she had a little more than a week before, Willow sat in Anne Sewall’s office at Mustang Valley General, waiting for somone to show up and for her life to possibly be changed forever. At least this time she hadn’t been forced to drag her daughter along for the bumpy ride.
She and Asher had made what she still believed was a good idea to have Harper and Luna sit this one out and allow the adults to handle it. Since Asher had dropped off his child right on schedule at the center, Willow didn’t have to question whether he’d keep his end of that bargain. So, what kind of mother was she to wish that Luna was in her arms just then as a distraction? Not one worthy of a flower greeting card on her first Mother’s Day in a few days.
Willow braced herself as the sound of Asher’s familiar heavy footfalls in the hall outside announced his arrival. Anne appeared in the doorway first, nervous hands pushing her glasses up on her nose. Asher followed her in. Still not ready to see him again after the night before, Willow focused on the floor. Unfortunately, that gave her a perfect view of his boots. The last thing she needed was a reminder of those boots in her apartment, first holding her bare feet between them and then, later, tucked under her bed.
“It’s good to see you again, Asher,” Anne said. “Please have a seat next to Willow. Once everyone is here, we’ll get started.”
Everyone? Willow glanced sidelong at him as he lowered into the seat, but he was focusing on the hospital administrator, who still stood behind her chair. Asher sat straight, his hands gripped in his lap. Could even Anne recognize the chilly atmosphere in the room where the temperature seemed to threaten frostbite?
Another set of footsteps, these with a quick clip of high heels, filtered in from the hallway. Soon, Ainsley stood in the open doorway.
“Come on in, Miss Colton, and have a seat.”
For the first time, Willow noticed that a third guest chair had been added to the room.
“Willow, I’d like you to meet—”
“Thanks, Anne, we’ve met,” Ainsley said, interrupting her. She leaned past her brother and waved. “And thanks, everyone, for waiting.”
Willow lifted a hand to wave back, but she had the sudden sense that she was surrounded. Had Asher invited Ainsley to attend as his sister, attorney or both?
Ainsley wore a dark jack and skirt and a prim blouse, and, yes, heels. Even Asher was dressed up for him in a white dress shirt and a pair of tan trousers. In fact, on closer inspection, his boots weren’t even the ones he’d worn the night before, but a dressier, shinier pair.
Somehow, that made Willow more nervous. She’d taken special care with her own clothes that morning, telling herself the summer dress, sweater and flat sandals were only for receiving the results and not as armor for facing Asher again. Either way, she still felt underdressed, ill-prepared, outmatched.
* * *
“I have your results right here.” Anne indicated two sealed clasp envelopes placed side by side on her desk. “I will read off the results and then provide each party with copies of all the documents. Then if you need further explanations, I’ll call down to the lab. They promised they would make someone available for us.”
“Awfully accommodating for a team that can’t seem to finish a different set of results,” Ainsley grumbled. “Or at least get them right.”
“Miss Colton, I am so sorry about—”
Ainsley lifted a hand to interrupt Anne again.
“As you were saying about my brother’s case...?”
Was her use of the word case intentional? Had Asher changed his mind after Willow had rejected his second proposal? Was he considering going for custody of both girls, after all?
Anne cleared her throat as she lifted the first envelope and broke the seal. As the woman withdrew the stack of papers from inside, Willow held her breath.
Strange how she still longed to reach out to Asher, though he still hadn’t looked at her and hadn’t made any gesture of support to her. They’d gone from enemies to friends to lovers and back, and part of her still needed for them to at least be allies.
The administrator pushed up her glasses again and studied the first sheet for several seconds. When her expression gave away nothing, Willow was tempted to rip it out of her hands.
“In the case of the child, Harper Grace Colton, the alleged father, Asher Colton, is not excluded as the biological father with a probability of paternity of 99.9998 percent.”
“Not excluded?” Asher asked.
Ainsley patted his arm. “It means that you’re her dad.”
“That’s what the Combined Paternity Index ratio shows,” Anne agreed.
Asher’s breath whooshed out, and he leaned forward, planting his elbows on his knees and catching his forehead in his splayed hands. “I knew she was mine.”
Anne looked back to the paper and began reading again. “The alleged mother, Willow Merrill, is excluded as a biological parent.”
The results were what Willow had known in her heart all along, so she couldn’t explain her nervousness as the administrator opened the second envelope. Did she expect confetti to fall out along with the announcement that though Harper wasn’t hers, Luna wasn’t, either?
