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“I’m sure he’d love someone more capable than me giving him a cuddle,” Ryder said with a laugh, immediately realizing his lame attempt at humor had fallen flat based on the incredulous look she gave him.
“I’m sure he loves his daddy,” she assured him, then turned her attention to Noah. “Is your daddy the best?” she asked in a tone so gentle it made Ryder’s knees turn to mush. Noah responded with a few plaintive cries but quickly settled into Esme’s arms.
She kept her gaze on the baby for a few seconds, but when she looked up at Ryder again, her eyes were filled with tears.
“What’s wrong?” His heart began to hammer in his chest. He might not know Esme well, but the last thing he wanted was to see her cry.
She shook her head. “He looks like my brother and I did in baby photos,” she whispered. “I’m sure that sounds—”
The sound of crying crackling through the monitor on the coffee table drowned out her words.
“I put Chase down in his crib when we got home, but I didn’t swaddle him. He doesn’t go down as well on his own.” She started for the stairs and then seemed to realize she was already holding a baby.
“I’ll get him if that’s okay,” Ryder offered.
“First door on your left at the top of the stairs.”
Mind reeling all over again in response to Esme’s claim that Noah resembled her as a baby, he sprinted up the steps and let himself into the lavender-scented nursery.
Chase, who seemed to be a bit further along with his ability to self-soothe than Noah, was happily sucking on his fist when Ryder peered over the side of the crib.
The baby’s arms and legs began flailing in excitement as he spotted Ryder, who smiled as he scooped up the boy. His smile faded as a realization pounded through him.
Chase Fortune looked like a Hayes, right down to the cleft in his chin. Ryder locked his legs and closed his eyes as emotion pushed him to the edge of his control. Then he leaned down and kissed the head of the child he knew without a doubt to be his biological son.
Chapter Four
“If my great-aunt hadn’t gifted me the 411 Me testing, I don’t know when or if I would have realized the switch occurred.” Esme stared at the paperwork on the empty sofa cushion between her and Ryder. If only her house had a fireplace, she could burn the report that had changed her life.
Not that destroying it would do any good now. They knew the truth, and there was no going back. In a way, she owed even more of a debt to Freya Fortune. It would have been horrible to discover what had happened that night at the hospital years from now. She and Ryder would have missed so many milestones with their sons.
“I can accept the facts,” she said, placing a gentle kiss on Chase’s forehead. “But I don’t know how I’m supposed to stop loving one baby because I now have room in my heart for both of them.”
“Noah’s test results haven’t come back yet,” Ryder reminded her, then shook his head. “Sorry. That’s a stupid thing to say. We don’t need tests to confirm what we know in our hearts.”
He looked down at Noah, who was sleeping in his strong arms. “I’m still having trouble accepting any of this, especially when the hospital doesn’t seem to have answers.”
As soon as Ryder came down the stairs holding Chase, he’d insisted on calling Mary Dill at the hospital with another request for a list of the staff working the night Chase and Noah were born. It was obvious the lawyer had coached the hospital administrator on what to say because she’d been unwilling to divulge any information, citing privacy laws and making excuses about bureaucratic red tape.
Ryder’s frustration had been palpable, and both babies fussed in response to the tension filling Esme’s living room. She shared his exasperation but knew they had to stay calm and work together for the best interest of both of their sons.
She’d pulled out a notepad and the 411 Me report so they could regroup and make a plan of action while they waited for the official results from the lab.
“You’re amazing,” Ryder said out of the blue, and Esme did a double take, finding it hard to believe he was directing the compliment toward her.
She squirmed under the weight of his impassioned stare. “I haven’t done anything.”
“Yes, you have. You’re keeping me from losing it,” he answered with a laugh. “I can tell Noah is also responding to your steady presence.” Ryder checked his watch. “He typically has a meltdown around this time of day. Even his babysitter has commented on how she can set a watch by his crying.”
“I’m happy to help, although I’m not sure I deserve much credit.” Esme shrugged. “Chase has his days and nights mixed up, so it’s party time here in the wee hours.”
He grinned. “I never realized how much I took a full night’s sleep for granted.”
“Can I ask you a question? It might be too personal, but—”
“Anything,” he interrupted. “You can ask me anything.”
“It’s about Noah’s...” She paused and swallowed around the emotion that bubbled up in her throat. Esme was Noah’s biological mother. They were waiting for confirmation from the hospital, yet the truth of her connection to Ryder’s baby was written on her heart. “Where is your wife or girlfriend in all of this? Doesn’t she—”
