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Lucy drew in a shocked breath that made her nostrils flare. “I didn’t think you’d want to see me. Why would you? I was just some random girl you hooked up with while drunk.”
The words stung more than I cared to admit. They might’ve been true in most situations, but not this one. “And afterward?When you found out you were pregnant.” I lowered my voice to a dull whisper. “Did you try to find me?”
I watched her eyes turn dark with something I couldn’t name. She twitched her head in a nod. “Yes. I tried. But I didn’t have much to go on.”
“Fuck.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “I left about three months after we hooked up. I had an offer to join a pro hockey team, and I took it. I knew that I could always go back for my medical degree, but hockey wouldn’t wait forever.”
“You were going to be a doctor?” Her mouth dropped open with a quiet exhale. “You’d make a great doctor.”
“You’re one of the few who think so.” My parents hadn’t been thrilled with either option, but they hadn’t fought me when I left college. They thought both options were foolish. I didn’t have the brains for a degree or the brawn for pro hockey. I’d been determined to prove them wrong for so long that it came as second nature now. They’d see this as one more way I’d screwed up my life. I didn’t see it that way at all.
Abigail was the sweetest little girl I’d ever met. Lucy loved her with the kind of devotion that had made me jealous as a kid—when I saw parents who actually loved instead of just tolerated their kids. I’d wanted to be the kind of father who was so proud of their kids that they showed them off to the world.
I’d been denied that for the last five years. “I have a daughter.” I started to move past Lucy.
She held my arms tight, forcing me to stop unless I knocked her down and pulled her along in my wake. “Zachary, wait. We don’t know for sure.”
“The fuck you just say?”
Lennox cleared his throat and made a slashing motion over his mouth when I looked over at him. He held a finger to his lips and mimed covering his ears.
I waved him off, motioning that I got the point. No cussing in front of Abigail. “Lucy, you can’t be serious. Look at her. Look at me. You said yourself that I was the guy that night. So, unless you slept with someone else around the same time, she’s mine.” Our vacant memories and the missing shirt were enough to convince me.
Lucy, on the other hand, held firm. “I want it to be you. Really, I do. But I can’t tell Abigail who you are unless we know for sure. And only if you understand what that really means.”
Justin handed Abigail his phone at the same time Lennox stood and opened the door when someone knocked and announced room service. They worked together to get Abigail settled with her food, then strolled over to us.
The man with the wheeled cart gave us a curious look but left without a word. Silence descended for a long beat. Lucy’s perfume teased me, reminding me of what we’d done tonight. I’d never felt that way with anyone before. The way she took us all in and made us feel equally loved. It couldn’t be real, could it?
What did that mean for the two of us—me and Lucy—as Abigail’s parents?
“Get a paternity test.” Lennox crossed his arms once he stood within talking distance. “I’ve done them. It’s not hard and then you’ll know for sure.”
“You have kids out there?” Lucy asked with a frown.
“No.” Lennox shook off her question with a dark scowl. “Had a few women try to con me into taking care of their kids. None of them were mine. I’m too careful.” He lowered his eyes to Lucy’s mouth, then lower. “Except when I’m with you.”
Damn. He was right. We’d all raw-dogged Lucy like there was no such thing as accidental pregnancy. Though, if she did get pregnant, I’d be there for her. There was something about her that drew me in. Even now, when she cut me off from Abigailuntil we knew the truth, I loved her for her caring nature. She protected Abigail the way a parent should.
Lucy’s cheeks pinked. “I’m covered.” She lifted one shoulder to her ear and let it drop. “After Abigail, I made sure I was more careful. She’s my world, but I’m not ready for more kids yet.” She kept her voice low and tight, her eyes roaming between all of them before falling to Abigail.
The little girl sat at the table, her legs swinging back and forth while she chowed down on some chicken strips and fries. She ate with gusto, not a single care in the world. I wanted to make sure that look stayed in place forever.
No kid of mine would ever know the pain of abandonment that I’d felt. She would know that she was loved and cared for. I didn’t care what I had to do to make that a reality.
“How long does it take to get results back?” I asked.
Justin scrolled through his phone, his eyes narrowed. “Couple days at least. Could be up to a week.”
“She’ll have questions about what we’re doing.” Lucy frowned and twisted a strand of hair around her finger.
“Mama, I have a loose tooth.” Abigail poked her fingers into her mouth, pinched a tooth, and wiggled it back and forth. “Can I pull it?”
The girl had absolutely no fear.
Lucy chuckled, and the sound worked through my annoyance to find that tender spot down deep. We kept our conversation low to keep Abigail from overhearing, but it was clear that she knew something was up.
“You can pull it, if it’s ready.” Lucy finally let go of my arms and turned fully to face Abigail. “Do you want help?”
