Page 71 of Piece Of Me

She turned back. “Yes?”

“Um, the bill?”

Scarlett stared at the woman for a few seconds, and then couldn’t stop the hysterical giggles that bubbled up. Seriously? She grabbed some bills from her purse and handed them over, then marched outside and hopped into the truck.

Her phone pinged and she checked it, her heart skipping a beat when she spied Taz’s name. He’d finally answered her text message with a simple reply.

Scarlett: I’ll drop by later.

Taz: Good. We need to talk.

She stared at the words until they blurred and then called Lacey. Her friend picked up on the first ring.

“How’d it go?” Lacey asked.

“Can I swing by?”

“Of course. Johnny is taking Punk to the park in a bit. Are you okay?”

“I’m…I don’t know what I am.” She eased out of the parking lot. “Does your cousin still practice law?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I’ll be an hour or so. I’ll explain everything then.”

Scarlett ended the call and headed back to Big Bend. She made good time and Lacey met her at the door. “They’re gone but I don’t know how long they’ll be at the park. Do you want anything?”

“No.”

“You look terrible.”

“I feel worse.”

“What’s going on?” Lacey asked, pointing to a chair in the living room. Scarlett was too nervous to sit. She paced back and forth.

“He says he wants to get to know Hank.”

“Is that so awful?” At Scarlett’s dark look, Lacey gentled her voice. “He is the father. Don’t you want Hank to know him?”

No. Scarlett knew this was all wrong.

“I know there’s more to it than what he’s saying. He’s acting like how he thinks he’s supposed to act. He doesn’t care about Hank. He’s not asked me one question about him. Not one. Not even for a photo to see what his son looks like. And why now? Why after all this time is he here? Why does he want to spend a week with me?”

“He what?”

“He wants us to spend a week together and if I don’t agree to it, he’ll start all kinds of legal proceedings for some kind of custody of Hank. He told me he’s actually an Earl or going to be an Earl. His full name is Malcom David Kingsley, and he has a lot of money and he’ll use it.”

“Oh, Scarlett,” Lacey murmured, obviously shocked at her revelations.

“He is the father, so why wouldn’t a court give him partial custody? What if they give him full? What if he lies and says things that aren’t true?” A sob escaped her. “How would that work with Malcom in Ireland and me here?”

“I don’t know,” Lacey said softly.

“I grew up without a mother and I won’t let Hank live one day without me. I can’t send him to Ireland for weeks or months at a time to live with a virtual stranger. I won’t do it. I can’t do it.”

“You’re not seriously considering this.”

“What choice do I have? He’s up to something. He’s not being honest.” Scarlett’s mind went off in a million different directions. “Maybe time away with Malcom will make it easier for me to figure out what he’s hiding.”

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