Page 29 of Luke

Luke

“They can’t technically force a paternity test at this point,” Jon, Luke’s lawyer, was saying.

“So then we don’t do it.” It seemed simple enough to him.

“We can force their hand and make them go to a judge to order one, but that would create more questions and there’s the potential that they make up some allegations that we would then have to disprove.”

“But we aren’t doing anything wrong,” Luke argued.

“Never said you were. It’s just something that might be easier to just do. I am in my car so I can’t look it up right now, but is there a father on Garrett’s birth certificate?” Jon asked.

Luke sighed. “I don’t know. I assume not. Why?” If it wasn’t him, then it shouldn’t be anyone else.

“Find out and get back to me. I want to check something.”

“Yeah, okay. Call me when you get to the office.” Luke ended the call and collapsed back into his chair.

He felt awful that this was what he’d dragged Paisley and Garrett into because he knew this wasn’t the end of it. No. His father would always have another scheme up his sleeve to try to take them down.

At this point, Luke didn’t believe that his father wanted anything from him or his siblings. This was just about control and punishment.

Luke stood and stretched before going to find Paisley. She was in the living room with Garrett, playing on the floor, smiling and laughing with him. Luke wished it weren’t something he was about to take away.

“Paisley,” Luke started.

“Yeah?” she answered without looking up at him.

“I need to ask you a question about Garrett.” Luke took a seat on the sofa and waited for Paisley to look at him.

Paisley turned to face him and took a deep breath. “I’m positive that he’s yours. There’s no way anyone else could be his father,” she rushed out.

It took Luke a second to understand what she’d said. Not once had it crossed his mind that she had lied to him or that there was a chance the Garrett wasn’t his.

“You can take him and do the test. I don’t have to go so we can just do what they want and then they will go away.” Paisley’s voice was a little shaky, but she continued to look at him,

Luke realized he had been quiet for too long, keeping his thoughts to himself. “No. That’s not it at all. Paisley, I’ve never questioned that Garrett is mine. I wanted to know who you put as the father on his birth certificate.”

“Oh.” She blushed and ducked her head. “I couldn’t put you since we weren’t married and you weren’t there to sign the papers, so it says unknown.”

Luke nodded. “Thanks. My lawyer wanted to know. Not sure what he’s thinking, but he said he’d call when he got to the office and checked a few things.”

“Okay.” Paisley focused back on Garrett. “It’s okay if you want to get the test done, you know. It’s not like you and I knew each other all that well before, and you have every right to be unsure.”

He slid off the sofa and sat in front of her on the floor. Using his right hand, he cupped her chin and brought her gaze to his.

“I’ve have never questioned if Garrett is mine. He is MY son and nothing is going to change that.” He meant it, too. “It doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks, Paisley. I know he’s mine.”

He leaned down and picked Garrett up off the floor, holding him to his chest for a hug. No one was going to take Garrett from either of them, and Paisley would never doubt him wanting to be with them both if he had to reassure her every day.

Garrett squirmed and Luke turned him around, helping him to sit up in Luke’s lap facing Paisley. “Tell your mommy that we aren’t going to let anyone take you from us.”

Paisley’s smile was sad. He waited for her to say what she was thinking, but she didn’t.

“What’s wrong?” Luke asked.

“No one will take him from you, Luke. Me? Well, I’m exactly who they take kids from.” She plucked an imaginary piece of fuzz from her pants.

“You’re a good mom, Paisley. You know that and you didn’t need me to show up and tell you. No one is going to take him from either of us, and I mean that.”

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