Page 6 of Fate

I check her out while she tosses her purse behind the bar, grabs an apron, and ties it around her small waist. Staring, I try to find reasons to be attracted to her, but sober, I just can’t. She may have blond hair and brown eyes, but she is not Kathleen. There’s no subtle grace in her walk, no twinkle in her eye, no dimple in her cheek, and she’s small. Pint-sized, even. She pales in comparison to my girl. No, my Sweetcheeks is long and lean with a stunning body. Misty has short legs, big hips, and far bigger breasts. Cosmetically enhanced breasts.

What the hell was I thinking banging her that night?

Not knowing what else to do, I suck back my beer in a few swallows and give a chin lift to the bartender. He grabs my glass and pours me another.

“No tabs here, suit. Just cold hard cash,” he says, placing the glass down with a little less bravado than before.

I pull out my wallet and set down two twenties. “Gotit.”

He nods, approval in hisgaze.

“Hey, Carson? What are you doing here?” Misty smiles and walks over to the opposite side of the bar where I’m sitting.

“Figured it was time we talked.”

She licks her lips and pushes a lock of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, okay.” She glances around, noticing there are really no patrons needing assistance. “Do you, uh…want to do it here? Rightnow?”

“No time like the present,” I answer dryly.

“Okay. So, you’ve had some time to think about what I told you.” Her voice turns into a whisper, even though no one’s paying attention to us. There are fewer than ten people in the place, includingus.

I nod. “Ihave.”

“And?” She’s nervously biting herlip.

“I want a paternity test,” I declare flatly and with no room for argument.

Her eyes widen. “That’s fine. I, uh, don’t have medical coverage or anything…”

“No worries. I’ve got a friend who owns LabCorp Genetics. He’s agreed to come over this week and fast-track the results.”

Misty swallows and cants her head to the side. “You don’t believe me, do you?” She shakes her head so hard her hair sways back and forth with her movements. “Of course, you don’t.” Her lip trembles and her voice cracks.

I set my hand on her shoulder. “Honey, it’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just a really big fucking surprise. Three weeks ago, I came in here because I needed a beer after a shitty day. I never thought in a million years I’d be walking into a dive bar I visited over two years ago and come face-to-face with a one-night stand.”

She winces.

“I mean, uh, how do I say this without sounding like an asshole?” I run my hand through myhair.

Misty tightens her lips and blinks a few times.

“Look, there’s no reason to sugarcoat this. We hooked up. For a night. I come back in here over two years later and am hit with a story, told by a woman I don’t even recognize, that I could be someone’s daddy.”

“But you are…” she says desperately.

I hold up my hand. “If that’s the case, it won’t be a problem to get a test done. Right?” I soften the last word, attempting to make sure she doesn’t crumble into a ball of tears right here on the spot. As it is, it could still happen.

She puts her hands on her hips and straightens her spine into a rigid line. “But I’m not lying. I wouldn’t do that!” Her eyes water, as if she’s on the verge of tears. “Do you think this is easy for me? I was just as surprised as you are when I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t know your full name or anything about you. There was no way I could ever contact you. This entire time I’ve been raising our child alone, and it hasn’t been easy, Carson. Not even a little bit. And I’m doing it all on a waitress’s salary? I’ve had to get my neighbors to babysit just so I could work…and…” Her voice is getting louder and louder as fear and anxiety become prevalent in her posture.

I set my hands on both her shoulders and dip my head down to be level with hers. “Hey, hey. I’m not saying you’re lying, and I don’t even pretend to know or understand what you’ve been through all this time without assistance. But right now, I need to protect myself as much as my potential child by proving paternity. Can you understandthat?”

She sniffs and looks down at her shoes. Her shoulders are down and curving in as her entire being seems broken and small. Instead of responding, shenods.

“My friend will be in touch with you this week. We’ll work out a time for both of you to get tested as well as me. Results will be fast-tracked and then we’llknow.”

“And then what?” Hope fills her tone with a sincerity I can’t return. Not until Iknow.

“Then we’ll deal with the outcome.”

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