Page 14 of Outlaw

“You like the lettah A?” she asked me, lifting her eyes up to my face.

My lips quirked. “I like thosea’s,” I replied. “That’s the ace of spades, ace of diamonds, and ace of clubs,” I told her. Then, I opened my hand and turned it over. The back of my ring finger was the last one. “And that’s the ace of hearts.”

Her eyes widened as she peered at it. “You got fowah on your hand,” she said in awe. Then, her eyes went to my arms. “Awah those chains around youwah awms?”

I nodded. “That they are. Reckon Hudson would think I’m the king of trashy.”

Her eyes darted back up to me, and I winked at her. A small giggle escaped her, and she covered her mouth, then nodded her head in agreement. I almost told her I had more, but then I figured the little curious beauty would want to see those, too, and I didn’t think taking off my shirt would be the appropriate thing to do.

Burl coughed, and I glanced over at him. Thewe need to do thislook in his eyes reminded me why we were here.

I nodded at him to proceed.

He walked over to Stevie and dropped down to his haunches. “All right. I just need to stick this swab in your mouth and rub the inside of your cheek with it. That’s all. You open wide, and it won’t hurt a bit.”

She nodded, then gave him a serious frown. “You pwomise you won’t wub my thwaot with that thing? ’Cause that makes me thwow up and cwy. Don’t it, Mommy?” she said, looking back at her mother for confirmation.

Branwen smiled at her daughter. “Yes, but you aren’t getting tested for strep throat. This will not make you cry.”

“Or thwow up?” she pressed.

The kid was sharp. She was making sure she wasn’t being tricked. I smirked.

“Or throw up,” her mother assured her.

The girl seemed appeased with that and turned to Burl, then opened her mouth wide. I watched as a million fucking things went through my mind, like a herd of cattle stampeding out of control. She could be my kid. I’d know soon. What would I do with that? Just give her mom money? Did I want to know her? Have her in my life? Did I want to be a dad to her, or was this Hudson guy better? No. If she was mine, I didn’t think I could let some other man take my place. Even if he was a better choice. I blinked, then jerked my eyes off the kid as weird shit I wasn’t familiar with hit me in the chest.

“I’ll get this to the lab, and you should know within the next two hours,” Burl informed us both.

He looked at me for further instruction or permission to leave. My singular nod was all he needed. He smiled once more at Branwen and Stevie before heading for the door. I waited until it closed behind him to look at Branwen.

“I’ll let you know, and we can proceed from there,” I told her.

She didn’t ask anything more. “Okay.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Turning, I exited the small space, needing something more than a cigarette. I needed an entire fifth of whiskey.

Six

Branwen

Trying to stay in the moment with Stevie while tossing small pieces of bread out to the ducks was a struggle. My mind was on the results of the test. What would I do if Linc fought me for custody? He wouldn’t do that. He hadn’t wanted a kid. It was my biggest fear, yet I knew that it was very unlikely. I was a good mom. There was no reason for the courts to take my daughter from me. But this was Linc Shephard. He had pull and power in places that unsettled me. That wouldn’t be an issue though because he did not want a child.

Stevie’s laughter made my heart clench tightly. He might not have wanted a kid, but he’d been taken by her. I’d seen it, and part of me wanted to wail because what if I had kept her father from her and he’d have been a good one? The other part of me had wanted to grab her and dash out the door. She was mine. I was terrified at the thought of sharing her. It was incrediblyselfish, and I knew that, but it was still there. I couldn’t help it. Trusting him to not break her heart would be hard. How would I be able to do that?

Hudson had called, and I’d sent it to voice mail. I just couldn’t talk to him right now. Not until I knew what Linc intended to do about the fact that he had a daughter. There was no longer a chance that I could keep this from Hudson. Stevie would tell him all about it. If I asked her to not tell him, then that would be asking her to lie for me. There were many things I could rationalize away, but that wasn’t one of them. This wasn’t her fault.

I was going to have to tell Hudson something, even if Linc sent us back to Tennessee with my signed papers. I would have to admit to my lies and hope he could forgive me. Not only could he call off the wedding, but he could also fire me. I’d be without a job. My hand went to my chest, and I rubbed. Panic was growing by the second, and it hurt to breathe deeply. I could not black out in a full-blown attack. I’d not had one in years. I was stronger than I had once been.

“Hey! He’s back!” Stevie’s voice called out, and my head snapped up to look at her as she waved her hand excitedly.

Linc was here. He’d come looking for us. He knew.

Slowly, I stood up from the patch of grass I had been sitting on and dusted off my bottom before turning to face him. All I could hear was the pounding of my heart and the rush of blood as it pumped in my veins. This was it. I sucked in a breath, but it was a sharp pang instead of relief.

I couldn’t see his eyes behind the sunglasses he was wearing. But the firm line of his mouth wasn’t happy. That almost spurred my anger enough to overcome the terror rising in me. I hadn’t come here, asking for anything other than a divorce. What was he angry about? Not knowing he had a daughter? Well, he hadn’t exactly left me with a way to get in touch with him. Just a noteand a freaking pill.

“There’s no need to tell you the results. You knew.”

---