Page 56 of Lush Curves

“Yes!” He glared at her. “I’m not totally in the dark here. I get that it’s a game-changer, alright? But Idon’tget why it shuts every single goddamn thing down between us! Youdoknow that parents are allowed to have love lives? Sometimes even with people theydon’tactually have their kids with?”

“I know that, Sam.”

“Then why are you acting like I have to choose between you and Cindy? I don’t have to, I sure as hell don’t want to, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why you’re trying to make me.”

She stared at the sofa, trying to hide her tears. Sam saw them, though, and he softened.

“Annie. Please. Stay with me through this, OK? I need you, princess. I need you in my life, in my bed, in my arms. Don’t you know that?”

“Sam, if that little girl is yours, thensheneeds you in her life.” Annie swiped at her eyes. “The man that she called a father just died, and now here you are, like some kind of Daddy runner-up, in a whole new place, living a whole new life. She’s got to be hurting and scared. I want you, I freely admit that, but she needs you. It’s not the same thing.”

“You don’t need me?” His voice was barely above a whisper. “Annie?”

Annie steeled herself for the lie; it was a necessity, though, it was what she had to do to get him off her sofa, off to the DNA lab, off to his new life with his daughter. “No, Sam. I don’t need you, and whatyouneed to do now is be a father, because DNA test be damned, Cindy is yours. You know it, I know it, and webothknow that even though it’s not what you want, that you never wanted a child, you’re a good man and you’ll do the right thing by her.” She stood up, adopted her briskest tone. “So, go do that now. Go do the right thing.”

“Annie…”

“Goodbye, Sam.”

He stared up at her, and he knew that this was done, at least for now. He got to his feet, then hesitated.

“When I get the DNA results… can I call you? Tell you?”

“Yes.”

“Will you – will you wait for me? Wait for the final answer, wait before you give up all hope in me? In us?”

She paused and his heart broke, sure that she was going to say no, but then she smiled. She smiled that radiant, shining smile, the one that he was so in love that he actuallyachedfrom seeing it, and the fact that she was hurting so much and so hard and so deep, and shestillmanaged to give him a smile from the heart, just made him admire her, adore her, love her all the more.

“I waited for you for years, Sam, and if this whole thing ends up being a pathetic and vindictive little game that Kathleen is playing, then I’ll be waiting right here. But understand this, and understand it well: I won’t stand between a child and her father, or between you and your child’s mother. If there’sanychance at all that the three of you can be a family, then you should be.” She braced herself to say the next words. “Promise me that if there’s even thesmallestchance that you can be a family, then you’ll choose them over me.

“No.” Sam was horrified. “Annie, no.Never.”

She knew that he would, though, if it came right down to it. Sam didn’t understand it yet, not the way that Annie did, but the blood and love bond between parent and child was a powerful one – almost definitely the most powerful bond in the world. If Sam had to make peace with that bitch of an ex of his for the good of his daughter, then he’d do that too. He’d do anything that Kathleen asked of him to make a family, to forge a relationship with Cindy. He’d cut Annie out, he’d forget her name, he’d forget her face.

He’d choose them.

Of course he would.

Of course heshould.

And if he wouldn’t make that choice on his own, then Annie was going to make it for him. For his own good; for Cindy’s good.

He’d understand that choice one day, she knew. Maybe he’d even be grateful.

Maybe.

Chapter Twelve

3 days later

Victor ‘Scars’ Innis poured his younger brother a shot of whisky, raised his eyebrows. Sam nodded wearily, and Scars made the drink a double. He set the glass on the coffee table in front of Sam, plunked himself down on the sofa. He raised his own tumbler, both men tossed the alcohol back.

“Argh.” Sam shuddered. “Urgh. Dear God, that’s revolting.”

“Another?”

“Hell, yes.”

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