Page 21 of Call it Fate

“Okay!” He swung back toward Zach, who had grown pale. “Sorry again, mister,” he said before he dashed back toward the kitchen.

I didn’t care that he forgot my previous reminder as he rushed out as quickly as he’d come in. I only cared that he was safe from the eruption that I sensed was coming.

I felt Zach’s eyes stay pinned on me as I looked anywhere but him. When I finally dared to peek, those green orbs held so many unspoken questions, primarily one. I felt like a deer caught in headlights with nowhere to run. I guessed I didn’t have to worry about how to tell him he had a son. He’d figured it out on his own. And unlike the younger set of identical eyes that gleamed with enthusiasm, the older set was like blazing emeralds, fueled by anger and the worst kind of hurt.

I blinked back the tears as I wrenched my gaze away. I sensed Zach move closer, his words hanging in the space next to my ear.

“Oh, yes. We definitely need to finish our conversation.” His eyes flared as he stormed away and stomped up the stairs, leaving behind an unspoken but nearly tangible trail of hurt and anguish.

CHAPTER11

Zach

Upstairs, I pounded my fist into my rib cage in the hope it would force my heartbeat back to a regular rhythm.

When the boy had rushed into the room, I’d been amused at his enthusiasm. What kid didn’t love a snow day? But when he called Emalee “mom,” I felt like a python was constricting around my chest. Had she had another boyfriend at the same time she started seeing me? I wasn’t good at determining kids’ ages, but I figured him to be around six or seven. I quickly did the math and realized he must have been born within a year after Emalee and I had met. That was startling in and of itself. But when he turned to apologize, I’d needed to take a step backward due to the invisible force that sucker punched me.

His eyes—dark green irises that were a hallmark of the Abbots. Green, the color of pine needles until you looked more closely and saw what appeared to be a crown of gold subtly radiating out across the top of the pupil. I had them. My dad and grandfather had them. There was no mistaking his paternity.

I confirmed the truth by the look in her eyes, too, the unspoken answer to the question in mine.

That meant only one thing—I had a son.

Iain.

I had a son named Iain.

A compilation of emotions made my head spin: shock, confusion, anger, betrayal. Yet at the same time, a sense of joy and pride that didn’t even make sense to me. How could I feel something so strong for someone I didn’t even know?

Now, I found myself asking so many new questions that overshadowed all the old ones. How could she have not told me? What had she told Iain about me? Was there someone else who Iain thought of as his father? And now that I knew about him, what did it mean for any of us?

It was too soon to figure out what the future might look like, but for the first time, I wasn’t concerned about how many days I had to spend in this small town away from my actual job. One answer I knew for sure—I refused to be left out of his life from here on out.

Suddenly recalling why I was here in the first place, I glanced at my watch.Shit.There was no time to resolve anything with Emalee now. I had to get to the clinic soon. It was only a couple of blocks away; maybe a cold walk would cool my emotions.

I kept my focus straight ahead as I walked back downstairs. If Emalee was still there, I didn’t want to see her. I couldn’t, not without wanting to yell and shake the truth free from her. Better that I try to collect my thoughts and harness my temper.

I needed time to think, time to wrap my head around the idea I was a father—and had been for several years. That was one of the hardest things for me to reconcile—all this time, I was going about my business with no thought for any responsibility I had. I’d no idea I was missing out on important moments in a young boy’s life, moments I should have been a part of—would have been if only I’d known. I’d only seen the child for seconds and already I felt cheated out of so much; the sense of loss was staggering.

I only made it a block before all at once, it became too much. Every day since I left Charlotte had been one fucking revelation after another. Dizziness and nausea threatened to overtake me. I cleared some residual snow from a bench and sat, dropping my head into my hands and sucking in deep breaths.

“You okay, mister?”

I glanced up to see a guy in a thick, dark olive-green jacket and matching ball cap, both indicating he was part of the sheriff’s office. His head was tilted as he watched me with a frown.

“Yeah. I also got some heavy news this morning. I’m fine. Thanks, though.”

His eyes looked at me with sympathy. “Sorry to hear that. Just wanted to check.”

I shook my head to clear it and stood. “Yeah. Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Here. You look like you could use this more than me.” He held out a cup of coffee. “It’s fresh. I just got it from Brew’s Clues.” He tipped his head toward a store across the street. “None better.”

My hand reached out automatically, amazed at the kindness of a stranger.

“Take care now.” He touched the brim of his hat and nodded before continuing down the sidewalk.

I wondered if all the residents were so welcoming. I glanced up and down the street, trying to see it from the eyes of raising a child here. It looked like quintessential small-town Americana. Trees and classic streetlamps with round, white globes lined the streets in front of a mixture of one and two-story storefronts. Large, colorful awnings sheltered doorways or large spaces, probably for outdoor dining in the warmer months.

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