Page 71 of More Than a Helping Hand

“If she finds out, she’ll want partial custody to fulfill her mom dreams, and that’s not what I want.”

“Considering you don’t know if I gave birth to a boy or a girl, getting custody would be an uphill battle. You abandoned me and my child.”

“Sorry about that. But some of us just aren’t cut out to be parents.” He stuffs his hands in his pockets. “I just need you to promise that you won’t talk about what happened.”

“I think you should leave.”

“Could I at least see my kid? Does he look like me?”

I shake my head. “Not a chance.”

Anderson’s truck pulls up to the curb, and he climbs out. A confrontation between him and Kyle will only make things worse. When Anderson gets to the porch, he nods at Kyle, then hands me the bag of souvenirs I bought at the coast. “This is yours.”

Kyle eyes Anderson, then looks at me. “Is this the guy posing as dad?”

Before I can respond, Anderson stares down at Kyle, who is easily eight inches shorter than my cowboy. “I’m a friend of the family, and I help out around here.”

Kyle sticks out his hand. “Oh, sorry. I thought you were more than a helping hand.”

Anderson shoves his hands in his pockets, snubbing the handshake and turns to face me. “Call if y’all need anything.”

“Thanks.”

Kyle shakes his head. “That was rude. So I guess you’re still single? By the looks of it.”

“Just go, Kyle. And if you need to contact me, do it through my lawyer.”

“I’d rather not have lawyers involved.”

“Of course you don’t. Because you don’t want to pay child support.” I can feel my cheeks heating as I get more and more angry. “Now leave.”

“So you won’t say anything?”

“I’m not making you any promises about anything. Get off our property.” I raise my voice enough to signal my dad.

The door swings open, and he leans out. “You okay, Primrose?”

“Yes, I was just asking Kyle to leave.”

Dad stares at Kyle. “So leave.”

He sets a business card on the rail, then walks backward toward his car. “Fine. Don’t discuss it like a normal person. But if she finds out, you will only have the kid half the time. My number is there if you want to talk to me.”

I don’t even make it one step before Dad clasps my arm.

“Stay here.” He marches up to Kyle. “If you aren’t gone in two seconds, I’m calling the sheriff.”

Kyle throws his hands in the air. “I’m leaving.”

And he does.

I’m a knot of emotions and barely holding it together.

Dad opens the front door and lets me enter first. “I’ll contact a lawyer first thing in the morning, and we’ll make sure that custody isn’t a concern.”

“His name isn’t on the birth certificate. Bailey has just always been mine. He can’t just waltz in now and take her.”

My dad rubs his jaw. “He doesn’t want her. We’ll make sure she stays where she belongs.”

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