Page 6 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

Marie drew back, her eyes and mouth both rounded in shock. "No. That's not what she wanted."

"I know, but that’s what the will said, apparently." I cocked my head to the side. "Do you remember Mr. Thompson or someone from their office coming to visit Mom just before she died?"

Since I didn’t remember it, I must have been out when it happened. I was probably picking up Pax from preschool.

Marie thought for a moment. “I don't recall that. Maybe I was out running errands."

It would've been unusual for her and me both to be out at the same time. "Maybe the hospice nurse was here?"

Marie nodded. "That would be the only thing that made sense."

I made a mental note to contact the hospice service to see the last time the nurse had been here and if he or she had let someone in.

"Is everything all right otherwise?" I asked Marie.

She nodded but continued to look at me with concern. "You said your father got everything?"

I nodded. "None of us got anything. I'm sorry. But I won't be able to keep you—"

Marie waved her arm. "Don't you worry about me. I'll be fine. But what about you and Pax?"

I shrugged. "I have a week to figure that out. Speaking of Pax, is everything all right?"

She nodded. "Yes, he's in the living room with Mrs. Sterling."

My gut clenched at hearing Pax was with Victoria, even though I'd made arrangements for Victoria to come by and watch him while I went to the attorney's office. Marie had enough to do. She didn't need to keep her eyes on a four-year-old boy.

Considering the reality that Pax was Henry’s son, and Victoria was Henry's daughter, and neither of them knew that, made seeing them together difficult. Difficult because I felt guilty that she didn't know the truth, but also terrified that she would find out the truth. But since I'd returned to New York when my mother first became ill, I hadn't met anyone or gotten reacquainted with old friends, except for Victoria. And Victoria was the best of friends. I needed her now more than ever.

I entered the living room to see Victoria sitting on the couch, rubbing her belly, which was about six weeks away from giving birth. Pax was on the other side of the coffee table, and together, they were playing with plastic interlocking blocks.

"Are we having fun?" I asked.

Both Pax and Victoria looked up.

Pax’s beautiful, bright smile brightened the dark places in my chest. "Look, Mommy, I made a robot."

I wasn’t sure that was what I would've called the structure, but now that he told me what it was, I could see how his mind had worked to put it together. "That's fantastic."

"I'm afraid I'm stuck with building towers. I have much to learn when it comes to building blocks." Victoria laughed. Then her eyes narrowed slightly toward me. "Everything all right?"

I shook my head. "Nothing that can't be handled."

Victoria hoisted herself off the couch and made her way over to me. "Is there anything I can do?"

I shook my head. "You've already done enough by staying here with him. I appreciate it. "

"It's nothing. I should probably pay you since I'm getting practice on what it's like to care for a child. I hope mine is as cool and interesting as Pax is."

At the table, Pax continued to build, but a grin spread on his face at hearing Victoria call him cool.

"Why don't you walk me out?” Victoria said.

"I'll be right back, Pax. I'm going to walk Tori to the door."

"Okay."

"I'll see you later, Pax." Victoria waved at him.

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