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“Anyway, maybe we’ll get a few responses,” she continued. “So much time has passed. I can see why cold cases become harder and harder to solve.”
“Hell, I forget what I ate for breakfast yesterday, let alone try to recall anything but generalizations from a traumatic event that happened more than a decade ago,” he said.
“True.”
Darren fixed another cup of coffee, turned around and leaned his hip against the counter. The paternity test was on his mind, and he could use another opinion. Someone who didn’t have anything to lose or gain from the outcome would be ideal. Could he trust Reese?
He studied her for a long moment, then decided to throw it out there, for better or worse after shooting a warning look. “Can I ask you a question?”
Chapter Thirteen
The seriousness in Darren’s tone had Reese grabbing hold of the back of a chair to steady herself. “Absolutely. Ask anything.” She had no idea where this was going but prepared herself for something deeply personal.
He stared at her for a long moment. After a deep sigh, he said, “First of all, this stays between you and me. I need your word.”
After everything they’d been through, she was honored that he would trust her again. “You have it. Whatever you tell me never leaves this room.”
He nodded as his lips pressed into a frown. Whatever was coming was going to be big based on how long it was taking him to get to the point. “There is a question as to whether or not I’m the biological father of the twins.”
This was a bombshell she never would have expected in a million years. She needed to take her time to formulate a response, because he didn’t need to be judged for whatever had happened in his marriage. She could also see why he couldn’t talk to anyone else about this. His own parents were gone and he had no siblings. Stacie would most likely freak out and her parents might hire a fancy lawyer and file for custody.
“Have you thought about taking a test?” she asked, then realized he would have thought of that first. She held up a hand. “Forget I asked that. Of course, you have.”
“Over and over again.” He explained the situation with Hazel, and why he suspected the girls might not belong to him. “I’m at the point with them now that we’ve gotten through the first year without their mother, which, believe me, there were moments when I didn’t think any of us would survive from lack of sleep.”
“There wasn’t a choice because you would never let them down,” she pointed out. “It’s easy to see that you would do anything for those girls. Period.”
He nodded with a look of appreciation. “There was no way I was going to let those girls suffer in any way.”
“It’s also a big part of the reason that you put up with their aunt,” she said. “You try to see the best in her because you need to keep her close for their sake.”
“I won’t argue that point even though I never really think about it,” he admitted.
“When do you have time?” she asked. “You’ve been in survival mode for the past year. I can see it in your eyes.”
Her comment might have gone too far and been too personal because he dropped his gaze to study the rim of his coffee mug. “That’s a fair assessment.”
She was relieved that he wasn’t upset by the comment. Before she’d disappeared, they had been able to have honest conversations. Not only was he a boyfriend, but he had also been her other best friend.
“You’re doing a great job with them, by the way,” she added.
His gaze came up to meet hers as he cocked an eyebrow. “How do you know?”
“Kids need unconditional love,” she pointed out. “Food, yes. Shelter, yes. Those basics are important, but love trumps all.”
“They have that,” he said and then dropped his gaze again. “But what if they’re not mine, Reese?”
“You’ll deal with it when it comes,” she said. “Surely Stacie and her parents would agree that you are the best person for the job in bringing up those babies.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” he admitted with a frown. “They almost fought me for custody after Hazel’s death. The only reason they decided to back off was because they had no real grounds and I think they realized their actions would put an unnecessary strain on our relationship and damage it beyond repair.”
“Well, they would have been making a huge mistake,” she said. “You’re great for those children.”
“I hope so,” he said. “It’s what Hazel would have wanted if she’d been able to speak up. Whether they were mine or not, she chose me as their father. She had to have done the math. She lied to me about how far along she was.”
“You didn’t go to any doctor appointments?” she asked.
He shook his head. “You know what work is like on a cattle ranch, even a small operation like mine. I have one ranch hand who does what I can’t. He comes and takes care of my horse out back on his way to and from work so I can focus on the girls. Bradley is my lifeline.”
