Free Never Enough by Lauren Dane

He practically shook my arm off and told me he was learning the bass line from ‘Lashed.’ ”
    Adrian pushed from his chair. “You had no right to give her any more ammo against me.”
    Erin didn’t bother with anger or even annoyance. She knew he was hurting. Still, he needed to stop wallowing. “Is that what this is to you?”
    “We’re not supposed to be contacting her!”
    “Sit down and be quiet for a minute while I take you to school, smart-ass. I went over there ready to kick some butt if I had to. This is my family and I will protect it. But then I pulled into her driveway and saw that house and I knew then she was not out to extort or harm you. She’s built a life there.”
    He handed her a bottle of water.
    “So she opened the door I knocked on and recognized me after a moment, and though it took me a while to win past the hole you’ve dug with your attitude toward her, I got to know her a bit. She made me tea. She talked to me about Miles in the way only a woman totally in love with her kid can sound.”
    “What’s she like?”
    “She runs a design business. Websites, corporate logos, brochures. That sort of thing. Good work actually. I’ve seen some of it around town. She gives piano lessons a few days a week. They live well. Not this kind of well.” She waved at the home studio Adrian had built for himself. “But the house is good. Solid. She’s got a life, Adrian, and there is nothing I saw today that made me think she’d try to raise herself up by hurting anyone else.”
    “And the boy?”
    “Say his name, Adrian. Let yourself believe this. I only met him for a few minutes. He’d just come home from school. Math club, she said. Anyway, he walks just like you do. Christ, he has Brody’s smile and his way of things. There is no doubt in my mind that he is your kid. Sweet. A little shy. Super excited to meet another bass player. Ha!”
    The ache he’d had in his belly since that very first meeting with her in the café dulled just a bit. A deep slice of yearning replaced it. “You really think he’s mine?”
    She leaned forward and took his hands in her own. “Yes. I have absolutely no doubt about that. You have a son, Adrian. Happy father’s day.”
    It hit him then with such force he had to sit back to breathe. The reality he’d been holding at bay, telling himself it probably wasn’t true, crashed back into his life.
    “She took him over to get his DNA test. He knows what it’s for, but she hasn’t given him any details on who his father might be yet.”
    “I need to see it for myself. Need to see him for myself. But I don’t want to upset him or his schedule.”
    “He’s in school all day. She works from home. Chances are you could catch her there. Call and make an appointment to see her. I like her, Adrian. She loves that boy enough to risk the most important part of her life. This is all for him.”
    “I can’t believe you went over there. Do Todd and Ben know?”
    “Yes. We fought about it for a few hours, but I had to see her for myself. I needed to know if I had to cut a bitch or if I had a nephew. I’m glad to say it’s the latter. I gotta get home to my boys. You want to come over for dinner? Alexander and Ben spent the afternoon with Annalee. They went to lunch and then the park. Todd said he had plans to grill tonight. You know there’ll be enough for a thousand people.” She stood and held her hand out.
    He didn’t take it, hugging her tight instead. “Thank you.”
    She hugged him back. “How many times have you done stuff like that for me? Huh? That’s what you do for your people. You’ve hid out here long enough. Come back to us.”
    He had a son. Christ.

6
     
    He knocked at her door three times, stepping back and working on his facial expression. Erin had lectured him on his delivery and the way he’d been with Gillian thus far. He truly didn’t want to have an acrimonious relationship with this woman so he needed to try to get things back on