Page 30 of Secret Baby
She leaned over and placed her hand on his. "I didn't sign anything either."
"I believed you that day we talked." He slipped his hand away. "To end the story, when the DCF official heard my denial of signing papers, she agreed to give mom custody for the night in my stead."
Vicki dried her face. "The agent had a heart."
Colt dropped his hands to the sides now. "I doubt it. My dad called the senator and the governor. Our lawyer proved fraud. I took a DNA test the next day, and Clara has been a Collins since the day she was born."
"No one called me, including you." Vicki closed her eyes, and memories flooded her of how she'd felt empty for years. She'd have never run away without her baby. "If I had one whiff of Clara being alive, I'd have done anything to be with her."
Colt stilled. "I called you a few times, but you never answered. I stopped when my lawyer received a letter of complaint that threatened harassment."
"My father...for what he did to Clara, I want him to come back alive so that I might kill him."
"I thought we should clear the air about all this, Vicki. I didn't want to cause you more pain."
"You didn't."
She squeezed the bridge of her nose. Then she let out a sigh and answered him. "He must have blocked your phone calls. I did stay in the house a few weeks, but then I saw how my father wanted me to go to school and forget Clara. I couldn't pretend, and finally I walked out the door."
She stilled and saw he clearly had a question. Then slowly he asked, "So why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? You said something about me and a woman at basic. I wanted to ask you what you meant."
"I have the pictures in my bag. Hold on." She jumped out of her chair and raced for her pocketbook. She sorted through the materials she'd brought and then grabbed the pictures. She returned and laid them on the table. "My father's private investigator brought me these."
He flipped through the pictures as he wrinkled his nose. "This is Stacy."
She widened her eyes. "Who's Stacy?"
His hand went to his chin to support him. "One night at basic, she was in bad shape. Her parents died in a car crash, or something truly horrible like that. It was a long time ago. I remember feeling awful for her. We all went drinking and had too much. She couldn't walk, so I helped her to the car so we could return to base."
"That's it?"
He pushed the picture of him and Stacy to the table. "Despite this picture, I never kissed her."
Then her eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?"
He shook his head. "Why would I then? I would close my eyes and still imagine you. I wanted you to call me every day of training."
Her heart melted. She was too late and had missed her chance with Colt, so she avoided his gaze. "If I did, then I disowned him, my family, the money to pay for Clara's birth, and my college tuition."
He ran his hands through his hair. "My family isn't poor, Vicki. Granted, my trust fund isn't a big as yours, but we could have been fine."
She lowered her gaze. "He threatened I'd lose everything for a man who was heading off to war and who was in bed with another woman. Then when the nurses, doctor, and my father all said my baby died, I lost my will to fight." Her cheeks were wet with tears, and she couldn't look at Colt. "I shouldn't have let that happen."
"Don't blame yourself." He reached out to hold her hand for a moment, and his eyes had a spark of something deeper. "We're starting fresh from now on, Vicki. No more lies between us, and there was no other woman."
He was engaged, and despite how she wished she had him too, she knew this was a fantasy. She dropped his hand that she clung to, and reached up to her mother's necklace to hold the pendant. Her daughter deserved more than a necklace for a mother. "Today is as good as any to start fresh. What happened before now can all be forgotten."
"No." He took his hand back across the table, and a grin appeared on his face. "Clara is the best thing that came from our mistake."
"She's perfect." She smiled as tension eased off her skin. "I'm glad. Can we tell her I'm her mother?"
Colt massaged the back of his neck. "Soon. Not yet. I want it be natural and without pressure. When the topic comes up again, I'll tell her." He stood suddenly. "I have to get going to check on the oranges. You're staying here?"
"I am." She nodded. "My appointment in town is for tomorrow, but it won't take more than a few hours. Clara is welcome to join me. We'll go to the shop, have lunch, and I'll bring her back here."
"That sounds fine. Guess tonight's our last night of one-on-one family." He sucked in his breath as he held both hands behind his back. "Belle's flight is in the morning tomorrow."
"Ohh." The bubble she lived in was about to burst. His fiancée showing up meant no more times like now. Her shoulders sagged. "Okay. I'm happy for you."
