Page 62 of Dare to Dance
Kelton shoved his hands in his jeans pockets as he sidled up next to the three of us, standing close to the fire. He nodded at me as though he was my lawyer, giving me permission to speak.
Telling my parents about Raven was hard. Telling them about Ruby and her situation only made my insides queasier. I wasn’t sure why. “Ruby is homeless. Well, technically, not anymore. She’s living with a friend.”
Mom squeezed my hand, and that one gesture said, “I’m here for you” made me shed more tears.
Dad sighed heavily.
“And the child?” Mom asked.
I grabbed fistfuls of my hair with both hands. The trees’ branches rustled together. Embers spat up again from the fire.
Kelton clamped a hand on my shoulder. “Breathe.”
I was trying to, but I couldn’t get enough air in to slow my pulse. “Raven lives with a foster family.”
“Raven. It’s a little girl?” Mom pressed dainty fingers to her lips, her blue eyes swimming with love, excitement, and joy. I wasn’t too surprised at her reaction. After my sister died, my parents had tried for another child. My mom had desperately wanted another little girl.
Dad scratched his unshaven jaw. “Homeless, foster family, what else?”
“According to Ruby’s social worker, I need to get a lawyer and take a paternity test to prove I’m the father so that I can get her out of foster care.”
Dad pressed his lips into a thin line. “Do you know for sure that you’re the father?”
I briefly glanced at Kelton. Not that I was looking for his approval. It was just a habit we had as brothers when we were in a pickle with our parents. My brother didn’t exactly speak for me, but his presence was enough to give me the courage to face my dad. “I believe Ruby. Plus, Raven’s the spitting image of Mom. She has jet-black hair, dark-blue eyes, and like me, she has one dimple.”
Tears ran down Mom’s rosy cheeks.
A light chuckled escaped me as I eyed Kelton. “She’s beautiful. She loves ducks, swans, even lizards.”
One side of my brother’s mouth tweaked upward. “Seriously?”
Silence mingled with the snap and crackle of the fire.
Mom grasped Dad’s hand. “Martin, we have a granddaughter.”
My dad’s rigid posture softened as he brought a hand up to Mom’s cheek. “One step at a time, sweetheart.”
“Dad’s right,” I said. “I need to get that paternity test done.”
“I’ll speak with Mr. Davenport on Monday,” Kelton said. “Since Raven is a ward of the state, we’ll need to petition the family court.”
“Can I get a paternity test done next week?” I asked.
“I can’t answer that. We’ll do our best to push things through,” Kelton said.
“Ruby’s social worker told me to call her with any questions,” I added. “So I’ll reach out to her on Monday.” I also wanted to ask her if I could spend some time alone with Raven.
Dad scrubbed a hand down his face. “Kross, I’m not going to lie. I’m extremely disappointed. But I can’t change what happened. The only thing your mom and I can do is support you.”
I hated myself for disappointing my father. But my pulse slowed for the first time in two weeks. At least, for the moment.
“Honey,” Mom said. “Do you love Ruby?”
Kelton let out a chuckle. “Kade said he’s smitten with Ruby.”
To say I was in love with Ruby… I wasn’t sure. I had a growing desire to run my fingers through her auburn hair and kiss her lights out. Maybe then I would know for sure.
“Mom, back in high school, when Ruby told me she loved me, I wasn’t in the same place. Now, I don’t know. She’s beautiful. She’s tough. Yet shy. She stirs things in me I’ve never felt with another woman. I haven’t even kissed her yet.”Fuck, I’m dying to, though.
