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one of those reclusive types in Palm Beach. My ex-wife
became friendly with her at one of the private spas where
they do mud baths and beauty treatments."
"She sounds mad," Luis said. "I mean, seriously, normal
women don't jump into bed with another couple, get
pregnant, then keep the baby a big secret from everyone."
Jase frowned. "Wealthy women like her are used to getting
what they want," he said. "I'm sure she knew exactly what
she was doing. Now that I look back, I'm certain I was
nothing more than a stud. When she stopped talking to my
ex-wife without any reason and went into seclusion, my ex-
wife was furious with her. Now I know why she broke the
contact. She never wanted us to find out about the baby."
Luis thought for a moment. He stood up, adjusted his
slacks, and patted Jase's arm. Then he walked back into the
living room and smiled at the quiet little toddler in the wing
chair. Camp was sprawled across his lap and he was petting
the top of Camp's head with his tiny hand.
When Mr. Frank saw Luis enter, he closed his briefcase and
stood up from the wing chair. He sent Luis a sheepish glance
and said, "I really should be going. I have to catch a flight
back to Palm Beach this evening."
Jase stepped into the room and rubbed his jaw. He was
about to say something, but Luis jumped in first. "What is the
boy's name, Mr. Frank?"
"Hunter," Mr. Frank said. "Hunter Nicholas."
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Luis smiled at the boy again and said, "It's nice to meet
you, Hunter." Then he turned to Mr. Frank and said, "She
even gave him Jase's last name?"
Mr. Frank nodded. "I was her attorney for many years," he
said. "I advised her from the beginning it would be best to
contact Mr. Nicholas and let him know everything. But she
refused. She was very demanding and very stubborn."
Luis sighed. "At least she had the decency to make Jase
his guardian in the event of her death. She did one right
thing." This was all so overwhelming Luis had to concentrate
hard so he'd ask all the right questions. "Jase is, in fact, his
guardian now. There's no question about it."
Mr. Frank nodded. "It was all carefully arranged and it's all
legal," he said. "Mr. Nicholas is the legal guardian. That is,
unless he refuses to be."
"What happens then?" Luis asked. He watched Camp roll
over on his back so the little boy could pet his bald stomach.
"In the event Mr. Nicholas should refuse, his mother didn't
make provisions. She believed Mr. Nicholas wouldn't refuse.
She'd been following his life for a long time. She even knew
about his relationship with you. She discussed it with me
about six months ago when we made an update to her will."
Luis found it slightly disconcerting that he and Jase had
been so closely watched by this virtual stranger, with nothing
that connected them other than Jase's son. "How sad," Luis
said, turning to Jase. "She could have been part of our lives
all this time."
Jase's eyebrows went up and he tiled his head. "You're not
upset about this?" He spoke with a cautious tone. "We're not
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even totally sure. We'll have to have a paternity test before
we agree to anything."
Luis gazed across the room at Hunter. He was petting
Camp's stomach with both hands and Camp's legs were
sticking straight up. The little dog's eyes were rolling back
and his tongue was hanging from his mouth; he was enjoying
the attention so much a squirrel could have scampered across
the room and he wouldn't have moved. And with Camp
squirrels meant one thing: battle.
Mr. Frank nodded. "Of course you can take a paternity
test," he said. "I would certainly understand your wanting to
do that. Under these circumstances, I'd take one myself. I
mean it's not every day someone drops by and leaves a child
on your doorstep."
"What would happen to poor Hunter if Jase and I refused
to take him into our lives?" He didn't even realize it at first,
but he'd stopped referring to him as "the boy" and he'd
started referring to him by his first name.
"The courts would appoint a legal guardian," Mr. Frank
said.
"A total stranger?" Luis asked. "That's awfully glum."
"He's a very wealthy child," Mr. Frank said. "'m going to be
handling his finances until he turns eighteen years old. His
mother made this all very clear in the will. I'd see to it he was
put in a good place."
Well. A place, not a home.
When Luis heard Hunter would be situated with complete
strangers, he felt another thump in his stomach. So Luis
smiled at Jase and reached out to shake Mr. Frank's hand.
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"We won't keep you, Mr. Frank. You have a plane to catch.
But it was very nice meeting you and we both look forward to
being in touch with you on a regular basis now to discuss
Hunter's finances." Oh, Luis had already made up his mind
about Hunter. This was one of those times he didn't need to
talk it over with Jase; no one was putting this wonderful child
in a strange place. Not with all the perverts and child abusers
in this world, not with all the religious fanatics that would fill
his head with warped thoughts. Though this baby had been
brought to Luis's home well dressed and well fed, the poor
little glum thing might as well have been left in a dumpster to
fend for himself.
Mr. Frank sent Luis a confused look. He adjusted his
shoulders and said, "Then I guess I'll wait to hear your
decision after the paternity test."
Jase shook his hand and said, "We'll be in touch after the
test."
Luis placed his palm flat against Jase's stomach and
smiled. "There isn't going to be a paternity test, Mr. Frank."
He glanced up at Jase and said, "Hunter is going to remain
here, with us, from now on. He's our son. And that's final." He
spoke with a firm, even tone. He wasn't joking around. This
child was a carbon copy of Jase when he was younger. Luis
had even noticed traces of Isabelle around the corners of his
eyes. Luis had seen all the family photos in Alaska.
Jase's eyes began to fill. He opened them wider so the
tears wouldn't spill out in front of Mr. Frank and Hunter. "Are
you sure about this?" he asked Luis.
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He smiled at Jase and rubbed Jase's stomach. "Oh, I've
never been more certain about anything in my life." Then he
crossed to the wing chair and reached down for Hunter. He
pushed Camp to the side and scooped the toddler up in his
arms. While Mr. Frank and Jase stood there watching, Luis
carried Hunter into the kitchen and said, "Are you hungry,
kiddo? I'm sure I can find something healthy and good for
you in there you'll like. As a matter of fact, we might even
break all the rules tonight and have ice cream right now."
When Luis said ice cream, Camp barked. He was on Luis's
heels, following them into the kitchen. Hunter's head went up
and he patted Luis's cheek. Luis forgot all about Mr. Frank
and Jase. He decided to seat Hunter at the head of the table
in the kitchen, in the cushioned seat, so he wouldn't fall off.
He'd have to place a few pillows beneath him so he could
reach the table. But wasn't he already too old for a highchair?
Oh, the things Luis had planned for Hunter. The future events
that passed through his mind in flashes and waves almost
made him dizzy. And he had been so worried he'd made a
mistake by buying Cider Mill Farm that afternoon. Now he
knew he'd done the right thing. There wasn't a better place
on Earth to bring up a bright, alert child like Hunter. He [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]