“There are clean towels in the main bathroom you used last night.” He walked around the bar, opposite of where Vivian stood. “I’m heading to the hospital and will be back in a couple of hours.”
“You have to work today?” she said with obvious irritation.
“No, I’m going to the lab for the paternity test.” He snagged the keys from the bowl next to the fridge, but Vivian moved in front of him, blocking his exit.
“We need to go with you.”
“Why?” Luke asked, even though now that she mentioned it, he knew the lab would need a sample from Crew in order to compare their DNA.
“They’ll need to swab the inside of Crew’s mouth too.”
Clenching his back teeth down hard, Luke took a step backward. He didn’t want to show up at the hospital together, but it seemed irrational to make her drive separately. “Fine. I’ll be down by the dock. Call me when you’re ready to go.”
He turned to leave, but Vivian stopped him by placing her hand on his arm. “Could you please listen for Crew while I shower?”
His muscles went rigid and his molars ached. If Vivian sensed his tension, she didn’t show it. She just smiled up at him, like this was a normal part of their routine.
“Sure.” Luke jerked his arm away from her.
“Crew will want a bottle if he wakes up,” she said as she sauntered by him. Her arm brushed against his and he knew it wasn’t by accident.
“Knock it off, Vivian,” he said in a low voice.
She pivoted around and lifted an eyebrow. “Knock what off?”
“Acting like you like me.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Luke,” she said with wide eyes. “I just want us to be friends. For Crew’s sake.”
Luke barely held back an eye roll. She was coming onto him, probably just to see if she could still manipulate him. She was wasting her time.
Without saying anything else, he turned away, tossed his keys back into the basket and opened the fridge. He could feel her watching him, but he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of looking back over his shoulder.
Grabbing a bottle of orange juice, he pulled it out, unscrewed the lid, and drank from the bottle. His mother would scold him, but he lived alone and could drink from the bottle if he wanted to.
He lowered it from his mouth and relaxed his shoulders when he heard the snick of the bathroom door closing. Returning the bottle to the fridge, he waited until he heard the shower going before he gave into his earlier wish.
Opening the door to the guest room, he walked over to the portable crib and felt his heart grow at the sight of the sleeping child. Crew lay on his back, his long lashes brushing against his cheeks as he periodically sucked on a pacifier.
He studied the cherubic face, looking for any trace of himself. What if this was really his little boy? He’d already missed the first eight months of his life. How could he be separated any longer if he was Crew’s father? Vivian would never move to Georgia, especially if he married Taylin. But if he and Taylin eventually married, would she move to Montana?
The baby squirmed on his back and sucked on the pacifier harder. Then his eyes opened up and he stared at Luke without blinking.
“Good morning, little guy,” he said softly.
Crew continued to suck on his pacifier and blinked once.
“Can I hold you?” Luke asked, holding out his arms.
To his amazement, the little boy lifted up his arms. Luke crouched down and picked him up, bringing the blanket with him. He instantly felt the sagging diaper. Thankfully it hadn’t leaked through yet.
“Let’s get you a new diaper.” Luke glanced around the room until he spotted the diaper bag. He hesitated looking through Vivian’s stuff, but didn’t know what else to do. He crossed the room and spied a clean diaper and a package of diaper wipes sitting on top of the bed.
Grabbing both items, he vacated the bedroom. He had a feeling if he were still in there when Vivian got out of the shower, she wouldn’t hesitate getting dressed in front of him. Crew remained quiet during the entire diaper changing procedure. Luke knew enough about kids to guess this was the kid’s usual MO. God must have known Vivian needed a mellow baby in order for her to be a decent mother.
“I’ll bet you’re hungry,” Luke said, carrying the baby over to the sink. Crew’s pacifier popped out of his mouth the second Luke picked up the bottle. He reached for the bottle and babbled something that sounded like a demand. “Give me a second, little man.”
He was grateful Crew didn’t start crying. Luke handed the baby the nipple and turned on the water. Crew rolled the lid to the bottle in his little hands and then stuck it in his mouth. Luke smiled when he heard the air being sucked through the nipple hole.
The water felt just right and Luke quickly made the bottle. Crew was reluctant to give up the nipple, but Luke wiggled it out of his mouth. He screwed on the lid and shook the bottle as he walked over to the couch.
Crew held onto the bottle, his eyes zeroed in on Luke as he eagerly sucked down the formula. With the tip of his finger, Luke traced the skin above the child’s dark eyebrows, following the curve of his cheek. Next he touched the baby’s hair, marveling at the softness. Crew stopped sucking, but kept the nipple in his mouth, allowing the air to decompress.
“You’re pretty good at that, aren’t you?” Luke said, tickling the baby under his chin.
Around the nipple, Crew’s lips curved up into a smile, revealing two bottom teeth. Luke felt like his chest was going to explode. A smile from this little boy was a pretty amazing feeling.
By the time the bottle was empty, Luke had fallen in love with the baby boy. Remembering the way Taylin had burped the infant in the ER, Luke sat Crew up. He didn’t even have to pat the kid’s back before he let out a belch that made Luke laugh.
“Nice one,” Luke said.
The baby’s face split into another grin, and then he giggled. The laughter lit Luke up inside and he wanted to hear more. He leaned over and blew a raspberry against the child’s cheek, making the kid giggle again. The sound made Luke laugh, which only increased Crew’s giggles.
How could he love someone this much in such a short amount of time? A little voice in the back of Luke’s head urged him to be cautious. He pushed it away. He knew the consequences of allowing himself to love the baby before he knew if he was the child’s father, but he guessed it was already too late.
“He likes you,” Vivian said.
The baby saw his mother and held out his hands, his laughter dissolving into more babbling, as if he was asking her to take him. Luke glanced over and shouldn’t have been surprised to find Vivian standing there with only a towel wrapped around her.
Irritated with her lack of modesty, he stood up. “Go get dressed, Vivian.”
“I will,” she said with a laugh. “Besides, it’s not like you haven’t seen anything I have before.”
His anger boiled to the surface so quickly he would’ve shouted if not for the baby he held in his arms. “I don’t think your boyfriend would appreciate you running around my house with only a towel on.”
“Neil and I aren’t together right now.”
That bit of news didn’t surprise him. Frankly, he’d been shocked she’d stayed with the guy for as long as she had. “I really don’t care if you have a boyfriend or not, but if you’re staying here until the test results come back, then you need to get dressed because I do have a girlfriend.”
“Worried you’ll be tempted?” she asked with a half smile.
“Not for what you’re implying.” Heaven knows Vivian had tested his temper too many times to count, but he would never hit a woman no matter how vexing she was. He did, however, have the urge to use words he seldom used. Again, the baby in his arms helped curb the impulse to lash out verbally.
She narrowed her eyes, the smile fading. “Are you threatening me?”
Apprehension gripped him around the middle, squeezing his chest. He could easily see her
using Crew against him. The law usually sided with mothers, and he knew she could make it so he never saw the baby again, even if he proved to be the father.
“No, but I am asking you to respect my wishes, which means no more running around in towels.”
That half smile was back, and he knew she sensed his earlier fear. She was like a shark, detecting the tiniest drop of blood in the ocean. “Of course.” She walked over and snatched Crew out of his arms. “We’ll be ready to leave as soon as we’re both dressed.”
She slammed the bedroom door shut, and Luke pressed his lips together to keep from yelling out one of the many insults begging to be released. Turning away, he ran a hand through his hair and drew in a deep breath. He needed to get a grip and not let Vivian provoke him so much.
Wishing he could talk to Taylin, he pulled his phone from his pocket and was disappointed she hadn’t sent him another text. Opening his email app, he scrolled through the messages. Aside from a reminder about a mandatory staff meeting next week, most of the mail was spam.
His phone dinged with a message from his mother. She was up, probably making breakfast for his dad while he was out doing morning chores. He tapped on the message and felt his eyes burn at the simple text.
Just thinking about you this morning and how much I miss you. I hope you have a good day.
Luke was a grown man, and hadn’t lived at home for the past decade, yet right now he was as homesick as he’d been his first week at scout camp when he’d been ten years old. Needing his mother more than he had in a long time, he stepped outside onto the back porch and called her number.
“Good morning,” his mom answered in a chipper voice. “I didn’t think I’d hear from you so soon.”
“I’ve actually been needing to talk to you and was just waiting until I thought you’d be up.”
“Uh-oh. Is it good news or bad news?”
Luke sighed heavily. “I’m not really sure.”
Knowing Vivian could be ready to go soon, Luke quickly explained the situation. His mother listened without saying a word, and Luke wished he could see her face. She wasn’t very good at hiding her emotions.
“How soon will you get the test results back?” his mom asked once he finished.
“It can take as long as three weeks, but I’m hoping my friend in the lab can expedite the results.”
“Well, I guess we won’t make any plans until we know, right?”
Knowing his mother alluded to the possibility of him returning to Montana, he reluctantly agreed with her. “Yeah.” Luke glanced through the glass sliding door and saw Vivian come out of the bedroom. “I gotta go now, but I’ll keep you posted.”
“I love you, son. Dad and I will be praying for you.”
“Thanks.” He gripped the handle of the sliding door. “Love you too, Mom.”
He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket as he slid open the door. “Ready?” he asked Vivian. At the sound of his voice, Crew lifted his head off of his mother’s shoulder to look at Luke.
He was about to hold out his arms to see if Crew would come to him, but Vivian patted the little boy’s back, diverting his attention back to her. Her attention, however, was directed at Luke. He could see she wanted to ask him about his phone call and was surprised when she didn’t. “You’ll need to get Crew’s car seat out of my rental.” She handed him a set of keys.
“Okay.” Luke took the keys and grabbed his set of keys from the bowl before making his way toward the front door.
“Thank you,” Vivian said when he held open the door for her. The air was humid, making the scent of the lake and the surrounding vegetation prominent this morning. Vivian wrinkled her nose. “It smells awful here. How can you stand it?”
“It smells like a lake. And I like living here.” It was true. While he missed Montana and his family, it hadn’t taken long for him to fall in love with Georgia. Or maybe the transition had been easier because he’d fallen in love with Taylin. The thought of possibly leaving her to move back home was too much right now. He just needed to focus on getting the test done so he could make a plan.
Opening the car door, he ducked down to remove Crew’s seat. While Luke struggled with getting the car seat unbuckled, Vivian’s phone sounded an incoming call. She answered it but spoke too softly for him to hear anything. Finally freeing the buckle securing the seat, he pulled it out and closed the door. Vivian had her back turned to him, her voice tight with anger.
He walked over to the garage door to punch in the code to open it and overheard the tail end of her side of the conversation.
“I told you I haven’t decided what to do. I’ll call you later.”
Her call ended as Luke entered the last number on the keypad. He waited as the door lifted, refusing to give into the desire to ask Vivian whom she’d been talking to. The installation of the car seat wasn’t any easier than removing it. His hands were too big to thread the seatbelt through the slot on the back of the seat.
“It’s not that hard, Luke,” Vivian said from beside him.
“It is when you’re hand won’t fit,” he grumbled.
“Move over and I’ll do it.” She nudged him and then handed over Crew. Her eyes met his, her lips parting into a slow smile. “By the way, I have a perfect memory of your hands.”
Ignoring the innuendo, Luke shifted his gaze to Crew. Those big brown eyes studied him so intently, and he wished he knew what the kid was thinking. “Ready to go for a ride?” he asked with a smile.
Crew blinked and sucked on his pacifier, but his gaze never wavered from Luke’s face. Before Luke could do something to make the little boy giggle, Vivian held out her arms. Crew dove for his mother. It was stupid for Luke to wish the kid would’ve preferred to stay with him.
Once Crew was safely strapped in his car seat, Luke rounded the back of the SUV and slid in behind the wheel. Vivian climbed in the passenger side and shot him a peeved look. “Thanks for holding my door for me,” she said sarcastically.
He wasn’t looking for a fight this early in the morning, so Luke simply started the car and backed out, dodging Vivian’s rental in the process. Later on he would have to move her car to the other side so he didn’t accidentally run into her.
Vivian was busy texting, so Luke didn’t have to make small talk, making the drive to the hospital silent, with only an occasional baby noise from the backseat. Luke parked near the emergency room department, since the lab was across the hall.
As he climbed out of the car, his gut tightened with the anxiety of possibly running into someone from his department. If Zach happened to see him with Vivian and Crew, the guy would ask questions. It wouldn’t be long before everyone knew Luke had an ex-wife and a baby that may or may not be his.
Vivian didn’t bother waiting to see if Luke would open her door. He should open it just to be a gentleman like his mother had taught him, but dealing with Vivian changed a lot of rules. Number one was not to engage if you didn’t have to.
His stomach churned as he approached the entrance to the hospital. It suddenly occurred to him that his friend might not even be working today. He should’ve called in ahead. If Ryland wasn’t scheduled, Luke could’ve driven into Macon to get the testing done.
He punched the big silver button and allowed Vivian and Crew to enter before he did. Apparently that part of his upbringing was too ingrained to let it slide. Besides, she was holding Crew.
After inquiring at the front desk, Luke found out Ryland was working, and he hoped the guy could expedite the process. Since paternity testing was a fairly common test these days, the clerk didn’t bat an eye when he told her what he was there for. Luke quickly filled out the paperwork for himself, while Vivian took care of the baby’s.
“Y’all just take a seat in the waitin’ room,” the clerk said, pointing to the right of her. “Ryland will be out as soon as he’s available.”
Luke stood up at the same time as Vivian. She turned to him and handed over the baby. “I need to find
the bathroom.”
Just as she transferred the diaper bag to him, Abbie, one of the labor and delivery nurses Taylin was a friend with, walked in with some paperwork. “Hey there, Luke.” She glanced between him and Vivian. “Who’s the little cutie you’re holding?”
His neck felt hot as he struggled to find a way to reply without revealing too much or flat out lying. Vivian beat him to the punch.
“Hi, I’m Vivian, and this little guy is mine and Luke’s son, Crew.”
“Wow,” Abbie said to Luke. “I had no idea you’re a daddy.”
Welcome to the club, Luke thought as he shifted his weight, moving Crew to the other side. Before Luke could utter a single word, Ryland came out and called Luke’s name, along with Crew’s.
“Gotta go,” he finally managed. Then he spun around and followed Ryland into one of the lab rooms with Vivian on his heels. As he sat down on one of the chairs, he knew that by the end of the day, the entire floor, and possibly the whole hospital, would know Luke had a son.
Chapter 25
Taylin waited until her shift ended and she was safely in her car before she let herself cry. When Abbie had cornered her early this morning to tell her she’d just run into Luke down in admitting, Taylin knew from the look on her friend’s face that Vivian and her baby boy must have been with him.
Abbie asked a lot of questions, but Taylin only answered two of them. Yes, she knew about the ex-wife visiting in town, and yes, she knew about Luke’s son. It was hard not disputing Luke’s relationship to Crew, but it wasn’t her place to divulge whether or not he was actually the child’s father. Within an hour of Abbie’s encounter with Luke, the entire floor was talking about his family.
It had been so hard to act like nothing was wrong, so it surprised Taylin that she wasn’t sobbing after such an emotional day. She just sat in her car as silent tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. She dreaded going into work tomorrow and contemplated calling in sick. It wouldn’t be a lie. She was sick—heart sick—and it hurt more than any illness or injury she’d ever experienced in her life.
Just a Kiss in the Moonlight: Georgia Moon Romance Book 2 Page 24