Drew assumed she was finally going to ask for a financial settlement. He was prepared to give her whatever she wanted. Could it be this easy? He leaned back in his chair, relieved that there was no need to go to war with her. Name your price, he thought, and waited.
Her lawyer took a sip of water and glanced at Erin one more time before he spoke, enunciating each word as if it were a proclamation. “Mrs. O’Connor would like Mr. O’Connor to meet his son.”
Drew pushed his chair back hard enough that it crashed to the floor. “What? My son? What the hell are you talking about?” He raced around the table and gripped Erin’s arms to pull her to her feet. “Why are you doing this? Your supposed pregnancy, the reason we got married, never existed. It was a false alarm, you told me. Whose kid is this son you want me to meet?” He wanted to shake the truth out of her. She’d agreed to the annulment. Why would she lie about this now?
Strong arms pulled him away from Erin who was now sobbing. Drew’s lawyer seemed calm and led him back to the other side of the table. “You knew about this, didn’t you,” Drew spat. “What kind of lawyer allows his client to walk into a trap like this? I’m done.” He raised his hands in surrender and stomped angrily toward the door. When he opened it, he froze. A boy stood there, a boy whose eyes were the same sapphire blue as his, whose dark hair had a slight curl like his, who had his face. The blood rushed from his head, leaving him dizzy and about to pass out. He leaned against the wall for support while the boy watched him, alarmed. “Are you okay?” he asked in a small voice.
“I don’t think so. I better go back inside and sit down until I feel better.”
“My mom will know what to do. She’s a nurse, you know. I’ll sit by my granddad again until she’s ready to go home. It’s no fun to be sick.”
Drew couldn’t tear his gaze from the boy who now stood beside a man he recognized as Erin’s father. The older man wrapped a protective arm around the youngster’s shoulders, his expression a warning to Drew.
Slowly, slowly, his rational mind began to accept what his eyes couldn’t deny. His emotions would take more time. His thoughts spun in circles like a speeding car on ice, ricocheting from one question to another. One thing was certain, however — his life would never be the same.
He had to know more, to understand how this could be, and the only person with that information was Erin. He forced himself to return to the conference room and shut the doors tightly behind him. When he’d walked into this room less than an hour earlier, he was childless and now he was a father. He collapsed into the chair beside his lawyer, propped his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands.
Morgan turned his back to the table and leaned close to Drew to talk privately. “I swear to you that I had no knowledge of this. I only guessed that the boy could be yours when I saw him just before this meeting began. I had no way to know if his mother was willing to share that information and I hadn’t time to ask. I’m sorry that you had to learn about him this way and I’m sure you have questions that need answering. You have a right to demand those answers.”
Drew closed his eyes and sighed. “This is so fucked up. How could she do this? How could she deprive me of my son? God knows what she told him about me and why I wasn’t part of his life.”
“I think she expects those questions and that’s why she and her lawyer are still at the table. Do you need some time to compose yourself? We can have her come back later.”
“No! No, if she leaves, I’m afraid I’ll never see either of them again. I can’t trust her.”
“And with good reason.” The lawyer kept one large hand on Drew’s back to settle him and perhaps to keep him from leaping over the table to commit murder. Morgan cleared his throat and turned back toward Erin. “There are questions that need to be answered. Agreed?”
Both Erin and her lawyer nodded. “Mrs. O’Connor expected questions and is prepared to respond to them.”
“Drew?” Brian prompted.
Drew slowly raised his head. His voice shook with anger. “Why? Why did you tell me you weren’t pregnant, that there was no baby? Why would you lie about that? Make me understand how you could do something so despicable, not only to me but to our child. The girl I knew would never have acted that way.”
Erin straightened her back. Her hands were clasped so tightly that her fingers were numb. She looked directly at Drew. “You won’t like my answer, but here it is. The truth is that I told you there was no baby as a test, and it was a test you failed miserably. I was seventeen and in love. Yes, you married me, but I had to know that you loved me for me. For me, Drew, not because we made a baby and you thought you must do the right thing. It wasn’t difficult to see that you didn’t really want to be married at eighteen. You tried, but you were like an animal caught in a trap. You should have seen the relief on your face when I told you it was a false alarm, that there was no baby. You proved me right by leaving. You didn’t love me, and so I didn’t want you to have our child. That sounds selfish and immature now, but I’ll remind you that decision was made by a scared and hurting seventeen-year-old girl.”
“Are you finished?” Drew growled and smashed his fist on the table. He felt like his head might explode. “It was my fucking decision to make. Mine! Not yours. That boy is my son and I had a right to be his father whether I wanted anything to do with you or not!”
“Now let’s calm down,” Erin’s lawyer said quietly.
“Calm? You have the fucking nerve to tell me to be calm when I just came face to face with a boy who thinks his father…what the hell does he think about his father, Erin? Did you tell him I was dead or that I didn’t want him? Or does he think you don’t know who his father is? What is wrong with you?”
The door opened a crack and the boy glanced from Drew to his mother, concern on his face. “I heard shouting. Are you all right, mum?” Mr. Donnelly stood behind him and glared at Drew. “Yes, Erin. Are you all right?”
She rose and walked to her son. “I’m fine, Patrick. You’re not to be concerned, but I may be a while yet. Why don’t you and granddad go find some lunch?”
Before his grandfather could lead Patrick away, the boy turned toward Drew, his eyes wide with surprised recognition “I know who you are,” he said, and each person at the table stopped breathing, not knowing what would come next. “I thought so before, when you felt sick, and now I’m sure. You’re that famous skier, Drew O’Connor, right? We have the same last name!”
“Yes, we do,” said Drew, somehow finding the strength to behave rationally.
“Granddad, please take a picture of me with him. My friends will never believe that I met the real Drew O’Connor!” He was bouncing with excitement.
“Mr. O’Connor may not want to…I don’t think,” Erin sputtered, but Drew interrupted her. He already had his phone in hand and quickly set it to take a selfie.
“I’d be happy to take a picture with you,” he said. “I can send it to your mom’s phone, so we both have a copy.”
“You want a picture of me?” Patrick said, clearly delighted.
“Sure, why not? It’s not often that I meet another O’Connor,” Drew replied and smiled warmly.
Patrick’s excited grin lit up his face and Drew crouched so they were head to head before snapping a few photos. When Drew stood, Patrick threw his arms around his waist and then pulled away, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Mr. O’Connor, but I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Not a problem, Patrick. Do you ski?”
“Nah,” the boy said, looking down. “Mother says it’s too dangerous and that it’s only a sport for rich people.”
“Well, maybe one day I can give you some lessons. That is, if your mom says it’s okay.”
Patrick looked from Drew toward Erin. “Would you really? Mum, he said he can teach me to ski!”
“Calm down Patrick. Mr. O’Connor is just being polite. He’s a busy man and probably shouldn’t make promises he won’t keep.” Her voice was filled with bitter
ness.
“Come on, Patrick.” Mr. Donnelly grasped his grandson by the shoulder. “Your old granddad is starving and needs to find some food.”
“All right,” the boy said, obviously reluctant to leave. “It was a treat to meet you. Thank you for the photo. I hope I’ll see you again.”
“Count on it, Patrick,” Drew said, then shot a look at Erin daring her to challenge that statement, but she remained silent.
As soon as the doors closed again, Drew sank into his chair and Morgan stood. He kept a hand on Drew’s shoulder, sensing that the emotional overload and relative calm of the past half hour was about to result in an explosion that would be measurable on the Richter scale. “Dennis, would you and your client excuse us? In light of these revelations, I need to consult with my client before we proceed.”
Erin’s lawyer helped her to stand. “Of course. We’ll be outside,” he said. Erin kept her eyes lowered, unable to meet Drew’s hostile gaze as she walked toward the door, but as she passed him she murmured, “I’m sorry.”
Once they were alone, Drew turned his chair to face his lawyer. “Tell me what my rights are here. I want to be Patrick’s father, the father he deserves, the kind of father I never had, the kind I believe I can be for him.” With tears in his eyes, his voice cracked. “I already love the kid.”
“Yes, he seems to be bright and a fine lad. I’m sure you don’t want to think about this now, but in time you might realize that his mother deserves some credit for raising him to this point.”
Drew opened his mouth to say something and then changed his mind as he considered the lawyer’s words. Finally, he shifted in his seat and nodded. “I guess she’s been a good mother with one huge, inexcusable exception. She kept him from having a father.”
“There is that,” Morgan agreed. “As for your rights, you were married when Patrick was born and you still are, so you’re in a better position legally than a father who never married the mother of his child. We need to know if your name is on Patrick’s birth certificate. If it is, you could immediately demand visitation or even a joint custody arrangement. These days judges take the best interests of the child into consideration, since a child has the right to a relationship with both of his parents.”
Drew leaned back and started to lift his thumb to his mouth, then dropped his hand to his lap. “I sucked my thumb for years. I wonder if Patrick did that and how much of who he is comes from my genes.”
“All of your questions will be answered as you get to know him.” The lawyer studied his client, relieved that he seemed calmer. “Do you want time to consider how involved you want to be in Patrick’s life or will you want to work out a custody arrangement with Mrs. O’Connor now?”
“Stop calling her that!” Drew said, glaring at the lawyer. “Except for passing the name along to Patrick, I hate that she has it.” His thoughts went immediately to Kate, the only woman he wanted to give his name to. How would she react when he told her that he had a son? He pushed that worry aside and a moment later released a deep sigh. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me.”
“I don’t have to address her by that name until we’re in court. Shall we invite them back to the table?”
“Yes. Let’s get this over with.”
Once Erin and her lawyer were seated, Morgan stated the obvious. “To say my client is extremely upset is a vast understatement. He was cut out of his child’s life through no fault of his own.” He held up a hand to stop the response he knew was coming. “Having your heart broken, young lady, is no reason to hide a man’s child from him and deprive both of them from knowing each other. Have you brought the child’s birth certificate?”
“I suggested that she do so,” lawyer Flaherty said. Erin rummaged in her handbag for an envelope, then slid it across the table.
Morgan opened it, glanced at the contents and then showed the official document to Drew, who hugged the paper to his chest when he saw his name listed as father. “Thank you,” he silently mouthed to Erin.
“Well, then, that should make custody arrangements easier,” said Morgan.
Erin’s fair skin flushed and her eyes blazed. “Custody? What are you talking about? Patrick lives with me in Dublin. That’s home, where he goes to school and where his friends are. Drew lives in the States and travels the world for his work. How can he have any kind of custody of my son? He belongs here in Ireland, with me.”
“Our son, Erin. Our son,” Drew said quietly. He ran both hands over his face and leaned toward her. “I only met Patrick for a few minutes, but I can see that he’s a wonderful boy and that reflects back on you. But if you think I’m going to say ‘good job, carry on’ and walk away, you’re very wrong. Patrick is my son and I will be part of his life from now on. You are going to have to share him with me. That’s a fact and that’s the law.”
“I know,” she said in a voice that was barely more than a whisper. “I won’t fight you, Drew. That would hurt Patrick because once he learns that you’re his father…well, you’ve already seen how he admires you. I’ll do what is best for him as I have since the day he came into this world, even if it tears me apart. That’s what a mother does.”
“All right,” Morgan said, sensing that nothing more could be accomplished that day. Both parents were emotionally drained and would need time to accept and deal with this new reality. “We’ll start the annulment petition and civil divorce and then formalize a custody arrangement in a day or two. It would be helpful for my client and I to be told what the boy knows about his father and what he will be told now. This isn’t going to be easy for any of you, least of all him. Since you both say you are willing to put his interests before your own, I recommend that you start your co-parenting by working this out together.”
Drew and Erin looked at each other, their earlier hostility lessened, and each nodded their agreement.
CHAPTER 29
“I can’t believe how much stuff you pile on your face to look natural for the camera.” Kate sat on a stool in Liz’s dressing room, watching with fascination as her friend skillfully applied make up before beginning the day’s filming of her soap opera.
“Crazy, isn’t it?” Liz replied, as she added another coat of mascara to her false eyelashes and then picked up a lipstick. Before she lifted the tube of red to her mouth, she met Kate’s gaze in her mirror. “Is there a reason that you haven’t mentioned Drew? Hasn’t he called since he told you that the redheaded bitch is his lawyer’s niece and works in his office?”
Kate tried to look unconcerned, but failed. “No, and I’m dying to know what happened when he met with Erin and her lawyer yesterday, but I don’t want to bug him, especially if he’s in the middle of it.” She picked at a loose thread at the bottom of her t-shirt. “If it was good news, he would have called already, so it has to be that Erin’s giving him a hard time and won’t divorce him.”
“It takes a lot of effort to think positively sometimes.” Liz turned back to the mirror to brush a final coat of shine-reducing powder over her skin. “But I believe that he’ll do everything in his power to end his marriage. He loves you, Kate. You can’t doubt that. Maybe Charles has heard from him. Should I ask?”
“No, at least not yet. I have to stop imagining the worst. And if he comes home and is still married, I’m not so sure that I’ll be able to resist him anyway.”
“At least he’s not cheating on a wife who he lives with and who has no idea that her husband is sleeping with another woman. That’s unacceptable, but you’ve got to admit that his situation is different.”
“That’s why it’s so hard to figure out what to do.” Kate shrugged her shoulders, then was startled by the vibration of her phone in her pocket. “It’s him. Wish me luck.”
Kate stepped into the hallway outside Liz’s dressing room. “Hey,” she said, softly. “You must be psychic because I was just talking to Liz about you. I wondered what was happening over there.” Drew didn’t respond right away and when Kate heard him draw in a
shaky breath, she dreaded what he was about to say. “Drew?”
“Erin agreed to start annulment proceedings and then we’ll get a quick civil divorce.”
“That’s great! Wow! I can hardly believe it. You must be so relieved.” She was bubbling with excitement and fought the impulse to jump up and down until she realized that his voice was flat, with none of the joy she’d expect from finally having that settled. “Is something wrong?”
“Not wrong exactly. There’s a complication that we need to resolve and I’m not sure how much longer it’ll take.”
“What complication? Tell me what’s going on. You’re worrying me.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have called, but I needed to hear your voice and wanted to at least share the good news.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“If things work out the way I hope, I might be bringing someone home with me.”
His cryptic replies made her want to strangle him. “Is it Erin? You are getting divorced, right? You haven’t gotten back together with her.”
“No, no, not Erin.”
Kate rolled her eyes and looked up, praying for patience. “Stop making me ask questions and tell me who you’re talking about!”
Liz opened her door. One look at the strain on Kate’s face told her that the news from Drew wasn’t good. “What?” she mouthed silently, but Kate ignored her.
“Drew?” Kate prodded.
“Erin lied about not being pregnant. I have a son…Patrick…he’s ten.”
Kate’s eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth as if she were afraid of what might come out of it. She slid down the wall she’d been leaning against, her legs suddenly unable to support her. Silent tears trickled down her cheeks.
“Kate? Say something, please. Kate?”
Liz took the phone from her friend’s boneless fingers and put it on speaker so that Kate could hear what was being said. “What did you tell her? My best friend is white as a ghost and is sitting on the floor crying. You better tell me what you said so I know what to do for her.”
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