Believe Me (Hearts for Ransom Book 3)

by Evans, Georgia A

  “Thank you, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to talk about Zoey’s father.” Was what he did to her really all that different from what Spencer’s father had done?

  Mason looked around his room, wishing there was just one place he could sit other than his bed, or this wheelchair he was rapidly growing tired of. The soft-spoken woman taking x-rays already that morning told him he’d be much more mobile once the cast came off his arm. It couldn’t happen soon enough to suit him.

  Deciding to read for a while, he reached across his torso and picked up the book Emily brought him during her last visit—a supposed western. It had too many love scenes in it to suit Mason’s taste, but he was so relieved when she showed up on Thanksgiving evening and apologized for jumping to the wrong conclusions about Betsy and him, he would have gladly accepted a Victorian romance from her. After her unfailing support right after his accident, he didn’t think he’d ever be able to willingly give up their friendship. Logan had been right to leave him in the bar the night Mason tried to get him to cheat on Emily. She deserved respect.

  So did Claire. So had Claire. Frustration at the front of his mind, he hurled his book across the room, knocking the teddy bear off the windowsill. Great. Now he’d have to figure out a way to pick up both his book and the silly bear.

  “Hey, is it safe for me to come in, or do I need to run to Logan’s site and borrow a hard hat first?” Brody Gaines hesitantly leaned through the slightly open doorway.

  Mason managed to face his chair in Brody’s general direction. “Come on in, Brody. I’m harmless. That was just a little temper tantrum.”

  Brody walked in, his female-pleasing smile in place as he surveyed the damage Mason caused. “Beating up on innocent stuffed animals?”

  Mason snorted. “Bo carried that bear in here. If it was innocent when they bought it, no way it made it here that way.”

  “If the bear could talk, he’d probably be able to say ‘this bites’ at least ten different ways,” Brody agreed, his blue eyes twinkling. He walked over and picked both the teddy bear and book up, placing the animal back on the windowsill before he came over to sit beside Mason.

  Mason accepted the book Brody held out for him. “Thanks.” He stuffed it between his hip and the side of his chair.

  Brody pulled a chair around so he was sitting a comfortable distance from Mason. Blonde hair, carelessly styled, added to his deceptively boyish appearance, which caused many of his courtroom opponents to underestimate his talent and abilities. Unfortunately, as he and his wife Abby saw it, his looks also garnered him way too much female attention on the ball diamond, where he played second base for the Slammers. Abby’s efforts to keep women away from “her man” were legendary.

  “What can I do for you, Mason?” Brody solemnly asked. “Besides pick up poor defenseless toys and mushy westerns.”

  “Huh?” Mason glanced down where he’d stuffed the paperback. “How’d you know this book was mushy? Have you read it?”

  Brody grinned. “Not hardly. Abby has, though, and I bet she has something to do with you getting it.”

  Mason nodded. “Emily gave it to me. It’s probably Abby’s copy.”

  “I’ll smuggle some good stuff to you,” Brody promised him. “None of that kissing and sheathing his dagger stuff.”

  Both men chuckled.

  “I’m glad you called,” Brody told Mason. “I’ve wanted to come and visit, but we’ve been so busy at work, Jake and I barely even have time to say hello to each other. This way, I put you down as a client I needed to see during office hours.”

  Mason sobered. “Actually, I intend to be your client.” He had thought of little else since the idea popped into his head. “If I talk to you about a legal matter, it’ll be confidential, right? Not even Abby will know.”

  Brody’s smile faded. “Mason, do you want me here as your friend or your attorney?”

  “I need legal advice. It’s about something very personal and paramount,” Mason answered. “I may decide not to act on it anyway, but I need to know where I stand.”

  “Give me a dollar.” Brody held out his hand.

  Mason slowly reached over to the tray where his wallet lay and pulled it to him. Had Abby already rubbed off on his friend? They had only been married for seven months, but Mason long ago stopped being surprised by the things she came up with. Now, it looked like Brody was going to be the same way.

  At least his otherwise useless left hand could hold his wallet down while he got his money. He warily fished out a dollar bill and handed it to Brody before closing his wallet and returning it to the tray.

  Brody stood up and stuffed the dollar into his pants pocket. Then, after slipping his coat off and putting it on the back of his chair, he walked over and locked the door.

  “Okay. You just hired an attorney,” he told Mason. “How can I help you?”

  When Mason decided he was going to do this, it was with the knowledge he would have to tell Brody every last detail. He may not have Brody as a friend after this was all over.

  “This is something nobody knows. I mean, Logan and Emily figured out part of it, but they don’t know the whole story.” Mason looked into Brody’s eyes. “I’d like to keep it that way.”

  “Okay,” Brody answered calmly.

  This was it. “You remember, about fifteen months ago, around August when we all got together and took the boys to World of Wonders?” Brody nodded. “The weekend before we went, I slept with a woman.”

  Brody’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m sorry, Mason, but that’s nothing new.”

  “This time it was,” Mason informed him. “This time I didn’t use protection.”

  “Don’t tell me what I think you’re going to tell me.” Brody had a look of disbelief on his face.

  He was just going to say it—in plain, simple English, say it. “I have a six-month-old daughter, Brody.”

  Brody sat back in his chair, and his mouth dropped open. “You’re a father?”

  “Yes.” Mason gave Brody time to digest the news. “I need to explain this to you. I don’t want to, though, because I’m…I’m ashamed of myself. What happened that night changed me.” If he didn’t believe anything else, Brody had to give credence to that. “I haven’t been with a woman since the night my child was conceived.”

  A look of horror dawned on Brody’s face. “You didn’t force yourself on this woman, did you?”

  Mason had searched his conscience and could honestly answer that question. “No.”

  “Then what happened that you feel so guilty about?”

  “Okay, I’m going to tell you, but please just try to understand,” Mason asked. “This is more challenging than you can imagine.”

  Brody’s expression was inscrutable. “I’m listening.”

  That night played back in Mason’s memory, and he began talking.

  “This woman didn’t like me. I knew that. But one night…that one night…she was different. She acted happy to see me. She was so beautiful, Brody, I couldn’t believe it. So when I thought she wanted me to, I kissed her.” He could still feel that first kiss.

  “She kissed me back.” His eyes held Brody’s. “I can honestly tell you I’ve never had a woman get so hot, so fast. She was all over me, dragging me into her house, taking off her clothes and yanking at mine.” The next part of his story helped a little bit. Just a little bit. “Brody, I tried to put the brakes on. I really did. I told her we needed to slow down and enjoy ourselves more. She just got even more wound up. It was like being attacked by the Tasmanian devil or something. I didn’t think about using protection, but I honestly don’t know if there would have been time if I had.” His face felt warm. “She…she was on top, and…you get the picture.”

  His gaze dropped from Brody’s eyes to the floor. “It wasn’t until right after we were finished and she passed out, I realized how drunk she was. I could tell she’d been drinking, but I thought…I really did…that she’d just had enough to take the edge off. Then, w
hen she passed out, I realized she hadn’t really wanted any of what happened between us. I took advantage of a woman who wasn’t in her right mind.”

  “What did you do then?” Brody asked quietly.

  “I dressed as fast as I could and got out of there. I tried to pretend it didn’t happen.” Mason waited for Brody to tell him how disgusted he was.

  Brody’s expression hadn’t changed. “How did you find out about the baby?”

  “Her mother thought the honorable thing to do was tell me she was pregnant and going to keep the baby.” He remembered Claire’s harsh words. “The thing is, she must have roused while I was getting dressed because she seemed almost as upset that I ditched her as she was about the sex.” Mason stopped talking and put his hand over his eyes.

  “Go on,” Brody urged him.

  Mason slowly looked at Brody. “She was very familiar with my reputation. She told me I wasn’t fit to be any kind of a parent. I didn’t even deserve to see my child.”

  “So you’re telling me you don’t support your daughter, financially or otherwise,” Brody observed, his voice neutral.

  “It’s not because I don’t want to.” Mason felt lower than dirt when he was stupid enough to offer one day. “She said she’d beg strangers on the street before she so much as let me buy a jar of baby food.” He couldn’t keep tears from forming in his eyes. “I’ve never even seen a picture of my daughter, Brody—my own flesh and blood daughter.”

  Brody sat there, not saying a word.

  Mason wasn’t surprised. It was what he’d been expecting. “I understand,” he told Brody in a flat voice. “I don’t blame you. I was wrong to expect you to know what I’ve done, and even be able to tolerate me. I’d just appreciate it if you don’t say anything. It’s what her mother wants, too.”

  “You need to shut up and stop feeling sorry for yourself,” Brody ordered. “You didn’t purposely take advantage of her. From the way it sounds, you were very much under the impression the sex was more than consensual. She was the aggressor. Unless she gave you reason to believe she wasn’t lucid, or able to make rational decisions for herself, you shouldn’t blame yourself. I’m not even sure she didn’t want intercourse to occur, and then felt ashamed of herself. It would be a heck of a lot easier to put the blame on your shoulders than admit she made a mistake, too.”

  “But she was drunk,” Mason protested. “She wouldn’t have let me touch her if she’d been sober. I should have known that.”

  Brody sounded like the competent attorney he was. “The point is, you didn’t know that. Not until after the fact. If she genuinely believed you took advantage of her in a fully inebriated state, and that she had nothing whatsoever to do with it, she could have called it rape.” Mason’s heart sped up. “Has she ever even mentioned that?”

  “No.” Had he been wrong after all? “But is that what I did? Did I rape her?” He was going to be sick.

  “Of course not,” Brody said adamantly. “Like I told you before, she was the aggressor. You thought she was more than willing, and she didn’t give you any reason to think otherwise. Are you sure she only had sex with you because she was drunk, or are you assuming that because of your past history with her?”

  “I’m pretty sure she would have slapped my face when I kissed her if she’d been sober,” Mason sadly answered.

  Brody shook his head. “I disagree, but it’s a moot point. I take it you want to see your daughter.”

  “Yes.” That was one thing Mason was certain of. “More than you can imagine.”

  “Do you have any proof the child is yours? Is your name on her birth certificate?”

  Mason felt miserable. “Since my baby doesn’t have my name, I think it’s safe to assume it’s not on the birth certificate either.”

  Brody stood up and began to pace. “We’d have to establish you’re the father before we can seek any kind of custodial arrangements. And, if her mother denies you’re the baby’s father, we’re probably looking at a whole other legal battle to make her accept a paternity test.”

  “It’s hopeless, then.” At least he knew where he stood.

  Brody froze in his tracks and looked at Mason incredulously. “You’re looking at one of the best lawyers in Indiana, thank you very much. Nothing is hopeless.” He gave Mason a small smile. “Now the question is, what do you want to do?”

  Mason’s head whirled. “I guess I need to think about it. I’m not sure if she’s right. I’m probably not fit to be anybody’s father.”

  “You know,” Brody said firmly, “we’ve all seen a change in you over the past year or so. You’re never happy anymore.”

  “Is that my lawyer or my friend talking?” Mason asked. “That is if you can still stand to call me a friend.”

  Brody walked over to the door and hesitated. He turned back around. “There’s just one more thing I want to know as your attorney.”

  “What do you want to know?” Mason had told Brody everything. He couldn’t imagine anything making it worse.

  “Is Claire Hadley your baby’s mother?”

  For the first time ever, Mason was able to speak the words aloud to a friend. “Yes. Zoey Hadley is my daughter.”

  Brody shook his head. “That poor kid looks just like you.” He winked. “Only she’s a heck of a lot cuter.”

  Mason was filled with mixed emotions as he watched Brody unlock the door. So his daughter favored him. Try as he might, he just couldn’t picture her. It broke his heart.

  Brody returned to his chair and sat back down. “Okay. Your attorney has left the building. I’m your friend again—and I’m still here on company time.” He grinned. “And if you ever tell Jake, I’ll deny it.”

  “So, we’re still friends?” Mason asked disbelievingly.

  “Always,” Brody assured him. “Everybody is entitled to make a mistake. You’re already paying way more than enough for yours, as far as I’m concerned.”

  Mason breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Brody.” He decided a change of subject would be nice. “How’s married life treating you?”

  “It’s great,” was his response. “Especially since ball season’s over. Abby hasn’t been barging into the announcers’ booths and commandeering them so she can tell everybody I’m hers.” He shook his head and chuckled.

  Mason had to laugh with him. Abby had done that so many times last season, she was on a first name basis with the announcers for every team they played. Some of them even invited her to join them.

  “I have a confession, Brody,” he admitted. “I envy you guys. Almost every one of you has a woman to love, and who loves you back. I never thought I’d want that, but my way of thinking has changed. I want it all—a wife, kids, even a cheesy, white picket fence.”

  “Do you have feelings for Claire?” Brody asked. “Or is there another woman in your life now?”

  Mason had to give that idea some thought. “I’ve never even considered how I feel about Claire. I’ve been too caught up in feeling guilty about what happened.” He thought of Betsy. “I’ve met a sweet woman, but we’re just friends, and I’d like to keep it that way.” He couldn’t hold back his smile. “I’m not even really attracted to her, and she doesn’t feel that way about me, either. It feels good to have a female friend.”

  Brody shook his head, amazement on his face. “You sound like a different man.”

  Mason felt like a different man. A man who had been born fifteen months ago.

  Claire had run out of excuses. Spencer had scholar bowl practice after school and was going out for pizza with his teammates afterward. Their school sponsor was footing the bill because Ransom High School’s team stomped the team from a very reputable private school a few weeks before Thanksgiving. She was supposed to pick her son up at eight o’clock.

  She had made a decision and could no longer procrastinate. Claire was taking Zoey to the hospital. There was no logical reason for her change of heart, but she felt like it would be okay for Mason to meet Zoey.

 
; Of course, there were going to be some ground rules. Mason was still not going to fill the role of Zoey’s father. He would have to accept that. Since he seemed so eager to please her, she felt confident that he wouldn’t balk at her condition. So, she would allow him to meet his daughter.

  It wasn’t long enough before she carried a bundled up little girl into the lobby of the hospital. She stopped at the front desk to see which room he was in. The volunteer manning it told her he was now in 129, in the long-term-care wing. Claire couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Mason. He must not have had anybody to help him out at home, and had to stay at the hospital until he was able to take care of himself.

  Zoey didn’t seem to sense her mother’s uneasiness. She clapped and gurgled during the entire walk down the long winding hall. Standing at the door to room 129, Claire unbundled her daughter and stuffed her coat and hat into the diaper bag, leaving Zoey in a bright pink top and pants outfit purchased at Seasons and Such. Zoey kicked her baby shoe clad feet, wanting down to play.

  Claire took a deep breath and opened the door.

  Mason was lying in bed, reading his book. Loretta had just been seduced by Chance and figured out she was really in love with his twin brother, Chase. What kind of person thought up this nonsense? A soft clapping and funny sound drew his attention to the door.

  Claire stood just inside, holding a little girl. His eyes were immediately fixed on the baby. She had a head full of black curls and rosy red cheeks, but it was her eyes that captivated him. She had the biggest, brown eyes he’d ever seen, and they looked very familiar. He saw ones that looked just like them every time he looked in a mirror. The grin on her face was lighting up those eyes.

  As she carried Zoey closer to Mason’s bed, Claire began shaking. What if she were doing the wrong thing? She realized it was too late as she stopped beside the bed. Mason looked at his daughter.