Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
And last night when Nathan signed the paperwork, I’d cried. I hadn’t stopped crying since we’d come up to the NICU and I got to face off with she-bitch from hell.
“I mean,” I said carefully, “that you’re not Darren’s mother. You’re a surrogate.”
Eerie’s eyes widened into saucers. “Would you stop calling the baby Darren! That’s not his name! And I’m not the surrogate! I’m his mother!”
She was clearly delusional.
“Darren, formerly known as Stanley.” I grinned, knowing it’d piss her off. “We did another DNA test, per court order. As you know seeing as we just went over this yesterday. You were the one that requested the test, remember? They sent both samples, yours and Nathan’s, to the lab. I know that the baby’s lawyer called you and your lawyer yesterday with the news that your DNA didn’t match to Darren’s. So here’s the question, whose eggs did you use to start this whole mess? Does some chick have a baby that she has no idea about?”
Eerie growled in frustration. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! That baby is mine! We’ll have another DNA test to prove it!”
I nearly rolled my eyes at her refusal to see the truth.
“Listen, Eerie,” I said softly, knowing that my lighter tone would cause her to stop screeching. “You’re not getting into the NICU. No way, no how. If you have a problem with the decision made by the judge, appeal it. We’ll be happy to perform another DNA test for you. However, you need to realize that this isn’t going to change anything. If you have a problem with any of this, I would definitely go see someone else that’s not us.” I paused. “And, just sayin’, but if you get yourself kicked out of this place for good, you’re going to regret it since you work here. Think about that before you do anything really stupid. I would hate for you to lose your job like you lost your kid.”
Eerie’s face went slack.
“I’m sorry.” I shrugged. “But maybe next time you’ll remember that Karma’s a bitch.”
Eerie growled in frustration and tried to lunge at me again.
This time the security guards—the same ones as yesterday—caught her before she could make any contact with me.
“That’s enough,” the big security guard said. “Time to leave.”
He all but dragged Eerie into the elevator after that.
It was later, on our way home, that I brought up the subject that was confusing me.
“I think we need to talk to the doctor that helped her,” I said as I rode up front next to Nathan but looked back in the back at Darren’s car seat.
The car seat that hadn’t been used yet, but would be soon.
We didn’t want to be without it in case they allowed us to suddenly take him home.
Even though I would know when he was almost there—and he still had a few weeks left until he was.
“Already on that,” he admitted. “I started calling around a few weeks ago when all of this started. He’s in the wind. When we finally find him, though, and we will, we’ll get the information out of him. My father’s already looking into it.”
“As your father, or as the FBI?” I asked.
When I looked up it was to see him glancing at me in the mirror, his eyes on the car seat, too.
“As both,” he answered. “This is a crime that crossed several county lines. No one’s jurisdiction, so it goes to the FBI. My father so graciously picked it up.”
I couldn’t help the grin that stretched my face.
“You got him, Nathan,” I said, reaching for his hand. “That’s a huge start. She’ll try to fight this, but as of right now, she has no legal leg to stand on.”
He squeezed my hand tight and glanced at me before returning his gaze to the road.
He didn’t let go of my hand the entire way home.
Chapter 23
People are particularly stupid today. I can’t talk to any more of them.
-Text from Reggie to Nathan
Nathan
“Where are you going?” she asked, eyeing my swim trunks.
I grinned. “A surprise. Remember, I won’t be back until late tonight, so I won’t be able to meet you at the NICU at all today.”
Reggie was working today, and I luckily had the day off to slip away and go diving to find a pesky little ring that slipped away while tubing a few weeks ago.
She rolled her eyes at me. “What do you think of this?”
I grinned wickedly. “It’s cute, do you think it’ll fit him?”
She wiggled it. “I hope so. I found it in the kid’s section at Target. It’s actually a match for a doll. You know, one of those kid and doll dress up things? So they can dress up like their dolls? I’m hoping that it’ll fit him.”
“It might,” I said, leaning into her and pressing my mouth against her neck.