Page 547 of Summer Heat
As if he knew how he looked, Jake straightened suddenly and tossed his hair out of his eyes. “What’s up? You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”
Lance remembered why he had come. “I have something to tell you.”
“Shoot.” He stretched across the counter and snagged a ruby-colored terry cloth robe.
“Well, there’s no easy way to it, so I’ll just say it. I found out that Valerie had a baby—my baby—before she died. Her cousin has been raising him all this time.”
“Is that the bartender at the Wild Moose, the one you were so hot for?”
Annoyance rose in Lance’s chest. “I wasn’t hot for her, but that’s the one.”
“And she laid this story on you and you just believed her? That her kid is really her cousin’s, and you’re the father?” He took a mug from the mess on the counter and rinsed it out. “Haven’t you learned anything?”
Lance tried to remind himself that his brother was burned-out and near the end of his rope, but it didn’t help. “Tamara wouldn’t lie.”
“Is that right?” Jake lifted a dark, arched brow. “All women lie, little brother.”
“You don’t know her.”
“I don’t have to. I know her kind.”
Lance narrowed his eyes. “Not all women are like your wife, you know. And not all women are like Valerie.”
“Uh-huh. What makes this one so different?”
“She has no reason to lie.” Which wasn’t quite true. She was poor as the proverbial church mouse, and stood to gain a lot financially if Lance took her on. But stubbornly, he said, “She has integrity, Jake. She’s so good with him, too. You should see her with that boy—and he’s not even her blood child. She’s given up everything to take care of him, and that makes me feel like hell.”
Jake looked at him. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
“What?”
“Poor bastard.” Jake shook his head. “I’ve never seen you like this.”
“It’s not like that,” Jake said. “I have a lot of respect for her. She’s not like Valerie, if that’s what you mean.”
“I didn’t say she was. You had it bad for Valerie, but that wasn’t your heart talking, if you get my drift.” He sipped his coffee lazily, his neon eyes glowing with that eerie, near madness. “At least get a blood test. Make sure the boy is really yours.”
It was a reasonable expectation, especially considering Valerie had never exactly been known for her faithfulness. But Lance saw Tamara’s green eyes, so guileless and wary, and he didn’t want to see the expression that would be there when he made that request. “No.”
Jake inclined his head, and for one moment, Lance caught a glimpse of the old Jake. “She must really be something.”
A deep stabbing ache ripped through his chest. “She is that,” he said, and his voice sounded rough. And more quietly, “She is that.”
Jake moved abruptly, putting his cup down. “I’d give half my life to feel a glimmering of faith in a woman right now.” His jaw looked hard. “Don’t let her get away.”
Lance laughed bitterly. “But don’t you see, Jake? It’s practically a criminal act for a Forrest to settle in with a woman that good.”
“Yeah.” He picked up his cup again. “But I’d still get a blood test. Don’t be a fool.”
* * *
But Lance didn’t do it. He didn’t have to—he only had to look at Cody to see the extraordinary family resemblance. And the bottom line was, he trusted Tamara. He also knew he’d been with Valerie nearly every waking minute through that three-week period at Christmas all those years ago. She wouldn’t have had time to have another lover.
Cody was his. And damn anyone who said differently.
He tried not to consider the possibility that he wanted to believe it because he wanted an excuse to make Tamara’s life easier.
Over the next few days, Lance occupied himself with the details of this big change in his life. He spoke to his accountant, and had him draw up a monthly payment schedule that was double the state standard. He’d have made it triple, but doubted Tamara would accept it.
