“Well.” Justin stood from his desk and rounded the corner. “I think it’s good news, but I’m particularly interested to hear what you three think, because what I’m about to tell you impacts the entire Travati family.”
The three brothers exchanged looks. Only Anthony’s face couldn’t be read, no real change in his facial features; however, he did give a swift tug to his tie as an indicator of his interest about whatever it was that Justin was about to tell them.
Justin’s heart beat against his ribs. Why was he worried about telling his brothers about Max? Why did he even have the slightest hesitation? They were brothers. Competitive, yes, but still they loved each other, and of course they would be happy for Justin when they heard that the one Travati brother they’d thought could never, after his illness, have a child, in fact could … had … Max was nearly grown, but he was a Travati. The next generation of Travatis.
“As you know, I was in Kansas last month—”
“We’re not buying a farm, are we? Those wide-open spaces really freak me out,” Devon said. “What do people do out there?”
“Cattle and land are both quite lucrative.” Leo took another drink of coffee.
“Plus, you weren’t really just in Kansas,” Anthony said. “Were you, big brother?”
Justin squinted his eyes. While Anthony was his brother, his younger brother, lately he’d noticed an edge. A privacy that might not have existed six months ago, a secretiveness to his nature. Was Anthony having him followed? Tracking his whereabouts? How would Anthony know anything about Justin’s trip and two better questions: what and why?
“I was in Kansas for business, but business of a personal nature. Business that impacts us all.” He passed his gaze over his three brothers: Leo with his confident and athletic air, Anthony with his brisk and perfectly maintained demeanor, and Devon, who until recently had maintained a constant joie de vivre about life and business.
“It would seem that I have a son.”
Silence. His brothers exchanged looks but for a moment not a word was said.
“How is that possible?
“I thought after the radiation treatment—”
“Are you certain it’s yours?”
“Max was conceived before my illness. Before my radiation treatment, before I lost my ability to father a child.”
Leo’s face spread into a smile. “Well done, big brother, well done.” He’d been the brother most aware of Justin’s acute disappointment with the thought of never having his own family.
“Are you certain?” Anthony asked. He spread his hand over his tie and gave it a small pull. He crossed his legs and rested his ankle on his thigh. “Blood tests? Paternity? We don’t want a gold digger coming after you simply because your illness put you in an emotionally vulnerable state.”
Heat flamed through Justin. Anthony could be direct. He could be self-absorbed. At times, he could even be a pain in the ass. But he was rarely rude, nor did he often become aggressive with his brothers.
“I’m certain Max is my son. I have no doubts, and I’m sure when you see him—”
Anthony’s eyes narrowed. “My God, you didn’t have a DNA test done, did you?”
“Anthony, the boy is mine. I spent the night with his mother, and she’s not taken another lover—”
“Ever? Come now, Justin, that has the phrase gold digger written all over it. A former lover, a one-night-stand even, shows up, claiming the boy is yours and asking for money? Are you in such a vulnerable state that you didn’t even request a paternity test?”
“That’s why you were with Aubrey Hayes.” Leo leaned back against the couch. “I always found her to be quite good to look at but aloof. Never seemed like the type.”
“She wasn’t. She isn’t.”
Justin’s chest tightened and heat boiled his blood. He wouldn’t have his brothers making disparaging remarks about the mother of his child or his son. He turned his hard stare toward Anthony. “The boy is mine. Are we clear? I won’t have any of you treating him like anything but your nephew.”
Anthony jumped from his chair. “Well, when you prove that he is my nephew, I’ll certainly treat him as such, but until I see it from a lab, all he is to me is an interloper with a greedy mother.”
“Anthony, might I suggest you take it down a notch?” Leo looked from Justin to Anthony. “You’re speaking about our brother’s son and the mother of his child.”
“His alleged son.”
“If there’s enough proof for me, then why isn’t it enough for you?”