Shannon graced the big man with an appreciative smile but said, "it's okay, Rocky. He was just leaving." Rocky stared Nolan down before walking away slowly, clenching a fist and purposefully crushing it against his palm with clear intent. Nolan didn’t want to leave but he had no doubt that Rocky’s threat wasn’t idle. And since Nolan had no wish to swallow his front teeth at the moment, he plucked a business card from his wallet and tossed it to her desk.
"I expect a call. Shannon." His gaze strayed to the toddler one last time and his knees wobbled. Eyes identical to his own stared back at him. Nolan stepped away, his heart hammering. "This isn’t over. Not by a long shot."
He left her with that promise and walked away, his brain frozen in place.
He had a kid. Holy fuck. He had a kid.
Shannon's hands fluttered as she handed Aubrey off to CeCe, her nerves completely shot. How did he find them? Who would have known that Aubrey was Nolan Buchanan's child? Precious few knew Aubrey's paternity and the ones who knew, would never betray her. When she’d found out she was pregnant, Shannon had been stunned. They'd use protection — she was sure of it. But there was no mistaking that eight weeks after that one night with Nolan Buchanan she was most definitely pregnant. And since there’d been no one after Nolan, and in spite of all attempts to be responsible, Shannon had found herself pregnant from a one-night stand. A little digging into Nolan Buchanan's reputation, had uncovered plenty of evidence proving that he would make a terrible father. She wasn't about to subject her child to a spoiled rich boy who treated people as disposable. Her one saving grace had been she’d never given Nolan her name.
But he knew now. One look at Aubrey and he'd known. Just as she had. Of all the dumb luck, Aubrey had been born sharing her father's genetics. And she was such a beautiful baby. Everywhere they went Aubrey elicited “oohs” and “aahhs” over her precious strawberry blonde curls and her aristocratic, China doll features. What was she going to do? Crossing a Buchanan was tantamount to tangling with a lion. But she wasn't about to hand over her child to a man who was a stranger.
"Are you okay?" CeCe asked. "You look like you're about to be sick."
Shannon cast CeCe a wan look. "Probably because I feel like I’m going to barf. Did you know that man who just left?" she asked. At CeCe’s shake of her head, Shannon muttered, "I'm pretty sure he's the devil. And I think that devil wants my child."
"Why would he want Aubrey?" CeCe asked, frowning.
"Unfortunately because he's her father."
CeCe's mouth formed a silent ‘oh’ and Shannon dropped into her chair. Who hated her so much that they would reveal Aubrey secret paternity? “I should’ve known this day would come. From what I know about the Buchanans…they don’t give up anything that belongs to them without a fight.”
“He doesn’t seem that bad,” CeCe ventured cautiously, earning a black look from Shannon. “I’m just saying, he seems clean-cut and he’s really good-looking. How bad could he be? Maybe give him a chance.”
“Absolutely not. The devil was the prettiest angel in heaven, remember?”
CeCe sighed and shook her head as if Shannon were being dramatic and maybe she was but Shannon wasn’t about to latch loose of her child without drawing blood first. “Well, if you can’t work it out amicably, I guess you’re going to need an attorney. If you want I can do the team assessments while you find a good one.”
God, CeCe was right. She needed a damn good attorney if she was going to stand a chance against Nolan. She looked to CeCe. “Do you think you can handle the assessments on your own?” she asked, taking Aubrey back.
“Of course. I did get a degree in this stuff,” her intern reminded her with a smile and Shannon nodded with relief.
“You’re right. Thank you, CeCe! Just leave your notes and I’ll go over them tonight.”
And with that, Shannon hurried from the office, intent on finding the best attorney her money could buy.
“How can you tell?” Vince asked over the phone, confused. “Don’t all babies, sort of, look alike?”
“She looks like me with strawberry blond curls,” Nolan said, wiping away the sweat that kept beading his brow. Perhaps he was having a heart attack. “What does it feel like when you’re about to have a coronary? Or a stroke? I might be having both.”
“Calm down. First things first: get a paternity test. Your mind could be playing tricks on you. Chances are this kid isn’t even yours.”
“No. I know she is. I can feel it in my bones.” Nolan cradled his head in his free hand. “I don’t know the first thing about being a father. What if I suck at it? Our own father was a dick. Maybe it’s genetic and I don’t have a chance.”
“Stop. Don’t compare that man with yourself,” Vince said, surprising Nolan with his stern tone. “Our father was a dick. End of story. His actions don’t have to have anything to do with you. But you know, it doesn’t sound as if she’s eager to have you be in the kid’s life. Maybe you ought to just walk away.”
“Walk away?” he repeated, uncomprehending. “What are you talking about? She’s my kid. I’m not walking away from her.”
“I’m just saying, you said yourself that it seems as if the woman is taking good care of the baby…and the mom doesn’t really want you around…maybe it would be best if you bailed.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. He wasn’t sure of many things right now but he knew for a fact he wasn’t walking away from a child he’d inadvertently created. Then a thought occurred to him and he groaned. “I don’t even know her name,” he said, feeling like a shit. “I’m already a bad father; I didn’t even think to ask her name!”
“Jesus, Nolan, stop whining like a pussy and get yourself together. If you really want the kid to be in your life, then do something about it and make it happen. You’re a fucking Buchanan for crying out loud. Sic the lawyers on her and take the kid from her. It’s simple. Do you really think she can afford the legal fire power she’s going to need to protect her rights once you put the Buchanan fortune behind an attorney?” Vince took Nolan’s silence as agreement and continued with a slightly gruff tone, adding, “Honestly, I think you’re crazy for chasing this down. You have an easy out and you’re not taking it. What kind of life are you prepared to offer this kid? Suddenly, you’re going to be a stay-at-home dad? I don’t see that happening.”
“What are you saying?” Nolan asked.
“Nothing. I’m just saying…think about it, man. This shit is big life stuff. No playing around.”
“If Isabel hadn’t died, you said you would’ve raised her child, even though it wasn’t yours,” Nolan reminded his twin.
“Yeah, well, I was young. I didn’t know what I was offering.”
“So you think I should just walk away.”
Vince waited a beat then said, “Hell, Nolan, I don’t know. You should do what your gut says but I know what I would do in this situation.”
“You’d leave.”
“Yeah…”
Nolan quieted, not sure what to think and his twin’s counsel hadn’t helped much. “So, after Isabel died, you never considered the possibility of having kids? Ever?”
“No, man. I never did.”
But there was something to Vince’s voice that caught at the edge of Nolan’s memory and Nolan remembered the ashen expression on Vince’s face when news of Isabel’s suicide had reached them. Something had died inside his brother that day so it was possible that Vince was telling the truth. After Isabel, Vince would never be the same. Sadness swamped Nolan for his brother’s hidden pain but there was little that could be done at the moment, particularly when Nolan had his own problems to solve.
“I’ll be in touch,” he promised and hung up.
He and his twin were closer than most — almost obscenely so, at times having fucked the same woman at the same time at their most debauched — but he couldn’t take his twin’s advice and walk away. Not from his daughter.
Daughter. The word caused him to shiver.
He didn’t know if he was cut out to be a father but he’d sure as hell have to find out.
-3-
“How much?” Shannon asked the plain-faced attorney, distressed. “Five thousand is a lot of money for a single mom. Can I make payments?”
“Sorry. The point of a retainer is to provide up front funds for the attorney to do their job. While I sympathize with your situation, I can tell you, you’re going to spend a lot of money and still end up with 50-50 custody unless you can prove the father is unfit in some way.” The attorney sighed and leaned back in her leather chair. “If you want my advice — and this is for free — make nice with the father. Maybe he’s not as bad as you think.”
Shannon swallowed the bubble of panic stuck in her throat. She didn’t want to share her baby. Not with him. “He doesn’t even live in the area. Shouldn’t that make a difference?”