“See, he may not be yours,” my mother said matter-of-factly.
“Stop!” I slammed my hand down on the desk. Everyone jumped. “For once in your life, could you have some empathy? My fucking world just crashed and you’re a part of it, mother.”
She stiffened. “She could have told you.”
“You could have too. You’re my mother.” I turned away and sucked in a breath trying to get myself under control. I knew my mother would find it easier to dismiss me if I appeared unhinged. Finally, I turned back, and pointed my figure at my mother. “He’s coming here tomorrow and you will be kind to him.”
“Maybe you should take him to your place,” Bri said.
“He needs to meet his family. He’s a Roarke. All this,” I held my hands out to indicate the house and all that my family owned. “It will be his someday.”
My mother hissed out a breath. “He’s not one of us.”
I leaned to her. “Whose fault is that?”
“You don’t talk to me like that.” Her hard eyes stared back at me. “That woman wasn’t good enough for you.”
She was right about that, but that wasn’t the point. “He’s a part of me. A part of you. Can you be so heartless?”
“Devin.” My father’s voice was stern but not censuring. “If you believe he’s your son, the boy will be welcome—”
“We should have a DNA—”
“The boy will be welcome here,” my father said to my mother.
She gave him a scathing glare.
“This is an innocent child, Katherine. It isn’t his fault he’s in this situation. It sounds like it’s partly your fault.” I wondered if it was his illness that made my father seem much more empathetic.
“I will not—”
“He will be welcome in the home and Devin and the mother can work out whatever needs to be done.”
“What about our reputation?” my mother hissed.
“I suspect that if what I’m hearing is true, we’re probably lucky that this woman didn’t sell the story about how Katherine Roarke tried to sell her grandchild.” My father sat and ran a hand over his head. He looked exhausted.
“I did not sell my grandchild. I’m not convinced it is my grandchild.”
“You offered her money to go away,” Bri said. “That sounds like selling to me.”
“I don’t have to take this!” With her chin up, my mother strode out of the room.
My father looked up at me. “You’re sure that this child is yours?”
I nodded.
“Have you talked to a lawyer yet?”
“Not yet.”
“What? Why? You’re not going to take him away from his mother, are you?” Brianna stepped up next to me, putting her hand on my arm. “That would be too cruel.”
“You think I should be nice to her?” I quirked a brow.
“I meant for the boy.”
I gritted my teeth, wondering how long before they fell out from all the tension. “I’m not taking him from her, but I’m damn well going to protect my rights.”