“Part of his life isn’t good enough.”
“You heard what Dallas said. The court will consider what’s in the child’s best interests. They won’t uproot him. They’ll probably give you some kind of visitation, but they won’t take him away from the only parents he’s ever known.”
“I don’t care. I have to try.”
“Why? Why can’t we just talk to my parents?”
“Because if I don’t try, I’ll never forgive myself. I’ve always wanted kids, Sydney, and here I find out I actually have one. A beautiful little boy. I love him, Sydney. I loved him as soon as I found out about him, but last night, seeing him lying in that hospital bed, possibly dying, I knew he was mine. My heart cried out for him. I wanted only to protect him. To take away any pain he might ever feel.”
What a wonderful man. He would indeed have made an amazing father. But she had to clue him in on something. “Sam, you can’t take away every pain he might ever feel. No one can. Your parents couldn’t do that for you, could they?”
Sam sighed. “You’re right. They couldn’t. They didn’t.”
“No parent can.”
“But I should be there for him. I love that child. I don’t even know him yet, but I love him.”
Sydney summoned all her emotion, all her love for Sam, and met his gaze. “Then please don’t hurt him.”
He looked away from her, rose, walked out of the room, and then back in. His eyes were wet, and a streak ran down each of his cheeks.
“All right, Sydney,” he said. “Let’s talk to your parents.”
Still naked, she jumped off the bed and ran into his arms. “Thank you, Sam. You won’t regret this, I promise you
. You can trust me on that.”
* * *
Sam drove Sydney back to the hotel so she could get over to the grounds and work Sapphire. They had a race the next day. Sam agreed to wait a day or two before talking to her parents. He wanted Duke to get over the virus he had, and he wanted to wait until the DNA test results came in. They could be in as early as this afternoon, though he figured tomorrow was a safer bet.
He worked his horse a little, thinking he might actually compete tomorrow as planned. After all, he’d already missed one competition. His heart wasn’t really in it, though. He had other stuff on his mind. Besides, with the new job he was taking with Zach, he no longer needed purse money.
Then, out of the blue, it hit him—what he wanted to do this afternoon. He went to the main house to talk to Dusty.
“Is Seanie home?”
“Yes, he’s outside having a riding lesson with one of the hands.”
“Good. When will he be done?”
“In a half hour or so. Why?”
“I’d like to spend the afternoon with my nephew.”
“That’s sweet, Sam. I’m sure he’d love it.”
“We could go fishing. Or I could take him up to the rodeo to watch some of the competitions.”
“He’d love that. Why don’t you plan on it? Are you hungry? I can make you a sandwich.”
“Yeah, as a matter of fact.” Sam sat down at the kitchen table.
Dusty grabbed some deli meat out of the fridge. “It’s such good news about Duke. I was really scared.”
Sam nodded. “I was freaked.”
“I was worried that our stupid DNA was going to make his life hard.”