“Fuck no.” He shifts in his seat. “You ever run into her later?”
“Run into her how?”
“See her around.” Irritation twists through his words. “Talk to her.”
“Not that I remember. Thought her family moved. Why?”
“You remember Teller coming to you about his mom? She had a boyfriend with an unhealthy interest in Heidi when she was real little?”
“Fuck yeah, poor kid. He asked Lucky and me to have a chat with his mom and the boyfriend. He was hoping we’d scare that fuckhead away.” I loop my finger around my ear a few times. “Mom wasn’t all there. Talking to her made my skin crawl.”
“Nothing about her rang a bell for you?”
My mind blanks, unsure of what he’s getting at. “I didn’t talk to her that long. We worked the pervert boyfriend over. Told him if he went near Heidi again, we’d feed him his dick and balls.”
Something’s not right here. “Where are you going with this, Rock?”
“She didn’t look familiar to you at all?”
The questions he’s asking skid to a collision in my head. I try reaching that far back in my memory but I’ve come into contact with a lot of faces since then and can’t remember more than a few impressions. “Are you trying to say your old babysitter was Teller’s mother?”
He nods slowly. “That’s what I’m saying.”
“They didn’t even have the same name. Your girl’s name was Tina. His mom had some ugly name, I can’t remember now. Irma, Bertha, something like that.”
“Right before Grace was born, we had some issues.” He drills me with a don’t-you-dare-fucking-laugh stare. “Club got hit with a paternity lawsuit.”
“The whole club?” I bite back every joke trying to worm past my lips. “What’s that got to do with Tina and all this other ancient history?”
He rests his arms on the table and hunches closer to me. “You can’t share this with anyone.” He rolls his eyes toward Teller’s empty chair. “Although at this point, more people seem to know than don’t.”
“Know what?”
“The lab that ran the DNA tests for the lawsuit had some screw up. Teller and I had to go in twice.”
I’m so out of touch with things, I have no fucking idea where this is going. “So?”
“Our DNA matched. He’s my son.”
“Fuck,” I breathe out. “How’s that even possible?”
“How do you think?”
“Tina, really?” I try again to recall some useful memory from around that time. “Fuck. Weird how you ended up meeting when he was around the same age.”
“I’ve had the same thought. Several times.”
“How’d the rest of the club take it?”
“We haven’t made it public.”
“Seriously? Why not? How the fuck’s he keeping a secret like that from Murphy of all people?”
He shrugs but guilt’s crawling all over his face. “I would’ve told everyone right away. He wanted to wait until after Heidi’s wedding—”
“Wait, Heidi doesn’t know yet either?” I let out a long, sharp whistle. “That’s downright reckless and cruel to hide that truth from her.”
“A lot of shit went down before their wedding—”
“They’re married now.” I point to the door. “Saw the wedding photo on the wall upstairs.”
He nods. “Yeah. I know. He wants to retake the test before telling them. I’m trying respect his wishes since it’s all so fucking awkward but…”
“You feel guilty.”
“Of course I do.”
All humor about this situation vanishes. It’s too tragic to make fun. Besides, I’m wondering if there’s another answer.
I sit back. Is opening this door to the past worth causing him more grief? “I’m no scientist but are you sure the test said you were his father. Not his brother?”
His eyes widen and he slumps against his chair. I could’ve kicked him in the stomach and he’d look less stunned.
“Why would you say that?” His eyes narrow as the shock wears off. “You know something I should know?”
“Tina had been coming around your house for years before she tickled your barely hairy balls. Your father dipped his quill in every ink pot he—”
“Are you fucking serious? She was a teenager.”
“You think that would’ve stopped him?” I wave my hand in the air. “You weren’t even a teenager and she still got down to business with you.”
“Come the fuck on, Grinder,” he snarls. “That’s different.”
“Is it?”
“I can’t remember the exact number on the report but it was supposed to be nearly one hundred percent accurate.”
“Like I said, I’m not a scientist. But I helped enough felons with their appeals to know those forensic labs get shit wrong sometimes. Knew one guy who spent over a decade inside before he was finally exonerated.”
He frowns. “Paternity testing should be straightforward.” His eyes turn distant as if he’s considering the possibilities. “I honestly don’t know if being brothers makes the situation better or worse.”
“You’re brothers no matter what, Rock.” I reach over and thump his arm. “Have been for a long time.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Serena
Mistakes are the pebbles of your path to success.