The Black Sheep's Secret Child
“How much time?”
He had to think about their last conversation. “Probably full time.”
And just like that it hit him. Savannah wasn’t going to be back and forth between Las Vegas and LA like she’d first talked about doing.
She was leaving and taking Dylan. His son. Trent was still reeling from the knowledge that he was a father. Now it occurred to him that he and Dylan were going to be very far apart.
“How are you going to see Dylan if they’re living there? I mean, if it was my kid, I’d never want to be away from him.”
Kyle had made a good point. Did Savannah expect that Trent would just give up his son? “I haven’t really thought the whole thing through.”
“You should talk to her about sharing custody.”
“I don’t know if she’d be open to that.”
“You could demand it.”
Trent recoiled from Kyle’s suggestion. He was sick of being at odds with Savannah. Until recently he hadn’t been able to admit how his world had been disrupted when he’d lost her.
“I’ll think about it.”
“I don’t envy you,” Kyle said. “When the kids come into the picture, it messes everything up.”
With that said, Trent changed the subject. The two men talked business for a couple hours before grabbing lunch. Then they went to Nate’s studio and brought him up to speed. By the time Trent returned to his house at three, he was fighting the drag of exhaustion from his sleepless nights.
Unfortunately any hope of a catnap before he headed back to the club was shattered when he opened up the door between the garage and the house and discovered his houseguests in high spirits. Their excited voices reached his ears and raked across his raw nerves before he stepped across the threshold. On the edge since he left the house earlier that day, Trent felt a snarl form on his lips.
“What’s going on?” he demanded, eyeing the open bottle of sparkling grape juice on his breakfast bar and the a
lmost-empty flutes.
“We’re celebrating,” Melody said. “Savannah just found out she got the movie.”
Trent should’ve been happy for her, but he hadn’t gotten over what he’d learned that morning. “You must be thrilled.”
If she noticed that he was less than enthusiastic, she didn’t react. “I’m more nervous than anything else.”
“You don’t have to be,” he said, mood softening as he noticed her uncertainty. “You’re going to be great.” He remembered watching her on the set of Loving New York. She’d been confident and professional. Before that, he’d been accustomed to thinking of her as a naive girl. The transformation to accomplished actress had forced him to reevaluate who she was. “When do you start filming?”
“Next month, but they want me next week for wardrobe.” She looked dazed by all the sudden changes.
He understood how she was feeling. He was off balance, as well.
“How long is shooting supposed to take?” Melody asked.
“I was told to expect ten to twelve weeks.”
“You’re going to need a place to stay,” Melody said. “I have a friend who might be able to help you with that.”
“Actually, I’ve already found a small house to rent for the next six months.”
“Sounds like everything’s working out.” Trent tasted bitter disappointment at how fast everything had been arranged. He wasn’t prepared for her to leave him and take Dylan away. His gut twisted and sweat beaded on his skin.
The conversation with Kyle rose in his thoughts. Should he demand partial custody? But was that really what he wanted? For his son to be shuttled back and forth between Las Vegas and LA?
Savannah didn’t look at him as she said, “Dylan and I have imposed on you long enough. We’ll be out of your hair tomorrow.”
“That’s not how I feel about having you here.” But the words lacked sincerity.