The special delivery envelope that had arrived this morning burned in the back pocket of her jeans where she’d shoved it, unwilling to open the missive until she knew she’d be on her own with no chance of being interrupted. Sam was locked upstairs in his office, Riley was down for a nap.
Erin poured herself a mug of coffee from the carafe she constantly refreshed during the day and took the letter outside to the lawn furniture. It wouldn’t be long now before she’d have to put everything in storage for the coming cooler months. She also made a mental note to look into dry-stack storage for the launch. Another expense she wasn’t looking forward to.
She tugged the envelope that’d been sent from the laboratory from her pocket, and set it on the table in front of her before sitting down in a chair. A light breeze tickled the back of her neck.
Taking a deep breath, Erin smoothed out the envelope and slid the tip of her finger under the seal. She pulled out the lab report, reading each word carefully, barely understanding the scientific jargon. But one thing she did understand, and her hand was shaking as she neatly refolded the results and slid them back into the envelope.
James Connell was not Riley’s father.
Seven
Erin rose on unsteady legs to go back inside. She grabbed the cordless phone from its stand in the kitchen, shut herself in her bedroom and dialed Morin and Morin’s number.
“Erin, I’m glad you called. I was going to call you today. How are you?” Janet’s warm and friendly voice filled her ear.
“Not so good,” Erin admitted.
“You have your results?” Janet’s voice was all business.
“I do, and…” She choked back a sob. “And they’re not good. James wasn’t Riley’s father.”
“I see,” Janet said after a short silence. “Well, that brings me to what I needed to talk to you about. I’ve received a court order requesting that you and Riley provide DNA samples per Party A’s request to establish paternity.”
“I can’t fight it now, can I?” Erin’s voice shook.
“Not with the court order. Plus the swabs will need to be done under supervision with legal representatives there from both sides. I can suggest they be done here at my office if that would make you more comfortable.”
Nothing right now would make her comfortable. Erin shook her head in mute denial, even though she knew she’d have to comply. She swallowed against the lump in her throat. “When?”
“In the next few days would be best. How about I work things out with the other lawyers and get back to you, hmm? Any time in particular that’s not suitable?”
“The rest of forever?” Erin suggested brokenly.
Janet didn’t laugh. “I’m sorry, Erin. But we have to do it. If this guy is Riley’s dad he has rights—you can’t deny him those. Nor can you deny Riley’s rights to know his real father.”
“I know,” Erin said softly on a sigh.
She ended the call asking Janet to let her know when the meeting was arranged then sat, numb, on the bed. How could James not be Riley’s father? It was the final, cruelest blow in a series of them. How could such a mistake have been made? She wrapped her arms around her stomach and rocked gently on the bed, fighting back the urge to let go of her fear and scream out loud.
She had to somehow keep this all in, keep it to herself, at least until the results of the next test came through. She started to grab at straws as her mind scattered on a myriad of possibilities. Maybe this Party A wasn’t Riley’s father either. Maybe some other man was, some stranger who had no wish to establish paternity and turn their lives completely upside down. Not to mention turn them both out of their home. If the clinic had made a mistake between two families, surely the mistake could easily extend beyond that?
Hard on that thought came another. What if James’s sperm had been used to fertilize another couple’s egg? What if he had a direct descendant somewhere out there? Someone who had a legitimate claim on Connell Lodge? A legitimate claim on her and her baby’s home that she no longer had?
The snowball of terror just kept growing bigger and bigger in Erin’s mind. She pushed herself up off the bed and forced herself into activity. She had to keep busy, so busy she wouldn’t have time to think or time to ponder the reality she now faced. She could only hope that the next round of tests would prove Party A was not Riley’s birth father. That way, she could continue the charade that James was Riley’s dad and she and Riley could stay in the only true home she’d ever known. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if the trustees who oversaw the Connell affairs discovered the truth.