Risking Fate (Mitchell Family #4)(25)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“So that night she was running from a crazy ex?” She was finally paying attention to what I was saying.

“You mean the night you were trying to seduce me with the idea of having a threesome? Yeah, that night. To make matters worse, I already had serious feelings for Miranda and you almost ruined everything by being there. She needed to feel safe and instead she thought I was a total douche.”

Another reason I hate you so much.

“Like I knew who she was? Besides, I wanted you for myself. Kid or no kid, I was there to have a good time. You seemed like you were changing your mind when she came in.”

“Because I never in a million years thought I had a chance with her. Listen Heather, my life is different. I have a family that means everything to me. I am here because I have no other options. I wouldn’t be telling you all of this unless it was life or death for me. If you ever cared a rat’s ass about me, you will at least hear me out.”

Please just help me.

She sat back and threw her arms in the air. “Fine tell me.”

“I married Miranda because she showed me what loving someone was about. I never felt that way with Van or with anyone else in my life. I never imagined having a built in family, but once they moved in, I never wanted them to leave. Izzy means the world to me and I am the only father she has ever known. I gave her my name and thought it would be enough to make her mine forever. Her biological father died after he kidnapped Van and caused her to miscarry her first child.”

“Holy shit! I never liked her, but that is awful.”

“They have a beautiful little girl and a son, but yeah it sucked balls. Anyway, we thought we would never have to worry about me being Izzy’s dad. A few weeks ago we took a trip to Kentucky and ran into the father’s mother. She made a big deal about talking to Izzy, and at the time, we got out of the place we were at and thought nothing of it. Miranda got served with papers when we went back for a Christening. The woman, who has never spent one day with my daughter, is trying to sue us for visitation.”

She seemed to be listening to me, but still scrunched her face up as she listened. “I still don’t get what you need my help for. I don’t even know your wife. I mean, I know who she is. I see her at the salon sometimes. I don’t think she remembers me though.”

What the f**k? Was she stalking my wife? Did Miranda even know?

“The lawyer said the only way we could stop her from taking Izzy is if we could prove that I was her father.”

“But you’re not.”

“That’s why I’m here Heather. I need Toby’s help. I need you to convince him to do what he did in college again.”

She cocked her eyebrow. “You came here for me to get my brother to help you? Ty, how could you think for one second that I would help you? Do you not understand that I was in love with you? You ripped my heart out.”

Not this again. I feel like ripping out my hair and screaming at this dumb bitch.

“I never gave you any impression that we could ever be more than friends, if we were ever even that. I’m not trying to be cold or hurt your feelings, Heather, but I have no other options here. If you ever loved me then please, Heather, please help me keep my daughter safe. I will pay you whatever you want, just help me. I wouldn’t have come if I wasn’t desperate. I can’t lose her.”

Please help me save my daughter, my perfect little princess.

“Toby doesn’t do that shit anymore. Our mom got him a job at the hospital. He is legit now. I think you need to leave Ty. I don’t know how you even have the nerve to come here and ask me for my help. I’m the last person that would want to help you.”

Don’t take no for an answer. Beg if you have to.

“I’ll give you five hundred dollars.”

“Just go Ty.” She led me back to the front of the house.

“A thousand.” She turned her head as she was opening her front door. Her eyes got wider.

“You would give me and my brother a grand to help you? All this for a child that isn’t even yours?”

“Please, Heather.”

She rolled her eyes and closed the front door. “Let me call him and see if he’s even willing to do something like that.”

I sat on the couch, for what seemed like hours and listened to her filling her brother in. When she finally hung up, I had given up all optimism on my plan working. She sat down in the chair across from me and folded her hands together. “He said he can do it. Since he works in the lab himself now, it will be even easier to manipulate the test. He said it would be even better if you could get a male that is blood related to the child to donate a sample instead of you. Does anyone live close enough?”

“Her uncle lives with us.”

“Well, since they aren’t testing the mother, he will show up as sharing similar chromosomes to the child. My brother can manipulate everything else to say what it needs to say. He wants the thousand dollars upfront and he said he will set up the appointment that way he handles the paperwork himself.”

Oh my God…my idea was working.

I felt like I wanted to cry again, but not because I was sad, because I was getting a paternity test that was going to save my daughter and keep her with me forever.

“So that’s it?”

“I will text you what time you need to come in. Have the uncle go with you.” I didn’t care about her shortness. I was elated.

I don’t know why, but I stood up and hugged Heather. “I know I was an ass**le to you for a really long time and I’m sorry for that. Thank you for this Heather. Thank you for saving my little girl.”

She pushed me away and walked me down to the front door. “Have the money ready and I will call you with a time to go in. Oh, and Ty….”

“Yeah?”

“You look good, maybe even hotter than I remember.” She threw me what I think was supposed to be a sexy smile.

It didn’t matter what she said. All I wanted to do was get to my wife. I practically ran out of there, just trying to get home to Miranda to tell her the news. It was already dark outside and I knew she was already starting to worry. I hadn’t called her at all.

My drive home was fast and when I got in the door, the first thing I did was hug Miranda and tell her it was going to be okay. I couldn’t tell her who was helping us, but to me, it didn’t matter. Izzy was the important factor and everything was going to work out.

I knew she wouldn’t approve, God she would have just gotten her pregnant self in a tizzy. We were already too worried, I couldn’t have her going into early labor over all of this. I just wanted this whole ordeal to be done and over with.