Following Love (16 page)

“What about our child?”

“We don't have a child,” he said, turning to face her. “You saw to that.”

“He loves you. We're still a family.”

“We were never a family and please don't use your child to further your cause.”

“It was always you, Julian. I was just scared to change and move down here. But now everything is different. I'm ready to be the wife you want.”

“I don't want a wife.”

“Does the woman who just left know that?”

“She's none of your business,” he said, feeling a pang of agitation seeing that Dena walked out and left him without saying a word.

“Julian…”

He started laughing. “What do you want, Stephanie?”

“I need money, child support.”

“You rescinded my adoption papers after I filed divorce papers and told me that since I wasn't the biological father I had no right to adopt him.”

“That was a terrible mistake, I swear, it wasn't supposed to happen like that.”

“How was it supposed to happen? The only reason you married me was because I was a doctor and you needed a father for your son.”

“No, that's not how it happened.”

“I was there, remember.”

“That's not what I meant,” she said, trying to recant.

“Go to Jamie, he's the father.”

“I can't.”

“Then it's not my problem,” he said.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Again, not my problem,” he repeated.

Stephanie stewed, glaring at Julian as if to burn her eyes right through him. She noticed that the woman she'd seen earlier was now standing in the open doorway. She half smiled then broke out in crocodile tears. “I never thought you would be so cruel. What about our child?”

“Get out, Stephanie.”

“Please, Julian, we need you, our child needs you. I don't know where else to turn.”

“Stephanie, please leave and don't come back here.” He turned seeing Dena was standing in the doorway with the rolled newspaper in her hand. Stephanie stiffened, her glare refocusing on Julian then on Dena's disgusted expression. She brushed past him, then Dena, and walked out.

Julian closed the door soundly after Dena walked back inside. “That was Stephanie,” Julian said.

“So I gathered,” she said as she looked around the living room and dining room for her purse. “I have to leave now.”

Julian saw the change in her demeanor and followed. “Dena, she doesn't matter.”

“Doesn't she? Obviously neither does anyone else.”

“What does that mean?” he asked. “Dena…”

“I really need to leave now.”

He stood in front of her. “Tell me, what's wrong?”

“I can't believe I'm so stupid.”

“What?” he asked, following her to the kitchen.

“I actually thought you were different—” she continued to look around quickly “—but you're just like all the rest. You do whatever you want no matter who it hurts just as long as it pleases you.”

“Dena, what is it?”

“What is it? You have a child out there and you just walked away? And then when the mother comes to you for help you just ignore her.”

“Stephanie is…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get that part. She's a piece of work, but I'm not talking about her. How can you just turn your back on your son?”

“You have no idea what you're talking about.”

“True, but I know what I heard. How can you just leave your child like that?”

“Let it go, Dena.”

“Yeah, I think I'll do just that.” She grabbed up her purse from the side counter and hurried to the front door. “Goodbye, Julian, thanks for a swell time.”

D
ena went directly to her aunt's home, took a long, hot, soaking bubble bath, changed, then read and waited impatiently. Her mind unfortunately stayed on Julian and their night together. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get him out of her mind.

She also couldn't get Stephanie out of her mind. She was everything Dena wasn't, but the one thing they had in common was their maternity, and Julian had coldly cut her off just as Adel had done to her. Granted, she didn't know the whole story but she heard him admit that his child with her was not his problem.

The icy coldness in his voice chilled her heart. But then she'd already heard about his ex-wife. She was definitely a piece of work. Still, to completely turn his back on his child was inexcusable. It just didn't seem like his character.

She grabbed her cell and dialed the one person who might know more about the relationship.

“Hello?”

“Willamina, hi, it's Dena. How are you doing?”

“Bloated, exhausted, fat, pick one,” she answered honestly. They laughed and commiserated the physical limitations of third-trimester pregnancies.

“I just called to thank you again for including me in the baby shower celebration. I had a fantastic time.”

“It was great, wasn't it? I tell you, when Darius throws a party, the man goes all out.”

“I'm glad I finally got to meet some of the other employees. I see their names on the files so it's nice to match a face with the name and job description. I also saw Julian's ex at the party. Are the two of you close?”

“Girl, please credit me with some taste. I have no idea what that heifer is doing here. She lives in Boston but I bet she wants back in with Julian. She does this every now and then.”

“So you knew them back then.”

“Oh, yeah. I first worked with their father. Then when he died, Darius, Julian and Jordan moved back and took over, she came down then. They weren't divorced yet. Apparently she has a child from a previous relationship and Julian wanted to adopt but then she refused to move down here from Boston. He filed and she married a doctor friend of his a week after the divorce was final. Kind of makes you think she had that planned for a while, doesn't it?”

Dena's heart sank. She felt like a fool.

“Yeah, sounds like she was stepping out while he was down here.”

“Yep. Anyway the divorce went through, she remarried, but whenever she gets into trouble she comes running to Julian dangling her child as leverage. I just hope she's not doing that again.”

“So the child isn't even Julian's?”

“No way. As far as I know her current husband is the biological father. It's a shame how she uses people. It's a cute kid, lives with her mother. Julian sends gifts signed ‘Uncle Julian' all the time.”

Dena felt even worse. She'd lit into Julian because he turned his back on his child, a child that wasn't even his and was already well taken care of, and he apparently still cared for.

“Listen, the twins wanted to know if Dillon can come over and hang out with us this afternoon. We're going to the movies then out to dinner.”

“That sounds like fun but Dillon is out until later this afternoon.”

“Oh bummer, maybe next time,” Willamina said.

“Definitely. Anyway I'd better let you go. Thanks again for inviting me to the shower.”

“Anytime, wow, it's gonna be hard not going into work Monday morning. Maybe I'll stop in for a little…”

“Don't you dare even think about it,” Dena chastised firmly. “You once ordered me to take time off and relax, well, right back at you.” They laughed.

“Okay, okay, but if you need anything, call me.”

“I will, and same here.”

They hung up. Dena smiled. She liked having Willamina as a friend. She was a wealth of information; unfortunately what she told her about Julian and Stephanie was no way near what she accused him of. She was wrong. Just as she put her cell back into her purse the house phone rang.

“Hi, Mom,” Dillon said happily.

“Dillon, hi, honey. How are you? Are you having fun?” Dena asked.

“Uh-huh, we went on some rides and I played with a chicken and a duck and I ride on a horse and then we saw some fireworks and a parade and had my picture took and then I hurt my hair and then we went to eat and big place that had more horses.” Dillon spoke nonstop making the whoosh of conversation barely discernable.

“Oh, my, sounds like you're having a wonderful time.”

“Can I stay again?” he asked.

“Well, honey, I think it's about time…”

“Dena,” Ellen said, taking the phone from Dillon. “Hi.”

“Hi, Aunt Ellen. How are you?”

“Fine, just fine, we're having a blast. Dillon is really enjoying himself.”

“I'm glad to hear that. When are you coming home?”

“About that, we were wondering if you'd mind Dillon staying another night. There's this farm we stopped at and it's wonderful, they're having a huge end of fair celebration there tomorrow morning. Dillon has his heart set on going.”

“What about you and Mamma Lou, don't you need to get back here?”

“Another day won't make much difference one way or the other, and Dillon is having so much fun I hate for him to miss the ending.”

Dena hesitated then yielded. “All right, if you don't mind. Thank you. Dillon sounds like he's having so much fun.”

“He is, we all are. How's it going there?”

“Quiet.”

“I bet. Anyway, sweets, our brunch just arrived. We're going shopping for new clothes this afternoon then going on a water ride and a tour of the local winery.”

“Sounds like you three are having a great time,” Dena said.

“Sure are, hope you are, too,” Ellen said.

“I am,” Dena replied, remembering the night before.

“See you tomorrow around three or four.” She paused. There was conversation in the background. “Dena, Louise said that if Otis Wheeler gets there before we get back just have him cool his heels.”

“Otis Wheeler?”

“Colonel Wheeler. You've heard me mention him with Louise, they drove down together.”

“Oh, right, sure…oh, and, Aunt Ellen, one thing. Dillon said that he hurt himself?” she queried.

“Yes, but he's just fine, he was getting his picture taken and tried on a hat. The inside clip pulled his hair. It was a great picture but funny thing someone had taken it by mistake by the time we went to pick it up.”

“That's odd that someone would take the picture by mistake, they had to see it wasn't theirs,” Dena said offhandedly.

“We took another one and that one came out even better.”

“Okay, have a good time, 'bye.”

“'Bye, Mom,” Dillon quickly said in the background.

“'Bye, honey,” Dena said, then listened as the phone disconnected. She sat thinking a moment after hanging up.

A few minutes later she changed clothes again then tossed a few things into an overnight bag. She got into the car and drove back to Julian's house. She rang the bell then knocked on the door. There was no answer. She walked around to the back of the house where he was the night before. The garage door was closed and locked. She peered in the smoked window. The car was exactly as they'd left it the night before.

It was obvious he was gone.

She drove back to her aunt's house slightly despondent. She'd lost her faith and her trust. Thanks to everything she was going through she believed only what she saw and heard, and it seemed that quite often that was skewed and doubtful.

Feeling melancholy she sat out on the back porch overlooking the yard. The sprinkles had turned off and a light misting rain had begun to fall.

The past few weeks since her arrival had changed her life so much. For three years she'd barricaded herself in her house refusing to let anyone near her or her son. Now everything was different. She wanted to get back out into the world and she wanted Julian there with her.

Change was harder than she thought.

 

Adel hated being summoned to the law firm. It always seemed like they were in charge and not her.

“So it's true.”

“Yes, I believe it is,” Gaylord confirmed.

Adel held the photo up and stared. Her eyes, wide with astonishment and pain, welled with emotion. The question of paternity wasn't even an issue as far as she was concerned. The child was the exact image of his father, her son, Forester. There was no denying it.

“We'll have the DNA test results complete in a few days. You'll be able to establish paternity then.”

“I don't need DNA to see that this is Forester's son,” Adel said, touching the small face lovingly.

Gaylord hovered over her shoulder. “The results will establish irrefutable biological paternity.”

“Forget that. How do I get him?”

“How do you get who?”

“My grandchild, of course,” she said, looking up at him.

“What do you mean, you want visitation rights?”

“I don't want visitation rights, I want my child.”

“Adel, you just spent the last four years denying that Dena's child was Forester's. You even went as far as to offer the Graham inheritance to Gloria and her child.”

“But her child wasn't Forester's.”

“Exactly, the DNA proved that and she finally admitted it. I think you should move very cautiously at this point. This could be another disappointment. Dena has been trying to get the Graham inheritance since her child was born. You don't want to make another mistake.”

“I didn't make the last one. Your investigators failed to uncover that Gloria was having affairs with half the men in this town. Forester isn't the father of her child any more than you are. Her child didn't even look like him. But this one, what's his name?”

Gaylord reached across the desk and opened a file. “Dillon Leigh Graham.”

“Dillon, what kind of a name is that for a Graham?

“I believe that the boy is named after her father and mother.”

“Well, that will be the first thing we change. He's young, he'll adapt easily enough. How old is he again?”

“He'll be four next month.”

“Four, that's impossible,” she surmised. “Forester was killed almost five years ago. Then I was right, Forester isn't the father.”

“It appears she might have gotten pregnant just before Forester died, possibly even the same night he attacked her.”

Adel glared at him. The idea that her son was accused of attacking his own wife still didn't sit well with her, nor did the fact that Nelson helped cover it up. She shook her head.

“The medical records only mention early stage first-trimester pregnancy and that was just weeks after the accident, so it's very possible given the nine month period.”

“He lied to me.”

“Who?”

“Forester, he told me that he and Dena weren't physically active. He said that he didn't want children with her. But this is his child, there's no denying that. He's the spitting image of Forester as a child.”

“The DNA tests will soon confirm one way or the other. The tests are ninety-nine point nine percent accurate. There'll be no mistake, I assure you.”

“Petition the court, I want full sole custody.”

“What? Excuse me?”

“You heard me. This is my grandchild, the only thing I have left of my life. My husband is gone, my two sons are gone, the least I can have is this child. She owes me that much. Get him for me.”

“Adel, you can't just take a child away from its mother. This isn't 1860. It's illegal, not to mention immoral.”

“Find a way. I want him at Graham Manor for his fourth birthday,” she said, standing to leave.

“Adel, be reasonable, this is America, kidnapping is against the law. We've done everything you've asked regarding this situation. We've destroyed evidence and planted and created questionable leads and documentation. Any one of these offenses can put us behind bars, but to steal a child…”

“I didn't say steal the child, get him legally.”

“How? His mother is alive and well.”

“She's unfit.”

“We could never prove that.”

“Then you'd better find a way, hadn't you?”

“Adel, please, be reasonable,” Gaylord said.

“I am being reasonable, if you can't do this I'll find someone who will, although…”

“Adel, please…”

“…I'd rather not, but I will if I have to. Just do it.”