Chapter 13

"They can't technically force a paternity test at this point," Jon, Luke's lawyer, was saying.

"So then we don't do it." It seemed simple enough to him.

"We can force their hand and make them go to a judge to order one, but that would create more questions and there's the potential that they make up some allegations that we would then have to disprove."

"But we aren't doing anything wrong," Luke argued.

"Never said you were. It's just something that might be easier to just do. I am in my car so I can't look it up right now, but is there a father on Garrett's birth certificate?" Jon asked.

Luke sighed. "I don't know. I assume not. Why?" If it wasn't him, then it shouldn't be anyone else.

"Find out and get back to me. I want to check something."

"Yeah, okay. Call me when you get to the office." Luke ended the call and collapsed back into his chair.

He felt awful that this was what he'd dragged Paisley and Garrett into because he knew this wasn't the end of it. No. His father would always have another scheme up his sleeve to try to take them down.

At this point, Luke didn't believe that his father wanted anything from him or his siblings. This was just about control and punishment.

Luke stood and stretched before going to find Paisley. She was in the living room with Garrett, playing on the floor, smiling and laughing with him. Luke wished it weren't something he was about to take away.

"Paisley," Luke started.

"Yeah?" she answered without looking up at him.

"I need to ask you a question about Garrett." Luke took a seat on the sofa and waited for Paisley to look at him.

Paisley turned to face him and took a deep breath. "I'm positive that he's yours. There's no way anyone else could be his father," she rushed out.

It took Luke a second to understand what she'd said. Not once had it crossed his mind that she had lied to him or that there was a chance the Garrett wasn't his.

"You can take him and do the test. I don't have to go so we can just do what they want and then they will go away." Paisley's voice was a little shaky, but she continued to look at him,

Luke realized he had been quiet for too long, keeping his thoughts to himself. "No. That's not it at all. Paisley, I've never questioned that Garrett is mine. I wanted to know who you put as the father on his birth certificate."

"Oh." She blushed and ducked her head. "I couldn't put you since we weren't married and you weren't there to sign the papers, so it says unknown."

Luke nodded. "Thanks. My lawyer wanted to know. Not sure what he's thinking, but he said he'd call when he got to the office and checked a few things."

"Okay." Paisley focused back on Garrett. "It's okay if you want to get the test done, you know. It's not like you and I knew each other all that well before, and you have every right to be unsure."

He slid off the sofa and sat in front of her on the floor. Using his right hand, he cupped her chin and brought her gaze to his.

"I've have never questioned if Garrett is mine. He is MY son and nothing is going to change that." He meant it, too. "It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks, Paisley. I know he's mine."

He leaned down and picked Garrett up off the floor, holding him to his chest for a hug. No one was going to take Garrett from either of them, and Paisley would never doubt him wanting to be with them both if he had to reassure her every day.

Garrett squirmed and Luke turned him around, helping him to sit up in Luke's lap facing Paisley. "Tell your mommy that we aren't going to let anyone take you from us."

Paisley's smile was sad. He waited for her to say what she was thinking, but she didn't.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

"No one will take him from you, Luke. Me? Well, I'm exactly who they take kids from." She plucked an imaginary piece of fuzz from her pants.

"You're a good mom, Paisley. You know that and you didn't need me to show up and tell you. No one is going to take him from either of us, and I mean that."

"I know you do. It was clear when she was here, though, that she didn't like me and that I will be painted as the problem. Like I'm taking advantage of you or something." She shrugged. "There's not much I can do to convince them otherwise. I'm used to it."

It was probably not the right time, but he couldn't resist bringing it up again." You don't have to answer me right now, but seriously think about it and let me know when you have an answer. We could get married. That gives us both more rights to him and each other because it shows we are together."

She opened her mouth to speak but his phone ringing cut her off.

"It's Jon. I need to answer it."

Paisley slipped Garrett from his lap as he answered. He didn't get up and go to the other room, just stayed where he was, with his family.

"What's up?" Luke said as he answered. "I talked to Paisley and there's no father on his birth certificate."

"That's great actually. We can start paperwork today to get you added. It shouldn't take more than a week and then you're officially his father, DNA or no."

"That's great. Start it now and let me know what you need from us."

"I need her to sign a few things, but I'll send that over. The quicker it's all done, the quicker this can move."

"We'll be on it right away."

"You'll still better off just going to go do the DNA test. You'd be on the birth certificate before they even got the results."

"I'm not concerned about them. I'll do it to make CPS leave us alone, but I have no doubt that Garrett is mine."

"Happy for you. I'll get this all sent over. If both of you sign it and get it back, I can file it before the end of the day."

"Thanks, Jon." Luke ended the call wondering who else thought that Garrett wasn't his child. He believed Paisley, but it was more than that. He felt a connection to Garrett that was instant and almost unexplainable.

"Everything okay?" Paisley asked.

"Jon is going to send some papers over to our emails to sign. He said that because there's no father on the birth certificate, we can petition to have me added without a whole adoption process or anything."

"That's great." There was a smile in her voice. "At least I did something right back then."

"Paisley," he scolded gently. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Let's not. There's no need to go back and forth over things."

He didn't want to but he agreed. There was no need for her to blame herself for anything."

"Dinner?" Paisley asked.

"Let's order in. Chinese?"

They went back and forth over what to order before finding a movie to watch. Neither of them would actually watch it, as Garrett cooed at both of them and continued to giggle as they played.

It was much later by the time that Garrett was down for the night and they were ready to go to bed themselves. Luke followed her upstairs, pausing when she stopped at his bedroom door.

"Do you mind if I sleep with you tonight?" Her voice was almost a whisper, and she didn't look up at him. He was starting to notice that were her nervous tell.

"Mind? Not only would I not mind, I'd prefer if you slept with me always." He didn't need sex from her, just wanted her in his arms and safe next to him.

She turned to her own room and Luke headed into his. He was confident that she'd just get ready for bed and come to him, but he kept an eye on the door as he got himself ready.

A few minutes later, Paisley quietly came in.

Luke pulled the covers back and motioned for her to get in.