Love In The Fast Lane Part 9

Nate launched into the whole sordid story and filled Luca in. If there was one person in the world who knew all of Nate, it was Luca.

"Wow. A kid?"

"I'm going to request a DNA test to prove it but the resemblance is there. He could have pa.s.sed as a five-year-old me."

Luca nodded. "So, where do you go from here?"

"I don't know what I should do. I'm no doubt going to be a p.i.s.s poor excuse for a father."

"Just because your dad was, doesn't mean you will too."

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Luca. Case in point. I got s.h.i.+tty news and what's the first thing I do? I hit the bottle. Plus, I'm on the road or in the air most of my life, what kind of future is that to offer a child?"

He walked around his living room, feeling like a caged animal. "I think maybe it's best for the kid if I forget he even existed."

Luca hopped off his perch and walked around the sofa. "I think you sober up and then speak to Brielle before you make any decisions. You don't even know what the kid knows about you."

Nate weighed this in his head. He knew he should just walk away now. Let Brielle hate him and at least have a clean slate away from the kid but he found himself reluctantly agreeing.

He had found her number listed in the directory and tried her office numerous times but she was always unavailable or in a meeting. But, he knew better, she was avoiding him.

It was a few days before Noah's birthday and Brielle was fl.u.s.tered. She had a million things still to do on top of trying to sell the Brentwood Hills house and trying to avoid Nate. He was becoming a little too real for her liking. What if he actually wanted to be a part of Noah's life? What would she do then? She was so protective of Noah. Could she just let another person into his life? Could she share him after all these years of it being just the two of them? How would Noah manage the change?

Parking her little red Mazda in front of her driveway, she walked around to get the big box out of the back. It wasn't too heavy but its sheer size had her doubling back, trying to keep her balance. She managed to get the box out and close the car door before her arms were suddenly light and she realized that someone had taken the load from her.

"Thank you," she managed before she saw the face of her helper. She didn't want to admit it but even in the rays of the hot sun, with his cheeks showing what looked like two-day old stubble, he still looked magazine worthy. His s.e.xy green eyes were covered by mirrored aviators but she had no doubt that they too would add to the allure that was Nate Wolfe. "Oh."

"Yeah, I get that a lot around you."

"How did you find me?"

"You're listed. Not that difficult to track." His arms bunched in his t-s.h.i.+rt and she got to appreciate the bulge of his unbelievable biceps.

She rolled her eyes and opened her front door, making way for him to walk through and put the big box on her small kitchen counter.

"Look, I'm really busy Nate. Is there something you want?"

"You having a party?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yes," she said cautiously. "It's Noah's birthday tomorrow.

He'd removed his sungla.s.ses and she saw an odd expression pa.s.s across his gla.s.sy green eyes. He seemed off his game today. Not his usual suave self.

"You ok?" she asked "Fine," he answered, looking around the small home. "Where's Noah?"

"He's next door, playing with the neighbor's kids."

He nodded, looking scattered. After a long silence he finally managed, "How did he happen? I mean, you said you had contraceptives.

She was so angry that he was at this again. After all the accusations he threw at her the other night, he'd tracked her down to make her feel more psychotic. She took a deep breath and tried to match his even, calm tone. "The IUD s.h.i.+fted somehow. The odds of becoming pregnant within the first year of insertion are about two out of a thousand. It was pure chance to be honest." She pulled some juice out of the fridge and poured two gla.s.ses, handing him one before sitting down at the counter.

"I didn't plan this, Nate," she continued when he made no attempt to fill the silence. "I was shocked as h.e.l.l when I found out, too. But he was something created out of my flesh and blood, I could never abandon him as though he were a mistake." The silence went on. "He's a good kid. He's an amazing kid."

Nate nodded again. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She choked on her juice and sputtered all over the counter ahead of her. He came around and patted her back as she coughed through the liquid in her nose.

"You ok?" he asked.

She nodded, still trying to catch her breath. "How can you even ask me that?" she nearly shouted.

He looked confused and his brow furrowed.

"I called you almost immediately after I found out. I had to call and call and call back again just to talk to someone."

"Who did you call?" Nate's expression changed.

"Your PR people. They talked down to me and treated me exactly like you did the other night like I was trying to trap you. Then, I was told that you weren't interested and I should move on with my child."

He was starting to look angry. If he was a cartoon, she probably would have seen the steam come out of his ears. "Who?"

"What?"

"Who did you speak to?"

"I don't know Nate, it was so long ago."

"I will get to the bottom of this."

"Didn't you know?"

He shook his head, looking pained.

This was a revelation and Brielle's head felt like it was spinning. Nate never knew he had a child. All the years of pining and worrying and hoping he would come around and then hating him when he never bothered. That was all surpa.s.sed by the fact that he never knew. Her heart started to pound for the little boy in Noah who could possibly have a father.

"Don't look at me like that?" he said pointedly at her.

"Like what?"

"Like your son has a daddy all of a sudden."

Brielle's bubble popped and something broke in her heart. "He is your son, Nate. How can you even say that?"

"I don't know if I want to be a part of this equation, Brielle." He sounded so cold and clinical. "I want a paternity test."

And just like that, he went back to making her feel like the sc.u.m of the earth.

"Get out of my house," she ordered.

He pushed away from the counter and headed toward the door. "I will have my people contact you later today. I want this done as soon as possible."

"What for, Nathan? So you can have proof he's your son and then walk away anyway?"

"Like father, like son."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

But he was already down the driveway, too happy to ignore her.

Nate's legal team worked quickly and by Sat.u.r.day morning he had the results of the paternity test hand-delivered to his home. There in black ink, it was stated for all to see. He was Noah Wood's father. d.a.m.n That floored him more than the moment he found out he had a child.

What was he going to do with this information?

f.u.c.k, he couldn't just sit around and stare at the ceiling. He needed to do something.

He grabbed his keys and wallet and found himself just driving.

It was the one thing that gave him a sense of calm and d.a.m.n if he didn't need that now. Nate knew what he had to do. He stopped by the sporting goods store to pick up something and then found himself on the road again. He took in the tree-lined streets as he drove off the highway and into the suburbs, right in front of a one-story beige house. Brielle's house. He grabbed his package off the back seat and was glad that the sales clerk had used a monochrome gift wrap and not anything too splashy. Seeing the red balloons decorating the gate that led to the backyard, he followed the childish giggles before he found a group of kids and adults casually enjoying the festivities. The Cars theme was not lost on him as he took in the napkins and paper plates with pictures from the movie emblazoned across them.

In one corner he saw Brielle at a snack table and he was surprised by how beautiful she looked today. Her normally tightly controlled hair was hanging loose and free to the middle of her back in amazing soft waves. She had on a sundress with a fitted bodice and a willowy skirt and she looked in a way he hadn't seen her in five years. She looked happy. A man came up behind her and encircled his arms around her, hugging her back to his chest. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed and he twirled her around. Nate watched as she giggled like a girl, thrilled to have this man touch her. Nate was not thrilled. His child was here for G.o.d's sake. Why was she behaving like this?

"Mr. Wolfe?!" Noah exclaimed next to him.

"Hey, Noah," Nate replied uncertainly. He'd had no problems interacting with his child before the truth was out but suddenly he was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to behave around a child?

"What are you doing here?" he bounced beside him, somewhat giddy with sugar.

And then Nate remembered, "Happy Birthday, buddy." He pa.s.sed him the huge box and Noah looked at it as Nate leaned it against the wall for balance.

"Oh, boy! What is it?"

The child had no reservations or questions as to why a racecar celebrity was in his mother's back yard, bringing him gifts for his birthday. If he thought it suspicious, he didn't let on. Which was saying more than the other twenty-odd adults staring at him curiously.

"Nathan?" Brielle asked, suddenly at his side. "What are you doing here?" Her face was perfectly friendly, which he knew was for public display, but her eyes and tone of voice spoke volumes about her feelings toward him.

"I came to see my-" he broke off when he saw the warning in her eyes.

"I came to wish Noah Happy Birthday," he corrected. "Hoping he will give me luck for my season this year."

"Oh, boy! Absolutely, Mr. Wolfe!"

"Call me Nate."

"Man-o-man." He looked to Brielle. "Please, can I open this one now, Momma?" he opened his eyes wide and Nate just about sank to his knees.

"No, lovebug, you can open them later."

"Ah Mom, pleeeeeease. I ate all my peas and broccoli last night. Please?" His face twisted to emphasize his distaste of the vegetables he'd had to endure the night before.

"Fine. Just this one and no more for the rest of the afternoon."

"Oh boy, oh boy," he bounced, happily ripping up the neat wrapping. "Woweeeeee! Look Mom, it's a trampoline!" his eyes bugged out of his head in excitement.

"It's adult-sized too, so your mom can jump with you."

"Come on, Mom," Noah encouraged, grabbing her hand. "Let's set it up."

"Later, Squirt, we have a party to get to and I think it's about time you cut the cake."

"Ok, Momma." And like any five-year-old, his attention was easily diverted by something one of the other kids was showing him.

Nate watched Brielle disappear into the kitchen and then reappear with a red-iced, car-shaped cake.

"Happy Birthday to you," she started to sing.

"Happy Birthday to you," the crowd joined and Nate found himself singing along.

"Happy birthday to Noah."

"Happy Birthday to you."

"Make a wish and blow out the candles, Lovebug," Brielle said to Noah.

Nate was taken in by the moment between mother and child. The ease with which Brielle played the role of mother.

"Nate!" Noah called. "Come help me blow out the candles."

He shook his head, not wanting to take anything away from the young child's moment but somehow the crowd had ushered him forward. He stood beside Noah, feeling an odd emotion as the child took a deep breath and blew out the candles.

Before being asked to, Noah scooped up a piece of cake and stuffed it in his mouth, managing to get it all over his face and in his hair.

The group laughed and everyone joined in, grabbing plates to get their piece of cake.

By the evening Nate was feeling more like an outsider than ever. Most of the guests had left and why he was still sticking around was beyond him. The sun was setting and he was on his hands and knees on the ground with Noah, setting up the trampoline. It was a lot bigger than he had initially thought. They'd only been at it for ten minutes and already it was scattered across the small back yard.

"Thanks for coming today, Mr. Wolfe," Noah said softly.

"Don't mention it, Buddy. Thank you for letting me come, I had fun."

Noah beamed. "And thanks for my trampoline. I don't think mom would have even known how to open the box."

Nate laughed. "Does your mom battle with the hardware stuff?"

"Yeah, sometimes, but I will help her out when I'm bigger. She says I will get real big some day. But uncle Matt helps her when she needs stuff done."

"Matt?"

Noah gestured through the window at Brielle and another man sharing an easy laugh. The same man he'd seen pawing at her earlier.