Chapter Sixteen
Wilder stood on the porch and watched the white van disappear down the driveway. Only when it was gone from sight did he turn his attention to the envelope with the purple logo of the DNA Testing Center in the upper left corner.
This was it: the moment of truth.
When he opened the flap and read the results, he would know for certain that he was Cody’s father—or that he wasn’t. There would be no more questions or uncertainty.
He’d been waiting for this moment for twelve days, anxious and impatient for the knowledge he finally held in his hand.
So why was he suddenly so apprehensive?
Was he afraid that the results would confirm he was the little boy’s father?
Certainly, when Hunter had first read Leighton’s note aloud, Wilder had been blindsided by her accusation. He hadn’t wanted to believe it, because if it was true, his life would change in ways he wasn’t ready for it to change.
But somehow, over the span of less than two weeks with Cody, he’d realized that he was ready for it to change. Maybe, as Beth suggested, he was even ready to embrace fatherhood not as an obligation but an opportunity.
And now he didn’t want that opportunity to be taken away. He didn’t want to discover that there was no biological link between him and the little boy who’d already taken hold of his heart.
He was still angry with Leighton for abandoning her child. And now that she was gone, he’d never get answers to all the questions he had. But if it turned out that Cody was his child, too, he would forever be grateful to her for giving him the chance to be the little boy’s father.
But what about Beth? What would the paternity results mean for her relationship with her nephew?
She would always be Cody’s aunt, but as she’d pointed out to Wilder on her first day at the Ambling A, her life was in Dallas. And if he was Cody’s father, he’d want to raise him here, in Rust Creek Falls.
But maybe—
He shook his head, dismissing the thought before it had a chance to fully form.
There was no point in speculating about possibilities or imagining happy endings that he knew weren’t in his future.
Because she was a woman who deserved a lot more than he was capable of giving.
She deserved love, and he didn’t do love.
Except that he did love Cody. And the way his mind and heart had been preoccupied with missing Beth, he suspected that he was starting to fall for her, too.
Starting? A voice mocked inside his head.
He ignored the voice and tore open the flap of the envelope.
His fingers trembled as he pulled out the single sheet of paper.
“DNA Test Result” was printed in bold letters at the top. Beneath it was a chart with columns of numbers that didn’t mean anything to him. He scrolled further down and finally found what he was looking for: Probability of Paternity.
He didn’t realize he was crying until the numbers blurred in front of his eyes.
Blinking away the tears, he refolded the page and slid it back into the envelope.
The whole time that Beth was in Rust Creek Falls, she’d looked forward to the day that she could take Cody home. At no time had she imagined that it would be for her sister’s funeral.
Four days after that fateful call from the sheriff of Clearwater County, her head and her heart were still reeling from the tragic and premature death of her sister. But as much as she grieved for Leighton, she grieved even more for Leighton’s baby.
But she pushed those heavy thoughts to the back of her mind for another day. Today was about Leighton, and Beth was trying to focus on celebrating her sister’s life rather than mourning her death. Thinking about what would happen next—
No, she couldn’t do it.
One day at a time.
That was her new motto, and today was all she could handle right now. Or maybe more than she could handle. But she would get through it, because she had no other option.
You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever known...fierce and formidable.
Though she’d doubted the veracity of Wilder’s words when he’d spoken them to her, she called on them to sustain her now. Because she knew she was going to need every ounce of that purported strength today.
Though Cody was too young to understand what was happening, she took him to the funeral home for the early visitation.
She believed it was important for him to be there, to have a last chance to say goodbye.
He’d held up pretty well. It was Beth who’d cried like a baby when she put Cody’s Christmas gift to his mom—the still-wrapped “Mommy” ornament—in Leighton’s hand inside the coffin.
But then she’d pulled herself together, dabbed some concealer on the dark circles under her eyes, swiped some mascara over her lashes and slicked some gloss on her lips.
Not because she cared how she looked, but because she could hear the echo of her sister’s voice telling her that she should care how she looked, and she knew Leighton would appreciate that she’d made the effort.
After the first visitation was over, Beth took Cody back to her condo.
Moira Owen—her neighbor across the hall—had offered to watch him for the afternoon, and she was grateful for the help.
Though Moira had no kids of her own, her job as an auditor for a multinational corporation meant she was a stickler for details, and Beth knew her neighbor would ensure that the baby was fed and played with and read to and put down for a nap precisely on schedule.
As for the details of her own life, she’d already been in contact with her principal, and Rebecca had told her to take whatever time she needed to get Cody settled.
Beth appreciated the offer and understanding, but she wanted to get back to the comfort of her own routines as soon as possible.
She needed to be busy so she wouldn’t dwell on the loss of her sister—or think about Wilder.
In the three days since she’d left Rust Creek Falls, she hadn’t heard a single word from him. Well, aside from the OK he’d sent in reply to her text message telling him that she and Cody had arrived safely in Dallas.
It had now been thirteen days since the cheek swabs were sent off to the lab, and she expected that he’d have the results by now. But if he did, he hadn’t shared them with her.
One day at a time, she reminded herself, as she returned to the funeral home to greet those who’d come to remember her sister.
Several gathered in groups, sharing stories and memories and offering comfort to one another.
Beth didn’t know most of them—more proof that she’d existed on the periphery of Leighton’s life.
And though she would always regret that they hadn’t been closer, she was pleased to know that her sister had so many people in her life who cared about her.
Glancing at the clock, she felt a niggle of unease as she tried to remember if she’d given Moira directions on how to prepare Cody’s cereal. Maybe she could slip out to make a quick call...
The rest of the thought faded away when he walked through the door.
Wilder.
Her heart skipped a beat, then raced.
She’d wondered if he might show up. After all, he’d had a close and personal relationship with her sister—at least for a while. On the other hand, seventeen hundred miles seemed a long way to travel to say a final goodbye to a woman he hadn’t seen in more than a year.
But maybe there was another reason he’d decided to make the trip. Maybe he did get the results of the DNA test and had confirmed that Cody was his child. And maybe, when he returned to Montana again, he intended to take his son with him.
That was something she definitely couldn’t think about right now or she’d completely lose it.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi.” She stood there awkwardly, not knowing whether to offer her hand or initiate a hug.
He made the decision for her, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her close. And during that all too brief moment, she felt such a sense of peace she wished she could stay in his arms forever.
But of course she couldn’t. So she eased away and said, “It was nice of you to come all this way to pay your respects.”
“I didn’t come only for Leighton,” he said. “I came for you, too.”
His admission had her fighting against a fresh surge of emotion. “Why?”
“Because I didn’t want you to be alone today.”
Her eyes filled with tears then, but she refused to let them fall. “Thank you,” she said, sincerely touched.
“How are you holding up?”
“I’m doing okay,” she said.
“Of course, you are. Because who would keep everything together if you fell apart?” he mused.
“Believe me, I’ve had my moments.”
She turned automatically to shake hands and exchange a few words with another visitor she didn’t know, before shifting her attention back to Wilder.
“You got the test results,” she guessed.
“Let’s talk about that later,” he suggested.
She nodded, because he was right—this wasn’t the time or the place. And really, didn’t she already know what the results were? The only question now was what Wilder intended to do, and that was definitely better left until later.
“Cody was here earlier,” she said, certain he had to be wondering about the baby’s whereabouts. “But I didn’t think he needed to make the trip to the cemetery, so he’s with my neighbor now. Plus, you know how cranky he gets if he misses a nap.”
“Yeah.” Wilder smiled. “I do know.”
“But he’s sleeping almost through the night now,” she said.
“Are you?” he asked gently.
She just shook her head as the minister took his place at the podium. Wilder linked their hands and guided her to the front row, while the other mourners took seats around them.
She hadn’t realized how much she dreaded having to get through the service on her own until he was there and she was no longer alone.
Afterward, they rode together to the cemetery, then Wilder took her back to the funeral home where she’d left her vehicle.