26. Chapter 26
twenty-six
My head is spinning. Over everything. Calder—it’s like he’s a different person.
He’s suddenly so… unaffected. In control.
I thought we were perfect that night. Now he’s distanced himself from me.
Maybe he can’t bring himself to admit he regrets that night.
Maybe he realized I’m too complicated. Too messy. Too much.
That’s the last time I poke that bear. I can’t take another version of him I don’t understand.
And then mother—reaming me out about Bowie’s name. She actually asked me, “Is Bowie his?” And she demanded to know if I’d seen Calder while I was married.
“No!” I whisper-shouted at her. “How dare you. I was never unfaithful to Grant, Mother. I just always liked that name.”
I’m not sure she believed me.
Mona called, asking if we could put off the interview until tomorrow and I thanked my lucky stars. Something came up, she said. “Yes,” I told her, relieved.
The doorbell rings.
Let Mother get it. She’s only ‘Mother’ when I’m mad at her. And I am.
It rings again. “Mother? Are you getting the door?”
No answer.
Fine.
I trudge from the laundry room, where I’m folding clothes, to the front door and my throat tightens as I open it.
Another man in a suit. “Laurel Prescott?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve been served.”
“He wants a paternity test?”
“For some reason, he thinks Bowie might not be his,” Meredith says.
“Well, he is.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about. I can’t do anything about this, Laurel. He has the right to do this.”
I take a slow breath, closing my eyes as I ask, “Where do I have to go?”
“I’ll send you the approved locations.”
“Okay. When? How do I do this?”
“I’ll send you everything you need. Laurel? Is there any chan—”
“No!” I’m tired of being asked.
“Can you tell me why Grant would suspect?”
I want to bite her head off, but I don’t, because Meredith’s the best lawyer and she’s been kind, and it’s not right to take my frustration out on her. She said from the start to be honest. She didn’t want any surprises.
“When Dad had his heart attack, my friends came to the hospital. Grant’s PI got a photo of a man named Calder Bowie Boone carrying Bowie.
Yes… he was my high school boyfriend. But, Meredith, I hadn’t seen Calder for ten years before I came home.
He is not Bowie’s father, and we’ll put this to rest with the DNA test. But do something for me, will you? ”
“Tell me what first.”
“You tell Grant Prescott—his test tells me he doesn’t really care about his son.
All he cares about is money. He thinks the paternity test will prove Bowie isn’t his, so he won’t have to support him.
But Bowie is his, and when the test proves it, I want Grant to forfeit his paternal rights.
He can shove his child support up his ass. ”
“Laurel, that’s not fair to Bowie. Besides, legally you can’t do that. If Bowie is Grant’s child, by law, Grant has to support him. And the amount of that support is based on income.”
“Fine. But Bowie deserves better than a father who treats him like a bargaining chip.”
When Mom comes through the back door with Bowie in tow, she stops abruptly, studying me, my head resting in my hands. I look up.
They’ve been gardening. That’s why she didn’t answer the door.
“Look, Mommy! Grammy has a tomato from her greenhouse!” Bowie shoves it in my face, big-eyed and beaming. He’s still wearing his cowboy hat. I think he may try to sleep in it.
“Good, Baby.”
“What’s the matter, Laurel?” Mom sets her basket of vegetables on the bar.
Bowie’s face scrunches, and he puts his hand on my arm. “What’s the matter, Mommy?”
My chest feels like a herd of elephants stomped through it.
I wipe at tears, handing mom the papers, my fingers trembling.
“That son of a bitch!” she yells.
“Grammy, shame! One dollar!”
A part of me wants to laugh. A part of me wants to run away. From everything.
I take his hat off, run my fingers through his curls, and kiss the top of his head. “I’ll be back in just a minute.” Handing him to Mom, I walk straight to my bedroom and shut the door before the tears spill, resting my back against the door.
My hands won’t stop shaking. I need someone who won’t let me spiral.
I need Mercy.
“That fucker!” Other than Mom and Dad, Mercy’s the only one in town who ever met Grant. She was my Maid of Honor, of course, and came to see us occasionally in Houston and Nashville. “I never liked that arrogant son of a bitch, but I never dreamed he’d do something like this.”
Her anger makes me feel better than anything.
“I have half a mind to call him myself. As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” She snatches her phone from her purse.
Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. She’s in tornado mode.
“Mercy, don’t. It’ll only make things worse. Meredith told me not to interact with him.”
“Fine.” She slams her phone down and stews a minute. Starts pacing in my bedroom. Then begins tapping on her phone, her thumbs moving ninety miles an hour.
“Who are you texting?”
“Who do you think?”
“Tanner?”
“Fuck no. Calder.”
Of course she is. Mercy doesn’t do anything halfway.
“Mercy, don’t.”
She looks up, glaring. “He has the right to know.”
Not twenty minutes later, the doorbell rings. This time, I stay in my bedroom. It’s Mercy who answers the door.
“Where is she?” I hear his voice, and every muscle in me tenses.
“Hey, Calder!” Bowie chirps. “Grammy has tomatoes.” I imagine him holding one out to Calder, the way he did to me.
“That’s good, Buddy. Do me a favor. Go get your mom for me.”
“She’s in her room.”
“Will you get her?”
“I’m here.” I step from the hall into the den.
Calder’s eyes sweep over me, and I swallow the lump in my throat.
He strides toward me. “Laurel.” He grabs me, pulling me into him, and I break. That’s all it takes, his arms around me and I start crying into Calder’s chest, in front of Bowie and Mercy, Mom and—
“What’s going on?” Dad demands from the garage door.
Mom hands him the papers.
“Motherfucker!” he yells.
Bowie, for once, doesn’t say a word, just gawks, wide-eyed from Dad to me, crying in Calder’s arms—then he starts crying.
Wailing, really.
He hiccups through tears. “What’s wrong? No more bad words… please… Mommy, stop crying…”
Next thing I know, Bowie’s in Calder’s arms, the same way I was. “It’s okay, Buddy.” He presses Bowie to his chest, his big hand on the side of his face. “Everything’s fine. They just… got surprised. A bad surprise, not a good one.”
The way he holds my son shouldn’t undo me, but it does.
Bowie’s breath catches as he pulls back, blinking tears. “Bad surprise?”
“Yeah, not all surprises are good. Like when your Grammy finds bugs on her tomatoes. Not good.”
Bowie nods, still trying to catch his breath as I take him from Calder. “Come here, Baby. Mommy’s fine. I’m okay now.”
I mouth to Calder, “Thank you.”
Calder looks at my parents but addresses me. “Laurel, you and Mercy let me talk to your folks a minute.”
Mercy and I exchange glances, heading with Bowie into the bedroom. Closing the door, I put Bowie on the bed with his tablet while Mercy and I listen together through the door.
“That fucker’s lost his mind.” Calder says. “I hadn’t seen her since that summer she left.”
Dad stays silent for a long beat. “I’m sorry, Calder. Sorry about…” His voice cracks. “Everything.”
The garage door opens and shuts, and my heart breaks.
I wipe tears that flow, my back to Bowie, as Calder says, “Callie, I’ll take them for the paternity test.”
“You can’t. Public perception. The best thing you and Laurel can do right now is stay away from each other until this is over.”
I want to scream, “No! No! No!” I need him.
But I don’t. Because in my heart I know, she’s right.
Why does it feel like punishment for a crime not committed?