The Baby Surprise by Brenda Harlen Read Free Book Online Page A

DNA but considering what was best for Emma.
    â€œExcept that establishing paternity may only be the beginning,” she warned.

Chapter Four
    Z ach thought about Paige’s words as he drove back to his room at Hadfield House.
    She was right, of course. Confirming Emma’s paternity was only a first step, but neither one of them could really move forward with their plans until that first step had been taken.
    Of course, at this point, he really didn’t know what his plans would be, how he could fit a child into his life, but he knew that he would find a way. Because, while Paige insisted that a paternity test was needed to prove that he was Emma’s father, he’d agreed solely to appease her. He didn’t need a cheek swab to confirm what he already knew—Olivia’s little girl was his daughter. And he had no intention of walking away from the child or the responsibilities that being a father entailed.
    Maybe he and Olivia hadn’t known everything about one another, but she had to have known that. Although they’donly been dating for a few weeks, they’d spent a lot of time together during that period.
    When he’d first read her letter, and her claim that he’d fathered a child, his first instinct had been to deny the possibility. He had never been careless about birth control and he certainly hadn’t been with Olivia. But even as he’d recalled that fact to reassure himself, he’d heard the echo of his father’s voice in the back of his mind: the only birth control that is one-hundred-percent effective is abstinence. If you’re going to play, be prepared to pay.
    He’d heard that same warning too many times to count during his teenage years and, although he hadn’t always abstained, he’d always been careful.
    Obviously not careful enough.
    Okay, so finding out about Emma had definitely been a surprise, but he would never say that she was an accident or a mistake. He believed that everything that happened in life happened for a reason, even if the reason wasn’t readily apparent. He certainly couldn’t fathom any noble purpose for the accident that had not only ended Olivia’s life tragically and prematurely but had also left an innocent child without her mother.
    But even after her death, Olivia had ensured that her daughter was taken care of, and although he might wonder why she’d chosen to name Paige Wilder as Emma’s legal guardian, he couldn’t fault her choice. Because what he’d seen in the young attorney’s interactions with the child was a woman who was both attentive and affectionate, who anticipated and responded to the child’s every need. And a woman who had no intention of accepting that he was Emma’s father until he’d jumped through all kinds of hoops.
    Well, he would show her that he was more than ready to jump through those hoops and take responsibility for hischild. And if he had to spend time in Paige’s company in the process, well, he didn’t think that was going to be much of a hardship.
    Â 
    Zach came back the next morning, and the morning after that. He wasn’t obtrusive and he didn’t get in her way, but Paige was all too aware of his presence, of his eyes following her every move, of her own response to him.
    She was attracted to him. It was pointless to deny that fact when every nerve ending in her body fairly hummed whenever he was near. It was even more pointless to think that anything could ever come of that attraction when their goals were so diametrically opposed. He wanted to be Emma’s father and she had no intention of letting him take the little girl away from her.
    Megan had given her the name of a friend who worked at PDA Labs, and she’d contacted Walter Neville directly to inquire about the DNA testing. He’d promised to send a test kit to Dr. Turcotte’s office right away and assured her that he would give the package priority