His Distraction (Assured Distraction Book 2) (33 page)

“Like hell, she will!” Ryan’s voice was loud and deep, but the baby slept through it. Peri grabbed his arm and put her fingers to his lips. Quietly, he mouthed, “There is no way she is going to put this baby up for adoption. If that’s my child, I’ll raise him. She can’t do that if I won’t sign the papers.”

“Yeah, but what if you’re not the father? You won’t have any say, and who knows who the father is if it’s not you.” Peri said softly. She couldn’t keep her eyes off the cute little bundle sleeping soundly.

“I don’t know what we’ll do if I’m not the father.”

“I know. I mean, I sure don’t want a kid right now, but I wouldn’t want to see him go to foster care.” Hayden shook his head.

“The first thing we need to do is the paternity test before we make any decisions. If the baby’s yours, then we’ll take him, no question. We’ll need to hire a nanny or something to help me out, but he’ll have a home with us and be a part of our family. I won’t let her throw this baby out. Discard him like trash.” Peri couldn’t help the tears that were streaming down her face by the time she stopped talking.

Ryan wrapped Peri tightly in his arms, and the three were standing there watching the baby sleep peacefully unaware when the doctor walked in to check on him. “Well, I see family finally arrived? We have a definite problem here with the boy’s mother. I went into the room to find the infant, and the mom told me y’all took him away. Said she didn’t want him back in her room?” He watched the three blank faces with a questioning expression of his own. “I think it’s safe to say this is more than post-partum depression. She truly seems like she doesn’t want her baby.”

“Yeah, she’s not interested in him at all, she hasn’t even held him since they laid him on her after he was born. I’m the only one who’s held him so far besides the nurses.” The doctor unwrapped the infant, and the little one let out garbled cries at the cold air and stethoscope on his exposed skin. “Is he going to be okay if he never gets his momma’s milk? I mean, can he get strong if he only gets formula?” Hayden asked, genuine concern on his furrowed brow.

The doctor smiled a little. “Oh, yes, he’ll grow big and strong on a bottle. Many babies are bottle-fed. I assure you he’ll be just fine on it.”

Hayden sat down and peered over the top of the bassinet. “Well, he sure likes that bottle. It didn’t take anything to get him to eat from it.”

“So, I suppose you are the one caring for him now? Are you the father?”

“Oh, NO!” Hayden was fast to answer. “I’m just a friend, but I’m his momma’s roommate and have taken care of her during her pregnancy.”

Ryan spoke up. “You see Doctor, I might be the father, but I don’t think I am. I sat down last night and figured up when she would have gotten pregnant. Isn’t it supposed to be forty weeks? We weren’t together forty weeks ago from yesterday. I was on tour by then, and we haven’t been together since.”

“Yes, but that’s arbitrary in that he could have come at thirty-seven weeks or forty-two, and he would still be a full-term baby,” said the doctor.

“Yeah, I know but we didn’t have sex for a week or so before I left and certainly not after I left. So honestly, I don’t think he’s mine. We need to do a paternity test to confirm, though, and that’s going to take three to four days, right? She’s ready to leave the hospital now, without the baby. Is that going to be a problem?”

“As long as someone is going to care for the baby, he can leave with her. But otherwise, we will have to call protective services in to take custody, and he’ll be placed in temporary foster care until his birth father is determined.”

Peri had sucked in a breath before she burst into tears. Ryan pulled her in as she cried on his chest. “Yeah, doctor. I don’t think we’ll be able to let that happen, even if it’s just for three to four days.”

“There is another way to see if the child’s yours, though. At least, we can eliminate you being the dad.”

“How? I thought we had to do paternity testing to get that information?” Ryan pressed, continuing to hold Peri close. He knew this was killing her, but he didn’t know what else to do other than claim the child as his and take responsibility for him.

“We can get your blood type sample right here. We already know the mother and baby’s type because we do that when he’s born to check for positive and negative factors.”

“Then do it. What do I need to do?”

“Come over to the nursery office and we’ll see about getting it taken care of.” The two men left the small room together.

Hayden offered the rocking chair to Peri. “I’m sorry you have to go through this shit, Peri. Seems like Krissy’s problems keep spilling over onto you. It can’t be good for you. You have your baby to think about.”

“I’m fine, Hayden. I want to tell you how grateful I am for taking care of this sweet little one during all of this. I’m so impressed with you stepping up for this huge responsibility.”

“No, it’s all good. I like babies. There’s something about them being so dependent on you for their entire existence. Poor little guy can’t do anything for himself yet, but he’ll learn quickly enough. My brother and sister both did. My mom, she wasn’t too much of a great mom, but hell, at least she wanted us. Nothing like what this one’s getting from his momma.” Hayden shook his head in disbelief of Krissy.

“If they let us take him home, then we can make some decisions. The idea of protective services coming in, I simply can’t sit by and let that happen. I don’t know what we’ll do if she won’t cooperate.” Peri leaned over and kissed the boy on the cheek. He opened his eyes and started moving his tongue around, so she picked him up and hugged him close to her warm body.

“He likes to be close,” Hayden said, watching every move she made. She seemed a little stiff at first but loosened up finally when she sat back down with him in her arms. “You ever held a baby before, Peri?”

“Not one this little. He’s not even a full day old yet.” She smiled and rocked the baby.

The doctor and Ryan came back through the doorway, and Peri could tell something was wrong as soon as she laid eyes on his solemn face. “What were the results, Ryan?”

“I’m not the baby’s daddy. Krissy’s a B, and I’m an O. The baby’s an A,” Ryan told the two. The doctor says that’s not possible for us to have an A baby together. So, now what are we going to do?”

The doctor asked, “Do, you think there’s any chance the mother will tell us who the other possible father might be? He may want the child.”

“All we can do is ask her, but damn, who’s going to be brave enough to do that?” Hayden asked. They had all been the recipient of her wrath, and none of them were excited to draw fire from her now, especially when confronting her about the baby and his father’s true identity. She was insistent that Ryan was the father, but would she be willing to admit she’d slept around before their relationship was over?

The doctor spoke up again. “I will ask her. I don’t think she’ll be as angry with the question coming to her from a medical standpoint. Even if the father doesn’t want the child, he’ll need to be notified for legal reasons and in the case of medical issues should arise for the baby later.”

The three looked at each other knowing the doctor didn’t have a clue about how sharp Krissy’s tongue could be when she unleashed it on anyone who crossed her. Finally, Peri spoke up. “I guess that would be as good an idea as any, Doctor.”

The trio made their way to Krissy’s room with the baby in tow. She was lying on the bed watching television. When she saw they had the baby, she turned her head the other way. “What do y’all want? I told you not to bring that back in here,
Hayden
. I don’t want to see it.”

The doctor spoke up in an authoritative manner. “We have some decisions to make about the welfare of your child, Miss Thompson. If we deem they are not in the best interest of your child, the hospital will be forced to turn the child over to Child Protective Services, and he will go to a temporary foster home. He will stay there until arrangements for his care can be made.”

Krissy stared straight at the doctor with a stern look of her own. “That’s fine. Call them.” She turned on Ryan. “It’s obvious his dad doesn’t want him.”

“It has already been determined that Mr. Powell cannot be the father of your child.” They all waited to see her reaction to the news. She did, but not how they thought she would.

“Dammit! Did you test my baby without my permission? I guess you just
couldn’t
fucking wait to prove you weren’t the dad, right, Ryan? I’ll sue you if you ran that test without my permission,” she spit at the doctor, pointing her finger at him accusingly.

“Actually, we did have your permission to run a blood-type on the infant when he was born. The baby’s type-A and you are a B. Mr. Powell is an O, so he cannot possibly be the father.” He waited a minute for Krissy to comment but she chose to keep her mouth shut. “Now, would you consider telling us who you believe the father could be since Mr. Powell isn’t?”

If Krissy couldn’t name the father, she knew how it would sound, and she didn’t care to discuss those points with the present company. She knew the lies were over, and she would have to tell them what she had already figured out. When the baby didn’t come at the first due date, she started counting up weeks. She had known for a few weeks that Ryan couldn’t be the father, which is why she wanted nothing to do with the baby. If she couldn’t have Ryan, she didn’t want this baby.

Ryan stepped up to the side of her bed. “Krissy, I’m sorry this is all happening to you, but you need to consider this infant that you carried for nine months. He needs a parent. If you don't take him, at least, give the father the chance to raise his son.”

Krissy hung her head, and soft tears began dripping from her eyes. “I’ve known it wasn’t yours for a few weeks now. I was so hoping you would claim the baby, and we could live as a family. I thought when you saw it,
him
, you would love him just the same. I only wanted you to love me like you used to. I wanted us to start over with a family.” Choking sobs were coming from her now.

“Krissy, we weren’t a good fit. We tried, remember? We had a good run and a lot of fun, but we weren’t meant to be. You didn’t want to be with a musician; you didn’t want my lifestyle. You were pretty clear about it all when you ejected me from your life. You’ve known that things weren’t going to happen for us, not like that. You moved on, and so did I. Peri and I are in love and are going to be getting married soon. I would have raised the child if it was mine, but now you need to tell us who his daddy is so we can see if he wants to claim his son.”

Her sobs grew loud, and it woke the sleeping baby Peri gently rocked in her arms. Hayden jumped up, offering to take him and started walking and bouncing him softly, praying he would quickly go back to sleep. It wasn’t a good time to deal with a screaming baby, not with Krissy already in full breakdown mode. He would take him out of the room if he had to so they could talk.

Krissy watched Hayden a minute while he soothed the baby and then turned and told the other three in the room. “The baby is Hayden’s,” she said so softly that the others couldn’t truly understand her.

“What Krissy? We couldn’t hear you.” Ryan said.

This time, she said it louder. “The baby is Hayden’s.”

The room stilled, everyone staring at her in shocked silence for what felt like hours.

“Oh my God, Krissy. Don’t do this to that kid. Just because he’s good with the baby doesn’t mean he wants
your
child.” Ryan grew angrier by the second.

“No, I’m telling the truth.” She looked at Hayden, who was staring at her like she had sprouted a third eye on her forehead. “One night, the first week after you left, he came in and had been drinking with some of the guys in the band. I was so lonely and upset; I needed someone. I had some whiskey already out, and we did some shots together. Before I knew it, we had finished the entire bottle. He was completely drunk, and I was about half way there. I was feeling lonely without you, and he was there. I helped him get in his bed, and you know how I get when I’ve been drinking, Ryan. I needed to feel like someone loved me, so I climbed into the bed with him and started kissing him. He easily responded to me, and I guess I took advantage of him.

“We both went to sleep when it was over, but I woke up a little while later, and he never moved. So, I cleaned everything up and went back to my room, got in my bed and went back to sleep. I didn’t want to think about what we had done. I knew he wouldn’t remember anything. So, I thought I could just forget it.”

Hayden handed the baby to Peri and walked over to the side of the bed. “You took advantage of me when I had no fucking control? I would have never had sex with you. How many times did I kick your drunk ass out of my bed? So many I can’t remember
.
You drank after you had known we had sex without protection? I know for damn sure you drank wine and some whiskey after that. How could you, not knowing if you were pregnant or not?” It was clear from his tone he was furious with her.

“I didn’t know I was pregnant! And when I did figure it out, I thought it was Ryan’s baby. And I did stop drinking then.” Her tone was almost pleading now.

“That’s not good enough, Krissy! How could you do this to a baby or me? Who else did you sleep with that week or that month? Could the baby be anyone else’s? What a gigantic fucking mess!” Hayden was so angry he could hardly form the sentences firing in his brain.