The Christmas Baby

Brian Kincaid didn't much like lawyers. Especially not the kind who'd track him down while he was with a beautiful brunette. And the kind who'd insist on meeting with him without telling him why really yanked his chain. But Brian knew lawyers. So he figured it would be easier to agree to see the guy than to try to put him off.That didn't mean he was happy about it. In fact, he was in a pretty poor mood by the time he arrived at the address the lawyer had given him. Obviously, he thought, eyeing the weathered building near downtown Dallas, this wasn't one of the more successful attorneys. Unless he was just cheap."Thank you for coming," Harry Riffkin said, showing Brian into a cramped office that had seen better days."You didn't give me much choice. What's all the mystery about?" He refused the offered chair, hoping the man got the point that he was in a hurry. He had a lunch date with a blonde he'd met the night he flew back from China, three days ago."Sorry about that, but this kind of news is best given in person." Instead of telling him, though, the lawyer sat, steepled his fingers and looked pensive. Annoyed, Brian decided to take a seat after all. "Do you recall a woman named Adrianna Shipley?"Brian shook his head. He remembered faces. He didn't do as well with names. "I need a little more information.""She was a flight attendant forAmerican Airlines. That's where you met. You had a relationship with her nineteen months ago."Nineteen months ago? He counted back. "Yeah, I remember her. Blond, short." And built. Really built. "Talked a lot." He now remembered she'd been amazing in bed, too. But he couldn't recall much else about her. "I wouldn't exactly classify what we had as a relationship. We saw each other only a few times." It had been fun while it lasted but neither of them had wanted anything serious. The women he dated rarely did and that was just the way he liked it."You saw her enough times to father her son," the lawyer said drily.His stomach sank. Then anger kicked in. "So that's what this is about. A paternity scam. How gullible do I look to you?""Ms. Shipley has named you as her ten-month-old son's father. Are you denying paternity?""Hell, yes." Brian stood and paced the small room. "I know damn well we used protection. She's lying. The question is, why'd she wait so long? Did her alternate plan fall through?""Are you telling me it's impossible that you're the father of her child?"He started to say just that but hesitated. "I'm saying it's unlikely. Does she want money, is that it?"Riffkin shook his head. "No, not money." He paused. "Adrianna Shipley is dead. She died in a car accident five days ago.According to her will, you're her son's only living relative." He leaned his forearms on the desk and pinned Brian with a surprisingly stern look. "What she wanted, Mr. Kincaid, was for you to take responsibility for your son. Your now motherless son."Brian had a bad feeling. A very bad feeling. Condoms weren't foolproof. And he'd definitely had sex with Adrianna. But...footloose Brian Kincaid, world traveler, a father? Stunned, he sank back into the chair."I know it's a shock, but there's a simple way to prove--or disprove--Ms. Shipley's claim. Anticipating you would want proof, I contacted a DNA lab. They already have a sample from the child. I was told we can have the results by day after tomorrow if you go down there today."Brian's head was spinning. Hello, Daddy. No, he couldn't be a father. Could he? "All right. I'll take the test." What choice did he have? "Where's the kid now?""He's with a friend of his mother's, Kara Long. I have a letter that was to be given to you in the event of Ms. Shipley's death." He picked up a sealed envelope and handed it to Brian. "She also left one for Mrs. Long, detailing her wishes regarding her son. I'm sure she'll be happy to share it with you in the event your paternity is proved."BrianGaddy, Eve is the author of 'The Christmas Baby', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373782024 and ISBN 0373782020.