Being there, actually acting like a father, made him one.
Without Brandon, Gabe had no idea where he’d be. Dead in a desert in someone else’s war, most likely. Having a son gave him purpose and direction. Too young, sure, but he didn’t really get a choice about whether or not to be responsible.
“But if it would give you an answer, make your life easier?”
He could almost see her mind turn as she analyzed. “I don’t need tests or answers. He is my son.”
“But—”
“End of story.”
TWENTY-THREE
Natalie rarely suffered from an attack of nerves. She decided what had to be done and did it. She didn’t waver or weigh emotional concerns. Everything depended on the intended outcome. Once she determined that it was just a matter of figuring out how to get there.
Applying that logic to Gabe and this situation with Brandon proved tougher. Gabe was so strong and practical, but his commonsense approach to problem solving abandoned him when it came to his son. Understandable, she guessed. Not something she could assess from experience, but for him a very real thing. Talking about the DNA test was like touching a live wire.
So, she’d come up with this solution. Even now she stood with the envelope she borrowed from Gabe’s desk. Inside she had DNA samples in bags. All an expert would need to provide the answer.
She kept telling herself this was the right course, that Gabe eventually would understand and come to appreciate having the suspense over. She’d only known about Brandon less than two weeks and about the parentage issue for days, and it had her tied up in knots. She could not imagine how Gabe got through the day.
But handing over the evidence proved harder than she expected. About a half hour after they arrived she’d asked for a minute with Eli and Wade and dragged them outside with her. Even now they looked over the land, scanning the hills and far fence.
“This is an impressive place. Even blindfolded I could make out the acreage.” Eli’s gaze skipped to the pool and what looked like a pool house right next to it.
Wade went the more practical route and pointed at the motion sensors on the fence. “And the security.”
“Knowing Gabe, no surprise there.”
While their talking gave her more time to mentally walk through her plan, with each pass she became more confused. She just needed to end this.
She turned to Eli as her fingers skimmed back and forth over the sealed top of the envelope. “I need a favor.”
Eli frowned at her. “We are not sneaking you out of here.”
“I don’t want that.” The logic jump . . . okay, to be fair she could see how he got there. The old Natalie would have shunned help like what Gabe provided, no matter the form, and kept moving. She instinctively knew that was the wrong call here.
Then there was the part where she didn’t want to leave Gabe. The idea of walking away made her throat clog. Filled her with a bubbling anxiety that made it impossible for her to even think.
Eli’s frowned kicked up into a smile. “Is this the Natalie I know?”
Now was not the time to debate how much she’d changed and why. She still hadn’t worked that out in her own head. Running through it with these two would not bring clarity.
She jumped to the real reason for their visit. Not about her agreement or her safety. About Gabe. “I need you to get a DNA test done. Quiet. No one can know. Not Bast and not any of the MacIntosh men.”
“This is starting to sound more like the Natalie I know,” Wade mumbled under his breath.
Eli skipped right to the point. “What are you doing?”
She just didn’t know what point he was trying to make. “Meaning?”
“Gabe is a good guy,” Wade said, moving in closer as the double-team began in earnest.
She thought about stepping back but didn’t bother. They’d be on her and rapid-firing questions in a second. She’d trained Eli, and Wade had innate skills of persuasion that impressed even her. “I agree.”
“Then why are you setting him up?” Bigger than most guys, tall and broad, Wade loomed over her as he asked the question.
She shot one back. “For what?”
“I have no idea.”
They’d gotten off track. Somehow they’d gone from her risky idea to something she didn’t even want to know. “This isn’t about my case or even about me. This is a personal favor.”
“Sounds like you might be in the middle of