didn’t want to be unreasonable. Lauren had seen something in Noah and she owed it to her friend to give him a chance.
* * *
NOAH WASN’T OVERLY surprised when Hannah’s attorney phoned and asked to meet with him later that afternoon. He parked his rental car in front of the law offices. He needed to steady his nerves before he went inside. He was still reeling from yesterday. He preferred to get his excitement on the job, not around a family Christmas tree. Granted, he could have handled himself better, but they could have, too. Between the barrage of questions and the obvious assumption he would be a casual father to Charlotte and Cheyenne, he’d about reached his breaking point on the way back from their Christmas tree trek in the woods. Halfway there he began to wonder if the whole cutting down a tree on Thanksgiving story hadn’t been a ruse to separate him from Hannah and the twins so they could break him down.
He got it. Clay was defending Lauren’s honor after Noah had gotten her pregnant. But he’d also hoped to see her again. Although he’d never been a fan of the whole long-distance thing, maybe they could have found a way to make it work. And then he wouldn’t have missed out on the first twenty-one months of his children’s lives.
Avery Griffin greeted him at the door. Tall, curvy and blonde, she looked more like a ’50s Hollywood starlet than an attorney. She couldn’t have been much over thirty, if that.
“Are you up for a walk?” Avery asked. “I know it’s unconventional, but I’ve been cooped up in my office all day and I could use the exercise after eating too much yesterday.”
“Sure.” He began to relax as they cut down a side street toward Ramblewood Park. Noah would take wide-open spaces over a stifling office any day. “I have to admit, I expected a call, but I’m surprised you wanted to meet so soon.”
“Under normal circumstances, we would’ve waited until Monday. Since you live out of state and we don’t know your travel schedule, we didn’t want to risk missing you.”
Noah laughed. “I guess that’s a nice way of telling me you’re putting me on notice.”
“Quite the opposite.” Avery pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her pocket. “If this goes to court, everybody loses, especially Charlotte and Cheyenne. I’m going to explain to you how the process works so you’re as informed as Hannah.”
Noah stopped walking. “The process needs to start with a paternity test, which I’ve already scheduled.”
“Hannah doesn’t have a problem establishing paternity.” Avery faced him. “She had a problem with the way you went about it. It’s my understanding you didn’t ask her for a paternity test. Instead, you told her you had already scheduled one. Technically she doesn’t have to comply without a court order, since she is their legal guardian. But she wants this settled just as much as you do.”
Noah agreed he had been a bit overzealous and could have handled the testing better. Off in the distance he watched an aerial fire truck raise its platform to the top of a light post so the firefighters could hang a large white snowflake.
“Do you realize what I have missed?” Noah began walking again. He had the urge to run the park’s track a few times to burn off his frustration. “Hannah told me Lauren had walked out the following morning because she’d been embarrassed about our night together.” Noah clenched his fists. “Think about that. Lauren’s shame over having sex with me robbed me of the entire pregnancy experience. I never saw their first ultrasounds or heard their first heartbeats. I have no idea what either of my daughters’ first words were or when they took their first steps. If she had actually talked to me before she left, all of this could have been avoided. I’m their father and I’m not going to miss another moment. The paternity test is only a formality.”
Avery smiled. “Honestly, I wish I heard that from more men. I applaud you for taking the initiative, but there is a legal procedure you need to be aware of. Once we confirm paternity, I’ll contact a caseworker. A guardian ad litem will then be assigned to the girls.”
“Is that another lawyer?” Noah asked.
“A guardian ad litem is an advocate who ensures Charlotte and Cheyenne’s best interests are always protected. I strongly advise you and Hannah to come to some form of a resolution before either one of your hands is forced.”
Noah wouldn’t mind having the opportunity to apologize to Hannah and her family for his behavior. He didn’t want to create tension between them, he just wanted to be with his baby girls. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
Avery clasped her hands together. “I know the perfect place.”
* * *
HANNAH FINISHED LOADING Restless into the horse trailer before running inside to grab her purse. She gave Charlotte and Cheyenne a quick kiss goodbye in their car seats, then waved to them as her mother drove away. She had two hours before she needed to be at the Christmas Dash-4-Cash barrel race. She was never this nervous before a race, but after the week from hell, she’d barely had a chance to practice. Clay had loaned her his quad cab pickup, but she’d been too anxious to let the twins ride with her. Her family would meet her at the arena.
As she locked the front door, she heard the sound of tires crunching against gravel. She’d expected to see anyone except Noah.
She ran down the front steps in the direction of her horse trailer. “I have a show to get to, Noah. I can’t do this with you now.”
“I know you do,” he called out behind her. “I wanted to ride with you or...at least...follow you there.” His words trailed off in an unexpected shyness.
Regardless of what she decided, she figured she’d regret her decision fifteen minutes down the road. Maybe he’d distract her enough to calm her nerves. “Come on.” She motioned for him to join her. “FYI, though...the twins have already gone ahead with my mom.”
“That’s all right.” He ran to catch up with her. “It will give us a chance to talk.”
Hannah slid behind the wheel. “Can you behave?” she asked through the open passenger window. “This is a big race for me and, as you so graciously pointed out the other day, I need the money.”
“About that.” Noah climbed in and fastened his seat belt. “I was completely out of line.”
“Who told you I was racing today? Not that it was a secret, but I’m surprised you know—it was Avery, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. Hannah eased the truck onto the main road. Avery had wanted them to talk... Now they had the time. Alone. Away from prying eyes and prying ears. Suddenly the interior of her brother’s truck seemed extremely small. She became acutely aware of every breath Noah took. Every movement involving the left side of his body sent an electric twinge pulsating through her veins.
Oh! This can’t be happening.
“Why barrel racing?”
His question broke her thoughts. “Believe it or not, my mom used to be a champion barrel racer. I guess you could say it’s in my blood. What little girl doesn’t want to be like her mother when she’s growing up? Mom became my instructor and I fell in love with the sport and the lifestyle. The rodeo isn’t just about competing. It’s about family, too. Besides, I was always on a horse helping my dad round up our sheep.” Hannah glanced over at Noah, surprised to see
