every year, and I’ll even send you pictures.”
“Excuse me?” Hannah stared at Noah. “You make it sound as if Charlotte and Cheyenne will be with you.”
Noah looked around the room and stood. “Where else would they be? I’m their father.”
“And I’m their legal guardian.” Hannah took a step toward him. “Father or not, Lauren named me in her will, not you.”
“Only because she didn’t know where to find me,” Noah countered. “You even said she’d been looking for me.”
“She may have been looking for you, but she had no intention of handing her children over to you. You have no legal claim to them.”
“I will once I take a paternity test, which I’ve scheduled for tomorrow at Grace General Hospital.”
“You did what?” Hannah couldn’t believe what was happening. He honestly expected to take the girls away from her and her family? “Who do you think you are, coming into my home, my parents’ home, and announcing your plans to rip Charlotte and Cheyenne from the only family they’ve ever known?” Her pulse quickened and the room began to spin. He couldn’t take them. She refused to consent to it. She grabbed hold of her brother’s arm for support.
Clay stepped between them. “Noah, I think you should leave.”
“I don’t understand.” Noah held up his hands. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve seen your house and you’re clearly struggling financially. I don’t want my daughters to be a burden. Plus, we have a lot of time to make up for.”
“First of all, a social worker has already completed a home inspection and I’m well aware of what needs to be done to my house. And second, I may not make as much as you, but those children will never be a burden to me. We won’t be millionaires, but we will survive.”
“I don’t want my daughters to just survive. I want them to thrive and I can provide that for them.”
Hannah felt a shiver down to the bone. “A few hours ago you wondered if asking questions regarding their safety was the fatherly thing to do. You don’t have experience with these children. There’s no way in hell you’re getting those girls.”
“I understand your attachment to them.” Noah spoke with controlled firmness. “I would never cut you out of their lives. That wouldn’t be fair to them or you. But I am their biological father, and you can’t keep me from raising them. You’re more than welcome to visit anytime you’d like, but those girls are coming home with me.”
Clay grabbed Noah by the collar and ushered him to the door. “Until you have a court order saying otherwise, stay away from my sister and my family.” He pushed him through the door and slammed it shut behind him.
“Oh, my God.” Fern began to cry. “Does he have a chance of getting the girls?”
Clay glared down at his sister. “You need to prepare yourself for the fight of your life.” He gripped Hannah’s shoulders. “Maybe I can uncover something to use against him in court. Call Avery. You need an attorney to help you fight this. If a paternity test proves he’s their biological father, a judge can sever your claim to them, despite Lauren’s will.”
This must be a cruel joke. Charlotte and Cheyenne were a part of her as if they were her own flesh and blood. She’d already lost her best friend—she refused to lose the girls, too. She felt a steely grip squeeze her heart. Lauren. She never would have wanted this.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
