What Makes A Father. Teresa Southwick

expression, the one that said she knew what he was thinking and wanted to take away his pain. The woman was a force of nature and if she couldn’t do something, it couldn’t be done. Wisely she stayed silent about his past and the situation that had left him bruised and battered. And bitter.

      There was something to be said for Jessica’s philosophy of fun without complications. But Annie was right, too. He hadn’t used a condom and chose to believe the woman who’d said she had everything taken care of. Now he was on pins and needles waiting for the results of a test that could potentially change his life forever.

      It was almost five o’clock and the lab’s business hours were nearly over for the day. Maybe Annie hadn’t sent the samples as soon as she’d planned to. She did have a lot on her plate with two infants. It was possible—

      Mason’s phone vibrated, startling him even though he’d been waiting and checking. He stared at the Caller ID for a moment, immobilized.

      “For Pete’s sake, answer it,” his mother urged, nudging him out of his daze.

      He did, assured the caller that he was Mason Blackburne, then listened while the information was explained to him. “You’re sure?”

      They were completely confident in the results. Mason thanked the caller and pressed the off button on his phone.

      Flo stared at him anxious and expectant. “Well? Mason, I’m too old for this kind of suspense. Don’t make me wait—”

      “They’re mine,” he said simply.

      His voice was so calm and controlled when he was anything but. He was a father!

      It was a shock to hear the news he’d hoped for but shocks seemed to be just another day in the ER for him these days. Images flashed through his mind of meeting Jessica the day his divorce was final. She’d sat next to him at the bar. He really had only wanted to talk. A distraction from the fact that his carefully constructed life had fallen apart.

      For a while talking was all she’d done, telling him about her sister, Annie, living with her between jobs, and that he would like her. Then she’d flirted and charmed her way into his bed. He’d had a rough time of it and she promised sex without complications.

      Surprise! Let the complications begin. Oddly enough, complication number one was Annie Campbell.

      At least this time Mason called to ask Annie if he could come by. He’d gotten the news from the lab just like she had, so of course she agreed to see him. The problem was now she had to see him.

      He was the twins’ father, which gave him every right to be a part of their lives. But he made her nervous. Not in a creepy way. More like the cute-guy-at-school-you-had-a-crush-on kind of thing. And she had to figure out how to co-parent with a complete stranger who made her insides quiver like Jell-O.

      There was a knock on the door. She noticed he didn’t ring the doorbell again, which meant he was capable of learning. And it was a good thing, too, since the babies were asleep at the same time. Although not for long since they needed to eat.

      Annie opened the door and Mason stood there, this time in worn jeans and a cotton, button-up shirt with the long sleeves rolled to mid-forearm. The look did nothing to settle her nerves.

      “Come in,” she said without offering a hello.

      But neither did Mason. He walked past her, mumbling something about needing to buy a minivan and save for college.

      “I suppose that means you don’t want to sign away your rights as a father.”

      “No.” His expression was intense, serious. “In fact, since I last saw you, I consulted an attorney.”

      Words to put fear into a girl’s heart. “I’m their legal guardian. If you try and take them away from me—”

      “Whoa.” He put his hands up in a slow-down motion. “It’s just that even though I’m their father, I have no rights because my name isn’t on the birth certificate. Now, with DNA proof, I will acknowledge paternity and petition the court to legally claim my paternal rights.”

      “How long will that take?”

      “There’s a sixty-day waiting period, then however long it takes to get a court date,” he said.

      “And then you’re going to sue for sole custody?”

      “Of course not. No one is talking custody fight here. You clearly love them.”

      “I do. But how can you know that?” Where men were concerned, suspicion was her default emotion.

      “Because you did copious research on a pacifier. And I just get the feeling that if I look at either baby funny, you’d cut my heart out with a spoon.”

      “You’re not wrong.” But how did he know her so well? They’d barely met. “Is that a negative critique on my mothering instincts?”

      “Absolutely not. You’re protective. And I think that’s a plus. I happen to strongly believe in traditional two-parent families. That kind of environment is a positive influence in shaping their lives. It’s the way I grew up and I didn’t turn out so bad. I’d like my children to have that, too.”

      “I see.” That was good, right? It was something she’d never had and desperately wanted. Especially for the twins she loved so much.

      He looked around. “It’s awfully quiet. Are the babies here?”

      She wanted to say, “Duh.” Where else would they be? There was no family to help her out. She’d barely heard from her mother and stepfather after they’d moved to the other side of the country. Jess was all she’d had. But there was no reason to be snarky to Mason.

      “They’re both asleep at the same time. It’s a very rare occurrence.” His grin made her want to fan herself but she managed to hold back.

      “Maybe we should have a parade in their honor,” he teased.

      “Good grief, no. The marching bands would wake them up and I want to enjoy every moment of this quiet for as long as it lasts.”

      “Good point. A better use of this time would be for you and I to get to know each other.”

      He probably wouldn’t like what she had to say.

       Chapter Two

      Annie tried to think of a reason getting to know Mason was a bad idea. She wondered how Mr. I Had a Perfect Childhood would feel about co-parenting with someone whose story wasn’t so pretty. But he had a right to know.

      Common sense dictated that she find out everything possible about her babies’ father and she couldn’t do that without giving him information about herself. But he made her nervous. To reveal her nerves would require an explanation about why that was and she didn’t think she could put it into words. At least not in a rational way. Last time he’d been here, he was less than pleased about not being informed that he might be a father. Annie couldn’t really blame him and wondered if he was still resentful.

      “Getting to know each other is probably a good idea,” she agreed. “I was going to have a quick bite to eat while Charlie and Sarah are sleeping. It’s just leftovers but you’re welcome to join me.”

      “Thanks. What can I do to help?”

      “Set the table, I guess.” She wasn’t used to having help; it was nice. “I’m going to throw together a salad and I have cold fried chicken. I’ll nuke some macaroni and cheese.” She pointed out the cupboard with the plates and the drawer containing utensils. Napkins were a no-brainer, right in plain sight in a holder on her circular oak table.

      “Yes, ma’am.”

      “One