Page 54 of Fall For Me
“Great-great grandmother. Granny’s pushing ninety. Been raising Jade on her own since Janelle passed. A fall sent her to the hospital. There was nobody to take care of Jade. Dammit man, Jade even had tostay in the hospital with her.” He drags a hand down his face and when he looks at me, the gravity of the situation registers behind his eyes. “I feel like I’m drinking from a firehose.”
“Oh, fu . . . fudge.”
“That’s not even the worst of it. Child protective services came snooping around, questioning if she was fit to take care of a child because of it. They really gave her no choice other than to find me. It was either that or place Jade into state care. Long story short, they’re both staying here until Jade’s settled.”
He sighs, wearing the weight of the day on his slumped shoulders. Sinking into a chair at the table, he scratches the back of his neck.
“I know what everyone’s gonna think. That either I’m a deadbeat dad or that she’s not mine. She’s my daughter, Mac. It’s not even a question. And I swear to God, if I had known about her, I would’ve been there.”
“I know that, Aiden. No one’s going to think she’s not yours. That’s very clear. And no one is going to think you’re a deadbeat dad either.”
“I feel like the biggest piece of shiii—junk to walk the earth right now.” He peers through the open doorway, checking on the little old woman. “You need help?”
“No. I’m okay.”
She slowly makes her way into the dining room and places her hand on the table, propping her weight in an attempt to sit down. I stand to help, but Aiden rushes over, hooking his hand under her arm to assist her onto the chair. Those few steps took the wind out of her. Where the hell is the rest of their family? Did she travel here alone? Jesus Christ.
Under normal circumstances, I might be suspicious, but it’s clear by the state she’s in that she’s operating on desperation. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to help guide Aiden to take the necessary precautions to protect himself.
“Hi, I’m Aiden’s friend, Sean.”
“I’m Maggie. Nice to meet you,” she says, still winded.
“You too,” I tell her, then address them both. “Pre-season startsnext week. We need to come up with a solid plan for Jade. Maggie, I assume, you’re going to need some help around here?”
“I’m a little slow gettin’ around but I think I can manage. I’m just worried about Jade . . . and Aiden, of course. I’m sorry again. I feel like I’m imposin’.”
“You’re not imposing, Granny,” he rushes out. “I think it’s the least I can do since you’ve been handling my responsibility for the past few years.”
“Aiden, you’re going to need a paternity test.”
“She’s fu . . . she’s mine. I know she is,” he snaps, his eyes piercing me with a glare.
“I already told you I’m not doubting that, but you’re not on her birth certificate, and until that’s cleared up you have no legal rights to her. Here,” I fish my phone out of my pocket and tap the screen. “I’m sending you the contact information for my attorney. He’s not family law but I’m sure he can refer you to a colleague.”
“Aiden, he’s right. We need to make sure everything’s in place for her before I leave this earth. Lord knows, I’m not gettin’ any younger.” Maggie shakes her head in disgust. “This is just a damn mess. I wish she would’ve told ya. I tried to get her to. Told her it was the right thing to do, but ya know how hardheaded that girl was. Janelle knew you were goin’ places and didn’t want to tie ya down . . . thought she’d be ruinin’ your future. That’s what she said every time I brought it up. I bet she’s just turnin’ over in her grave that we’re here right now, but that little girl in there needs her daddy, and quite frankly, I’m too old for this shit.”
“If I had any lingering doubts at all about your intentions, Maggie, you just squashed them. I don’t agree with what Janelle did; it’s messed up, but I do believe she meant well.”
If my calculations are correct, he either got her pregnant during his senior year in high school or soon after graduation. Speaking of school . . .
“How old is Jade?”
“I’m five,” she says, popping up beside me. I look between her and Aiden.
Goddamn they look so much alike it’s scary. “So, that means you should be in Kindergarten?”
“Yep. Seany, can I draw on your arm now?” Jade asks, batting her lashes at me with pleading eyes.
And just like that, the topic of school is forgotten, and I’m out of my seat looking for a Sharpie.
I’m fucking done for. And I have a feeling this little princess is going to have the entire team wrapped around her tiny finger.
Seventeen
Hannah
“I don’t know what I’m walking into, but I’m coming in anyway,” I call out, my keys clattering as I toss them down on the entryway table and saunter through Aiden’s foyer. “I swear nobody around here knows how to answer a damn phone.”
