The Baby Surprise Read Online Free

next week.”
    His scowl deepened.
    â€œAnd you’re going to need a lawyer,” she told him.
    â€œAren’t you a lawyer?”
    â€œYes, but I’m not going to represent you.”
    â€œWhy in hell do I need representation?”
    â€œBecause…” She hesitated, not wanting to give him any ideas about seeking custody if that wasn’t a course of action he’d already considered. Maybe he didn’t want Emma with him—maybe he just wanted to meet the little girl he believed was his daughter. So all she said was, “Because you should make sure you understand all of your rights and responsibilities.”
    â€œI’m aware of my rights and responsibilities,” he assured her. “And I intend to be a father to my daughter.”
    Which still didn’t tell her whether he was looking for full custody or standard every-other-weekend noncustodial parent access or occasional visits during his periods of leave.
    â€œFor how long?” she asked.
    He frowned at the question. “What do you mean?”
    â€œWhen do you have to report back for duty?”
    â€œJuly seventh.”
    Which was actually longer than she’d expected and still not nearly long enough if he was serious about building a relationship with Emma. “So why are you even here?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œI mean, why did you bother to come all this way, feign an interest in being a father to the child you claim is your own, if you’re going to go wheels up again in a few weeks?”
    â€œI’m not feigning an interest,” he said. “And I’ll go wheels up again because that’s my job.”
    â€œAnd if Emma is your daughter, who will take care of her while you’re doing your job?”
    Â 
    Zach was taken aback, not just by Paige’s question—which demonstrated the glaringly obvious fact that he hadn’t thought very far ahead when he’d embarked on this journey—but by the disapproval in her tone.
    Okay, so maybe he didn’t have all of the answers. Maybe he didn’t have any of the answers. But he was determined to do the right thing and, as far as he could tell, being a father to his daughter was the right thing.
    â€œI don’t know,” he admitted. “But I’ll make arrangements.”
    â€œYou mean day care,” she guessed.
    â€œDidn’t you have her in day care?”
    â€œOlivia had found a babysitter who lives close to the office.It’s a more personal environment than a day care and Emma’s happy there.”
    â€œThat’s great,” Zach said. “Except that I live in New Jersey.”
    Paige dipped her head, her coppery hair falling forward to hide her face, but not before he saw the tears that filled her eyes.
    He silently cursed himself for his insensitivity. Because he knew that as much as he’d been completely blindsided by the news that he had fathered a child, this woman had been just as shocked to find him standing at her door. For the past five-and-a-half months she’d been raising Emma. She’d been responsible for the day-to-day care of his child and, with a few simple words, he’d threatened to destroy the foundation of that relationship.
    He impulsively reached across the table and touched a hand to her arm.
    She jolted at the unexpected contact. Or maybe she’d been startled by the electricity that suddenly crackled in the air. It had sure as hell startled him.
    She looked at him now, and he saw both wariness and awareness in the depths of her dark brown eyes. He’d expected her to have green eyes to go with the red hair. Instead, they were the color of rich, dark chocolate and sinfully tempting. His gaze dipped to her mouth, to lips that were naturally pink and sweetly curved, and he found himself wondering if they would taste as good as they looked.
    Whoa—totally inappropriate thought there.
    This woman was the legal guardian