the utmost care. In his mother’s fragile health, he had to approach the subject very delicately. But he needed answers and he had to get them.
W HEN HE ARRIVED , Cleo and his mother were eating dinner.
“Brodie, darling,” Claudia said, smiling. “What a pleasant surprise. Have you had dinner?”
“No. I’m not hungry, but I’ll take a glass of tea.”
Cleo stood, her eyes on Brodie. The message was clear—don’t upset your mother.
“How have you been?” he asked, taking a seat and removing his hat.
“Much better. I’ve started playing bridge again.”
“That’s good. You need to get out more.”
Cleo set the glass in front of him, her eyes watching him like a hawk. He ignored her.
“Did you stop by for a reason, darling?”
“Yes. I’d like to talk about something.”
Cleo cleared her throat rather loudly.
“Are you okay?” Claudia asked, staring at Cleo.
“Yes. I just don’t want you to get upset.”
“Upset? Why would I get upset talking to my son?” Claudia glanced from him to Cleo. “Do you know what Brodie wants to talk about?”
“I’m not sure,” Cleo replied.
“Mother, do you know Helen Braxton?”
Claudia thought for a minute. “No. The name doesn’t sound familiar.”
“Brodie…”
Brodie held up a hand, stopping Cleo.
“I am your son. I believe that.”
Claudia’s eyes narrowed. “Of course you are.”
He pulled the DNA results from his pocket and unfolded it. “I’m going to show you something and I want you to stay calm. We can talk about this. Okay?”
“Okay.”
He laid the paper in front of her and saw that his hand shook slightly. His hands never shook, not even whenhe’d ridden El Diablo. He swallowed hard, forcing down his weakness. “This paper says that I’m Helen Braxton’s biological son.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Claudia brushed the paper away with a nervous laugh.
“I thought it was insane at first, too. But I’ve taken two DNA tests.”
“You are Tom’s son. Go look at your father’s picture. You look just like him.”
“I know, but DNA doesn’t lie.”
“In this case it does.” Claudia rose to her feet. “I don’t know why this Helen person is trying to steal my son, but she has the wrong man. You are Brodie Hayes.”
“Mother…”
“I don’t care what that test says. You’re my son. I gave birth to you. I’m not talking about this anymore.” Without another word, she walked to her room and quietly closed the door.
Cleo lifted an eyebrow. “She took that very well.”
“A little too well,” Brodie said. And he didn’t know what to make of it. He expected anger and resentment, not calmness.
“Just forget about that Braxton woman,” Cleo suggested. “You’re not a baby anymore.”
“I know, but someone stole Helen Braxton’s baby from the nursery. How did that baby end up with Claudia?”
“I don’t believe it.”
Brodie tapped the DNA papers. “This says otherwise.”
Cleo shrugged. “None of this makes any sense.”
“Yes, especially since Travis Braxton was born five days after me. There was no way the babies could havebeen switched in the nursery. That wouldn’t make any sense since the Braxtons’ baby was missing and the Hayes baby had already gone home.”
“As I said, just forget about it.”
He reached for his hat. “Sorry. I can’t do that.”
“Brodie…”
He wasn’t listening. He was already out the door.
W HEN A LEX GOT THE RESULTS , her first thought was Brodie. How was he taking it? She felt responsible for the whole mess, even though she was only doing a job. Mrs. Braxton had already found Brodie and if Alex had turned down the case, another investigator would have taken it. Maybe Buck was right and she was too soft-hearted.
She would give Brodie time before she contacted him. By tomorrow she had to let Helen know. She couldn’t put it off any longer.
Buck walked into her office. “You did a great job sniffing out info at the beauty shop and
W HEN HE ARRIVED , Cleo and his mother were eating dinner.
“Brodie, darling,” Claudia said, smiling. “What a pleasant surprise. Have you had dinner?”
“No. I’m not hungry, but I’ll take a glass of tea.”
Cleo stood, her eyes on Brodie. The message was clear—don’t upset your mother.
“How have you been?” he asked, taking a seat and removing his hat.
“Much better. I’ve started playing bridge again.”
“That’s good. You need to get out more.”
Cleo set the glass in front of him, her eyes watching him like a hawk. He ignored her.
“Did you stop by for a reason, darling?”
“Yes. I’d like to talk about something.”
Cleo cleared her throat rather loudly.
“Are you okay?” Claudia asked, staring at Cleo.
“Yes. I just don’t want you to get upset.”
“Upset? Why would I get upset talking to my son?” Claudia glanced from him to Cleo. “Do you know what Brodie wants to talk about?”
“I’m not sure,” Cleo replied.
“Mother, do you know Helen Braxton?”
Claudia thought for a minute. “No. The name doesn’t sound familiar.”
“Brodie…”
Brodie held up a hand, stopping Cleo.
“I am your son. I believe that.”
Claudia’s eyes narrowed. “Of course you are.”
He pulled the DNA results from his pocket and unfolded it. “I’m going to show you something and I want you to stay calm. We can talk about this. Okay?”
“Okay.”
He laid the paper in front of her and saw that his hand shook slightly. His hands never shook, not even whenhe’d ridden El Diablo. He swallowed hard, forcing down his weakness. “This paper says that I’m Helen Braxton’s biological son.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Claudia brushed the paper away with a nervous laugh.
“I thought it was insane at first, too. But I’ve taken two DNA tests.”
“You are Tom’s son. Go look at your father’s picture. You look just like him.”
“I know, but DNA doesn’t lie.”
“In this case it does.” Claudia rose to her feet. “I don’t know why this Helen person is trying to steal my son, but she has the wrong man. You are Brodie Hayes.”
“Mother…”
“I don’t care what that test says. You’re my son. I gave birth to you. I’m not talking about this anymore.” Without another word, she walked to her room and quietly closed the door.
Cleo lifted an eyebrow. “She took that very well.”
“A little too well,” Brodie said. And he didn’t know what to make of it. He expected anger and resentment, not calmness.
“Just forget about that Braxton woman,” Cleo suggested. “You’re not a baby anymore.”
“I know, but someone stole Helen Braxton’s baby from the nursery. How did that baby end up with Claudia?”
“I don’t believe it.”
Brodie tapped the DNA papers. “This says otherwise.”
Cleo shrugged. “None of this makes any sense.”
“Yes, especially since Travis Braxton was born five days after me. There was no way the babies could havebeen switched in the nursery. That wouldn’t make any sense since the Braxtons’ baby was missing and the Hayes baby had already gone home.”
“As I said, just forget about it.”
He reached for his hat. “Sorry. I can’t do that.”
“Brodie…”
He wasn’t listening. He was already out the door.
W HEN A LEX GOT THE RESULTS , her first thought was Brodie. How was he taking it? She felt responsible for the whole mess, even though she was only doing a job. Mrs. Braxton had already found Brodie and if Alex had turned down the case, another investigator would have taken it. Maybe Buck was right and she was too soft-hearted.
She would give Brodie time before she contacted him. By tomorrow she had to let Helen know. She couldn’t put it off any longer.
Buck walked into her office. “You did a great job sniffing out info at the beauty shop and
Similar Books
