Page 9

CHAPTER 9

Shaun wasn't kidding when he said the results of the DNA test would be quick. Jayce had his blood drawn earlier that morning and he already had the results back that afternoon. Michael was his son.

Again, not that he believed any differently after seeing the boy, but it was nice to have proof.

Maybe “nice” wasn't the right word because now that he had confirmation, he was pissed all over again for the years he lost out on; all the things he didn't know about his son because Jasmine hadn't wanted him in Michael's life.

It was a good thing Jasmine was dead because he couldn't be sure he could play well with her at the moment. It would be hard enough having to go through Shaun. He might hate the man but he wouldn't take Shaun out of Michael's life. He wasn't that much of a bastard and he wanted this to be as smooth of a transition as he could make it. That meant changing a few things in his life.

Jayce grabbed his phone off the nightstand and called one of his co-workers. Caden answered after the second ring.

"Everything okay?"

Of course he would think something was wrong. He hadn't spoken with any of his friends since storming out of the office yesterday and it was unlike him not to be at work.

"What did Luke tell everyone?"

It was better to see what everyone already knew before he spilled too much. He would need to tell them eventually but he wanted to keep it to himself for a little longer.

"Nothing. Just that you needed some time off and we weren't to reach out unless it was an emergency."

He owed Luke big-time.

"I need a favor."

"You're not going to tell me what's going on, are you?"

He thought about it some more. Caden wouldn't gossip and he would need to give his friend something if he expected help. Otherwise, Caden would be going in blind and that wasn't fair.

"Jasmine passed away and left a note claiming Michael is my son. I had a DNA test done today to confirm it."

"Holy shit," Caden cursed. "That's . . . A LOT. How you holding up?"

He blew out a sarcastic breath. "I'm not even sure, to be honest. I'm pissed but have no one to take it out on. Jasmine is dead and she never told Shaun. He found out when she left him a note. Michael looks like me, and sure, he could've confronted her about it, but what good would that have done? We all know she was a spiteful bitch and would've cut Shaun out without a second thought."

The more he thought about it, the more he realized Shaun was in a no-win situation. There was no scenario where Shaun would've won against Jasmine if she dug her heels in. She cared only about herself, as proven by the note she left.

"I never could understand how you tolerated her."

"Blinded by love. I only saw what I wanted to see."

Which was the number one reason he would never allow another female to get close. He wouldn't be stupid enough to make the same mistake twice.

"So what favor did you need from me?"

"I need you to look into Jasmine. I want to know everything she's done over the past fifteen years. She mentioned losing a battle in her letter. I want to know what she meant by that, her full medical history if possible and what it means for my son."

The last word got stuck in his throat. He still couldn't believe it was true.

"You got it. Anything else?"

Jayce thought about it for a second, then said screw it. He was all in at this point.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Can I get the name of the realtor you used?"

There was no mistaking the sharp inhale of Caden's breath. "You finally allowing yourself to move out of that shithole you call an apartment?"

"Don't have much of a choice now, do I? I can't bring Michael there and Shaun's going to want to make sure I have something suitable. Might as well get a head start."

He didn't have the first clue what the future looked like for him and Michael but having a livable place to stay was probably a necessity.

"I'll text you her information."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Anything for you, man. I'll let you know when I have something."

They exchanged goodbyes before hanging up.

He barely got the phone away from his ear before it was dinging that he had an incoming message.

Caden proved he was as efficient as ever. Waiting in a text was the contact information for a realtor. Not wanting to waste any time, he hit “call” on the number.

It rang three times before a strong, confident female voice answered. "Amber Lee realty. Amber speaking. How may I help you?"

"Uhh . . . hi, this is Jayce Pierce. My buddy Caden Ford gave me your number. You helped him find a house and I was hoping you could do the same for me."

He really needed to work on his people skills. They were severely lacking if he stumbled talking to someone on the phone.

"Ah, yes. Caden just texted me that I might be hearing from you. Can you tell me a little bit about what you're looking for so I can pull a few listings?"

Of course his friend already messaged the woman. He probably wanted to make sure he didn't back out. Damn Caden for knowing him so well.

"Umm, maybe the same or a similar neighborhood to where Caden lives." He had only been there once but it seemed like as good of a place as any.

"And how about bedrooms? How many do you need? Any specific style home you're looking for? Any must haves? Garage, no garage?"

What was with all the questions? He wanted a house. Was that too much to ask for?

"Two or three bedrooms," he huffed. "I don't care about the style but a garage would be good."

If Amber was getting frustrated by his lack of responses, she didn't let on. In fact, she was downright understanding.

"I can tell this is a lot for you, so how about this? I have a few places in mind. Give me an hour to get some listings together for you and I'll send them over. Once you've had a chance to look at them, we can talk some more. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good," he grumbled.

It didn't sound good at all. By the time he got off the phone, he was regretting his decision to find a house, even if it was the smart choice.

With an hour to waste, Jayce decided to hit the hotel gym to get in a run and a short workout.

Amber kept her word, and barely an hour later, he had over ten house listings to look over. Opening up the first one, he realized instantly he was in over his head. He needed help. Before he could overthink his decision, he sent out a text.