Never Enough Read Free

Gillian. On the screen was Adrian Brown’s website with his picture.
    “Well bloody fucking hell.”

     
    Cal Whaley looked Gillian over as she sat down on the bench next to him. He handed her a coffee. “I know how you get with too much caffeine, so it’s decaf.”
    “It’s that or scotch, and it’s early yet. Tell me, Cal. Am I safe? Is he safe with me?”
    “Yes, baby, I told you you were. Look, you adopted him legally. You’ve been his mother for thirteen years. You take him to the dentist, you know what his favorite foods are. You are his mother and Adrian Brown can’t change that.”
    “He can’t take Miles from me?”
    “If you were like your sister, he might be able to. But you’re not. You had no way of knowing who Miles’s dad was until your sister told you, and frankly, I’d be disinclined to believe her without a DNA test anyway. God knows this guy is going to want one. Even so, he could fight for visitation. You need to be prepared for that. And just because he can’t tear your adoption apart doesn’t mean he won’t try to. If you mean to do this, you have to be prepared. Who knows, he may run the other way.”
    “I feel like a right selfish bitch because part of me hopes he does. I can’t stand the thought of it. Of someone hurting Miles or trying to take him. I do want him to have his father in his life if the guy cares. Who am I to make the choice for either of them? At the same time, he’s my boy and I will be forced to cut a bitch if he gets out of line.”
    “Does this mean you want to go ahead with it?”
    She sighed. “I haven’t told Miles yet. I don’t plan to. Not until I know for sure this guy won’t be a jerk. But if my legal position is safe . . . well, I made a promise and it’s the right thing to do. Right?”
    Cal cocked his head before leaning in to kiss her cheek. “You’re a very do-the-right-thing sort of woman. Miles has learned a lot from you. You’re not either one of them, you know. Not your mother and certainly not your father.”
    “So you say. I want Miles to have everything I didn’t. A safe and loving, stable home. He’s not had a dad, but he’s had you and Jules’s dad too. Do you have any idea how to find him? This rock star?”
    Cal handed over a file. “You have given that to Miles. As for the rock star? We can go one of two ways. His brother owns a tattoo shop in Seattle. Adrian lives here in the Northwest and he’s noted for being very close with his family. I can contact his management and then go through his attorneys. Or I can contact the brother and try to go a more informal route.”
    “All this time he’s lived here?” She shook her head, astounded. “I’ll do it myself, next week. I want to see this guy in person. Not that I’d necessarily judge anyone by a family member, god knows I’d hope people wouldn’t do that to me. But if I’m going to expose my family to theirs, I want to see it myself.”
    “Do you want me to go with you?”
    “No. But I do want you to keep on representing me in this. Just in case.”
    “I’m here for you. As your friend and as your attorney. Keep me apprised, all right? And don’t do anything stupid.”

2
     
    Adrian pulled his SUV into Brody and Elise’s driveway, grinning when he caught sight of a little girl, two white-blonde pigtails flying behind her as she ran across the yard chasing a six-foot-tall man.
    Rennie’s head was canted back, her mouth open on a screaming giggle of, “I got you, Dad!”
    Adrian moved up the walk to where his sister-in-law swayed back and forth with a bundled-up baby in her arms.
    “Hey, Elise.” He kissed Elise’s cheek and peeked around to see Marti’s face. Her big green eyes blinked, owlish, until she recognized him and gave him a toothless grin.
    “Since you’re here, she won’t care one bit about Momma until she gets hungry, so you may as well take her.”
    Laughing, Adrian took his three-month-old niece into his arms, loving the weight and