Stormy Vows - Iris Johansen [45]
“No, I never did,” she said flatly. “I like you even less now. Why are you here?”
He crossed the room and seated himself in the lavender wing chair without asking permission. “I want the kid,” he said mockingly. “I've decided it's time I heard the patter of little feet around my lonely bachelor pad.”
She stared at him incredulously. “You can't be serious,” she said scornfully.
“Oh, but I am,” he said, lazily stretching his legs out before him. “I've gone to a great deal of time and trouble to track the kid down. Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm not totally sincere in my devotion.”
He took a gold cigarette case out of his jacket pocket, selected a cigarette and lit it leisurely. “I actually started out looking for Janine. Then I found out that she was dead, and that you had the child. Then I had to trace your whereabouts,” he said complainingly. “It's all been a complete bore.”
“How sorry we are to inconvenience you,” Brenna said ironically.
“I should think you would be,” he said pettishly, ignoring her sarcasm. “After all, I am willing to take the kid off your hands.”
“The ‘kid's' name is Randy,” she said, between clenched teeth.
“I know. I know,” Chadeaux said impatiently. “Your landlady told me that. “Run along and get him, will you? I want to get the night coach back to San Francisco.”
Brenna's eyes narrowed suspiciously. “San Francisco? I thought you lived in Los Angeles.”
He shrugged, his eyes sliding away from hers. “I thought I'd drop Randy off at the Chadeaux vineyards. He'll be better off with my family.”
“You couldn't care less about Randy,” Brenna charged bitterly. “Why do you really want him, Paul?”
An unpleasant smile touched his full lips. “I don't really have to answer to you,” he said arrogantly. “But I will. Why not?”
He drew on his cigarette lazily. “My grandmother is all hung up on this dynasty thing. She's been nagging me for years to marry and settle down. They want a fitting heir for the Chadeaux Wineries. One they can mold into the good little boy I never was,” he said sneeringly. “The old lady has already told me that unless I provide her with an heir, she'll stop my allowance and cut me out of her will.”
“Don't you think she'll object to an illegitimate child?” Brenna said caustically. “I seem to remember that you told my sister that you'd refuse to acknowledge the baby if Janine went to your family.”
“Situations change,” he said with satisfaction. “The old lady is getting desperate. She'll welcome the kid with open arms. She's even promised to settle up my gambling debts.”
“Providing you give her Randy,” Brenna said grimly, her face mirroring her rage and disgust.
Her contempt pierced even Chadeaux's thick ego. “Get the kid!” he ordered angrily.
“Go to hell!” Brenna said deliberately. “Randy is mine now, and I'm not giving him up.”
Chadeaux's face flushed with anger. “Listen, bitch,” he said coldly. “I'm the kid's father. You're just his aunt. I have a right to him.”
“You forfeited any rights you had before he was born,” Brenna said. “I wouldn't turn a stray dog over to you, much less a small child.”
“You may not have a choice. The Chadeaux family have very important connections in California. I think any court in the state will lean toward the natural father over the claim of some little actress.”
She smiled sweetly. “But then it's up to you to prove that you're the natural father, isn't it? I think you'll find that a little difficult.”
His eyes narrowed warily. “What the hell do you mean? Janine told me I was the father.”
“And you rejected her,” Brenna said bitterly, her mouth curling . “Is it any wonder that Janine refused to name the father on Randy's birth certificate?”
He shrugged. “I can get around that. There are plenty of witnesses that knew Janine and I were having an affair at the time. I'm the only logical candidate.”
Brenna smiled triumphantly. “You would be, if it was Janine Sloan that gave birth to Randy,” she said softly. “But according to the birth certificate, she didn't. Brenna Sloan did.”
Chadeaux's mouth gaped open. “You're