Whole Lot More

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty

"Where the hell are you?"

"Relax Kaleen, I'm on my way to the hospital now!"

"Relax, Martin? Relax?! I was just in labor for almost 9 hours before I had your daughter and you weren't even here. And you're telling me to relax?"

"You had the baby?" he asked.

"Yes Martin, I had your baby, she was born hours ago."

"Good," Martin said, "Then I can come and get a paternity test done as soon as I get there." And he hung up. In no way was he in the mood to deal with her and her drama.

*

He walked into the hospital, asking which room Kaleen and the baby were in before being directed to the second floor, room 210.

This was something he didn't even really want to deal with; he could only imagine what antics Kaleen was going to throw his way when he walked in there. But honestly, he didn't care. And it was all her fault; she wanted to ruin his life, well why should he care about how she felt then?

"Well, well, well look what the cat dragged in."

"Honestly Kaleen, I don't even want to hear it right now."

"You don't want to hear it right now Martin? You missed your daughter being born and you're really getting pissed at me for saying something about it."

"What did you name her?"

"Why should I tell you that?" she hissed.

"Okay, you want to play that game, I'll walk right out this door right now and if the paternity test comes back to say she's mine, I'll sign away all rights to her. I'm sick of you Kaleen, I owe you nothing... if this baby is mine, I will support her and her only. I will not support you, you are not my girlfriend and you never will be, I don't even know if I can handle dealing with you for the sake of the baby. You ruined my life, why don't you start acting like that matters. Now where's the damn doctor so I can get this test done and over with?"

"Her name's Kinsey," she said to his retreating back, "Kinsey Lynn."

Martin walked out of the room and went to the nurse's station, "May I ask where her doctor is?"

"I'm sorry sir, the doctor is not here right now, but I can try to help you if that's possible. What are you looking for?"

"I would like a paternity test done on Kinsey and myself."

"Okay sir, we have to draw up some paperwork, I will come down and get you when everything is ready and we'll take you and the baby down."

He walked back into Kaleen's room and sat down in one of the chairs across from her hospital bed.

"Is there any way I can convince you to not get this paternity test done Martin? You should see her, she looks just like you."

"Not if you expect me to have anything to do with her. After half the shit that's come out of your mouth and knowing you, I don't believe a thing you tell me anymore. If you want me to be a part of this baby's life then you'll consent to this paternity test."

"Fine."

Silence spanned the room until finally Kaleen sighed. "Where were you Martin? Why didn't you answer my call the first time I called?" Or the second or the third. Or even the eleventh or twelfth. He had lost track of how many times she had called after that. "Because I know you weren't racing, you had already crashed out."

"I had something I had to do." And that was all he was going to give her. "If she does end up being mine Kaleen –"

"When she does end up being yours Martin."

"Whatever. Anyway, we will need to figure out some sort of schedule so that I can see her. With my schedule, it will make things a little difficult."

"You can come see her at my house Martin, anytime you want."

"No. I don't want to be able to come to your house. I want to bring her to my house and spend time with her there, without you around. If she's mine and I sign that birth certificate I have every right to have visitation of my own, and once we get it figured out I want it in court documents so that there are no questions and there are never any chances for problems to arise.  It will be in writing, plain and simple."

"You want me to give up time with my daughter when she's this little so you can spend time with her?"

But the argument was cut off when the nurse came walking in the door, paperwork in hand pushing the baby, "Sir, if you're ready?"

Martin nodded, "Let's go get this over with."

She led him down to a more sterile looking room, motioning him over to a chair in the corner where he could fill out the paperwork she handed to him on a clipboard.

"This isn't going to hurt her, right?" he asked, motioning towards the little baby.

"No sir, we only swab the inside of her cheek. No needles, nothing I promise." She took the paperwork away, "Are you ready?"

*

Martin held Kinsey for the first time after they were done swabbing the insides of both of their cheeks. He made sure to do it in the other room away from Kaleen so she wouldn't know about it.

He stared into her brown eyes, trying to see if he saw any of himself in the baby. But it was so hard to say; almost all babies looked the same when they were first born.

Kinsey shifted and cuddled more into his chest, getting comfortable against him before falling back to sleep.

You couldn't help but fall in love with babies when you first saw them. He just hoped that if she did end up being his he could make things better with Brynne; he wanted her around and to be a part of Kinsey's life. He'd seen the way she was with Peyton, and that had only made him fall more in love with her than he already was.

*

The next afternoon, Martin was sitting at home with nothing to do. He hadn't been up to the hospital since the day before when he'd gotten the paternity test done; in fact he hadn't seen Kaleen since before they'd done it.

She'd texted him that morning and asked him if he was going to come up to the hospital today and he'd told her no. For once she didn't try to argue with him or guilt him into coming up. Kind of weird because he'd been expecting it.

But there was no sense in giving her any false hope that they were going to be a family when they weren't even sure if Kinsey was his, and if she was he had no intention of ever being with Kaleen again. She had been after his money and fame and when he finally realized that and cut off all ties with her, she had ended up pregnant and then ruined everything good he had going in his life. He had seen what she was really like and that was enough for him to want nothing to do with her ever again, regardless of whether they had a child together or not.

The nurse had told him they should have the results within 24 hours, so here he sat expecting a call from them reasonably soon about whether or not he had another child.

How was he going to explain to his mother if Kinsey was his? Or even Peyton? She was so young, she wouldn't understand, especially when he would have to explain to them that the baby wasn't with Brynne - they all loved her, if the baby was with her, it would soften the blow a little bit.  Then throw in the fact that he wasn't even sure how he was going to see and bond with Kinsey if she was his, let alone how his family would meet her and bond with her... to say he was a little stressed about it and frustrated would be an understatement.  But he knew he would find a way if he had to.

His phone went off in his pocket and he sighed when he saw a number he didn't recognize, knowing it must have been the phone call he had been waiting for.  "Hello?"

"Mr. Truex?"

"Yes?"

"This is Natalie Applegate calling with the results of your paternity test for Kinsey Lynn Montgomery."

"Yes, I've been expecting your call."

"Well sir, according to the results from the lab, it is 99.9% positive that Kinsey is your child." Silence. "Sir, are you still there?"

"I am."

"If you would like to obtain a paper copy of these results, you can pick them up at the lab located at the hospital where you had the test taken."

"Thank you." And he hung up.

So, he had another baby.

It wasn't the baby that he was upset by honestly, because fatherhood had been one of the grestest things to happen in his life, it was knowing he had to deal with Kaleen in some facet for at least the next 18 years of Kinsey's life.

Fuck.

What was he going to do now?

*

Kaleen lay in the hospital with a smile on her face. Things were working out just like she had planned them and hoped they would.

Her phone vibrated and her smile grew wider as she read the message. Kinsey's mine. I'll be up in the morning to pick you guys up and take you home when they release you.

Yes, things were most definitely working out how she had wanted them to.

*

Junior came over to Martin's place later that night after receiving a depressing text message from his best friend. Obviously someone needed to get drunk tonight.

Martin sat on the couch staring at the blank TV screen. The house was quiet, too quiet. But he didn't feel like doing anything but thinking about the mess he had gotten himself into.

"I don't know whether to congratulate you or apologize."

"Hey," Martin said, looking up at his best friend, "Wish I could tell you which one I wish you would do. But I don't even know myself. I have another daughter, but now I have to deal with her psychopath of a mother for the next eighteen years and I'm not sure I can handle that."

"Any word from Brynne?" Junior asked.

Martin shook his head, "Nothing. But I don't even know if she's back in town yet and even knows that I stopped by."

"Any chance her dad wouldn't tell her you were there?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, but I sure know that I could use her more now than ever before. I don't even know what I'm going to do about Kaleen and Kinsey. I'm going to be there as much as I can for Kinsey, but I feel like her mother is going to be hell bent on making the next eighteen years of my life hell."

"She's already made the past nine months hell, so why not?"

"I just wish Brynne was here with me to help me figure out what to do and to just help.  She had this way of keeping me calm and causing a stressful situation to seem like a walk in the park, and I could really use that right now.  You should have seen her the few times with Peyton, she was awesome man. You know they say motherhood just suits some people, Brynne is one of those people."

"Does that scare you?"

"Honestly no, I feel like I need her around right now to help me get used to this crazy adjustment period of having a newborn. I wasn't around for Peyton when she was little because I was out racing and always on the road traveling; I want to be around for Kinsey as much as I can. I feel like I need to be there more than I was with Peyton."

"But question is, is Kaleen going to let you?"

"If she tries to fight me, I'll take her ass to court. Pretty sure I have enough ammunition that she's unstable to get Kinsey for myself. I mean, I've personally gotten her kicked out of at least three places that I can think of."

"She definitely is crazy, man. You sure know how to pick 'em."

"I feel like I always pick the crazies," Martin laughed, "Except Brynne. She was the one, she was perfect."

"I know what you mean man, trust me we both used to pick the crazies, how did we get so lucky this time around?" Martin shrugged. "Have you tried calling Brynne or texting her or anything?"

Martin shook his head, "No. I've been trying to give her space."

"Fuck space, you've given her enough space. I'd text her or call her. There's only so much patience one person can have, you can't give her the chance to be gone forever. Do something about it!"

What could it hurt? Martin wondered.  The worst that was going to happen was she wouldn't answer him, just like she had done before. He really had nothing to lose.

Kaleen had the baby. Her name's Kinsey and she's mine. I don't know what to do Brynne; I don't know the least bit of how to raise a baby. I need you now more than ever. I love you and I miss you, please forgive me.

*

Only one more chapter to go in this one!!!