Suits & Aces (#3)

27 // Meet And Greet

David hated lying to his wife.

They had only just started working things out, they were happily married again.

After everything that happened with Amber, he had promised himself that he would not do anything to put his family in jeopardy again; it took them years to get to where they were now.

He was willing to stay committed to his family, to take care of his wife and kids and bringing his family together. But now with Montana back in the picture, he was back to square one.

He had no doubt at all that Chad was his son, he could feel it.

Montana was a liar and a trickster, she always had something up her sleeve, but she would never lie about something like this.

It was so funny how he trusted her after everything she put him through in the past. She had literally tried to kill him, and he had no doubt at all that she would do something worse if he turned a blind eye on this.

In all honesty, he had always wanted a son, that was every other man's dream, only a few wished to have daughters, and he had been blessed with three, on top of that, he was the only man in the family, so the possibility of having a boy running around the house was exciting.

He had already made up his mind, he wanted to have his son in his life but he needed to have a second opinion since this was going to change things in his family.

How did a man keep his family together while taking a chance with his only son?

It was bound to cause chaos in his household between his mother, his wife, and himself… not to mention Montana because she was going to be present all the time. That was just how she was, she loved chaos.

He parked his car outside his father's house, he had not seen them in a long time since he was still recovering from what their mother did to him, it felt strange coming here while his mother was back at his house, he missed bringing his children to visit their grandparents, and now that he finally had a son, he would have to move between three houses to have the family he needed.

David stepped out of the car and stood in front of the big metal gate before pressing the intercom.

“Who is there?” Came his father's angry voice.

That was how he had been since their mother left, he was always angry. He tried to play it cool but his tone always betrayed him, he did not like people and he did not like anyone coming around his house unannounced.

“Dad, it's me, David.”

There was a pause on the other side before the gate opened, and David walked into the yard feeling like a stranger in his own home. This was where he was born, where he grew up. The gigantic house still stood there firmly but it looked neglected, it lacked a woman's care. It was probably a reminder to his father that their mother was always there to take care of them, at first David was mad at his mother for breaking their family, but he had hoped that after admitting their mistakes they would work things out and become the family they always were.

“David, come in!”

He jogged to the entrance and walked into the house, and he stood at the center of the sitting room. The place wreaked of alcohol and there were empty bottles and dirty platters and glasses on the coffee table.

Mr Botha looked like he had just woken up, there was no doubt that he had slept on the couch, in his clothes.

This had to come to an end, and only one person could get through his father, his sister, but she was also not in a good space because of everything happening with her daughter, Amber.

"Can we talk outside?" David asked and walked out, not giving the man a chance to answer.

A few minutes later, Mr Botha walked out of the house and they sat on the patio.

"Sorry about the mess," Mr Botha said.

"That's the least of my worries, dad," David admitted.

The old man chuckled, shaking his head. "The last time you came to me like this was before Montana Parker tried to kill you after you had cheated on her with Lola." David cringed. "What is it this time?"

"Montana is back."

"Don't tell me you want to reverse the situation and cheat on your wife."

"Of course not!" Mr Botha raised his hands in surrender, and David blew out a long breath. "She showed up at the house with a boy, and she says he is my son."

There was a long silence before Mr Botha spoke. "And... do you believe her?" David nodded. "Well, in that case, be prepared to bury someone."

"Dad!"

"What?" Mr Botha shrugged. "We all know that Parker girl is unstable. If you choose that you want nothing to do with her son, she is going to come after you and your entire family. And if you decide that you want to be part of your son's life, then she's going to fight tooth and nail to make sure that she gets what she rightfully deserve, because trust me, women like Montana do not co-parent, she's not going to stand around and watch you play happy family with another woman."

He unbuttoned his shirt, slowly breathing in and out. "Dad, you are not making this easy. Tell me, what should I do?" He asked desperately.

Mr Botha gave him a weak smile and squeezed his shoulder in comfort. "David, I can't tell you what to do, son. I couldn't even keep my own family together. Luister, seun; I know you have always wanted a son, and with everything that happened with Lola's condition, having another kid would not be a good idea. Remember that this is not just about you or Lola or Montana, it's about that boy; that little boy needs a father. Imagine how difficult it must have been for him to live without both parents, if Montana was really a part of his life all along, she would have introduced him a long time ago."

He never thought about it like that, Montana was in a mental hospital for most of the time after she tried to kill him, and she had been on the run since she escaped. If ever the boy stayed with Logan, he would have known about it. Knowing how busy Logan's life was, and considering the fact that Montana's parents were always travelling abroad, it only made sense that they sent the boy to boarding school. After all, money was no issue for the Parkers.

"You are right, dad. I'm meeting with Montana and Chad for lunch today."

"His name is Chad?" Mr Botha asked, and David nodded. "Chad Botha."

David smiled, he liked the sound of that. "Dad, I have to go now." He stood up and dusted himself off. "I'll see you later, okay?" Now that he was retiring, he would try to spend time with his father as much as possible.

"Goed, seun." Mr Botha stood up, and they hugged. "Good luck."

"Thank you, dad," he said and left, driving to Bon Appétit.

He arrived there earlier than they had initially planned. He was really nervous, what was he supposed to say to the boy, 'Hey, Chad, I'm your father'?

What were they even going to talk about? What if Chad did not like him or accept him?