"That wouldn't be good," Gramps said. "But, Troy, you have to know this. Your father is a smart man. If he really wants to see you, to be a part of your life, then he'll find the laws if he doesn't know them already. And, if he's willing to use his time and money and initiate a suit, then I say it proves he's not just showing up on a whim because he saw you two on Larry King. That's what I say."

Gramps picked up his fork and rammed home a mouthful of food, chewing so that his leathery neck danced up and down and side to side.

"He has to sue to get to see me?" Troy asked in disbelief.

"No," his mom said softly, "that's not what Gramps is saying. He's saying that if it's that important to Drew to see you, then he'll begin a lawsuit, and if he does, we'll just settle it right out of the gate."

"Why do we have to make it hard on him?" Troy asked.

Gramps held up his hand so Troy's mom would let him speak. He swallowed and washed down the mouthful with a gulp of juice before he said, "Because he made it hard on you, Troy. And on your mom. There's a saying that anything worth having is worth fighting for, and it's true. If he really wants a relationship, let him fight for it. Then when he does get it, he's a lot less apt to walk away from it."

"Again," Troy's mom said.

Gramps glared at her.

"Well?" she said to Gramps before dropping her shoulders and turning to Troy. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'll behave."

His mom extended her hand across the table and let it hang there between them.

"Is it a deal, Troy?" she asked.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

" SO," TROY SAID, EYEING her hand, "we don't do anything, but if my dad says he's going to start a lawsuit to try to get visitation rights, then you let me see him?"

"That's right," his mom said. "Let him make the first move. Gramps is right. If he really wants to be your dad. If he's really sorry and he's going to be in it for the long haul, then he's not just going to go away, Troy."