Do you just want to believe it

I just watched the 1971 western film Shoot Out. It had this conversation:

Woman: Is Decky your daughter?

Clay Lomax (played by Gregory Peck): Well, looking at her from over there, what would you say?

Woman: One minute, yeah, but the next minute, (shakes head).

Lomax: Well I'm not sure myself.

Woman: Is any man ever sure?

Lomax: Oh well, with some women, -

Woman: (laughs) Do you really believe that? Or do you just want to believe it?

Yes, a man can be now sure with DNA testing.

There is also a scene where both of them show that they would save the life of their own natural child over a step-child or anyone else. Makes sense to me. I've heard people claim that a step-child gets as much love as a natural child, but I do not believe it.

Lomax would have been killed, but the crazy bragging hired gunman was told not to kill him:

When you buy a killing, Bobby Jay, you sell yourself. Now a reliable professional killer is a closed-mouthed man. Me, I'm a businessman with a reputation to protect, or is that putting it too bluntly for you?

The gunman shot a cup off the head of Lomax's daughter, and Lomax eventually turns the tables on the gunman. These old western movies have lots of quick-draw duels. And then Lomax goes back to the woman who offered to take care of his alleged daughter. I guess a happy ending requires him to find a wife to help rear a daughter.