by Lynn Collins
16
“I’ll pick you up from school right after lunch. So meet me in front. Your teacher knows about the hearing.” Hunter sat a bowl of chocolate covered cereal in front of Kati. “You want some orange juice?”
“Yes, please.” Kati took a big bite of the cereal, the milk already taking on the chocolate from the flakes. “The kids in the class loved Barb’s cupcakes. Even snotty Sara. She never likes anything.”
“I’m glad. Barb will be glad too. Make sure you thank her when you see her today.” Hunter stared into the open refrigerator. Barb. After today, her part of the agreement would be done and he’d have to sign the annulment papers that sat in his briefcase. The woman had spent less than a week in his house and only one night in his bed, yet he could see her everywhere. He grabbed the juice container and poured Kati’s glass.
“Next weekend Claire is going to start training me for competition. Do you think I’ll have to jump?” Kati’s mind had wandered to a new topic, thank the lord.
“Probably not for a couple years.” Hunter sat the glass on the table. “I’ll talk to her Saturday about what you should expect. That way you don’t have to worry about anything, just riding.”
“Mom said never worry today about tomorrow.” Kati didn’t look up from her bowl.
“Good advice.” Hunter sank back into his chair.
“Is Barb coming back?”
Hunter sighed. “I don’t know.” He watched Kati drink the chocolate milk out of her bowl, then finish off the juice.
“My dad left once,” Kati said.
Hunter frowned. He hadn’t known his brother had left his perfect family alone even for one night. “He did?”
Kati nodded. “A few weeks before the accident. Mom and him were yelling about some girl at his office. Mom started crying and locked herself in her room. Dad got on his motorcycle and left. I made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
There was more to this relationship thing with kids around. Hunter hadn’t realized how much they understood. Bringing Barb home had been a mistake.
Wrong, a voice in his head corrected him. Letting her leave had been the mistake.
He shook the voice away and focused on Kati. “Were you scared?”
“Kind of. Most of the kids in my class have two sets of parents. Sara says you get more gifts that way. But I wanted Daddy to come home. And he did.” Kati slipped off the seat and gave Hunter a kiss on the cheek. “I’m leaving for school. Maybe if you ask real nice, Barb will come home too.”
And maybe pigs would fly.
“Remember, I’ll see you right after your lunch period. Make sure you bring home your work so you don’t get behind.” Hunter watched Kati as she walked to the front door, Bella in tow. She leaned down and hugged the little dog, whispering something in her ear. Then she waved and left.
How had his life changed this much? How’d he gone from playboy about town to father of the year in less than six months? Having Barb around was like playing house except they were both grown up and could indulge themselves in other activities. Too bad she didn’t want the life he was offering. He took the dishes to the sink and rinsed them, slipping them into the dishwasher.
One more hurdle and he could claim the father of the year trophy. All he had to do was make sure the judge granted him full custody over Kati.
Then his real life could begin.
Barb walked up the courthouse steps. “Just get through today, and tomorrow you can fly out to Cody, Wyoming, and forget this chapter of your life ever happened.”
A lady walking next to her turned and stared.
Barb pointed to her Bluetooth. She could get away with talking to herself like a crazy person since she’d bought the earpiece. Even if she didn’t point it out, people would glance and then go their merry way, convinced that the woman with the shopping cart wasn’t a crazy person let loose in the latest round of budget cuts at the state hospital.
The lady blushed and sprinted up the stairs.
OMG, she thought she was eavesdropping. Priceless. Barb thought about the romantic comedy movie marathon, half gallon of vanilla almond surprise in the freezer, and a bottle of her favorite white zinfandel chilling in the fridge. She was going to head directly to her favorite Chinese restaurant for take-out when she left here, then lock herself in the bedroom for a mammoth size pity party. She’d allow herself twenty-four hours, no more. Once the clock chimed three p.m. tomorrow, she would be over Hunter Martin.
And if she wasn’t? “Fake it till you make it” was one of her favorite quotations.
Barb thought she was going to have to do a lot of faking for a while.
She took the stairs up to the third floor where the family judges had their courtrooms. Turning left down the hall, she saw Hunter and Kati sitting outside a courtroom on a bench. Kati looked at her and sprinted to meet her.
“Barb, I’m so glad you’re here. You should come home. Uncle Hunter’s very sad. He cries every night now.” Kati glanced at Hunter. “But don’t tell him I told you. He might get mad.”
She was an amazing manipulator for seven. Barb had to give that to her. “I won’t say a word. But I’ve got to head to Wyoming this weekend. The boys kind of took a play day last weekend and they need me to whip them in shape.”
Kati giggled. “I don’t think you’re big enough to whip a bull rider. Especially Jesse. He’s pretty tall.”
“You know what they say, don’t you?”
Kati frowned. “No?”
“The taller they are, the harder they fall.” Barb put her arm around the little girl. Kati she would miss. A lot.
“That’s not what they say.” Kati giggled again.
“It’s not? Well, there’s no way Jesse Sullivan is getting the best of me. He’ll be on that bull Sunday and winning if I have to tie him to the saddle.” Barb smiled at Hunter who had stood to greet her. “Are we early?”
“According to the bailiff, the judge is running a little late. I’ve checked us in, though. They like to know which parties are on time and which ones may take advantage of the judge being busy.” He sat on the bench. “Sit, we might as well be comfortable while we wait.”
Barb scanned the hallway before she sat. Lots of people, but no Angel. “I figured Kati’s aunt would be here.”
Hunter scanned the hallway as well. “So far, no sign of her. I wonder if she’s having problems finding her star witness?”
Barb slipped onto the bench next to him. Sighing, she leaned her head against the wall. “Please tell me you didn’t do anything to Kevin.”
“Would you care?”
“About Kevin, no, but you don’t need to give him more ammunition. Poke a tame dog enough times with a stick and he’ll bite. And Kevin’s not trained in the least.”
Hunter patted her leg in what would have felt like a friendly gesture except he left his hand resting on her thigh way too long. Her gaze couldn’t leave his hand.
“Kevin paid me a visit. He wanted you to pay him on his blackmail scheme. I told him to leave you alone. So if he comes back, you call the cops. Or call me. I’ll take care of him.” Hunter’s voice was cold.
Before Barb could ask another question, or even formulate one in her mind, a slender woman in a police type uniform stepped out of the courtroom. “Mr. Martin? The judge would like to see you and your family in chambers. This way.”
Barb followed Hunter and Kati. Her stomach fluttered. This couldn’t be good. Maybe the hearing had been postponed? Her heart leapt at the chance to stay married to Hunter, even if it was just for a week more.
When they entered the office, the bailiff motioned to the couch near the window. The judge was on the phone and had his back to the three of them. Hunter’s lawyer sat in a wing chair. He nodded to Barb then whispered something to Hunter. His eyebrows scrunched as he squinted at the lawyer. Barb leaned closer to try to pick out their words with no luck. She searched for the man’s name from when they’d been introduced on Sunday. Chance? No, Chase.
/> No, this didn’t feel good at all.
“Well, let’s get started, shall we?” The judge slipped into the other wing chair facing the couch. “Kati, I’m Judge Patterson. Do you know why we’re here today?”
“My aunt wants me to live with her instead of Uncle Hunter,” Kati responded.
“Exactly.” The judge turned to Chase. “Does the child have a lawyer?”
“I’m representing both Mr. Martin and Kati,” Chase answered.
The judge looked at Chase for a long minute, then sighed. “I would have liked the child’s interest to be separate from the uncle’s, but I guess at this point, that doesn’t matter.”
Barb felt like she was watching a tennis match. But no game she’d ever saw. She felt like there was more said than what she understood, but she kept quiet.
“Kati,” the judge turned his attention back to the little girl. “Where do you want to live? With your uncle or your aunt?”
“With Uncle Hunter. Tony’s mean.” She looked at Barb and smiled.
“Who’s Tony?” The judge glanced down at his file. “The husband?”
“Her cousin,” Chase said. “He’s Angel and Fred Monnet’s son.”
The judge smiled. “Oh, so you don’t like Tony?”
“He pinches me. And then laughs when I cry. And he drinks beer.” Kati glanced at Barb and her look told Barb she thought she’d scored the winning volley.
“Does he now?” The judge leaned back in his chair. “Why do you like living with your uncle?”
“He brushes my hair for school, even though I have to redo most of the ponytails. He lets me take riding lessons on a real horse, and he reads to me before we go to sleep. And he married Barb.” Kati cuddled closer to Barb. “I like Barb a lot. And I like visiting with her mom. She’s in a home because she forgets things. But she remembers me.”
Barb’s heart sank but she smiled and hugged Kati.
“Kati, would you mind going with the Amanda for a soda? She’ll take you down to the break room so the grownups can talk for a bit.” The judge nodded to the bailiff who must be Amanda.
Kati looked at Barb. “You’ll be here when I get back?”
“Yes, for a while. I don’t fly out until tomorrow.” Barb’s tongue felt swollen in her mouth.
Kati stood and walked out of the room with Amanda.
Barb felt the judge’s glance on her. She knew she was up next on the hot seat, just by the way he looked at her. And she wasn’t wrong.
“Miss Carico, or Mrs. Martin I guess is the more appropriate term.” The judge focused on the papers in front of him.
Barb cut him off. “Barb is fine.”
The judge raised his eyebrows, but continued. “So, Barb, tell me about your arrangement with Mr. Martin. Is it true he paid for you to marry him?”
“You don’t have to answer that,” Chase advised Barb. “Judge, I hardly see how my client’s marital arrangement has anything to do with these proceedings.”
“Mrs. Monnet thought it had everything to do with the proceedings. In fact, she told me that she’d brought in Barb’s ex-husband to prove a pattern of marriages that seemed to be advantageous to the bride. Although, I don’t see what, if anything, Miss Carico got out of the first marriage, besides just out.” The judge fumbled through his papers. “This Kevin Flavin seems to be a man skirting the edge of the law in many fronts.”
“Kevin has had his issues. And I didn’t marry him to get something. He married me because I wouldn’t agree to be his manager.” Barb felt heat on her face.
“Yet you married him?” the judge prodded.
“I’t a long story. We’d been drinking with a group and the next morning, he showed up with a marriage license and pictures.” Barb hung her head. “Believe me, I’ve regretted it since it happened.”
“You didn’t marry him,” Hunter spoke up.
Barb smiled sadly. “I was drunk and stupid. I let my guard down and he took advantage of me.”
Hunter interrupted. “He drugged you. You were asleep in your bed when he married a look alike.”
“How do you know that? I mean, I suspected, but no one’s ever been able to prove anything.”
“Kevin has a big mouth and likes to brag.” Hunter looked at the judge. “Barb was being blackmailed by the jerk. I told him to leave town and leave her alone.”
“Yes, Mrs. Monnet said she suspected as much.” The judge focused on Hunter. “Of course, she thought your motives were to ruin her custody case. She didn’t realize her financial audit had already disqualified her from being Kati’s guardian based on the terms of your brother and sister-in-law’s will. They must have suspected there would be some fighting over the trust.”
“Angel can’t get custody?” Barb’s smile brightened. “No matter what?”
“In order to gain custody, one of the guiding factors for custody is the custodial guardian must be financially solvent. Mr. Martin’s audit came back perfect. Now, you, on the other hand, you’re up to your eyeballs in debt, but it seems to be all around your mother’s medical bills and your business. Not a gambling habit.” The judge closed the file and tossed it on to the small coffee table. “Nothing left for me to do but sign off on the custody order.”
Hunter glanced at the file. “Angel has a gambling habit?”
“Sorry, that’s confidential.” The judge looked at Chase. “Your office should be getting the final papers next week.”
“Thank you.” Hunter stood, pulling Barb up off the couch with him. “You’ve made a little girl very happy.”
“I just hope you know what you’ve signed up for Mr. Martin. Raising a child, even in a two-parent household,” the judge stared at Barb then continued, “isn’t easy. At times, my three daughters made me want to run screaming from the house and never return. But the rewards are worth it, if you can get past all the heartache.”
“Kati and I will do just fine.” Hunter nodded at Chase. “Thanks, bro.”
The three of them walked into the hall together, but for some reason, Barb felt like they’d lost instead of won. She should be happy for Kati, for Hunter. But she felt numb.
“Miss Carico? I have annulment papers for you to sign. Hunter had me put in a clause stating he will cover your mom’s residential costs as long as she needs care.” Chase shook his head and stared pointedly at Hunter. “A very generous offer.”
“Hunter, I swear, as soon as I’m able to sell the house, I’ll pay you back everything.” Barb dug in her purse for a pen. “You don’t understand what this means for her, for me. I swear, she’s almost like her old self, before the memory losses.”
“Barb, hold on a second.” Hunter put his hand on her arm. “Look at me.”
Barb caught her breath as she looked up into those blue eyes. Eyes she could lose herself in if she didn’t control her emotions. She had gotten what she wanted, her mom was safe, Kati was safe, and annulment papers were within reach. Once she signed them, the deal would be struck.
Hunter paused, then jumped in. “I’d like you to stay, to move in. Kati loves you. We could be a real family.”
Barb waited for the words she needed to hear. I love you. But Hunter was just looking at her. Waiting for her answer. She shook her head. “Sorry, I can’t. I love Kati like she was my own, but sometimes, a girl has to watch out for herself and make the right decision. I’ll call next week when I’m back from Cody. Maybe I can take her shopping.”
Barb watched Hunter’s face freeze. “Sure. Have a great weekend.” He walked away, aiming for Kati who had just appeared with the bailiff. When he reached the little girl, he swung her up into his arms and headed down the steps.
Barb thought she heard Kati ask about her, but the sound in her ears made it impossible for her to hear anything. Her heart pounded in her eardrum, trying to get her attention. She waved the nausea away and smiled at Chase. “Where do I sign?”
17
Tears coursed down Barb’s cheeks. She sat cross legged on her mother’s couch, a gl
ass of wine on the table and country music videos playing on the television. She felt numb. Lost, alone, and numb. So much for following her mother’s advice. Hunter had offered an olive branch. And she’d stepped on it. Crushing it into the dirt. And she’d signed the annulment papers.
She was never, ever even thinking about getting married again. The next time the boys had a rodeo in Vegas, she was staying home. Or staying away from liquor for the trip’s duration. Two impromptu marriages, two annulments. No wonder she liked country music – if she drove a truck and had a dog, she’d be a walking, talking country song.
She took another sip of the wine and tried to focus on the contract that was in her lap. Martin Dairy’s sponsorship of Jesse. Hell, Hunter had gone all out, sponsoring all her bull riders. Great, everywhere she looked for the next five years, she’d see Hunter Martin’s family business plastered on her clients. Every rodeo, a shirt advertising the dairy. On all four of her bull riders.
She should turn down the sponsorship. Tear this contract up. Break all ties to Hunter Martin, his family, his business, and Kati.
She laid the contract on the table. She wasn’t going to turn it down. This one contract would pay for the expenses for the rest of the rodeos this year. And by the end of the five years, she’d have enough money saved up on her commission to pay her mother’s medical expenses herself, especially if she sold the house.
And bottom line, it wasn’t fair to the bull riders to turn the contract down. James could deal with any promotional contact the riders would be required of in order to fulfill the contract. James had a head for this kind of thing. And he wouldn’t want to tear off Hunter’s clothes and throw him down on the bed every time they met.
Or at least she hoped not.
A knock on the door broke up her mini pity party. She stood and looked down at the tank top and yoga pants she wore. Good enough for a door to door salesman, she decided.
When she opened the door, Jesse Sullivan stood there with a bottle of wine in one hand and a bag of Chinese food in the other. A twelve pack of beer sat on the porch next to him.
