“Pepsi?” Zane’s voice sounded so tiny and unsure to Gabe.
“Yup, I’m sure the clerks have drunk everything else but the Pepsi.”
Gabe ducked out and made the request. A girl pulled one out of the small fridge and he took it into the room, closing the door once again.
They gave Zane a chance to take a swig of soda, and as Gabe watched, the boy shut his eyes and sighed as the soda slipped down his throat. Then he opened his eyes and looked at the brownie.
“Go ahead and eat it,” Freeman said. “In fact, I might just have one too while we talk.”
At the word talk, Zane stiffened, looking at the Sheriff over his shoulder. “Okay.” He slowly peeled back the plastic and took a tiny bite. The judge grabbed another one out of his desk and did the same.
“So, what do you want to talk about?” Zane asked, his voice shaking.
“Well, why don’t we start with your Uncle Colin?”
The boy grinned and nodded. “I like to talk about him. The sheriff said I can see him later as long as I tell you the truth. He promised, and he told me he always keeps his promises to little kids.” He paused, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Does he?”
The judge looked up to see Gabe’s face-splitting grin. “Now, do you think for one minute that we would have an important person like a Sheriff that didn’t keep his promises? Not a chance. And I’ll even add my promise to his.” Freeman leaned over the desk, lowering his voice to a whisper too. “Some people think I’m even more important than the Sheriff, but don’t tell him that. Ego, you know.”
Another tiny giggle and the boy’s shoulders relaxed a bit.
“Your Uncle Colin used to live with you, didn’t he?”
The boy nodded, his eyes filling up with tears. “Back when Mommy was alive, we all lived together at home. Uncle Colin would tell me bedtime stories and let me help him with his jigsaw puzzles.”
“So, he likes to do jigsaw puzzles, huh?”
“Yup, some real big ones too.” Zane got quiet and didn’t say anything for a minute. The judge waited him out. “One time I lost the last piece, and Uncle Colin didn’t get mad or nuthin’. He didn’t even take a toy away.”
“When your Uncle Mike gets mad does he take a toy away?”
The boy nodded.
“For how long?”
Zane looked up from the last of his brownie, his face tilted to the side. “For how long what?”
“How long does he wait before he gives you the toy back?”
He still looked confused. “The trash man doesn’t give the toys he takes back.”
Freeman’s voice grew quiet. “When he’s mad, he throws a toy away?”
A nod and a single tear slipped down the boy’s cheek. “And I’m scared, ‘coz I’m running out of toys, and it’s a long time until Christmas.” Zane shivered, wrapping his arms around his tiny body.
Gabe’s fists clenched. He really hoped sometime in the near future he would catch Michael doing something unlawful. It didn’t even have to be a big crime. Just a reason to do something to make the jerk pay.
"If you don't have many toys, then what do you do?"
"Read, mostly, I guess. Dad doesn't think I can really read the words, but Aunt Joan—I mean Mom—knows I can. She takes me to the library and lets me pick out books every Friday."
"How did you learn to read before you even got to go to Kindergarten?"
"Uncle Colin taught me." The boy smiled sadly. "Guess I asked for too many stories at bedtime. Once I learned to read, he'd only read me one." The smile brightened. "But he let me pick which one, and I always picked a long one, so it was okay."
Freeman laughed. "Smart thinking, Zane." The boy's smile got even bigger.
"Does your Uncle Mike read to you too?"
The elusive smile disappeared altogether, and Zane just shook his head. "Dad says only babies get bedtime stories."
"Why do you call your Uncle Mike Dad?"
A shudder passed over the boy. "He gets mad when I don't," the boy whispered. "And I don't have many toys left."
The judge's face clenched and his eyes narrowed. "He takes a toy away when you don't call him Dad?"
A small nod. No wonder the boy didn't have many play things left. Sounded like he just couldn't win with the jerk. And Gabe was starting to understand the boy's fear. What happened when he didn't have any more toys to take away? He locked eyes with the judge and saw the same understanding in them.
No sodas, because kids shouldn't have too much sugar. No bedtime stories because at five years old he was too old for them. No best friend stuffed rabbit because it was a 'hideous thing'. And every time he crossed some arbitrary line like forgetting to call the man he'd always known as Uncle Mike Dad, he lost a toy.
Gabe would be the first to admit he had never liked Michael Lawson. But he had never so actively disliked the man as he did right at this very moment.
Even with a normal child, this behavior would be borderline abuse in his opinion. But to treat a child who has lost everything he ever held dear this way? The man must not have a conscience at all.
When the judge was silent for a full minute, Zane asked in a small voice. "If you don't have anything else to ask me, can I please see Uncle Colin now?"
The judge had to swallow before answering. "Not quite yet, I'm afraid. Us grown-ups have something to take care of first. But I promise you some time with him very shortly, okay?"
"Okay, I guess."
Freeman arranged for one of the clerks to sit with the boy while he and Gabe prepared to reenter the courtroom. They were standing outside the clerk's office when the judge turned to face Gabe.
"You think Colin can handle raising the kid?"
Gabe hated having to say it, but this was the judge. "I know he'd give it everything he has, but... no, I'm not sure he's up to it quite yet. Not by himself, and his parents are on the jer... I mean the step-brother's side. No help for him there." Gabe shook his head. "But I'd rather see the kid in a foster home than back with that family. At least then he has a chance of getting a decent home."
Freeman nodded. "I hate to see it come to that, but I'm beginning to agree with you."
"There is another alternative." Gabe and the judge turned to find Joshua Penbrook standing behind them. "Sorry, your honor, I really hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but I was trying to find you before court went back into session."
"As long as you realize that the words just spoken are strictly confidential, you are forgiven," Freeman said. "Now what is this alternative you have in mind?"
CHAPTER FOUR: The Conditions (Colin)
When the judge called the court back into session, he didn't waste any time getting down to it.
"As I've stated before, it is the court's fondest desire to adhere to the wishes of the parents. Especially ones who did absolutely everything in their power to see that their children are raised by a person of their own choosing rather than the court’s. We respect that. The only reason that was questioned in this case was due to the fact of Mr. Shepard's physical state. Which, in all hopes, is purely temporary in nature."
The judge settled back in his chair and gave Colin a smile. "Due to that temporary nature, the court is willing to grant only provisional custody at this time. And the custody grant comes with conditions."
The judge paused, with a meaningful glance to Joshua, then continued. "Mr. Shepard has proven that he is quite capable of providing Zane a loving and financially secure home. Should he recover fully physically, as in gain the strength and dexterity required to raise a young and active child, he would make in our eyes a near perfect parent for Zane."
I liked where this was headed... I thought. It sounded to me like the other shoe was about to drop. And it did.
"It has been brought to our attention that it is entirely possible for Mr. Shepard to hire the help he needs to take care of the boy."
Michael bounced up. Unlike me, he obviously didn't like the direction the judge was going. Even with the onc
oming shoe. "Your honor, I do not want Zane raised by hired help. Not when we are perfectly capable of caring for him full time ourselves."
"Your wishes have been duly noted, Mr. Lawson, and now please take your seat and remain quiet unless and until the court addresses you. A further outburst on your part will be considered contempt of court. Are we clear?"
Michael glared at me, but gave a sullen nod and sat back down. I do believe the thought of losing Zane had never even occurred to him up until that very moment. Funny, that's been all I could think about for months. That and finding Becca.
Judge Freeman seemed to be waiting for some type of response from me. I nodded to him. "What kind of help does the court request? Like a nanny?"
The judge smiled. "Today's nannies are actually multi-functional. You can hire one that will not only help you take care of Zane but also do light housekeeping and cooking." His smile grew bigger. "Kind of like a wife without the fringe benefits." His eyes bore into mine. "Are you willing to hire such a helper? It appears that a single book would take care of all the fees involved."
There was no reason to hesitate. "Absolutely, your honor." Then came the hesitation. "But finding a quality person, if they are going to be living with us, will require time for interviews and background checks. It will take some time to set it up."
Freeman nodded. "Indeed it will. However, a friend of the court has volunteered to pinch hit, as they say, for a few weeks until you can find the right person for the job."
My heart sank as I finally realized what that meant. My eyes glanced over to find Joshua positively glowing. He'd finally gotten his wish. Joshua Penbrook was going to be my new roommate.
I have to admit that the judge's reasonings were sound, and all-in-all the decision was definitely workable. The provisional custody would last for an initial six months during which time I would continue physical therapy to regain my strength. Within that time frame, a court appointed inspector would visit periodically without notice and make sure the home was in order and Zane properly cared for.
At the end of the six months, if my health improved sufficiently, and we kept the inspector happy, my request for adoption would be approved and finalized. While it would make things incredibly awkward with Joshua, it was a price I was willing to pay to be able to bring Zane home.
When the gavel finally sounded, Joshua slapped me on the back before he thought. I stifled the flinch and moan as best I could and he apologized profusely.
"Don't worry about it, Josh. I'm excited too." While Michael, Joan, my mother, step father, and all of their supporters slunk out of the courtroom, all the ones that were there in support of me came forward.
It took several minutes of well-meaning congratulations before I could finally break free to do the one thing I really wanted to do. See my nephew for the first time since all this craziness began.
It would have taken longer if the Sheriff hadn't seen my plight. As it was after a few minutes he stepped in and basically told everyone to bugger off. Nicely, of course, but his meaning was clear.
Joshua, being the considerate person that he is—as well as an intelligent manipulator of current events to get his way—said he would wait for us out at the car. I followed Sheriff Green into the judge's chambers, leaning far too heavily on my cane, and clutching the bag holding Mr. Cuddles.
As we walked, the Sheriff looked over at me. "It true you make more than decent money at writing?"
I nodded. There really wasn't anything to say.
“Good. Because you need to make a stop on the way home and buy that boy some toys." I gave him an odd look, but he didn't seem willing to elaborate other than to add, “Lots of toys.”
"Sure thing, Sheriff," I said, grinning up at him. "We'll hit Walmart so I can hitch a ride on one of those blasted motorized carts." I shook my head. "They don't seem nearly so funny now that I need to use one."
He nodded. "Use it and everything else you can get your hands on to help you. You need to get better and fast. Save your strength for that boy and your physical therapy."
"I will. And just so you know, I plan on getting Zane some new clothes too."
He grunted. "Just don't forget the toys." He was quiet for a couple more steps. "And maybe some books."
I was just about to question the importance of the toys when the door opened before me and there sat Zane. The question died on my lips as I looked at the small little boy. The boy I remembered was full of life and never still a minute, even when sitting. That boy bore little resemblance to the one before me now.
Oh sure, he looked the same, but the energy and life were simply not there. At least not in near the quantity it had been only a few months ago. I swallowed trying to figure out the best way to approach him when he looked up and saw me standing in the doorway.
He was off the chair and barreling toward me in a heartbeat. Only the Sheriff's quick thinking and steady arm saved me from taking quite a tumble. The sinewy strength of his arm circling my back and supporting me was both comforting and unsettling. But I'd save the unsettling part to deal with later. Right now was about Zane, not me.
The boy was clinging to me, crying. I put my hand on the back of his head and stroked his baby fine blond hair.
"Hey, Z-Man," I said, tugging at his hair playfully.
He sniffed and moved just far enough to allow him to look up at me, his hands never leaving me as if he was afraid I'd get away from him. "Hey, Unca Colin." Then one small hand moved and wiped his face dry, his bottom lip still trembling. The other hand remained with a firm grip on my pants leg.
"You were supposed to come for me," he said, his voice breaking. "Momma said if anything ever happened to her, I'd be okay 'coz you'd take care of me. But you didn't come."
I took hold of the tiny hand grasping my leg and led him over to the love seat, sinking gratefully into its softness. "I'm real sorry about that, Z-Man. I wanted to be here, but I was in an accident. A bad one. I had to learn to walk all over again, and it isn't quite as easy the second time around."
Some of the accusation faded from eyes, "You couldn't walk?"
I shook my head, showing him my cane. "And I still have to use this old thing to keep steady on my feet. But I'm still working on getting better." I paused, looking deep into his sky blue eyes. "I could sure use your help if you aren't too mad at me."
Zane sniffed again, and I handed him my handkerchief. He blew his nose and handed it back. I had thought he would jump at the chance of helping me, and I was confused when instead he hesitated.
"I'd like to help you, Uncle Colin, but I'm not sure Uncle, I mean Dad," he said glancing nervously about, "will let me."
I smiled at him. Should have known it had something to do with Michael. "Well, you see, he doesn't get to make that choice. The judge said that as long as I hire someone to help me out while I get better, I can take you home."
"Home?" Was that a touch of hope I heard in that one, soft word? "Where you and Mommy and me used to live?"
I nodded. "I'll warn you the place is pretty dusty, so you'll have to help me fix it up a bit until we can get someone to help us. And my friend Joshua will be staying with us for a while, too."
Anything else I would have said was emptied from my mind as for the second time, Zane barreled into me. At least this time he didn't have quite the running start as before and I was sitting down for it. That's not to say it didn't hurt like hell.
I was starting to see the court's point. We were definitely going to need help.
CHAPTER FIVE: Zane's Homecoming (Colin)
It's a very good thing people liked my books because our short side trip to Walmart cost me several hundred dollars. But it was worth every penny. As I hadn't made it upstairs last night, I had no idea how many clothes were still there... or anything else for that matter. And the very last thing I wanted to do was face Michael and Joan for Zane's things.
So we bought several outfits for him to wear to preschool, some pajamas, jeans, and t-shirts with super he
roes plastered all over them. (I got some of those for myself as well.) Then we hit the toy aisle and tried to contain ourselves.
By that time, the day was really starting to kick my butt, so we decided to just get a few things today and come back tomorrow or the next day for more. So into the cart went a good sized pirate block set, a handful of coloring books and box of crayons—the big one with all the colors—a couple of hundred piece jigsaw puzzles, and the crowning glory of our purchases: a brand new kid's computer tablet that came pre-loaded with a ton of educational books and games.
I figured that would keep him busy for a week at least.
Then we went to Joshua's apartment for him to pick up what he would need for a few days while he stayed with us. It was a good thing his car had loads of trunk space because he came out the front door shortly after, sporting three large suitcases and a garment bag that looked as if its seams were in grave danger.
And here's the thing. He was inside less than ten minutes total. Some of those bags had to have already been packed. I think he knew that one way or another he was going to be going home with me tonight.
Don't get me wrong, or think me ungrateful. I really appreciated what Josh was doing for me, and without his agreement to stay with me until I found appropriate help, Zane would probably have had to stay with Michael. And that was simply unacceptable. Truthfully, if I never saw my step-brother again, it would be perfectly fine with me. The jury was still out on my mother.
But with all that said and done, the court ruling that I had to agree to have help before bringing Zane home opened the door for a huge win for Josh. He'd been trying to get me to move in with him for over a year now. My fall only made his pleas more urgent. I think he was convinced that if he could help me enough, I'd find that I just couldn't live without him.
There was only one problem. He wasn't the one. The fact that he was head over heels in love with me didn't make it any easier on me. I would have liked nothing more than to return his feelings, but I just didn't.
All About Zane (Travis County Legal Book 1) Page 3
