Thankfully, Noella was in her room already when Erin got home. She was coming to understand Noella’s conflict when dealing with the heart. Nothing was straightforward like it should have been.
Girl meets boy. Girl likes boy. Girl and boy fall in love. Boy proposes. Girl says yes. Boy and girl get married and live happily ever after.
Instead, she’d met a man that could never be hers. The fact that he didn’t understand or share her faith was the biggest obstacle, but him not being interested in marriage wasn’t far behind. And she wasn’t going to be that girl who believed she could change a man’s mind, only to discover—after spending too much time hoping—that it was never going to happen.
Could she be friends with James and nothing more? She’d dealt with a lot of challenging things in her life, but none that had had the potential for significant heartache the way this situation with James did. So she was going to have to figure out what was more important: a friendship with James or protecting her heart.
CHAPTER SIX
“You’ve got to stop responding to him unless it pertains to the children,” James said to the young woman sitting across the desk from him. “If it has to do with pick up and drop off times or if a kid is on some medication and you need to explain dosage, interact with him. Don’t let him pressure you into agreeing to something that’s different from what you’ve already settled legally. He’s already proven that he’s manipulative and doesn’t have anyone’s best interests at heart except his own.”
The dark circles under her eyes spoke to the toll that the divorce and custody process was taking on her. “But how can he have the kids for all of Christmas and then ask for them for New Years too? How does he get to have everything? He has his family here. He has her. And now he wants the kids for everything too. They don’t want to be there with him. They want to be at home with me.”
Tears spilled down the woman’s cheeks, and she scrubbed at them with a wadded up tissue. James’s stomach clenched at the pain on the woman’s face.
He had once been that child wanting to be one place for Christmas while his parents had fought over who would have him. Not because they’d really wanted him or Kaylee with them, but because they wanted to win. It was like having custody of the children they didn’t really want was some sort of victory.
“I’m going to approach his lawyer again about mediation. Have you mentioned it to him at all?”
The woman nodded but then frowned. “He’s not interested in anything but going through lawyers unless he wants something like having the kids for New Years. I think he’s doing this more for his parents than because he wants the kids. They won’t support him if he doesn’t get custody of them.”
For the first time ever, James wanted to be in a different area of the law. He hated this. Hated knowing that in this particular case, there was nothing more he could do for the kids to prevent the hurt that they were already going through and would continue to suffer through for years to come.
His main reason for going into family law with a focus on divorce and custody had nothing to do with the fact that his parents had gotten divorced but rather with how they’d treated him and Kaylee in the process. He had wanted to have a chance to try to get divorcing parents to put their children’s needs before their own. Sometimes it took giving his client a stern talking to, but when it wasn’t his client creating the problems, there wasn’t much more he could do.
“I’m going to have to accept that on Christmas Eve I’m going to have to let my kids go wake up somewhere else on Christmas morning, aren’t I?” The woman’s shoulders slumped.
“Yes,” James agreed. “But you don’t have to agree about New Years, since your original agreement split the holidays.” He paused. “May I make a suggestion?”
Her brows drew together as she nodded.
“The kids are young enough that they won’t really know what day is what. Why don’t you move everything up by one day? Make Christmas Eve their Christmas Day. It’s about the memories you’ll make with them, not that it all happened on the right day. That way you have that time with them on your own terms. Your ex might think he’s taking them away from you on Christmas, but you make your own Christmas and let them go to him knowing that they’ve had that time with you.”
The woman’s eyes brightened a little. “Thank you. I think I’ll do that. For their sakes, I need to focus on what I can do for them.”
“Exactly. When they look back on pictures of this Christmas, they’re not going to remember that they celebrated a day ahead of schedule. Just tell them that they get to have two Christmases.”
The woman let out a long sigh. “I had hoped that all of this would have been settled before the new year. I guess that’s not going to be the case.”
James hated having to shake his head, but she was right. “If it’s any consolation, his lawyer is a decent guy and has been trying to work with your ex, especially on the custody issues. We’ll get this settled as soon as we can and hopefully with something that works out the best for the kids.”
After the woman had left, James spun his chair around to stare out the window at the snow that was still falling. The past week had been busy and yet, at the same time, had seemed to drag. He’d texted Erin, but unlike the conversation they’d had after their time at Bethlehem Live, she’d taken much longer to respond. Sometimes it had been hours before she’d reply, and even then, her texts had seemed stilted.
The only time she responded quickly was if it had to do with his grandmother’s party. He’d hoped that they might be able to hang out together again before Christmas, but for some reason, she was pulling away. Which was frustrating because he had gone out of his way to not be flirty when they had gone to the Bethlehem Live event, and he had really wanted to spend some more time talking with her.
Swinging back around, James got up and grabbed his mug to go get some more coffee. Van was standing at Sarah’s desk with a file in his hand, talking with her, but he looked up as James approached.
“Well, don’t you look happy,” Van commented with a lift of one eyebrow. “Sarah just told me that we both have clear schedules for the rest of the afternoon. Let’s go for a ride.”
James frowned at him. “Where to?”
“I think it’s time I visited the bakery with the superb coffee and sweets.”
James glanced at Sarah. “Did my other appointment cancel?”
Sarah nodded. “Well, he rescheduled. He’ll be here tomorrow. Something came up with his kid at school so he wouldn’t have been able to make it this afternoon.”
If the reason was to take care of a kid, James was always fine with someone canceling an appointment. He looked back at Van. “Guess we could go, if you’d like.”
“I think you’d like too,” Van pointed out. “Grab your coat, buddy. And you’re going to have to drive because I’m not going to mess up my car in this weather.”
With a shake of his head, James turned and headed back to his office. He wasn’t sure it was a good idea to turn up unannounced at the bakery. He wasn’t even sure that Erin would still be there since he knew she went in early and left early. But that didn’t stop him from pulling on his coat and grabbing his phone off the desk. He’d have to come back by the office before going home to pick up his briefcase and laptop because he didn’t feel like packing it all up right then.
When they got into the elevator to head down to the parking garage, James leaned against the wall, his thoughts still on the appointment he’d just had. “I think we should change the focus of our practice.”
“Say what?” Van looked up from his phone.
“I know. Sort of out of the blue, but I’ve been thinking about it for a bit now.”
Van straightened, his brows drawn together. “So you want to change it to what?”
“More mediation-focused and/or conflict-free divorces.”
“Are there such things?” Van asked with a scoff.
“More than there used to be.” James sighed. �
��I’m just tired of dealing with these people who couldn’t care less about how traumatic their actions can be on their children during a contentious custody battle. There is just no talking any kind of sense into some of them.”
“True.” Van rested a hand on his shoulder. “But what about the ones you have managed to talk sense into? What about the kids whose parents did listen to what you were trying to say and made an effort to be better in how they dealt with each other and their children? You have made a difference, James.”
With a sigh, James nodded. He knew that Van was right. They had managed to reach some with their message, but there were days when it didn’t feel like it was enough. Because each time he failed to get parents to understand, he felt like he was reliving his own childhood heartache over and over again, just imagining what those kids were going through.
“I never thought I’d say it, Van, but I feel like I’m going to burn out. Maybe it’s just because it’s Christmas and it seems more of my clients are in conflicted custody situations that it’s wearing on me, but it is.”
This time, Van swatted him on his back. “Okay. Who are you, and what have you done with James?”
James knew why his friend was asking the question. It was a rarity that he admitted to things getting to him, but Van understood why he was passionate about his work and how it affected him sometimes, so James didn’t bother answering.
“Are you ready to give up the nice office? The slick car? The fancy apartment?” Van asked as they stepped out of the elevator and headed toward James’s vehicle.
“You know I’m not proposing we do it all pro bono, right?” James asked as he pressed the button on his key fob to unlock the doors of his SUV. “I mean, we might take a hit financially, but if we’re dealing with less complicated cases, we could take on more. So it might all work out in the end. And even if it doesn’t, it’s not all about the money.” James started the SUV. “Can we at least talk about it a bit more in the new year?”
“Of course we can,” Van said as James backed out of his parking spot. “You know we always said that we would only do what we were doing until we didn’t want to do it anymore. If you’re ready to move in a different direction, then let’s discuss it.”
And that was why Van had always been his best friend. As he drove to A Spoonful of Sugar, James wondered what Van would think of Erin and vice versa. He hoped they liked each other because James really hoped that Erin would become part of his life in one way or another.
“Handsome dude here to see you, Erin,” Betsy called from across the kitchen.
Erin looked up from her laptop where she was reviewing comments and questions on their social media. She had hoped to leave in a few minutes, but if James had stopped by... “James is here?”
“This is a different handsome dude.”
Erin pushed to her feet and moved toward where Betsy stood in the doorway. She glanced toward the open door at the end of the hallway. “Is Noella still here?”
“Nope. She left while you were on the phone. She said to let you know.” Betsy glanced over at her. “So I’m letting you know.”
Erin grinned. “Thanks.”
When they walked to the area behind the counter, her gaze landed on a tall man with blond hair. As soon as he saw her, he smiled as if they were friends, but Erin knew she would have remembered meeting this guy.
“Hi, I’m Erin,” she said as she approached where he stood.
“Hey, Erin. My name is Donovan, but my friends call me Van.” He stuck his hand out. “And since you’re a friend of my best friend, James, I figure we’re friends now too.”
Erin shook his hand. “You’re a friend of James?”
“I certainly am, and he told me that you guys have the best coffee, so here I am.” Van spread his arms wide.
“We do have the best coffee, yes. Is James with you?” She looked around and found him sitting near the Christmas tree at the table they’d sat at for their first meeting, watching them. “I see he is. Let me get you two some coffee and something to eat. Anything, in particular, you’d like to try?”
“How about you surprise me? I know you’ve already surprised James.”
Before she could respond, Van gave her another grin as he took a couple of steps back and then turned to go join James. Erin watched them for a moment, then looked around to see that she wasn’t the only one.
Smiling, Erin turned to put a collection of their current day’s specials on a plate and then poured two cups of coffee. After placing it all on a round tray, she made her way to where the two friends sat, only realizing as she walked that she hadn’t taken even a moment to see if her hair was okay and if her makeup was still in place. Since it was the end of her day, it was entirely possible neither was the case.
Reminding herself that she wasn’t out to impress James or his friend, Erin approached their table and greeted them with a smile. “Here you go.”
Erin set a mug of coffee in front of each man and then put the plate of goodies, cream and sugar between them. After putting a small empty plate down for each of them, Erin straightened, tucking the tray under her arm.
“This looks wonderful,” James said as he smiled up at her. “It’s good to see you again, Erin.”
Don’t notice his beautiful blue eyes…or how tired he looks.
“Glad you stopped by and brought someone else for us to win over.”
Van glanced up from where he’d been looking over the goodies on the plate. “Oh, you have already won me over. That box James brought by the office did it.”
“It’s our new marketing plan. Give some away free and keep them coming back for more.”
“Well, it’s definitely working,” Van said as he peeled the wrapper from a red velvet cupcake.
James lifted his mug and took a sip, making no move in the direction of the plate of sweets. Erin noticed that he had dark circles beneath his beautiful eyes. His gaze was on Van as his friend continued to rave about the cupcake.
“So what are your plans for Christmas?” Van asked as he shifted onto the chair next to the window and motioned to the one he’d just vacated.
After a quick glance at James, who still seemed a little lost in thought, Erin sat down. Since it was the end of the day, she decided she could hang out for a bit with them even though she was pretty tired. And even though she had been trying to keep a bit of distance between herself and James.
“We always go to church on Christmas Eve and then afterward we serve some Christmas cookies and cupcakes with beverages for people who might not have a place to go. Once we’re done at the church, we go to my foster family’s house for the rest of the evening. Christmas Day we go back there for dinner with the family.” Erin glanced between James and Van. “What about you?”
“My sisters and I spend Christmas Eve at our folks’ place. It’s still just us with no spouses which means we can stay overnight so we can wake up there in the morning. My mom always does stockings for us and all that kind of stuff. She likes to celebrate the way we did when we were all kids. I have a feeling it will be that way until one of us starts to give her grandchildren.” Van glanced at James. “What are your plans, buddy?”
James shrugged. “Probably splitting the time between my parents. I’m kind of letting Kaylee make the call. She’ll tell me where to show up, and I’ll be there.”
Erin frowned at how apathetic he was about the holiday. Though she had her own difficult history in her life, it had ended when she’d walked into the Johnsons’ home. It seemed as if James’s painful history continued to impact his life. She hated to see anyone who wasn’t enjoying the Christmas season.
Noella hadn’t been a fan of Christmas for most the time Erin had known her, but over the past couple of years she’d been mellowing out about that. But this year…well, it seemed like maybe Finn had helped to bring her completely around to the joy of the season.
“Why don’t you come to the church on Christmas Eve?” Erin suggested. “You can help serve the
Christmas goodies and juice or hot beverages.”
“That’s gotta be better than hanging out with your mom or dad,” Van said as he picked up another cupcake. He looked at Erin with a frown. “I’m going to either have to stay away from this place or spend more time in the gym. Hardest decision I’ve had to make in awhile.”
“I’ll see what Kaylee’s got planned,” James said.
Erin was filled with the urge to give him a big hug. He looked like he’d had a few rough days and just wasn’t feeling the holiday season. He still hadn’t even touched any of the goodies that sat on the table in front of him. All he did was nurse his mug of coffee.
Seeing him like that made Erin wish she’d been more responsive to his texts. Maybe he truly had just needed a friend and nothing more. She couldn’t help but contrast him with the man she’d first met three weeks earlier. That somewhat arrogant man was missing now. She wondered if it was just a temporary thing, or if James really was changing. Unfortunately, the changes didn’t seem to be making him happy.
Van kept up the conversation talking about fairly random things, but he kept dropping little things about James that Erin couldn’t help but tuck away to think about later. Things like his favorite singer was Michael Bublé, and he loved fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Or how he broke his wrist trying to skateboard with Van when they were twelve years old.
April came over to top up the coffee for the guys and to bring a mug for Erin. The more Van talked, the more the tension seemed to melt away from James. Erin was happy to see it and actually found her own tiredness slipping away as they laughed together at the stories Van shared.
She was glad, though, that Noella had left early to spend the rest of the day with Finn. Noella had mentioned something the night before about decorating the main room at the trailer park for the Christmas dinner they planned to have there later on Christmas Day, after the one at the Johnsons. Erin wasn’t really in the mood for Noella—newly in love and happy in a relationship—to see her with not just one, but two, handsome gentlemen. She was actually surprised that Betsy or one of the other girls hadn’t told Noella about her visits with James.
The Sweetness of Her Love: A Christian Romance (Fostered by Love Book 2) Page 5
