by Lyssa Layne
The only issue is that Grey’s custody case is taking much longer than anyone realized it would. Adam’s bringing up every piece of Laurel’s “dirty” past from a speeding ticket in a work zone to even claiming that she had an affair with Ashley’s husband. Let’s not forget the entire day’s testimony discussing my past and my character. Every day, I sit in the back of the courtroom beside Laurel’s parents and every fuckin’ day, I want to rip Adam Darbis’ head off when the judge says they’re done until tomorrow. It kills me to see the way he’s trying to drag her down and then I can’t even hold her or make sure she’s alright.
To be honest, Sam has been my saving grace and the only thing getting me through this trial without fuckin’ losing it. I don’t want to add more to Laurel’s stress, but Sam’s case worker told me that if Laurel doesn’t file for his adoption by the end of the month then he’ll be moved to a family that is interested in adopting him permanently. I haven’t slept since I found out and it was eating me up in court today as I watched her take even more of Adam’s abuse, but I couldn’t tell her. It’s almost like making her choose between her sons.
I step into the stream of the shower, letting the hot water pelt my skin and wash away my stress temporarily. There has to be something I can do to end this mind game that Adam’s playing with Laurel. Now that baseball season is over and I quit my job, I have no reason to be in Florida other than Laurel and the boys. Camila hasn’t called with good news that the commissioner wants to talk to me so if Sam goes to another family and I don’t have any income coming in, I might not have any choice but to leave town because at the rate Adam’s going to screw over Laurel, no one in this fuckin’ town is going to hire me and all the money from Bill Walker will be gone.
Spinning the handle to off, I pull back the curtain and grab a towel. I rub it over my hair then dry off and wrap it around my waist. If I lose Sam and I’m forced out of town, Laurel will never forgive me and I’d never be able to forgive myself either. Fuck this prick that’s ruining both of our lives, not to mention the boys’, too.
I pull on a pair of shorts and go to the kitchen to grab a beer. Stepping onto the front porch, I take a seat on the old porch swing I fixed up. This place looks nothing like it did when I drove up the driveway the first time. At least the Purser brothers will be able to sell this house when I leave and they should make a decent profit so I guess one good thing came out of my time here. Of course, Evan Purser is a big enough asshole, he’ll probably kick my ass for messing with his mother’s place, but it was in no condition to live in, especially not with a kid.
The ice cold beer rolls down my throat and I stare at my phone. There’s one person that can tell me what to do but I’m not sure I’ll receive a warm welcome if I dial the number. Fuck, I really don’t have any other choice. Scrolling through my contacts, I pause when I see what I’m looking for. It takes me a full minute to work up the courage before I hit call. I take a long pull from my bottle while I wait for the other line to pick up.
“Richards.” A chuckle cuts across the phone. “You’re the last person I expected to be calling.”
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t so sure about placing it either.” At least I haven’t been hung up on yet so that’s a good sign.
The laughter gone, the voice on the other end gets serious. “You doing alright?”
I swallow the lump forming in my throat, trying my best to sound like the cocky, arrogant asshole he knows me to be, but even as I try to channel the old Jace, it’s just not in me to be that way anymore. “I’m okay, just got my ki—” I stop myself before I call Sam my kid, unsure what I’m even trying to ask. “I need some advice on how to deal with an asshole who is trying to screw over my girlfriend.”
Grant Adamson laughs again and I relax as he says, “Well, I definitely think I’m the man for that. Tell me what’s going on.”
“That’s what I figured.” Grant Adamson is a good, stand-up man and I’m glad that Colie has him to take care of her. As much as I loved her, still do to a degree, he’s the right man for her like Laurel is the woman for me…if I can figure this shit out. I quickly tell Grant all the details of Laurel’s custody battle, fostering Sam, and against my better judgment, I even tell him about Earl Floyd.
“Damn, Jace, that’s a lot you’ve got going on,” Grant says, letting out a low whistle.
I lean back on the swing, looking at the stars twinkling in the sky. “Tell me about it.”
“I can call my guy that found the information on you, see if he can find anything on this Darbis guy. If he’s as bad as you make him sound, he’s probably hiding something. As for the adoption thing, I think you know what to do, I don’t have to tell you that.”
He doesn’t mention the Earl Floyd situation and I don’t bring it up again. “Thanks, Adamson. I appreciate you taking the time to listen and calling your guy for me. Can I ask you one more thing?”
A baby cries in the background on his end of the phone, but he tells me to go ahead.
“Why didn’t you hang up when you answered? Why are you helping me out?”
The crying baby gets closer and there’s muffled sounds so I’m assuming Grant is picking the kid up. His voice gets soft and he speaks more evenly when he answers. “I’ve seen other players get consumed by the money, let it control them like it did you. You’re not a bad guy, Jace and I did what I had to do because you were hurting Colie and neither of us wanted that.”
I close my eyes and lean my elbows on my knees, digging my thumb and forefinger into my eyes as memories overwhelm me. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt her, you know that, right?” My voice is barely a whisper as I try to keep the tears from falling.
The crying stops on his end of the line. “I know and Colie knows too. We both forgive you so you need to forgive yourself now.”
Of all the obstacles I’m challenged with at the moment, forgiving myself for my actions is by far the most difficult of them all.
Laurel
I don’t even know why I’m sitting here in this courtroom any more. Day after day I’ve sat in this same spot listening to Adam’s lawyer tell the judge how horrible of a mother I am and I’m beginning to believe him myself. How the hell Grey survived this long is beyond me! Adam’s not messing around, he wants full custody and all of my parental rights terminated. If I honestly lose Grey, I have no clue how I’ll go on without him, my heart aches just thinking about it.
Aside from the time that I get to spend with Grey in the evening, the highlight of my day is riding back to the house with my parents. I see Jace sitting with them every day, it’s my only saving grace while I’m in that courtroom, knowing that I have his support. Of course, after the horrible things that Adam’s lied and said about me, I always wonder if Jace will show up again the next day but so far he has. As my father drives us back to my house, my mom chatters about how Jace and Sam are doing. It’s a relief to know that Jace finally got Sam to therapy and that he’s settling into a routine with him. The two of them are doing great so at least that’s one less worry of mine.
“Your honor, after spending the last few weeks listening to Mr. Darbis and his counsel slander my client’s reputation, I’d like to call a few character witnesses to attest to the type of mother Laurel Darbis actually is.”
I glance up at Trevor, surprised at what he’s saying. When we started this case, I didn’t expect things to get so dirty. We had a clear game plan that didn’t include building me up or tearing Adam down. Trevor never mentioned character witnesses so this is all new to me and I don’t have a clue who he’s calling to the stand.
Ashley walks down the aisle and takes the stand as Trevor reads her full name to the court and she’s sworn in. She gives a brief history of our relationship and of all people who know me, she’s the one that could tell even worse stories than Adam, but I know she wouldn’t dare breathe a word of any of the stupid, juvenile things we’ve done over the years.
“Ms. Darbis has been accused of having an affair with your
husband while she was still married. Can you tell us what you know about that?” Trevor asks, taking a drink of water.
Ashley leans forward, her lips turning down into a frown. “The situation that Adam is referring to is a blatant lie. My husband and I have no secrets, especially if it involves Laurel. If you want to talk about affairs though, maybe you should ask Mr. Darbis about the time his wife caught his secretary giving him fellatio under his desk.”
I clasp my hand over my mouth, trying to hide my giggle. On the opposite side of the room, Adam’s counsel is screaming “Objection!” like a broke record and I can feel his gaze burning into the side of my face. God, I love Ashley!
Of course she is quickly dismissed and for the next three hours, one parent after another from the baseball team takes the stand, not only testifying for my character but for Jace’s as well. It’s not news to me how well Jace works with the kids, but I had no idea the individualized attention he gave to each and every player. Every single parent admitted that they would be ecstatic to have Jace come back and coach next season and be a part of their child’s life again. The real shocker, which makes me feel like a horrible mother for not noticing this myself, is when three of the parents testify that they have overheard Adam condescend Grey, try to talk him into quitting baseball, and one even mentioned they saw Adam bop Grey on the back of the head. If it weren’t for the court officer in the room, I would have returned the action to Adam right this second.
The last witness steps off the stand and I’m feeling slightly better about the trial. The judge lifts her gavel and looks at both benches. “Do both sides rest? If so, we’ll adjourn for the day and in the morning, I’ll announce my decision.”
Adam smirks at me from across the aisle while his lawyer rambles to the judge rather than just answering yes or no. While he’s busy putting on a show, a lanky man dressed in black from head to toe taps Trevor’s shoulder and hands him a slip of paper. The two whisper back and forth for a few seconds and when Trevor reads the document, the man slips out of the back of the room.
The judge clears her throat. “Mr. O’Reilly? Do you rest your case?”
He continues skimming the words on the paper then looks up with a grin on his face. “Your honor, we were just notified of something that might drastically change the course of this case.” He glances down at me and my heart races. Trevor turns to the table across from us and looks directly at Adam. “Mr. Darbis, do you know someone by the name of Elliott Ash?”
All the color drains from Adam’s face and Trevor looks back at the judge. “We have one more witness to call tomorrow morning…unless Mr. Darbis would like to drop his case?”
I don’t know what the hell is going on, but judging from the glare that Adam is sending my way, I already want to thank this Elliott Ash fellow because I think he might have just saved my son for me.
CHAPTER 29
Jace
Shit! I pick up the pace as I jog down the hallway of the courthouse and straighten my tie. I slept through the alarm this morning and am just praying I can slip into the courtroom without drawing any attention to myself. Funny that I overslept since the only actual sleeping probably took place during the five minutes before the alarm and the ten minutes I slept through it. After Sam fell asleep last night, I spent three hours searching Elliott Ash before deciding to go to bed myself. Of course, I just tossed and turned, way too anxious for the case to continue and hopefully be over today.
There isn’t much on the Internet about Elliott Ash, but what I gathered is that he was some sort of real estate tycoon and now resides in one of the state’s finest correctional facilities. I didn’t find anything that linked Elliott and Adam together but since Adam works in the same profession, I’m sure the connection is obvious. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in court this morning and I just pray like hell that Laurel’s case ends soon so we can all be together again. Not to mention the time frame to file for Sam’s adoption is only a week away and she still knows nothing about it.
Only a few steps away from the door, my phone rings. Pulling it from my pocket, I glance down, ready to send the call to voicemail when I see it’s Camila. My pulses picks up and I hit answer without saying a word.
“Jace?” Camila’s voice on the other end of the line tells me she has news.
“Yeah…”
She giggles before going on. “I sent the recording to the commissioner months ago and he never responded. Then yesterday, I received a phone call from his office requesting a meeting with you in New York today. Apparently, you know how to keep your enemies close because his secretary mentioned that Grant Adamson was the reason he finally listened to the recording.”
My eyes burn at the news and a frenzied rush of emotions take over until her words set in. “Today?”
“Yes, today! Your flight leaves at noon so you need to leave for the airport now. Jace, you might actually be playing at spring training next year!”
She doesn’t try to hide her own excitement which is only going to make this that much harder. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t?” Gone is the giddiness, replaced with irritation.
“Look, Camila, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Seriously, you have no fuckin’ idea how much you saved my life, but if today is the only day he can meet with me, then I’m out.”
Camila’s voice goes up an octave as she squawks on the other end of the phone, trying to convince me to change my mind. I hit end on the call, I’m already late enough. Camila’s just going to have to be pissed at me, not to mention Evan Purser will probably kill me for so much as looking at Laurel, much less falling in love with her so I probably just screwed myself out of any more of their help.
I push the door open and slip inside without anyone noticing. As I take my seat beside Laurel’s parents, I note that the judge isn’t even in the room yet. Laurel looks stunning as ever with her hair pulled up into a tight bun. She’s wearing a straight, black pencil skirt and white blouse that makes me wish she dressed like this every day but then again, I really don’t because then she wouldn’t be the Laurel I fell in love with. While I’m busy checking her out and trying to convince myself I made the right choice, the judge makes her way into the room. We all stand until the bailiff tells us to take a seat and the judge begins the proceedings. Even from behind, it’s obvious that Trevor is giddy to get started, but Adam’s lawyer stands up before he can.
“Your honor, my client, Mr. Adam Darbis, would like to make a motion to grant full custody to his ex-wife, Ms. Laurel Darbis.”
Both Laurel and her mother let out loud gasps that can be heard over everyone else’s whispers. Mrs. Greyson reaches over and takes my hand, squeezing it tightly. Her other hand is tightly grasped around her husband’s. I smile, finally understanding what a parent’s love is all about, which is something I’ve never experienced until this moment.
“If Ms. Darbis agrees to relinquish all future alimony and child support payments from my client, he will sign over his parental rights.”
The courtroom is silent. Adam sits statuesque, not even looking in Laurel’s direction for any sort of an explanation. Mrs. Greyson’s grip gets tighter around my hand and I squeeze back, not sure what to expect to happen next. Trevor leans over, whispering to Laurel and shaking his head. Laurel leans away from him, obviously disagreeing and not wanting to further the conversation. Trevor lets out a sigh and stands up to address the court.
Very reluctantly, he nods. “Ms. Darbis agrees to the conditions.”
The judge purses her lips, thinking for a second before speaking to Adam. “Mr. Darbis, you are aware that by giving up your parental rights to your son that you cannot come back at a later date and try to gain any kind of custody.”
Adam’s head moves up and down but he doesn’t talk.
“If I allow this, you will not be able to see your son again unless his mother approves and if you try to make contact with Greyson without her permission, you will be subject t
o legal action. You understand all of this?”
Another quick nod of his head and the judge picks up her gavel. “Very well. I hereby grant full parental custody of Greyson Brody Darbis to his mother, Laurel Darbis. His father, Adam Darbis, is to have no contact with his ex-wife or his son unless it is through the court system. Ms. Darbis, you hereby waive any future alimony and child support payments from Mr. Darbis. This new agreement is effective immediately.”
The gavel slams down on her desk but not a single person moves. Despite the verdict that both Adam and Laurel agreed on, their lawyers both hang their heads in defeat. Adam continues to sit stoically, not making any movement to get up. I could do a fuckin’ backflip right now I’m so excited, but Laurel’s actions have me staying put. She sits still, only the shaking of her shoulders lets me know she heard the judge’s verdict. Coach gets out of his seat, moving to his little girl while Mrs. Greyson turns to hug me, tears flowing down her cheeks. I hug her close, wanting to celebrate with her but I keep my eyes on Laurel. No way in hell I’m letting her out of my sight with that asshole across the aisle.
The judge doesn’t hurry anyone along as she watches the scene unfold in front of her. I imagine it’s not a regular occurrence that a parent of Adam’s status voluntarily relinquishes his rights to be a father. Coach is just a few steps away from Laurel when Adam finally makes his move and closes the short distance between him and Laurel. I let go of Mrs. Greyson and move around her, walking quickly toward the tables myself.
Ready to beat his ass if he tries anything, I pause when he sets his hand on her shoulder and gives it a squeeze. Laurel moves her hand on top of his and looks up at him. The two meet eyes and Laurel mutters thank you. Adam simply nods before walking down the aisle and stopping in front of me. My body tenses and I straighten my shoulders, ready for whatever he wants to throw at me.
