A Mother's Conviction (Secrets Series Book 3)

by Karen Lenfestey

  Skye shrugged.

  “Would the dirty dishes stack up in the kitchen for days?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Were there cockroaches in the apartment?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Did you feel safe when you were in the apartment?”

  “Sure.”

  Melodie was probably wondering if Skye just didn’t remember how bad it was or if Conner had been exaggerating. She took a breath. “I’m sure you love both your parents, but if you had to choose, would you want to go home with your father or with your mother?”

  Skye’s eyes grew wide. Her fingers started twirling her hair again as she glanced from him to Gola. He hated to put his daughter through this.

  The judge leaned near Skye. “It’s all right. Don’t worry about hurting anyone’s feelings. Just tell the truth. Who would you rather live with?”

  Skye squirmed in her seat. “I just wanna go home.”

  Melodie tilted her head at Skye. “To which home do you want to go?”

  “Can’t I see both Mommy and Daddy?”

  “That’s what we’re here to decide. Thank you for answering all of my questions. You were great.” Melodie took a seat next to Conner and raised her eyebrows.

  Dressed in a gray suit and blue tie, Gola’s attorney stood and neared Skye. “Hello, Skye. I represent your mother. Do you know why you haven’t seen her for over two years?”

  “Because she was in the hospital.”

  “Right. After she got out of the hospital, do you know where she went?”

  Skye shook her head.

  “She was locked up because the accident was deemed to be her fault. She wanted to see you, but she couldn’t. Do you understand?”

  Skye’s forehead wrinkled and she started picking at her cast.

  The attorney steepled his fingers. “We’ll move on. Were you happy when you and your sister lived with your mother?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you feel as if your mother loved you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did your mother make sure you had clothes and shoes and everything you needed to go to school?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did your mother ever hit you?”

  “No.”

  “Did your mother ever yell at you?”

  “No.”

  “Did your father ever yell at you?”

  Skye looked at Conner and hesitated. He did yell when he was stressed out, but he regretted it later. He was doing his best. Surely Skye knew that. Hopefully the judge could see that.

  “Sometimes Daddy yells. But only when I do something stupid.”

  “Something stupid? Does your Daddy call you stupid?” The attorney’s eyes flashed like a pit bull’s.

  “Um, I don’t know what to say.” She fidgeted. “Daddy?”

  Conner tried to send warm thoughts her way with his eyes. He mouthed, “It’s okay.”

  The judge leaned toward Skye. “Answer the question. Does your father call you stupid?”

  Skye sighed. “When I climbed up the old ladder and fell, he asked why I’d do something so stupid. I should’ve known better. I’m sorry, Daddy.”

  Deep down, he worried how this would make him look. He’d never call his daughter stupid. He just didn’t understand her actions sometimes. He only wanted to keep her safe.

  “Skye, if you lived with your mother, you would live in Tennessee again. You could live together with your little sister. Would you like that?”

  Melodie slapped the table. “Objection.”

  The judge shook his head. “Overruled.”

  “I wanna see Willow. I miss my sister.”

  The attorney straightened his cobalt tie. “So, you would rather live with your mother and sister than continue living with your father.”

  Skye pulled on her hair so tight it made Conner cringe. “Do we have to put her through this?”

  Melodie tapped his wrist to quiet him down. “Your honor, I believe Skye has answered enough questions for you to make your ruling. We would only like to point out that Mr. Walker never called his daughter names, but may have called her behavior something negative.”

  Conner appreciated Melodie’s confidence in him. He hoped the judge could see that he cared more for Skye than Gola did. Surely living on a farm in a small town was a safer environment than in any place Gola could afford.

  The judge pointed his gavel to the back of the room. “I am ready to rule. Take a seat over there, young lady.”

  Conner watched as Skye moved past him and sat next to that strange woman who’d brought her there.

  The judge cleared his throat. “As usual, child custody cases break my heart almost as much as they break the children’s. It is my duty to weigh the evidence and determine which household would be the best in this situation. I believe a girl benefits from living with her mother, who can teach her the ways of the world, in a way that a man can’t.”

  Conner clasped his hands together so tight he cut off the circulation. In his mind’s eye, he pictured jumping up and grabbing Skye to make a break for it. He knew he wouldn’t get far, but he’d at least try.

  The judge cleared his throat and looked at the file in front of him. “In this case the minor child has suffered injuries while under the care of both parents. First a serious car accident and now repeated bone breaks. Child protective services has been called on both parents.” He shook his head. “I have half a mind to place this child in permanent foster care.”

  The air left Conner’s lungs and he struggled to breathe.

  The judge stroked his long jaw. “But the law does not support such a decision unless there is eminent danger. I do believe in this case both parents have been neglectful due to alcohol abuse. Neither one is still under the influence, so I must make a decision based upon those facts. I believe it is in the best interest of Skye Kaylee Walker to have both parents involved in her life.”

  That wasn’t an option. Conner’s heart beat faster. What was the judge doing? Twisting around, he studied his daughter’s precious face. He could grab her and run. He could and he would if necessary.

  “The child deserves consistency and love. For those reasons, I rule that the parents will share custody with primary physical custody remaining with the father, Conner Walker. For the last two and a half years, he has provided a safe and loving home. But a girl needs her mother. Therefore, Gola Moon may have the minor child for overnight visits once a month, alternating holidays, and for six weeks in the summer.” He slammed his gavel.

  “No!” Gola screamed.

  Conner rose when Melodie did, but his attention remained focused on Skye. Once the judge exited the room, Conner ran over to kiss his daughter’s dark crown. He savored the peach scent of her hair. “I missed you. Are you okay?” She nodded and he hugged her tight.

  Gola bickered with her lawyer for a minute, then made her way over to Skye. “Hi, honey. Can Momma have a hug?”

  Skye pulled away from Conner and fell into her mother’s arms. “I thought you were dead.” Tears started streaming down her chubby cheeks. “Why didn’t you call me?”

  Gola wiped the girl’s tears with her thumb. “I wanted to. Believe me, I wanted to call, but I didn’t know where you were.” She shot Conner a dirty look. “You kept moving all the time. But I hired someone to track you down and that’s why we’re together now. If it’d been up to your dad, he would’ve kept us apart forever.”

  Now that he’d won primary custody, Conner allowed the guilt to drown him. Jerking Skye around from town to town had been wrong. Letting her think Gola was dead was wrong, too. He’d had his reasons, but living without lies would be a welcome change. Thank God he could keep Skye with him. “I’m glad to see you’re sober, Gola.”

  She bolted upright. “Go to hell!”

  He didn’t respond. All that mattered was he and Skye were going to stay together.

  Skye tugged on Gola’s shirt. “Where’s Willow? Where’s Willow? I wanna see my sister!”
>
  “I don’t have her yet, Skye, but I’m gonna get her back.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  A scream came from the courtroom and Bethany sat up straighter. She stared at the wooden door, waiting. Checking her watch, she clocked eleven minutes before the two attorneys exited the room. She stood. When she didn’t see anybody else come out, she cautiously opened the door and peeked in. The judge’s seat was vacant, so she walked inside.

  Gola and Conner huddled around Skye near the back. Beth couldn’t believe how Skye had grown. She was at least an inch or two taller and she seemed to have thinned out a bit while retaining her chubby cheeks.

  Part of her longed to rush forward and hug the girl, but she knew her place. This was a family matter and she would respect Gola as she interacted with her daughter for the first time in years.

  Wiping away a tear with her sleeve, Gola talked to her daughter, but Beth couldn’t hear what she was saying. Conner had a relaxed look on his face, so she assumed that he’d won. If he had, did that mean something was revealed in court today that meant Gola was an unfit mother? Beth worried on her lower lip.

  Finally, Conner gestured that he was ready to take Skye home. Gola hesitated and started sobbing some more. Skye was crying, too. Beth’s chest tightened with empathy.

  Hanging back, she followed the three of them out into the marble-floored hall.

  As Conner and Skye headed down the hall, she stepped toward Gola and whispered, “Sorry” without thinking. The two women paused outside the courtroom. “Are you going to stay here for a while or would you like a ride to my house?”

  Gola rubbed her sleeve under her nose. Beth figured the woman hadn’t had access to tissues in over two years, so she forgave her the uncouth action. The ex-con looked at Beth with watery brown eyes. “I—I don’t know. I can’t believe he took away my baby, my first-born.”

  Nervously, Beth glanced toward Conner and Skye, who were entering the stairwell. She wanted to talk to them more than she wanted to comfort Gola, so she rushed over. “Skye? It’s me. Bethany.”

  At the top of the stairs, Skye stood frozen, staring at her. Her eyes were rimmed in red. “Beth?”

  Beth moved closer and bent her knees to be at the girl’s eye level. “How have you been?” It was a dumb question and she regretted it as soon as she said it.

  “My momma’s still alive.” The girl’s face was stoic.

  Her father never should’ve lied to her, Beth thought. “Wow. That’s great.”

  “But she lives so far away, I’ll never see her.”

  Beth squeezed the girl’s shoulder. “You can write each other letters and talk on the phone, I’m sure.” Assuming Conner would let her. She wasn’t sure. He seemed to hate Gola, but hopefully he could get past that for his daughter’s sake. At least he wouldn’t need to keep running anymore.

  “We can Skype, too.”

  “Right.” Kids today were so tech-savvy. Beth touched her cast. “You broke your arm again?”

  The girl looked sheepish. “It was my fault. I was looking for my cat and I climbed an old ladder.”

  Beth shook her head. “You have to be more careful. It looks like you could use some signatures. May I?” She dug in her purse and all she could find was a pen—no marker—which meant she had a hard time writing on the rough surface. She wrote “Your friend, Beth.” Then she added her phone number. “Call me whenever you want. I’d love to hear from you.”

  For the first time, Skye smiled. “Really?”

  “Of course. I’ve missed you. I’m sure you’ve been hearing that a lot today, but it’s because you’re a special little girl.” A million thoughts ran through Beth’s mind. “Are you still doing yo-yo tricks?”

  The child nodded.

  Conner tousled Skye’s hair. “It’s good to see you, Beth, and thanks for coming, but I’d really like to get my daughter home. It’s been a long week.”

  Beth swallowed her emotions. “Right.” She reached around and gently hugged the girl, careful not to crush her cast. “I mean it. Call me. Maybe I can even visit sometime.” Raising to her 5’4” height, she had to tilt her head up to make eye contact with Conner. “Can I have your number too?”

  Probably out of habit, he hesitated. He gestured for her to loan him her pen, then wrote his contact information on a scrap of paper he dug out of his pocket. Then they left her and Gola alone in the hallway.

  Her thumb pointed toward the stairs as she looked at Gola. “I’m going to take off. You want a ride?”

  Gola shook her head. “I’m not ready yet.”

  “Okay.” Relieved that Gola hadn’t accepted her offer, Beth rushed out of the courthouse. She couldn’t help but feel that they were vying for the title of Willow’s Favorite Mom. On the drive home, she pondered whether she really could hand her foster child over. Was it the right thing to do? If a judge decided Conner deserved custody over Gola, would the woman really win a custody fight against Beth? Did a six-year-old need her birth mother more than Beth’s devotion and the middle-class comforts she could provide? Did a six-year-old really know what was best for her?

  As soon as she pulled up to her father’s house, Beth rushed in and gave Willow an extra-long hug. It occurred to her that Willow’s hair was the same midnight color as her sister’s and smelled just as fresh and clean.

  Beth didn’t tell her that she’d seen Gola or Skye. It didn’t seem fair.

  Even though she was hungry, she turned down dinner with her father, and took Willow home. After going through the bedtime routine, Beth sat on the couch alone while Willow murmured to her stuffed Winnie the Pooh down the hall. Sometimes she did that before she fell asleep.

  Meanwhile, Beth kicked herself for all the things she hadn’t said or done. If she’d hadn’t been forced to leave her cell phone in the car, she could’ve taken Skye’s picture. If she would’ve thought about it, she could’ve given Skye a photo of Willow. Now the two sisters would never live together. A sharp pain stabbed her in the chest as she considered their fates.

  Someone rapped softly on her door. Part of her hoped it was Parker, even though she needed to stop thinking about him so much. She needed to separate from him emotionally, to make it less painful to move away. Easier said than done.

  Through the peephole, her eyes confirmed that it was her boyfriend. Smiling, she opened the door. “How was your trip?”

  “Good.” Instead of roses, he held what looked like a magazine. He stepped inside and gave her a peck on the lips. “I brought you an apartment guide.” He held it flat in front of her, his hands twitching a little.

  “Thanks.” She tried to take it, but he didn’t let go. “I marked the page of a place I think you’ll really like.”

  Now that she looked closer, there seemed to be a bump inside the catalog. She stuck her finger in the gap and opened the booklet. There sat a gold band with a giant square-cut diamond on it. She gasped. “What’s this?”

  “Bethany Morris, I love you. I know I haven’t always been there for you, but I promise I will be devoted to you until the day I die.”

  Her throat grew dry. She knew that day could come within the next ten years and it caused her eyes to water. “But you insisted that you never wanted to get married.”

  “When you said you were moving away, I realized I wanted to go with you. I don’t want to stay in Indiana if you’re not here. I don’t ever want to be without you again.” He picked up the ring and dropped the magazine on the floor.

  “What about Africa?” She was so sick of him abandoning her to go on his trips. It’d be different if he had another forty or fifty years, but she wanted him to be with her for the short time he had left.

  “I’m not going to Africa anymore. I can write checks from here.” He knelt down on one knee. With shaking hands, he placed the diamond on her finger. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife? I’ll move with you to Tennessee or wherever you want.”

  She chewed on her lower lip and blinked away the tears. He’d co
mpletely caught her off-guard with this proposal. Her knees buckled and he jumped up to catch her. She felt so safe in his arms. Words refused to form in her throat.

  A moment later, his warm lips caressed hers and his woodsy cologne stirred a familiar longing inside of her. They kissed so passionately, she thought they might end up naked on the couch. But Willow was home, so she pulled away and gestured to indicate they weren’t alone.

  “You still haven’t answered me,” he said.

  “What was the question again?” Giggling, she studied the stone.

  “Will you marry me?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Absolutely yes.” Holding the ring up to the light, she admired the way it sparkled. “It’s beautiful. Oh, my gosh. I have to tell my mom.” She grabbed the phone and dialed. It rang and rang. No answer. No voicemail. Nothing. She dialed again and when she didn’t get through, she tossed the phone onto the couch. “I want to tell somebody!”

  “Do you think Willow’s still awake?”

  “Maybe.” Beth followed as he walked quietly down the hall and peered into the girl’s room. The hallway light cast a long shadow of his six-foot frame.

  The child sat upright. “Parker!” Apparently, she was still awake.

  He went in and sat on the edge of her bed. “Hey there. I missed you.” He reached around and gave her a hug.

  “I missed you, too. Did you bring me a souvenir?”

  Beth cringed. He’d brought Willow an African rain stick and some handmade dolls from his charity trips, so apparently now the girl expected gifts every time he went away.

  He shook his head. “Sorry. But I have an important question to ask you.”

  Willow positioned Winnie the Pooh as if he were listening, too.

  “I wanted to ask you how you’d feel if Beth and I got married.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I love her.”

  She giggled. “I know that. Why are you asking me?”

  “Because it would affect you, too. We’d all live together.”

  “Would you be my dad?”

  He paused. “Do you want me to be?”

  “I never had a dad. At least not that I remember.” She squeezed Winnie the Pooh to her chest. “Would you push me on my swing?”