“We’d dated for years when we were younger, Emma. That’s completely different. We already knew we were in love because we’d never stopped loving each other.”
They sat in silence for a moment listening to Sadie’s laughter as Tank raced around her.
“Do you love him?”
Emma pretended she didn’t hear him.
“I’m not going to stop asking until you tell me, so you can quit ignoring me.”
“This isn’t really something I want to talk about with my brother. I just wanted to vent about everything that’s going on, not sit and discuss my love life.”
“It’s a simple question, Emma.”
She glanced over at her brother who was staring at her intently. Nodding her head slowly, she closed her eyes so she couldn’t see his reaction. “I think I do.”
When Jack didn’t say anything, she opened her eyes and saw him smiling at her. “You look like you’re being sent to prison, not admitting you’re in love.”
She wanted to punch him, but decided against it since they were in a public place. “Well, I’ve never been in love before. Not like this. It scares me, and confuses me. I don’t know what to do about it. When I offered to marry him, he said he wouldn’t let me do that just because I was being forced into it. He said if we do get married, it’ll be for the right reasons.”
Jack was watching her, waiting for her to continue. “And?”
“And what?”
“And why does that upset you? I think it makes a lot of sense.”
“It doesn’t upset me. It just confuses me. I thought he’d want to marry me. He’s admitted he’s always had feelings for me, so I can’t understand why he doesn’t want to marry me. And now he could lose his niece because he’s being stubborn.”
“Emma, from what you’ve told me, it sounds like he didn’t have a very stable home when he was growing up. Maybe he just wants to make sure when he marries, it’s done out of love. Maybe he just wants to know that the person he’s chosen to spend his life with is in it for the long haul, and not doing something as a favor.”
Her heart clenched tightly as Jack said the words that had been playing on her own mind.
“I know it sounds silly, Jackson, but that’s exactly what worries me. If he loved me, he’d have been happy to marry me.”
“Have you told him how you feel? You know, it’s not always easy to know how you women are thinking.”
“Trust me, you men are no picnic to try and understand either.” She leaned back against the bench and crossed her arms in front of her.
Just then, Sadie ran over, with Tank in hot pursuit. She was still laughing and almost tripped as the dog careened in front of her to make his way to the bench.
“You’re right, he sure does love to play Frisbee. My arm is tired from having to throw it so much.” She was breathing heavily from the amount of running she’d been doing.
Emma laughed. “I told you, when you’re with Tank, if you throw that Frisbee, you’d better plan to throw it a hundred more times. He doesn’t know when to quit.”
Tank plopped down on the ground, finally played out. Sadie sat beside Emma and bent over to pet him. “He’s so cute. I wish I had a dog.”
Something so simple, and that most kids were able to do—have a pet of their own.
“Well, this guy needs to be looked after a lot when I’m working. And even if I’m not, if you ever want to come have a play with him, I think he’d love that very much.”
Sadie’s eyes lit up and a smile spread across her whole face. “For real?”
Jack laughed and looked down at the black lab who was now lying on the ground with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth, panting as he fell asleep. “What do you say, Tank? Would you like to have Sadie over to play sometimes?”
Tank lifted his head slightly and pounded his tail against the ground in excitement, knowing they were talking about him.
“Are you two brother and sister?” Sadie was now looking at them with a thoughtful expression.
“Yes, we are. Although I don’t like to admit it sometimes.” Emma slapped Jack on the arm when he spoke, making Sadie bring her hand up to her mouth and laugh.
“Jackson, that’s not funny. Yes, Sadie, he’s my older brother, even if he does act like a child most of the time.”
“My mom and Uncle Cooper were brother and sister.”
Emma’s body tensed, and she could feel Jack doing the same beside her as they waited to let her say what was on her mind.
“He’s all I have left to remind me of my mom, and I love him so much. I’m glad she had him for a brother.”
The simple reasoning and thoughts of a child, so innocently expressed. She didn’t understand the fight her uncle was going up against to make sure she got to stay with the one person who did love her.
Jack’s eyes met Emma’s, and she could see he’d just found himself ready to do battle for this little girl too.
Seventeen
Cooper’s eyes met his fathers across the courtroom, and it took all his strength to stay in his seat. The day he’d left home with his sister, he’d hoped he’d never have to set eyes on that man again.
And he’d never thought he’d have to. His dad hadn’t even bothered to try finding them when they’d left, but his sister had still been caught in the life their father led. He knew she’d gone back to see him when she’d gotten older, hoping desperately that somehow she could have the father and daughter relationship she craved so badly.
Cooper had tried so hard to get his sister free, but he’d failed her. And that’s exactly why he wasn’t going to fail his niece. He wasn’t going to let her end up with that man.
He wasn’t sure why his father was suddenly so intent on getting custody of his granddaughter, when he’d never shown any interest up until now. But Cooper suspected it was for no other reason than to spite him.
While they waited for the judge, he looked around and saw Emma sitting just behind him. As his eyes moved, he noticed quite a few other faces he recognized. He knew his uncle was here, staying with Sadie in the back room while she waited to speak to the judge. But as his eyes scanned the crowd, he noticed Emma’s parents were on one side of her, and Jack and Erin were on the other side. Bri and Anthony were right behind them, as were just about every other Roberts he’d met in the time he’d been dating Emma.
He whipped his gaze back to Emma, who smiled and shrugged. Swallowing hard, he turned back to face the front.
While he appreciated the show of family solidarity, which was something he’d never experienced before in his life, he also knew they were all now about to witness the shame of his past. The family who had always had everything, and were an upstanding pillar of Silver Springs society were about to hear about the circumstances he’d grown up with.
After that, he doubted any of them would want Emma being with him.
The case started with the judge reading out the breakdown of what they were all there for, and naming the people who were applying for custody of Sadie Levine.
His father’s lawyer sent up the paperwork from Sadie’s father, Brian signing custody over to her grandfather, Harold Levine.
When the judge asked his father questions, he put on a good show of being the wounded grandfather who’d been denied access to see his only grandchild.
Cooper had to clamp his lips together hard to keep from yelling out and letting the judge and the world know the truth.
He listened to him say how he’d fought his addiction, and had been clean now for years, and wanted a second chance with his family. Every word he spoke was a lie.
Finally, the judge turned to Cooper and addressed him.
“You’ve been the sole caregiver for the child since her mother, your sister, passed away, is that correct?”
“Yes, Your Honor. My sister asked me to take over the care of her daughter when she was in the hospital. She was dying from ovarian cancer, and had been placed in hospice care, so she knew she wasn’t g
oing home.” The pain of that memory ripped through his chest.
“Do you have any written documents that show your right to guardianship?” The judge was looking at him over the tops of his glasses.
“No, unfortunately, as the cancer took over, my sister didn’t have much strength to write anything like that down. She’d never done up a will or anything, but since I’d been caring for her and her daughter pretty much since Sadie was born, it was just always known she would live with me. We never thought there would ever be an issue since the father had never wanted to be involved with Sadie before.”
“Are you married?”
Cooper swallowed. “No.”
The judge looked at his father. “Are you married?”
His father nodded smugly, obviously believing this would give him some kind of advantage. “Yes, I remarried a few years ago, and can offer a loving home with a real family.”
Cooper tried not to laugh out loud. He felt sorry for the new wife, knowing the life that was ahead for her.
“Your Honor, I’m not married, but I can provide a good home for Sadie, and that’s what matters.” Cooper had to speak up.
“This man never provided a good home for his own children, so I have my doubts he will be able to do so now. He left his own children to find food to eat each day, and take care of themselves while he shot up in front of them. He beat his wife, and children regularly, until I was able to get us away from him.”
“You’re lying. I wasn’t a perfect father but I tried. You were just a bad kid who didn’t want to follow any orders from your old man. You thought you were better than me. And I’ve cleaned myself up and have made my amends.”
“Your amends to who? Because mom and Carla are both gone, so it’s too late for that. And you sure as hell have never made any amends to me.”
The judge banged his gavel on the desk. Cooper’s stomach roiled as he realized he’d lost his temper and gotten caught up in his father’s drama, exactly like the man had hoped. Now, he’d probably hurt his own case. His whole body shook with anger as he fought from going over and dragging his father outside and settling things the way his old man had always done it.
“I’m sorry, Your Honor. I just thought it was best for you to know the whole truth of what I grew up with before you decided the fate of my niece. She deserves a chance at a good life, which is something that man will never provide for her.”
His father was about to argue, but his lawyer reached out and placed his hand on his arm, shaking his head. The smug smile he threw his way sent chills down his spine. They thought they’d already won.
The judge was flipping through some papers, and Cooper wasn’t even sure he was listening to him anymore. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that somehow, signed documents and paperwork were going to hold more weight in this case than words.
It didn’t matter that Cooper had cared for Sadie since she was born, or that he was the only family Sadie knew.
Maybe he should have married Emma when she’d suggested it. It might have given him a better chance.
“All right, I’ve heard everything I need. I’m going to go back and speak to Sadie. The lawyers for each party can be present.”
Cooper’s stomach churned. He dropped his head into his hands as the judge left the room. Sam put his hand on Cooper’s shoulder and squeezed it, obviously trying to let him know that he would be doing everything he could back there on Cooper’s behalf. If it wasn’t too late.
This wasn’t at all what he’d expected to happen today. He’d hoped to be able to let the judge know about all his father’s past, and his history, to make sure the man saw there was no way he could send a young child to live with him.
But he hadn’t been given the chance. And now Sadie was in a room, probably terrified of saying the wrong thing, with a stranger asking her questions that would affect her future.
A door at the back opened, and a man in uniform came over to the table. “The judge has asked Sadie if she’d like to have someone present with her during the questioning. But it can’t be family or either party in the dispute. Sadie has asked if Emma can come in with her. Is Emma here today?”
Cooper turned and saw her standing immediately. “I’m here. My name is Emma Roberts.” She was already walking to the table, ready to follow the man back into the judge’s chambers.
Relief washed over Cooper as he realized at least Sadie wouldn’t be alone. Emma would take care of her. Without hesitation, the woman he loved had stepped up and made sure Sadie felt safe.
As he watched her back go through the door, with her head held high and her hair hanging down in waves over her shoulders, he knew Sadie was in good hands.
* * *
Emma came back through the door first, with Sam and the other lawyer right behind her. She smiled at him and nodded as she went back to her seat.
The judge came through the door next and went to sit in his chair.
“I’ve spoken with Sadie, and read through the many character reference sheets from the members of the Roberts family, as well as conducting criminal record checks. Since I see you do have a criminal past in dealing with dangerous drugs, I’m going to ask you to provide us with a blood sample to check for any drugs in your system.” The judge looked at his father, who immediately jumped from his chair and pounded his fist on the table.
“I don’t need to have a drug test. I told you I’m clean now, and obviously Sadie’s father trusts that I will offer the care she needs. I have signed documents from the child’s father that I am to have sole custody.”
The judge watched his father calmly, waiting until he was finished speaking.
“Sir, I don’t care if you have papers signed by the President of the United States. If I suspect there is any chance of drug use, I have the right to conduct a drug test. The welfare of that young girl I just spoke to is what matters, not what her absentee father thinks is best. Now, are you willing to take the test?”
“And what if I’m not?”
Cooper could tell the judge was getting angry. “Very well. I’ve reached my decision.” Keeping his eyes on his father, he continued. “In all my years on the bench, I can honestly say I’ve seen the worst of society trying to do horrific things for who knows what reasons. But for you and another man who has spent most of his life in jail to think you could come in here and take custody of a child you’ve never cared about until this point in time is the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever witnessed.”
The judge turned to Cooper. “Young man, Sadie has told me how much you have cared for her, and she’s made it very clear she doesn’t ever want to leave you. You stepped up and did what was right for her, and I commend you for doing what you’ve done. After reading character statements from various members of the Roberts family, your uncle, and other community members, I feel confident you’re someone who will provide a loving and safe environment for your niece to grow up in. I’m granting you sole custody of your niece Sadie Levine.”
As the gavel came down, and his father started to yell for a mistrial, Cooper turned in disbelief. Emma threw herself into his arms, and he swung her around. Jack walked from behind and slapped him on the shoulder, nodding as the family made their way out of the courtroom.
“I knew it. There was no way they were going to let Sadie be handed over to a man she doesn’t even know, and who doesn’t have her interests at heart.” Emma pulled back, grinning up at him.
“I had no idea anyone had written character statements for me.” His chest tightened with emotion as he realized what they had all done to help him.
Emma shrugged. “My family all asked what they could do to help. Since they’ve all met you at least once, most of them were able to give a good character reference to help the judge come to the right decision.”
“We need to let Sadie know. She’s been so worried.” Cooper turned to shake Sam’s hand. “Thank you for everything.”
“Well, that’s what family does. And I’d say by the way my cous
in looks at you, you’re almost family anyway.”
Cooper noticed Emma’s cheeks turn a slight shade of red as she hugged her cousin.
Taking Emma’s hand, they turned, ready to walk out of the courtroom behind everyone else. Just then, his uncle Chuck came racing in. Where was Sadie? Cooper couldn’t see her anywhere.
The look on his uncle’s face sent his stomach plummeting. Something was wrong.
“Cooper, she just said she had to go to the washroom. I never thought anything of it. I was sitting in the room waiting, but she never came back.”
Eighteen
It felt like they’d been searching for hours, with every minute that passed leaving her heart more hollow. Sadie was only ten-years-old, and she was out there somewhere on her own. The worst part was not knowing where, or if she was all right.
The police had already been contacted and were searching, making sure if it was something more sinister than a little girl running away, they were on top of it.
But Emma somehow just knew Sadie had been too afraid to find out what would happen in that courtroom, and had left before she was forced to go with a man who was a stranger to her.
She’d been too scared to trust that the system would work for her.
“We have to get back out there. I’m not hungry.” Cooper’s voice was strained with worry.
“Listen, I know it’s hard to be doing nothing even for a few minutes, but you won’t be any help to her if you’re passing out from hunger. We’ll just quickly grab a sandwich and then go back out. Katie has made a bunch for all of us.” Emma looked around as they stepped inside the coffee shop and felt a grip in her chest when she saw her parents, aunts, uncles, all her cousins, and some townsfolk, milling around and eating sandwiches while they discussed where they’d looked, and what the next plan was.
Bri came over and hugged her, and her husband Anthony came up behind. “We’ve looked all over by the B&B, but will do another walk through of the whole three block radius. We put out a call over the airwaves at the radio station too, so everyone’s looking out for her,” Bri said.
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