Home in Carolina

by Sherryl Woods

  “I don’t care if he’s a candidate for sainthood—it’s too little and way too late,” Ty said heatedly. “She can’t just waltz in and turn my son’s life upside down.” He heard the hardhearted way he sounded and tried to calm down and focus on Trevor and whether or not it was time to let his mom into his life. He knew he simply couldn’t do that until he knew more.

  Reining in his temper, he said, “Okay, what else? Your expression tells me there’s more.”

  Jay nodded. “Look, I’m no family court lawyer, so you need to tell Tom Bristol everything I’ve told you. He’ll know best whether a judge is likely to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

  “But you think that’s likely, don’t you?” Ty said, the churning in his gut worsening.

  “She made a compelling case to me,” Jay told him. “She says she wasn’t even twenty when she had Trevor, that she had no job and she panicked at the thought of raising him all on her own, so she gave him to you because she knew you’d be able to provide for him. Now with her life stable and a marriage coming up in a few months, she’s ready to handle the responsibilities of motherhood in a way she couldn’t back then.”

  Jay met his gaze and said quietly, “I think you’d better sit down before I tell you the rest.”

  Ty gave him an incredulous look and kept pacing. “Just spit it out,” he ordered, his heart thudding dully in his chest.

  “She says because she’s going to be in a steady, permanent relationship and you’re not, she should be considered for full custody.”

  Ty stopped in his tracks. “Over my dead body,” he said, his fury so overwhelming he could barely get the words out.

  “Calm down,” Jay said. “Again, you need to go over all of this with Tom. Personally, I don’t think any judge will agree to full custody after what she did three years ago, but there’s certainly every chance she’ll be granted generous visitation rights.”

  Ty tried to imagine his son slowly but surely being wooed away from him by a woman on a mission to reclaim him. It simply couldn’t happen. He loved Trevor. He’d raised him. No way was he going to allow his son to be stolen away from him. That Dee-Dee would even suggest going after full custody simply proved how selfish she was.

  Of course, a voice in his head nagged, perhaps he was being no better, trying to keep his son to himself.

  “Good God, what a mess,” he muttered, raking a hand through his hair. “What am I supposed to do, Jay? Take my son and leave the country? I can’t let someone as irresponsible as Dee-Dee take him away from me. Visitations—preferably supervised—I suppose I can work that out, but that’s it. That’s as far as I’ll go, at least until Dee-Dee’s proved she’s trustworthy.”

  “Okay, you need to focus here. A kid needs a relationship with his mother. Agreed?”

  “If the circumstances are right, yes,” Ty conceded reluctantly.

  “Then it won’t help anyone if you go running off and do something crazy. Right now, you have a strong case. You’ve been Trevor’s sole parent for most of his life, but if you do anything to make a judge question your parenting or your maturity, things could change in a hurry. Tom will tell you the same thing when you talk to him. I know that much.”

  Trevor stuck to his guns. “There’s no way I’m going to calm down until someone proves to me that Dee-Dee has changed. Then we’ll have something to talk about.”

  “I’m sure Tom has investigators who’ll be able to get you proof one way or the other. Let them do their job, Ty.” He regarded Ty with sympathy. “Look, I know how much you adore that little boy and that, in the end, you’ll do the right thing, whatever it turns out to be.”

  Jay seemed to be giving him more credit than he deserved. Right now anger and fear were all twined together.

  “I want to win,” Ty corrected. “I want to protect Trevor from a woman who’d abandon a tiny, defenseless baby in front of my hotel-room door.” It was an image he doubted he would ever get out of his head, no matter how much Dee-Dee had changed from the reckless, selfish woman she’d been back then.

  “I have to get out of here,” he told Jay. “I need to speak to Tom and get him on this.” He stood up, ready to bolt, then turned back. “Look, I appreciate you being an intermediary with Dee-Dee. I have no idea why she called you. More than likely, it was because she knew you’d always know how to get in touch with me, but I appreciate that you’re caught in the middle now. I’ll try to take over from here on out.”

  “No big deal,” Jay said. “Part of my job is to have your back, no matter what comes along. This is going to be okay, Ty.”

  As he left the office, Ty wished he had Jay’s confidence. It wasn’t until he was in the elevator of the high-rise on his way down that he leaned back, closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.

  This couldn’t be happening. Trevor was his son. Dee-Dee had given up her claim to him. She’d given up any right to call herself his mother. She might have carried him for nine months, but the second she’d realized that he didn’t come with Ty as a bonus, she’d lost interest. Surely any judge would see this sudden turnaround for the joke it was.

  As soon as the elevator stopped, Ty emerged and crossed the building’s fancy marble lobby, anxious to get outside into the fresh air and sunshine. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed before he thought about what he was doing.

  At the sound of Annie’s voice, he sucked in a sharp breath. He knew this call should have been to his family law attorney, but it was Annie’s voice he’d needed to hear.

  “Hello?” she said again with a touch more impatience.

  “Annie, it’s Ty.”

  “Oh.” Her voice had gone flat.

  He knew then that he couldn’t dump all of this on her. They’d barely exchanged a few dozen civilized words in weeks now. How could he suddenly tell her about Dee-Dee and a looming custody battle? What did he expect her to do? Listen? Sympathize? Offer advice?

  At his silence, she asked, “Did you need something?”

  “I just came out of a meeting and you were on my mind,” he said. “I shouldn’t have called.”

  There was a faint hesitation, but then she said, “It’s okay. Didn’t the meeting go well?”

  “It was a disaster,” he said.

  “So naturally you thought of me,” she said wryly.

  He chuckled. “I guess because you’re usually so good at putting things into perspective.”

  “I suppose I could do that, if you want to tell me what happened.”

  Surprised by her willingness, he suddenly didn’t want to spoil the rare moment of peace between them by bringing up a topic that was bound to ruin it. He backed up to the meeting he’d had earlier in the day at team headquarters.

  “The team trainer was on my case about the progress I’m making, or more specifically, not making. He thinks I’d be better off doing rehab back here.” All of which was true. He’d just dismissed the idea.

  “Maybe you would be,” she said.

  Ty couldn’t quite tell if that was relief or disappointment he heard in her voice. She’d grown too good at hiding her emotions, at least from him.

  “Come on, you know you’d miss me if I left,” he teased, keeping his tone light.

  “Your mom certainly would,” she said, evading his point.

  “Nice dodge,” he said. “One of these days, you’re going to let down your guard and admit you still care about me.”

  “Don’t count on it,” she said.

  It seemed to Ty there was less venom in her voice than usual. He took heart from that.

  “I need to go,” she told him. “I have a client waiting.”

  “Okay. I’ll probably see you tomorrow.”

  “Bye.”

  Before she could hang up, he called out to her.

  “Yes?” she said.

  “Thanks for taking my call.” Oddly enough, even though he’d never even mentioned why he’d originally made it, he felt better just for having heard her voice. He just wished he could count
on her being by his side for this custody battle that was looming on the horizon.

  Thoroughly flustered by her conversation with Ty and the unexpected lack of hostility on her part, she turned to find Maddie regarding her with curiosity.

  “Was that Ty?” Maddie asked.

  Annie nodded.

  “I haven’t heard from him since he left town yesterday and yet he called you? Why is that?”

  “I have no idea,” Annie said. “Take it up with him if he’s not checking in the way you think he should.”

  Maddie chuckled. “Do you really think I care about that? I just want to know when you two started speaking again. This time yesterday you barely exchanged two words.”

  “Don’t make too much of this. I have no idea why he called me. He said something about a tough meeting with the team trainer, who wants him to go back to Atlanta for rehab.”

  Maddie stared at her incredulously. “Well, that’s obviously why. In his own roundabout way he was trying to get you to offer to take over his rehab. Did you agree to do it?”

  “He didn’t ask.”

  “Of course he didn’t ask directly,” Maddie said impatiently. “He thought you’d volunteer, or at least he hoped you would.”

  “Well, I didn’t. I told him maybe he would do better in Atlanta.”

  Maddie looked horrified by that. “Annie, what were you thinking? He belongs here.”

  “Hold on a second, Maddie,” Annie said quietly. “I understand why you’d want that, but the resources he needs are in Atlanta. Keeping him here is selfish. We should all be thinking about what’s best for Ty and his shoulder, isn’t that right?”

  For a moment, Maddie looked stunned by Annie’s reasoning. “Yes, of course,” she said at last, but there were tears in her eyes.

  Annie felt awful when those tears spilled down Maddie’s cheeks. Awkwardly she gave her a hug. “I’m sorry. I should have kept my big mouth shut, especially when it doesn’t matter what I think. Ty’s determined to stay right here.”

  “Really?” Maddie asked, her expression brightening.

  Annie grinned and gave her a tissue. “See, you didn’t need to get all worked up. He never listens to me, anyway.”

  “Oh, sweetie, that’s not true. Your opinion is probably the only one that matters.”

  Annie doubted that, but she felt better for having reassured Maddie.

  “Now even you can see why it’s more important than ever for you to take over his rehab,” Maddie told her. “No more excuses, Annie. Ty’s counting on you and so am I.”

  Gee, pile on the guilt, Annie thought, but deep down she knew she’d put off this decision for just about as long as she possibly could.

  Rather than dwelling on the decision she needed to make, Annie opted once again to spend the evening at Sarah’s. Despite the frequently chaotic conditions, Annie had taken to hiding out there. It prevented cross-examinations by her mother and, for the most part, kept mentions of Ty to a minimum. Sarah had enough problems of her own without worrying too much about Annie and Ty.

  And somehow they seemed to balance out each other’s issues with food. Annie kept Sarah on her diet and Sarah made sure Annie did more than simply push her meal around on her plate. Somehow she did it in a way that didn’t stir up Annie’s defenses the way nudging from Dana Sue would.

  Annie had even grown used to having one or the other of the kids scrambling into her lap, smelling of talcum powder or, in Tommy’s case, the little-boy scent of sweat and grass from playing hard outside. Whenever she held Tommy and read him a bedtime story, she couldn’t help thinking of another little boy who was just a little older and wondering what it would be like to read to him, even to be a mom to him. She tried really hard not to let herself go there.

  Tonight, though, it was Libby who’d reached out to her for cuddling. The pink bow in her silky blond hair was dangling askew and there was ketchup on her cheeks and on her clothes, but Annie scooped her up, anyway, as Sarah went to answer the phone.

  Though they’d just been laughing, Sarah’s expression sobered at once.

  “Of course your son is here,” she said. “Where else would he be? He’s two. It’s not as if he’d be out partying on his own.”

  She stood there, stoically silent while her husband apparently ranted about something.

  “You’re being ridiculous,” she said eventually. Whatever he said in response to that had her cheeks flaming. “Don’t you dare speak to me that way, Walter Price. I am still your wife and the mother of your children, and you will show me some respect.” Then she slammed down the phone and stood there, trembling.

  Alarmed, Annie set the baby down on the floor and went to her. “Are you okay?”

  “He had the audacity to suggest that his mother should come over here and take the children home with her, since they’re too much for me.” She met Annie’s gaze. “You know what he’s doing, don’t you? He’s setting the stage for the custody battle. I just know it.”

  Annie knew Sarah had seen Helen earlier, but Annie hadn’t wanted to ask questions. She’d left it to Sarah to reveal whatever she wanted Annie to know. Now, though, she couldn’t stop herself from saying, “You need to call Helen and tell her about this.”

  “I’m supposed to see her tomorrow,” Sarah said.

  Annie shook her head. “Don’t wait. If you want me to, I’ll call. She won’t mind.”

  “I hate to interrupt her evening.”

  “She’d want to know what he’s up to.”

  “I suppose,” Sarah said, then shook off her uncertainty. “Go ahead. Call her.”

  Annie made the call, filled Helen in on the little bit she knew, then handed the phone to Sarah, who explained the rest.

  Silence fell, but Sarah didn’t hang up. She just stood there, staring at her kids, then off into the distance. “Okay,” she said at last. “Get the papers ready to file first thing in the morning. I’ll be in to sign them.” Again, she hesitated, then said, “Yes, I’m sure.”

  After she’d hung up, she turned to Annie, her expression bleak, and said, “I guess that’s it, then. I’m going to end my marriage.”

  Annie gave her a fierce hug. “You know it’s for the best, don’t you? You’re going to be better off in the long run.”

  Sarah didn’t look as if she believed that. “Sure. I’m unemployed. I haven’t held a job since college. My kids are a handful. Everything’s going to be just peachy.”

  “Thanks to your parents, you have a roof over your head,” Annie reminded her. “Helen will see that you get alimony and child support. You have friends here. You have a college degree that you can finally use. And you won’t have to put up with all that demeaning garbage anymore. The way I see it, it’s all good.”

  Sarah shook her head in denial. “I know it’s not supposed to be this way, but I’m used to having a man around to take care of stuff.” She flushed with embarrassment at the admission. “Walter even dealt with paying the bills. I have no idea where we stand financially.”

  Annie regarded her incredulously. “Good grief, the man was a total control freak. Don’t you see that? That’s its own kind of abuse.”

  “He said it was easier that way,” Sarah confessed. “I honestly thought he was being considerate.”

  “Okay, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was. That doesn’t mean you’re incapable of running this household or your life. You are a perfectly competent woman,” she said indignantly. “There’s not a thing that man did for you that you can’t learn how to do yourself.”

  Sarah’s brow shot up. “Well, there is one thing,” she said, a wicked glint in her eyes as her sense of humor kicked in.

  Annie chuckled. “You’ll find some other man, a much better one for that,” she promised.

  Sarah looked skeptical. “You’ve been back in town how long?”

  “Not quite a year.”

  “And you’ve met how many men?”

  Annie knew the point she was trying to make, but she m
erely shrugged. “Don’t go by me. I haven’t been looking.”

  “Because you’re still in love with Ty,” Sarah suggested, her tone cautious.

  “Let’s not go there,” Annie replied. “Let’s stay focused on your pitiful life, not mine. I’m telling you, this time next year you’re going to have a new life, a new man and every bit of the happiness you deserve.”

  “You’re assuming I won’t still be jumping through hoops in a courtroom. The Prices are not going to take any of this lying down.”

  “But you have Helen on your side. They’re not going to know what hit them,” Annie assured her. “Helen didn’t earn her reputation as a barracuda lawyer by playing nice in the courtroom.”

  “I sure do hope you’re right about that,” Sarah said, but her expression was doubtful.

  “Trust me,” Annie said. “No, I take that back. Trust Helen. If I were in a situation like this, she’s the one I’d want in my corner.”

  Of course, with Sarah’s assessment of her nonexistent social life still ringing in her ears, it didn’t seem likely she’d be married, much less in need of Helen’s matrimonial legal services anytime soon.

  The minute Ty walked into his mother’s house, Trevor came running toward him and hurled himself into Ty’s arms. To Ty’s way of thinking, there was no sweeter moment in his day. After road trips with the team, these reunions had been the best part of his return home. Tonight, though, he hugged Trevor even more tightly than usual and held him just a moment longer, until Trevor squealed to be put down.

  Cal stood in the doorway watching, a smile on his face. “Better than pitching a no-hitter, isn’t it?”

  “Pretty much,” Ty said, then watched as Trevor ran back to whatever game he, Jessica Lynn and Cole had been playing. It seemed to involve stacking blocks, then toppling them over. Jessica Lynn, her brow knit in concentration, did the methodical stacking, while Trevor and Cole energetically destroyed all her efforts.

  “You look beat,” Cal observed. “Everything okay?”