by J. H. Croix
Bursting through the doors, I couldn't help feeling as if I'd been freed. Though that feeling only lasted until I remembered that I was headed to the courthouse to meet with my attorney, Savannah Steele.
Savannah lived in Cypress Creek, but apparently she handled cases in Savannah all the time. Her firm even had a small satellite office beside the courthouse here. She was on the phone when I arrived, talking so fast I could barely make out the words coming out of her mouth. She gave me a quick smile, holding up her finger to indicate she’d be another minute and turned toward the window to continue her conversation.
The office here wasn't as comfortable as her main office in Cypress. Savannah dealt mostly with family cases. It was plain to see that she tried to create an environment where children could be as comfortable as possible. She had a small play area here with books and toys. I appreciated that about her.
To me, it showed what mattered to her.
Her glossy brown hair was pulled back into a sleek, long ponytail today and her blue eyes flashed in anger as she barked into the phone. "You do that, Andrew, but we are not backing down from this."
She ended the call with a stab of her thumb on her screen and fixed a smile on her face as she motioned for me to take a seat. "Thank you for a meeting with me today. I'm sorry about that. We’re at the pointy end of negotiations in that case and my opponent refuses to see reason. I'll just have to wipe the floor with him in court."
Her easy confidence brought a smile to my lips. "I have every faith that you will."
“Thank you,” she said, slapping the file on her desk shut and reaching for mine. It was strange to consider that the situation that had uprooted my life fitted into a slender, blue legal brief. "Now, as much as I love to hear you have faith in me, I asked you to meet me so we could review the proposed custody agreement."
A lump jumped into my throat. "Agreement?"
Savannah rolled her eyes as she studied some papers she’d pulled out of her file and handed me a copy of the document she was referring to. “His attorney is pushing back on our counter suit requesting that you maintain full custody of Austin. He’s sent over a proposal for us to review. It doesn’t mean you need to agree, but we should review it.”
I pulled the papers closer, my hands trembling. "What are they proposing?"
"Well, we asked that you retain full custody of Austin and we've offered no visitation to Wesley." My sigh of relief was cut short when she continued. "But offering him absolutely nothing might make him fight harder, I should warn you about that. His attorney has sent back an alternate proposal still demanding custody. When I spoke with his attorney, he also pointed out that perhaps Wesley would agree to something if he didn’t feel as if he was completely shut out of Austin’s life.”
Her office felt so much smaller suddenly, the walls closing in on me as I struggled to breathe. Frustration spilled out of me when I processed what she was saying. "He's never had any visitation. He's never been interested in any visitation. He's never paid a dollar in child support for Austin and what's more, he never used to care. Why now? Why do I have to put my son's life in danger by sending him to see that monster when we both know this isn't about Austin?"
I was panting by the time my rant was done, black spots blurring my vision. Savannah remained quiet and calm. She didn’t speak until after I’d taken several deep breaths.
"I know and I'm willing to fight for you. I'm only pointing out that's the way it might be. I have to warn you that offering him something over nothing might make him feel like he's won and drop this whole thing."
"Why do I have to make him feel like he's won when both Austin and I lose in this scenario?"
"You don't have to, it's only an option. Like I said, I'm willing to fight for you and to be honest, with his criminal record and continuing criminal behavior, I think we have a good chance to win."
"Then I want you to fight it. I understand there's always a risk involved and I know that it’s going to mean time in court, but I don't just want to roll over this time. He’s expecting me to let him walk all over me, just like I've always done, but I don't want to do that. I want to fight."
Speaking the words aloud and realizing what they meant for me sent a flash of strength through me. I’d spent too long trying to avoid conflict with Wesley and hoping he would simply stop. I was finally finding the resolve to stand strong. I felt more empowered than I could have imagined. Maybe even ever.
"Then we fight," Savannah said, her shoulders squaring and her gaze turning steely. She looked like the corporate version of a warrior princess to me in that moment, clad in the armor of her gray suit. She looked like a woman who knew how to win, and I'd never been happier to have her in my corner.
There was only one tiny snag now. It was one I'd been nervous to ask about before, but it was time. So far we'd only had a few meetings. I knew Jeremy had told me he would cover the cost, but I wanted to do what I could.
I'd half been expecting her to mention the bill to me by now, but she never did. Clearing my throat, I prepared myself to face the music. "One last thing, how much is all this going to cost?"
"Don't worry about that, it's been taken care of," she said, smiling as she rounded her desk to walk me to the door.
My feet were rooted in place. "Already?”
I hadn't made a single payment. I’d figured Jeremy would step in when I ran out of money.
"Your account thus far has been settled in full, and we have money on trust for the litigation."
"I'm sorry, but I think you’re mistaken."
Savannah shook her head, her heels clicking on her marble floor as she approached the door. "There's no mistake. Mr. Lovett has made payment, there’s no need to worry about your account."
I was stunned. He said he wanted to help, and he promised me he would, but he never spoke to me about it again. How could he have paid her without even telling me?
"Thank you," I whispered, too shocked to find my voice.
She smiled. “It’s not me you should be thanking.”
We said our goodbyes while my mind still whirled. As I stepped into the sunshine on the crowded sidewalk outside her office, I fished my phone from my purse and scrolled until I found Jeremy's number. He didn't answer his phone. I jabbed at my screen to end the call, frustrated. My feelings were a muddle. On the one hand, I was beyond relieved. I’d never had someone to turn to for support like that. My father had always been there for me emotionally, but he barely made ends meet, so I’d never felt right asking him for this kind of help. On the other hand, my pride stung a little. I wished Jeremy had told me he’d already paid Savannah in advance.
I tried Jeremy again, but this time when he didn't answer, I left a message for him to call me urgently. I was grateful for his help, but I didn't appreciate being left in the dark. I would pay him back every cent, but I couldn't exactly do that if I didn't have the first idea of how much he'd paid.
Chapter Nine
Jeremy
Arcadian lay by my feet, soft growls emitting from him in his sleep. It was getting dark outside, but I was still at the office. Managing the company while still trying to get to the sites regularly and juggling all of my new responsibilities meant I was staying at the office later and later.
I didn't mind since it was also a way to forget about my worries about Marie for just a little while. Burying myself in work was one way I was coping, but spending the afternoon reconciling project costs made my brain hurt.
Mentally exhausted, I decided to call it a day. "Come on, boy, let's go home."
Arcadian didn't move, raising his head and eyeing my with his sleepy gaze. Shaking my head, I nudged his toe with mine. "I'm lazy too. There's a treat in it for you when we get home if you don't make me beg."
His tail started wagging when he heard the word treat, and he lifted himself slowly to his feet. Grabbing my wallet and keys, I started looking around for my phone. My desk was covered in piles of paper and scattered building plans.
> After pawing through it and coming up empty, I realized I must've forgotten my phone in my truck. I sighed as I looked at the clutter on my desk, already wondering how I was going to finish it all tomorrow. The company was doing well financially, that much I'd been able to piece together throughout the day. But I was going to need some help with bookkeeping and administration if I was ever going to stay on top of everything.
Arcadian jogged down the steps from my office ahead of me. I locked up, chuckling when I stepped out to find him at the truck already. People who said dogs couldn't understand when humans spoke had clearly never met a dog who loved a treat as much as mine.
My phone lay in my cup holder between my seats where I must've left it earlier after visiting a job site. Its light was blinking in the semidarkness of the cab, telling me that I had some calls and messages to return.
Arcadian and I hopped into the truck and I cracked the window for Arcadian before scrolling through my phone to see what I'd missed. I ignored a couple of calls and messages from my brothers and a few from suppliers, clicking into my voicemail to find a message from Marie.
Pulse increasing when her voice came on the line, it took me a beat to realize something in her voice was off. "Hi, Jeremy. It's me, Marie. I guess you could see that from your phone I… Never mind. I'm just walking out of a meeting with Savannah and she told me that you've been paying her bills for me. I wish you'd have told me you were doing that. I know you said you would help, but you can't… Look, it doesn't feel right talking into your mailbox about this. Please call me when you get the chance. Bye for now."
"Fuck,” I said out loud in the cab. Arcadian's ear twitched, but he didn't look at me. "I knew I should have talked to her about that this weekend, but I didn't want her to worry."
Arcadian still didn't react to my mumbling, resting his head on the truck's door with his tongue hanging out. I slowly rolled out of the parking area and headed home, the wind blowing Arcadian's ears back. "I hope she's not too pissed at me for paying Savannah behind her back. I was just trying to help," I explained, as though Arcadian would have something to say about it.
On second thought, I knew how controlling her ex was with her, especially when it came to things like money. Guilt bloomed from the pit of my stomach. I paid Savannah because I hadn't wanted Marie to worry about it. I didn't mean it in any other way. But I could see why this would be a problem for her. Much as I hated to admit it, I should’ve checked with her before covering everything.
Bracing myself, I hit the redial button and waited for Marie's voice to flow through my speakers as I drove home. When it finally came, it wasn't as soft or tender as I was used to it being when she spoke to me. It was crisp and professional.
Fuck, she really was pissed at me. "Jeremy. Thank you for calling me back."
"Hey, baby. How was your day?" My cheerful attempt at the routine question failed miserably.
"I appreciate your help with Savannah, I really do. It means a lot to me that you’re willing to do that for us, but I can't let you cover that much. I need to do what I can."
My stomach sank. The hurt in her voice made my heart ache. "What if I ask you to let me? I know I should have told you, I just wanted to take care of it without you having to worry. On a scale of one to ten, how angry are you?"
Crossing my fingers on my steering wheel, I glanced at my watch. It was too late to drive the hour it would take me to get to her given the traffic, but I was seriously tempted. I didn't want to have our first fight over the phone when I couldn't see her eyes or assess her expression.
Marie exhaled a deep breath, speaking more gently now. "Angry? Probably around a four."
A four? I could handle a four. Her next words however, sucked the bit of wind I'd gotten back right out of my sails. "It's not the anger, Jeremy. I am worried and stressed. That's what's getting to me."
Despite my efforts, I'd ended up contributing to her worry and stress anyway. "Why? Talk to me. The bills are covered, Savannah can do her thing and hopefully win this case. I never wanted you to be worried about it."
"I know you didn’t,” she said, sounding dejected. "It just feels like you're doing too much. I know you said you wanted to help me, but paying for the lawyer in full, it's just… It's just too much."
"I disagree. As far as I'm concerned, it's just enough. Let me ask you this, how did you plan on covering the cost?"
Marie gasped like she'd taken a physical hit. I cringed, knowing that my point-blank question had caused that blow. I only ever wanted to make her gasp in the good way, not the bad. But I also didn't know of any other way to make her realize that I needed to do this for her.
"I don't have an answer to that. I would have figured something out. I've been taking care of myself and Austin for a long time, Jeremy. I'm not a damsel in distress, and I don't need a knight in shining armor. You didn't need to ride in and save me," she countered, her tone getting sharp again.
"Jesus," I muttered, raking a hand through my hair as I stopped at a red light. "You don't need to defend yourself against me, babe. I know you don't need saving. I’ve told you a few times, but I'll tell you again, I think you're a fucking superhero for the way you take care of Austin. I can't do nearly as much as you do, let me at least do this. Let me pay Savannah so you have the best chance of getting full custody of Austin."
It was never my intention to make her feel that she couldn't do it for herself, or that I didn't believe that she could. Marie hesitated, deafening silence on the line between us as she thought.
"Okay," she agreed reluctantly. "When you put it like that… I can't lose him. I’ll find a way to pay you back."
I would never in a million years take her money. "We'll talk about it."
We'd already narrowly avoided one fight in this conversation, I wasn't about to make way for another if I could help it. It seemed like Marie was on the same page because she didn't insist or get defensive, she simply agreed quietly. "Okay, we'll talk about it."
"I miss you," I told her, relieved that the immediate tension was diffused.
She sighed and I heard the smile in her voice when she said, "I miss you too, so much."
"Yeah." So fucking much. Being this far apart from her really and truly sucked. I wasn't sure how much longer I could take it. "I'm just pulling up to my house, I'm going to lose you for a sec when I switch off the truck, just hang on okay?"
"No. No,” she protested quickly. "I need to go anyway, time for me to get dinner started."
"Talk to you soon?"
"Yeah. I'd like that. Good night, sexy man," she whispered the last part, reminding me of how she sounded in those stolen moments in her bedroom.
It still surprised me when she said stuff like that, but I fucking loved it. "Good night, gorgeous. Send my love to the little man."
We ended the call and Arcadian and I headed inside. After I fed him, I wolfed down leftovers from the other day. My mind was too busy with the custody situation with Marie to think about much else. I didn't want her to worry. I had paid the lawyer's fees in full thus far, but the truth was that I didn't know how I was going to continue to afford to cover it all.
The business was doing well, but my cash flow wasn't great at the moment. I'd paid the first fees from my savings, but that wasn't going to cover the costs coming up. Going to court was expensive. I was torn over what to do. I’d emptied my savings to pay ahead for the attorney. I knew damn well I’d need more and likely a lot more. There was that and the fact I didn’t like being this far away from Marie. At all. I’d been debating the idea of moving temporarily to Savannah until this custody mess was resolved. Yet, I couldn’t afford it. To be there with her meant commuting daily. That itself, I could suck up. But it meant money—I needed a plan to come up with more money no matter what I did.
I didn’t want Marie to worry, but even more, I didn’t want her to end up in a spot where she couldn’t afford her attorney. That option meant Wesley’s hold on her would only tighten. He’d already put her
through too much hell as it was.
Tossing and turning, the green digital lights of the clock on my nightstand read 2am by the time I gave in and mentally acknowledged I needed to speak to my father again. Punching my pillow, I cursed into it, hating that it had come to this.
* * *
Early the next morning, I decided not to put it off any longer than I had to and headed to the prison to meet with my father as soon as the sun was high enough. I requested that we visit in the outside visitors’ yard that day. I didn’t want to handle this over the phones.
My father's blue eyes were alert as he sank down across from me at the metal bench. Even though the bench was bolted to the ground, being outside made the visit feel a little bit more normal than our usual visits.
As always, there was a bit of small talk between us before my father drummed his fingers rhythmically on the metal table top and tilted his head curiously. "What is it that you're here for, son?"
I had a feeling he already knew since I'd been here about money before. Once I explained the situation with Wesley and the anticipated legal bills, his simply nodded. I suspected he’d known from the get-go why I wanted to meet outside.
"You asked me last time if there was any other way I could cover the costs and at the time there was. There isn't any more. I know Tyson and Collins have tried to track the family money, but they’re coming up dry. I hate to ask this, Dad, but I need it now."
He searched my eyes, seriousness combined with a warning in his. "You already know I can tell you how to access it, but if you're really going after it, you need to be careful, Jeremy. I'm not talking about stuffing the bills down your pants when you’re leaving the bank either. I'm talking about being really fucking careful."
