Ethan knew hardly anything about her, other than that she seemed amazingly sweet, she loved God and she’d been kind—very kind—to Lindy. But he had a feeling none of those things were what she was referring to. So he asked, “What’s that?”
“My grandson, Troy, used to work here at the fishing hole. Until I introduced him to Destiny, who he’s now married to.” She nodded and smiled. “He couldn’t work here anymore, because Destiny is a big-time author, and they’re on a book tour now.”
“That’s...great,” he said, unsure why this was something he needed to know.
“Yep, it is.” She placed one hand on her hip and flipped the other palm in the air as she continued, “And then there’s Brodie and Savvy. She’d really been miffed at the fellow for a mistake he made in the past. It was a bad decision on his part, but you know, everyone makes mistakes, now, don’t they?”
Ethan was trying to keep up with her train of thought. “Yes, ma’am, they do.”
She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and shook her head. “It took a little work, but I got her to come around and realize that boy had been forgiven by God and that he should be forgiven by her too. And I just knew God had planned for her to be with him. Now look at them, running such a wonderful children’s home and helping to give those kids another chance at family.”
“That’s...great, too,” he said, and suddenly thought he knew where this conversation was headed.
“There’s a few more I could tell you about, but we don’t have a lot of time—I’m sure you’re ready to go see your little boy. But I just wanted to let you know, about that paid day off I gave Lindy on Friday...”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I was pretty much giving that to you, too.” She poked his biceps a little harder. “So don’t waste it.” Then she winked, turned on her heel and headed inside to help Lindy with the kids.
Ethan laughed, thinking this town—and the people in it—became more and more interesting by the minute. Even though he and Jerry would be moving to Birmingham as soon as the adoption was finalized, he could see himself coming here every summer, spending his vacation with the folks he’d already come to care about so much and maybe even doing some volunteer work with Willow’s Haven. Sure, he wanted to help Jerry have a real family, but—thinking back to the loneliest years of his own childhood—he knew the other kids could use plenty of folks to show them they were loved.
Thinking of those kids, and the one he’d adopt soon, he entered the store to see the Willow’s Haven crew getting bait, fishing rods and love from Lindy, Mrs. Bowers, Savvy and the mentors.
He scanned the group and finally spotted his little guy standing beside Savvy. “Hey there, Jerry. Are you ready to try to catch a fish today?”
Jerry looked happy to see Ethan, which was good, but the look quickly converted into a hint of skepticism. “Do you think we can?”
Savvy, still standing beside him, leaned over and gave his small shoulders a squeeze. “Of course you can,” she answered.
Ethan said, “Tell you what, we’re going to give it our best shot.”
Jerry looked to Savvy. “We didn’t catch anything last time. Not even one. They were playing hide-and-seek with us.”
Savvy held her grin in check. “Then maybe today will be your day,” she said consolingly.
“Maybe it will,” Ethan agreed. “And do you know why I think it will be our day?”
Jerry’s blue eyes lifted, freckles shifting on his cheeks. “No, why?”
“Because I’ve been practicing, and I’ve learned a few things about where those fish hide, thanks to Miss Lindy. She taught me how to find them, so we’ll be better at the seeking part this time.”
Lindy stood handing out fishing rods and bait a few feet away, but at the sound of her name, she turned to them.
“Miss Lindy, did you really teach Mr. Ethan about where the fish hide?” Jerry asked, more than a hint of awe in his tone.
Lindy handed a Styrofoam bucket of minnows to one of the mentors and lowered herself to eye level with Jerry. “I did my best to teach him,” she said, and grinned up at Ethan. “You can tell me if he remembered the lesson after y’all get done today.”
“How will I know?” Jerry asked.
She smiled, an honest-to-goodness, all-the-way-to-her-eyes kind of smile, and Ethan’s heart tripped in his chest. “You’ll know because—” she touched the tip of Jerry’s nose “—if he remembers where they’re hiding, you’ll catch some fish.”
“Some fish? Like maybe lots of them?” he asked hopefully.
“That’s what I’m counting on,” she said.
“How many do you think I’ll catch?”
“Hmm,” she said, clearly enjoying this conversation. “I’m gonna say...you’ll catch nine.”
Jerry squinted, thinking. “I’m guessing...eleventeen.”
Lindy ruffled his hair. “Eleventeen, huh? Now, that’s a lot of fish,” she said, without cracking even a hint of a grin. She held out her palm. “High five?”
Jerry smacked his hand to hers and grinned. Then he looked up at Ethan. “We’re going to catch a bunch if you can remember what Miss Lindy taught you. Aren’t we?”
“We’re sure going to try,” Ethan said, tossing another prayer toward heaven that God would find it in His heart to put a few fish on the end of their lines today.
“Bye, Miss Lindy,” Jerry said.
“Come see me and tell me all about your fish before you leave today, okay?” she asked.
“Okay,” he agreed.
“Let’s head out to the pond,” Ethan said, “and I’ll show you that hiding place.”
“Okay!” Jerry started toward the door, but Ethan waited a beat to speak to Lindy.
“Thank you for helping me get ready for this. I’ve been praying we catch a few for him. He’s really started coming out of his shell, opening up and seeming happy. I can’t wait for Candace to see how well everything’s going on Friday.”
“Candace?” she asked. “The social worker is coming Friday?”
“To the zoo with us, so she can log our progress for the court.” He looked toward Jerry, chatting with another child on the front porch. “She said that he’s always started coming out of his shell in every placement, but then he withdraws again when he’s placed in another home. This time, though, he’ll be staying for good. So maybe this happy little guy I’m getting to know will remain happy for good.” He winked. “That’s what I’m hoping she sees on Friday.”
“I’m glad I’ll be there Friday,” she said softly.
“I am, too,” he said, and he thought he’d do his best to follow Mrs. Bowers’s advice while they were at the zoo, and not waste the day.
* * *
It took Lindy almost an hour to check in all the kids and mentors and provide them with everything they needed for an enjoyable day at the pond. Most picked up quilts, bait and rental equipment, unless they had brought their own equipment, like Ethan. Some purchased sunscreen, and she was glad that Ethan had bought some for him and her fair-skinned son, even though the majority of their day would be in the shade.
From the back deck, she watched them, sitting in the very same spot where she had fished with Ethan on Saturday. And where Ethan had claimed a little piece of her heart.
He was just so perfect.
Okay, she knew no one was perfect, and she also remembered how Gil could appear that way in public and be the complete opposite in private, but still...she couldn’t stop thinking that maybe, just maybe, Ethan Green was the real deal.
And if he was, or even if he was so good at pretending that a court would believe him, there was a very real possibility that she would lose any chance of having Jerry in her life again.
Lindy glanced back into the store to make sure there weren’t any
late stragglers needing equipment or bait. As she suspected, it was empty. Everyone had headed to the water to start fishing. They were all a little more eager today, because the forecast called for rain, and there was already a thick cover of clouds. Everyone wanted to get their time in before the storm hit. Lindy watched the sky’s hue shift in ominous shades of gray.
She honestly didn’t want to hurt Ethan. He’d been through so much, and he sure seemed to care about Jerry and what was best for him.
But Lindy did, too.
She withdrew her cell phone from the pocket of her dress and saw that it was after nine. She’d been waiting to make this call ever since Ethan left the fishing hole Saturday, but now her attorney’s office was finally open.
She dialed the number, waited for the receptionist to connect her with the man set to plead her case and then explained why she felt like Ethan would win, if a court met both of them and had to choose.
“So I wanted to see if you could have a court determine whether I can have custody again without considering the person who wants to adopt Jerry now.” She’d been rehearsing this nonstop, and she barged ahead. “Because Jerry was wrongfully taken from me. They thought I was guilty, but I wasn’t, and that’s been proved now. And Jerry hasn’t been adopted yet. Can’t we try to get my rights back, and get my little boy back, without factoring in the person who wants to adopt him now?”
She watched Jerry and Ethan in the distance while she waited for Ted Murrell’s response. Ethan said something and gently shoved against Jerry, then pointed toward their bobbers in the water. Jerry looked up at Ethan and appeared to be laughing.
Laughing.
Her stomach pitched. What was she doing?
“The court has already been notified by the state about the status of the pending adoption,” her attorney explained. “They have to be made aware of Jerry’s current situation as part of the evaluation process. I don’t see any way that he or she won’t ask to meet the potential parent.”
Lindy wanted to cry. If any court pitted her against Ethan Green, she’d lose her son.
“But,” the man continued, “as I’ve mentioned before, the fact that the adoption hasn’t gone through yet will prove to be in our favor. However...”
“However?” she questioned, still watching her little boy bond with a man who could turn out to be his daddy if she didn’t convince this attorney, and then a judge, to give her parental rights back.
“However, a lot would depend on the judge assigned to our case. If we get a judge who is known for family reunification at any cost, then we should receive a decision in your favor. But if we get a judge who is known for situational ruling, that is, a ruling based on the child’s current situation, and if this man is as good as you have described...”
She watched Jerry and Ethan, who appeared to both be laughing now, in the distance. “He is,” she said, “or rather, he sure appears to be.”
“Then,” Mr. Murrell continued, “if our judge rules based on the current situation, then I would wager that the odds would not be in our favor.”
Lindy swallowed past the sudden thick lump in her throat. “In other words, whether or not I will have Jerry in my life again depends on the judge we receive.”
“Most likely, yes. And the adoption not going through. If the adoption goes through while we’re waiting to get in, we’ll be bringing a reverse adoption to court, and that’ll make it tougher to get a ruling in our favor, because legally Jerry will be his son.”
She had to do something. She couldn’t merely stand by and let someone, even Ethan, take her child away for good. “What is my best chance to get Jerry back? What can we do to get a judge who wants families reunited?”
“Your best chance would be to get in front of a judge before that adoption goes through. And I might have a way to make that happen, but it doesn’t come without risk.”
“What would you do?” she asked, watching the thick storm clouds churning overhead.
“I can put in a request to expedite the decision based on the fact that you’ve already been unjustly separated from your child for three years. That should prompt the state to move the case to the next docket.”
A glimmer of hope spread through her. “So we could get a decision quicker.” Before Ethan had even more time to bond with Jerry and therefore find it easier to convince a court that Jerry should be with him. “Yes, let’s do that,” she said, and then remembered his caveat. “But why would that be risky?”
“Because it will limit your time to reestablish yourself in society, show that you can provide a good home for Jerry, that you can keep a job and that you can bond with your child.”
He paused, while Lindy processed this. She’d only been working for a week. She was living rent-free above the sporting goods store. And she hadn’t had a whole lot of time with Jerry to allow for any bonding.
A hefty cough echoed through the line. “Those are things that any judge will evaluate. So, do you want me to expedite the case, Ms. Burnett?” he asked.
She peered toward that willow tree where she’d shared an amazing day with Ethan, watching as Jerry yanked on his fishing pole and found a small fish on the end of the line. He jumped up and raised the pole above his head, while Ethan clapped and then punched both hands in the air in victory.
Ethan Green just had a “first” moment with her son. Jerry had caught his first fish with Ethan. Lindy had been there the first time he’d rolled over. The first time he’d sat up on his own. When he’d taken his first steps. And when he’d said “mama” for the very first time.
How she’d love to hear him say that again.
But now Ethan was stealing her firsts. And no matter how much she cared for the man, those moments were meant to be hers.
“Yes,” she said. “Please expedite it. I want to go to court. As soon as possible.”
Chapter Nine
Ethan watched Jerry and Lindy board the train at the zoo while he sat with Candace to learn more details about the unexpected developments in his case. They’d been touring the zoo with the Willow’s Haven kids all morning, but Candace had wanted a chance to speak privately with Ethan, and Lindy had offered to take Jerry on the train so they could talk.
He was very grateful, and judging from the smiles and enthusiastic waves as the train passed near the picnic table where he and Candace sat, that was A-OK with Jerry, too.
“He’s doing remarkably well, better than we’ve seen at any of his previous placements,” Candace said, typing on her laptop as she spoke. “And even though he hasn’t been placed with you yet, the fact that he’s so undeniably content around you should prove to be an advantage when we meet with the judge.”
“He still has some quiet moments,” Ethan admitted. “And sometimes he looks sad.” It hadn’t happened as much since that very first day fishing, but every now and then, the child’s attention drifted and his smile wavered, and Ethan feared it was the pain of his past creeping in.
Candace stopped typing and gave him a soft smile. “No child is happy 24/7, Ethan, and Jerry will be no exception. As a parent, it isn’t your job to make sure he’s happy all the time. It’s your job to care for him, love him, protect him and teach him. Sometimes that will involve saying no, and most children don’t want to hear that from anyone. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t happy overall and that you aren’t doing what’s best for your child.”
“That’s good to know,” Ethan said. He was still bothered anytime Jerry was quieter than usual. However, that wasn’t happening nearly as often lately. Then again, the majority of their time together was spent doing things most any kid would enjoy—fishing, going to the zoo...
“You’re going to do just fine,” she said. “I’m sure the court will agree, and I also think the court will agree that Jerry’s birth mother shouldn’t be trusted to take care of her child now, s
ince she didn’t protect him as an infant.”
“I’m still surprised that she asked for the case to be expedited,” he said. It certainly hadn’t been what he’d expected to hear from the social worker, but that’d been the first thing she’d told him today.
“It was a bold, and perhaps clever, move on her attorney’s part. But it’s also risky, and truthfully, I’m a little shocked the woman is taking that kind of chance with custody of her son.”
A group of Willow’s Haven kids headed toward their table on their way to the lion exhibit a short distance away. A loud roar from that direction caused several of the girls to squeal and wrap their arms around each other, while the boys cheered. Then they all started practically running to the huge rock entrance to the Lion’s Den.
“Hey, Mr. Green!” Dylan Evans called, following the little ones toward the exhibit. “Where’s Jerr-Bear?”
“Hey, Dylan,” Ethan answered. “He’s riding the train with Lindy.”
“Cool,” the boy said. “When he gets back, if he wants to see the lions, I can take him. I told all the little kids I’d take them, and I don’t want to let him down.”
“Thanks,” Ethan said. “I had planned on taking him there next, but I’m sure he’d like going with a ‘big kid’ like you.”
Dylan laughed. “Sounds good. See ya later, Mr. Green.”
“See you later, Dylan.” Ethan watched the teen lead a large group of the little ones beyond that massive rock entrance, and he wondered if Jerry would be a leader like that one day. Would he be that friendly? That eager to help others?
Ethan suspected he would, because Ethan would teach him to be that way. They’d spend time together, learn about life together and, more important, learn about God together. Dylan Evans was obviously a good kid. Ethan had every intention of making sure Jerry became a good kid too.
He couldn’t wait. And since Jerry’s mother had asked to expedite the case, he wouldn’t have to wait long.
“Why was it risky for her to move the case up?” he asked Candace.
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