by Teri Blake
He needed to go. Could she risk losing him and having him never return to do the right thing? “You want me to give you permission and I don’t want to. I want you to stay. Can’t I be selfish this one time?”
He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and she hated that it was comforting. “Imagine how he feels. He’s lost his mother. He’s staying in foster care. The guy he’s called ‘Dad’ his whole life can’t see him…”
She’d never had to face foster care. Her parents had taken them all over the US, constantly hopping from one vacation to the next to keep her father’s wandering heart happy. But in some ways she could understand being alone. If Karla had been killed, would she agree to Sawyer stepping in to adopt her kids?
“You’ll be back, right? You’ll call? This isn’t going to be a situation where I agree to this and then never see you again?”
He held her hand tighter. “This isn’t the end. I’m not staying there through the whole issue. Only until we can get a good preliminary case set up and the court date fixed. Then I’ll be back here and we can keep going.”
If he was called back for one thing, they would try to distract him with others. That was how every workplace operated and a lawyer’s office was no different. But if she told him to stay, his heart would still be there. A few states away from her. If she let him go, he would finish and come back.
Probably.
The decision was harder now than it was when she left. She’d thought she had the whole story then and was sure she was making the right decision for her and her sisters. Now, the right decision was for a child she’d never met. And that child could be taking away what she thought she was getting back.
Could she say she loved children if she didn’t love those in need?
“Then, I guess you have my blessing.”
Becker sat in his car and glanced up at Channyon’s home. The home she shared with her sisters. His gut tensed. She had never been willing to leave them. Had never been willing to be a family with just him. Even if it was only just him.
Now, this case would take him far away from her again, just when they were about to break through. He could feel it. They were close. But he was needed.
Channyon would always think work came first if he let it. He would’ve turned down any other case and probably allowed himself to have a fit if they even called him for anything else. But Sandra’s son had no one else. He had been a sweet boy of five when Becker had met him. Just a tyke, really.
Blake had come into their lives while he’d been working Sandra’s case of harassment against her boss. He’d provided the support Sandra had needed and the father her son needed, especially with what she had been through.
Rarely did he get to see a complete happily ever after. With that case, he had. Now, it was all messed up since Sandra was gone. He couldn’t let her son down. He couldn’t let Blake down, not after he’d done so much good.
“Siri, call David Houston.” He turned the key and started his Infinity.
The phone rang a few times before his partner picked up. “Was wondering when I’d hear from you today.”
“This case…who, exactly, are we representing?” He’d only gotten the preliminary information over a phone message after he’d gotten home from seeing Channyon.
“We’re actually representing the boy according to the paperwork filed. He asked for you by name and Blake Derrickson, the boy’s…”
“Let’s just call him father, for the sake of clarity.”
“Fine, the boy’s father is paying for this in the hope that you can bring his son back to him. But I think he’s also playing the court a little by having the boy bring up the case. I’m not even sure on the legality.”
“If we were in a regular divorce custody battle, he wouldn’t be able to. He’s not old enough. I’ll have to see if there are any cases similar for precedent. If there aren’t and we’re worried about the case being thrown out, then Blake is our client.”
“And you’re sure we should take this case? Blake is not related to the boy, at all. They were engaged, but they had been for two years with no sign of marriage. These grandparents are very willing to take the boy. I can’t figure out why there’s an issue.”
“That isn’t for us to judge.” Becker set his phone on speaker and pulled out onto the street. “If the boy is so against going to his grandparents that he wants to get the court involved…”
David laughed. “You’ve never had children. You don’t understand that they have no concept of how serious court is. They think running away is a fun game and Judge Judy is just a television show. He has no idea what he’s doing and, again, I worry that this Blake is using him and his grief to get something. Which is about as low as they come.”
Becker had dealt with people like that a lot. The more people he worked with, the more doubtful he became over people’s sincerity. But he knew Blake well enough to trust him. “I’ve known him for quite some time. I don’t get that feeling from him.”
“So be it. I’ll call him up and set a meeting to get all the information we need to get this started. You’re coming home to take this though, right? I can, and obviously have, taken cases I don’t agree with, but if I have a choice, I won’t.”
Taking a case you didn’t believe in was more challenging, but lawyers did it all the time. Some were even able to always convince themselves that their clients were right. “Yes, I need to stop by my hotel, pack, and check out. Then I’ll be on the road.”
“I assumed you were already on the road. Aren’t you in your car?”
The request had been urgent the night before, but he was still supposed to be unreachable, just as Channyon said. “I’m here to see my wife. I made it clear that I wasn’t to be disturbed. You disturbed anyway. Unless you want to take this case on all by yourself, I’d suggest you let me handle this the way I am.”
David laughed. “So, things aren’t going well, then? I guess I’m not surprised. You worked so many hours. I don’t see how she could’ve been happy. Most wives don’t last long unless they know beforehand what they’re getting into.”
“Channyon has never faulted my practice. Never. And you’re wrong, things were going great. I had to tell her enough about what is going on that she knew I wasn’t leaving because of her.” He hadn’t told any of his associates why she’d left him, he hadn’t told them anything besides the fact that she’d left and if he ever had the opportunity to get her back, he’d be taking it.
“I hope you kept client confidentiality. I’ve never spoken to my wife about anything that goes on at the office.”
He pulled into the hotel parking lot and parked. “I only told her the generalities. I know I can’t give her a detailed summary. Don’t play me for stupid. I probably won’t be in the office until tomorrow. I’ve got quite a drive ahead of me and it’s already late morning.”
“Sounds good. Becker, I’m sorry I had to pull you away. If the kid hadn’t asked for you by name… I mean, he’s just a kid…”
“I know. And he’s a good one, too. I think you should talk to Blake, lay out our concerns about court, legalities, and looking like we’re using the court for not only a family dispute but pulling heartstrings by using the boy. We don’t want that.”
“Agreed. Blake will be our client by the time you get here.”
Becker scrubbed his hand down his face and sighed. “I don’t want to leave, David. I feel like I’m just a few steps away from making this right with Channyon, but I know I’m needed. Life isn’t fair.”
David paused for a moment. “I know. Just when you think you’re doing the right thing, it comes back to slap you in the face. I hope you’re able to get this done quickly and get right back to Channyon.”
He dreaded coming back. Not because he didn’t want to see her, but because he feared that by walking away, things would never be the same between them again. Once he left town, he might be signing his own divorce papers. This time, what lay between them would be completely his faul
t.
“I hope she’ll let me back. The nature of this case makes my leaving look suspicious.”
“Why, doesn’t Channyon like kids?” He laughed. “I never would’ve guessed that.”
“No, it’s not that. Our issues stem around children, so needing to leave because of a child will put a lot of stress on the thread of trust we’ve got right now.”
“Thread? As in, fragile?” David said.
“Very. I have her agreement that I should go, but agreement doesn’t mean she’s happy about it or that she’ll still talk to me when I get back.”
“Let’s worry about one case at a time. As soon as they have the court date set for this case, you can head back. We’ll be waiting for quite some time before this goes in front of a judge, but we might be able to get the boy out of foster care and with at least one of the people who want him.”
“Sounds good. I would think we could do that fairly quickly, depending on the judge.”
“It all comes down to that. See you tomorrow.”
Becker hadn’t thought he was ever going to say that. He’d even considered selling David the entire practice before he’d left. Now, he was glad he hadn’t crossed that bridge. They needed him. But would his real life be waiting for him when he returned?
Chapter Fourteen
“You know, I expected with the short construction timeline, men would be out there every day.”
Aryn’s comment confirmed Karla’s fears. She’d never been though any sort of construction besides what she drove through on the highways. Building things took time, that much she knew. But after four days of silence on the site, she was at the end of her rope. Not even one man was out there.
“I’m not sure how to deal with it. Sawyer is supposed to be here once in a while to check on progress, but I haven’t seen him in over a week.”
He’d also said he was letting her head up the construction since he knew she wanted to be a big part of it. Except, she couldn’t manage men who weren’t there. Her copilot was supposed to be directing the men to her. Fall was supposed to be a time of rest, the slight calm before the winter holiday rush. This was just the opposite.
“Well, I hope they start soon. Looking at the poured concrete subfloor was super interesting a week ago. Now, I’d like to see some framing.” Aryn sipped her coffee. “Oh, I also talked to Channyon last night. She seems down about something but won’t say a word. She got me a job at the pizza place again since Tim didn’t give me an answer about working with him.”
That was news, she’d thought Aryn and Tim were almost a done deal. “Is he getting cold feet?”
Aryn laughed and set her cup down. “No, he just isn’t sure of my qualifications. He wouldn’t tell me no, just wouldn’t hire me on either. If anyone’s getting cold feet…it’s me. I’ve never had an issue dating, then letting go. Guys are guys. It wasn’t like they weren’t using me as much as I was using them. It’s not like that with Tim.”
He was a great guy, but no better than Sawyer. Then again, Karla didn’t want Aryn looking at Sawyer. “So, you’re going to back off because he’s a good guy?”
Aryn’s face shifted like she’d just been told her best friend died. “Since Jager, I don’t know how to deal with men longer than a date or two.”
Karla had only recently learned the name of the man who hurt Aryn so horribly that she’d needed a lawyer to make sure he never came near her again. “Jager wasn’t a good guy.”
“You don’t know that. You weren’t there.”
The comment slapped her as if Aryn had physically hit her. Karla had been married, trying to keep her perfect family looking perfect for everyone else, all while losing everything. “I wasn’t there, but there had to be some other reason you went for him. Good guys don’t do that.”
Aryn let her cup fall heavily on the table, sloshing her water. “Good guys don’t leave you after fifteen years, either. Do they?”
Karla reeled with the second blow. Rob had seemed like a great guy, especially at first. She’d even continued to love him for a while after he’d left her for another woman. “He seemed good.”
“Exactly. Jager seemed like a great guy. He was protective. He gave me things. He showed me off to all his friends. He wanted me to meet his mother. Then…”
Aryn had never told her exactly what happened and she suspected that only Channyon knew. Even Sonica didn’t talk about it. “Tim’s not like that.”
“How do you know? How do you know Sawyer isn’t like that? How do you know Sawyer won’t leave you in a proverbial ditch? You are one disagreement away from losing him at best and ending up in the hospital at worst.”
Karla tried to calm her own breathing. She wanted to defend Sawyer. He’d always done great things for her. Even when she thought he’d intentionally hurt her, he always made up for it. He was human, not fake.
“He’s honest.”
“Is he? I thought he was going to be here to help with the construction. Where is he?”
Karla stood and shoved her chair in. “We aren’t talking about Sawyer. We were talking about Tim. You deserve a great guy.”
Aryn recoiled. “Deserve? I never said I didn’t deserve a great guy, but what that sounds like in my head is that you’d like to see me end up with another Jager. That’s my trauma. I literally can’t convince my brain that there are guys out there who wouldn’t do that. Every guy is that bad, because until he was bad, he was great.”
An assault made him a bad guy, but that didn’t mean all guys were like that. “Rob never hit me.” Karla closed her eyes in disbelief. How could she be defending Rob of all people?
“Not physically, but he hit you where he knew he could hurt you and that’s just as bad.”
She left the room and Aryn behind. The world felt completely upside down and Aryn’s assertions felt hopeless. She had to see Tim wasn’t going to hurt her and that would take time. Another barb about Rob would lead to tears, especially after Sawyer had left her in the dark with the construction.
She pulled the plans for the addition from her desk drawer and looked at the pages and pages of notes about phases of construction and what should be happening. The truth was, the men were behind. The further behind they got, the less likely they would finish on time.
There were no numbers for her to call other than Sawyer’s to find out what could be going wrong. If there was a hold-up because of materials, no one had told her.
She dialed Sawyer’s number from memory and he answered almost right away, though he sounded tired. “Morning.”
“Morning. I was wondering when you’ll have a chance to come out and check the construction site?”
He paused, “Why, is something wrong?”
Karla bit her lip. He would know something was wrong if he was involved like he said he’d be. Aryn’s accusations hadn’t been far off the mark, even if she’d said them in anger.
“Your men haven’t even bothered to show up for work in four days.”
“My men? I get that you’re angry, but that’s how construction works. There will be stretches where nothing happens. The concrete was poured a little late and has to cure. That sets my other guys back.”
Surely, they would’ve accounted for that on the plan. Sawyer knew construction. “And you couldn’t have told me that?” Didn’t she have a right to know? Hadn’t he said she was supposed to be really involved?
“I’m sorry, Karla. I’ve been swamped here. I was just managing without running anything by you because I’ve got all my work and that of my partner for a little while. I don’t have time to chat. That’s why I haven’t stopped by to see you, either.”
He was too busy to tell her about her own site. Maybe Aryn was right, men could only be trusted for so long before they pulled the wool right out from under you. “Can I be included from now on?”
“I’m trying. When Tyrone comes back, this will be easier. I’ve got an incoming call that I’ve got to take. I’ll talk to you later.”
Before s
he could even ask him to wait, the line went dead. He’d hung up on her. Sawyer, the guy who was supposed to be perfect, had hung up on her. He’d made excuses and there still weren’t men on site and there had been no promise of when they would appear.
Aryn came into the living room and flopped on the couch. “I hate to say, ‘I told you so,’ but…”
Sawyer certainly hadn’t left her in a ditch but he had let her down, just as Aryn had said he would.
Sawyer clicked the button on his cell phone to end the call with Karla so he could catch the incoming call. Tyrone’s number flashed across the ID and he couldn’t miss it. Tyrone wouldn’t be able to take a call and might not be able to try back for hours.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“It’s touch and go. Doctor isn’t sure if he can save them both. What am I going to do without Toni? She’s my other half.”
He hadn’t understood that statement until recently. Karla had made him think about permanence and what a relationship like that could mean. If he didn’t make her angry by not running all the construction plans by her and hanging up on her.
“I don’t know. Hopefully you won’t have to.” He’d only just started attending church with Toni and Tyrone, so he didn’t feel comfortable saying anything about faith with him yet, but he believed Toni would come through this. “Anything I can do?”
Tyrone laughed for just a moment. “Man, you’re already doing enough. I don’t know what I would do if I had to worry about my job and my wife. Having you there and knowing I have a place to come back to when this is all over is a load off my mind like you would not believe.”
At least someone appreciated his efforts. “I’m keeping up, but I’ll be the first to admit, I’ll be glad to have you back. Is the baby healthy?”
“Yes.” Tyrone answered immediately. “Healthy little boy. But he won’t be that way for long if we can’t figure out what’s going on with Toni. The doctor can’t figure out why her body would suddenly reject the pregnancy. We’re just trying to keep her pregnant right now.”
