Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
All yours .
Definitely not the case, but the thought still made her warm inside. Brynn found herself surreptitiously watching Callum as they enjoyed a dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches, potato chips and fruit.
Zoe was right. Callum was smokin’ hot. Though that wasn’t anything she hadn’t already known. All she had learned from spending these past few days with him was that he was also a wonderful man.
After dinner, once Parker was in bed, Callum asked her to sit on the porch with him. Once they were settled on the glider, he shifted to face her. “You were quiet during dinner. Did something happen today at work? Something you want to talk about maybe? I’m a good listener.”
Pleasure rippled through her at his concern. “It was actually a fairly normal Monday. What about you? What did you and Parker do? You were pretty quiet at dinner, too.”
“It was a busy but good day. I stopped by Connections and set up an appointment for Parker to see Trinity. She said she’d have Liam sit in, and if it seems he’d be a better fit for Parker, they could make the switch.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“I want a good fit.” Callum rubbed his chin. “While in some ways it feels as if Parker is adjusting well, I keep thinking back to the nightmare. I don’t want him to go through life feeling like no one wanted him.”
Brynn reached over and squeezed his hand. “You’re doing the right thing.”
Flipping their hands, he laced his fingers with hers. “I hope so.”
“What else did you do?” Brynn told herself she wasn’t prying. She was simply making conversation. He’d seemed troubled over dinner, and if something was on his mind and she could help, well, she wanted to be there for him.
“Went to the grocery store, where we ran into Loretta Sharkey.”
Brynn hesitated. She’d always liked Mrs. Sharkey but knew how outspoken she could be. “Did you speak with her?”
“I had to. She blocked my cart with hers.”
Laughing, Brynn shook her head. “Sounds like her. I’m betting when she saw Parker, she had all sorts of questions.”
“She did, and I did my best to put her off.” Callum’s expression grew serious. “Parker mentioned we were living with you. You know what that means.”
“By tomorrow, everyone will know.” Brynn waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t mind if you don’t, and even if you do, we both know there’s nothing to be done about it. It’s the nature of small-town life. I had to accept that when I decided to move back.”
“All the gossip really doesn’t bother you?”
“No. You?”
Callum appeared to consider the question. “No.”
“Well, there you have it.”
“I’d just put the groceries in the car when Connor called. I FaceTimed with him.” Callum’s gaze shifted over her left shoulder. “He was surprised to learn about Parker.”
“You hadn’t told him?” Brynn’s voice rose before she pulled it back down. Being twins, Callum and his brother had always been the best of friends. Despite them living across the country for most of their adult lives, they’d remained close.
“I texted him on Friday that I had some news, but he and Nicolette were headed out of town for her cousin’s wedding. It didn’t seem the time to lay all this on him. I told him we could talk on Monday. He assumed I was headed somewhere out of the country.”
“How did he take the news?”
“Just like you’d expect—shocked, surprised, stunned. Parker was in the car, so I didn’t say much. Connor will let me know when he’s available, and I’ll fill him in then.”
“Then you got home and ran into Zoe.” Home . The word slipped so easily from her lips.
“It was good to see her.” Callum paused. “It sounds like she’s moving on from her broken engagement.”
“When it’s right, it’s right.” Brynn kept her tone light. “When it’s wrong, breaking up is for the best.”
“You don’t think he was the right one for her?”
“I think if he were, they’d still be together.”
Callum nodded.
“Your brother and Nicolette have been together awhile. Do you think they’ll get married?” Brynn had met the statuesque brunette only once when Nicolette had come with Connor to Steve Bloom’s seventy-fifth birthday celebration last year.
The woman had been pleasant enough, but there had been so many people around that Brynn hadn’t had much of an opportunity to get to know her.
“My parents think so.”
“You don’t? ”
“You said when it’s right, it’s right.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure it is, but then again, what do I know?”
Brynn knew if she pressed any more, it would seem like prying, and she didn’t want to do that. “What’s on your agenda for tomorrow?”
“I thought I’d take Parker for a bike ride in the morning, maybe stop by Outfitters and see about getting him some hiking boots.”
“He’ll like that.”
Callum gazed off in the distance. “I have a meeting with Beck tomorrow afternoon.”
Brynn’s kept her breathing even but couldn’t help it when her fingers tightened on his. “What will you be talking to him about? If you don’t mind my asking, that is.”
He brought their joined hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “You can ask me anything.”
Brynn resisted pressing. She’d already asked why he was meeting with his uncle, the restaurateur and family law attorney. If he was really okay with telling her, he’d answer her question.
“I started thinking of how, after our dad died, my mom married Max, and then he adopted us. Though we already considered him our father, he wasn’t legally our dad. He and my mom wanted to ensure that we would stay with him if anything happened to her.” A muscle in Callum’s jaw jumped. “I have to do what I can to protect Parker. Linette gave me his birth certificate and a notarized letter Rebekah gave her before she left. I’m his father, but does that mean I automatically have custody? That’s what I plan to discuss with Beck tomorrow.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”
Callum leaned over and kissed her gently on the mouth.
When he pulled back, Brynn might have resisted the urge to bring her fingers to her tingling lips, but she couldn’t help smiling. “What was that for? ”
“For being you.” His expression softened as his gaze caressed her face. “For simply being you.”
The next morning after he and Parker left Good Hope Outfitters after picking up new sneakers—now on Parker’s feet— and a pair of hiking boots, Callum drove to Beck’s office. The small brick building, just off Main Street, housed not only the single-practice law office but also the business offices of Muddy Boots and Blooms Bake Shop.
Bells over the door jingled as Callum and his son stepped inside. He did a quick scan of the interior. The small reception area held a love seat and a couple of chairs. The offices at the back of the building had doors that could be closed for privacy.
The exterior door had barely shut behind him when one of the office doors opened, and Beck stepped out, a welcoming smile lifting his lips.
Though Callum liked all of his uncles, Beck was a favorite. He had vivid memories of the tall man with dark hair, now liberally sprinkled with gray, telling him and his brother spooky ghost stories in his home’s third-floor attic.
As Callum inwardly smiled at the memory, he wondered what kinds of memories Parker would have when he looked back on his childhood.
A mother he couldn’t remember.
A grandfather who barely tolerated him and made him sleep on a sofa.
Leaving the only home that he knew when he was six to live with a dad who was a stranger.
Would Parker always wonder what he did wrong to make people leave him?
“It’s good to see you.” Beck grasped Callum’s extended hand, then wrapped his left arm around his nephew and gave his back two firm slaps before stepping back. “Welcome home.”
Beck then shifted his gaze to Parker, who watched with wide-eyed interest. His expression softened. “You must be Parker. I’m Beckett Cross, your daddy’s uncle.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
Callum covered his startled laugh with a cough. Good thing Beck didn’t know that Parker had just put the fit and active sixty-year-old into the “elderly” category.
“It’s nice to meet you, as well.” Beck slanted a glance at Parker. “One of my legal assistants brings her children with her when she has trouble finding a sitter. There’s a break room just next to my office, and it has lots of toys.”
Parker’s expression lit up. “Toys?”
“Would you like to play with them while I speak with my uncle for a few minutes?” Callum offered a reassuring smile. “I’ll be right next door.”
Parker nodded enthusiastically. “I like to play with toys.”
When Beck showed him the room that had a plastic drill set, Parker’s eyes went wide. “Whoa.”
“I’ll just be in the next room,” Callum told his son. He wasn’t sure Parker heard, as he was already picking up the drill.
“Thank you for that,” Callum told Beck as he sat in his uncle’s office. “Brynn is working, and with my parents out of town, I didn’t have anyone to leave him with.”
Beck shot him a quizzical glance. “I can think of any number of relatives who would have been happy to watch him. I know Ami would have loved to spend time with him.”
Ami, his mom’s older sister and Beck’s wife, loved children. Beck was right. “My mom and dad haven’t had a chance to meet Parker yet. I’ve been limiting my interactions with the family, wanting them to be the first to get to know him.”
“You mentioned Brynn.”
“Yes, Parker and I have been staying with her since we got into town Friday.” At Beck’s curious look, Callum added, “Brynn and I are good friends.”
“She’s a wonderful young woman.”
“Yes, she is.”
“Have you reconnected with any other friends since you’ve been back?”
“There aren’t many friends of mine still around. Chris White is here, but he’s married and has a couple of kids, so we don’t have much in common.”
“You didn’t,” Beck reminded him with an easy smile. “Now that you have a child, you may find Chris to be a great resource.”
“Maybe,” Callum acknowledged.
“You wanted to speak with me about Parker.”
Though Callum knew Beck was open to discussing whatever was on his mind, his uncle was a busy man.
“I’d like you to help me firm up Parker’s custody.” Leaning forward, Callum launched into everything he knew about his son’s background, which wasn’t much. Pulling several papers from the pocket of his jacket, Callum handed one to Beck.
This was a notarized copy of a letter from Rebekah granting Linette temporary authority to make decisions about the child’s care, such as medical treatment or school enrollment.
Across the bottom of the letter, Linette had put last-week’s date, then scrawled, Given into the care of his father, Callum Brody .
Beck glanced over it again before looking up. “It appears Rebekah’s arrangement with her mother was intended to be informal and temporary, so this was adequate. How long has the mother been gone?”
“She left when Parker was two. He just turned six.”
“Not so temporary.” Beck’s tone remained easy as he rocked back in his chair. “Do you know how often she saw him during those four years?”
“According to his grandmother, not at all. ”
Beck made a notation on the legal pad in front of him. “Does the grandmother know where her daughter is at this time?”
“She says no. I did a search for Rebekah on social media and came up empty.” Callum handed Beck the birth certificate with the raised seal. “I also have this.”
“Excellent.” Beck read it, taking careful note of Callum’s name on it. “This will make the entire process flow more smoothly.”
“Will you be able to get custody shifted to me with the documentation I’ve given you?”
“It’s a good start.” Beck held up the papers. “Mind if I keep these?”
“Please do. I brought them for you.”
“I’ll get started on this right away. We should be able to petition the court for custody or parenting rights.”
“It’s an automatic, right? Since I’m his father.”
“I researched New Hampshire law when you told me that’s where Parker was living.” Beck’s expression grew serious. “In that state, the father does not automatically gain custody of the child simply by appearing. There will be an attempt to locate the mother.”
“What if she can’t be located?”
“Then they will look at his relationship with you and your ability to provide for his needs.” Beck steepled his fingers beneath his chin, his gaze thoughtful. “Like I said, you’re doing the right thing in getting started with this now. If Rebekah shows up during this process, it will definitely slow things down.”
Callum straightened in his seat. For some reason, he’d thought that once she’d turned guardianship of Parker over to her mother, Rebekah was out of the picture. “But she left him. He doesn’t remember her.”
“Unless she was ever charged with abuse or neglect, she could still make a strong case for custody.” Beck shot him a reassuring look. “You’ve stepped up to care for him. That will go a long way. Especially as you continue to build a relationship with your son. ”
“I’ve made an appointment for him to see Trinity Goodhue.”
Beck rubbed his chin. “An excellent idea. All the therapists at that clinic are highly regarded. Having a therapist testify on your behalf would also be beneficial. Even more than that, I think Parker and you would both benefit.”
“Me?” Callum stilled. “How did we go from talking about custody to me being in therapy?”
“Becoming a parent is a big change.” Beck’s dark eyes softened. “Perhaps you thought that down the road you’d have kids, but not now and certainly not this way.”
“It was a shock.” The sympathy in his uncle’s eyes, along with a lack of judgment, had Callum speaking freely. “I feel as if I’m still finding my footing.”
“Understandable. It’s a lot to absorb.”
“I’m not very good at it.”
“Parenthood is something you learn as you go.” Beck’s lips curved, and his eyes took on a distant glow as if he was looking back to those early days with his children. “It helps that you grew up with a mother and father who provided good examples.”
Callum realized that it hadn’t just been his parents. He’d grown up surrounded by many examples of good parenting. His mother’s sisters and their spouses dealt with life’s challenges together and in an adult manner.
“I’ve had stellar examples,” Callum conceded when he realized Beck was expecting a response.
Beck met his gaze head on. “We’re all here for you and Parker. Whatever you need, just ask. Remember, you’re not in this alone.”