Chapter Twenty-Nine
Evie
Sitting at the kitchen table with my laptop open, I typed my ex’s name into the search bar, my fingers hovering over the keys for a moment before pressing enter.
A mix of dread and determination settled over me as I watched the search results populate. I hadn’t looked him up in years—not because I didn’t care where he was, but because I didn’t want to reopen old wounds. But now, with that letter threatening everything I’d built for Hayden, I couldn’t avoid it.
His name sat at the top of the page, connected to a public record listing. I clicked on it, holding my breath. The address was in Pennsylvania. I let out a sharp exhale, half-relieved he was far away but also furious at the reminder of how much distance there had been between us—physical distance, emotional distance, necessary distance.
Ugh.
I stared at the modest row house on the screen. It looked nicer than I expected. He’d always made a habit of crashing on people’s couches.
Typing in a few more things, I started to notice a pattern. I highly doubted that he had rented this home on his own. My best guess wasn’t that he couldn’t rent the entire house, which made me question his motives. Was he sleeping on the couch? Renting a bedroom? Did he have a ton of roommates? Where would Hayden fit in?
I clicked through a few more links, piecing together his recent addresses. Each one told the same story: a man who hadn’t put down roots, who was drifting from one place to the next.
This wasn’t surprising. He’d always been restless, always chasing some unattainable version of himself.
When we were together, he’d mask his insecurities with sharp words and manipulative comments, trying to bend me to fit whatever narrative he needed.
When I finally left, it wasn’t just for my sake but for Hayden’s. I wouldn’t let my son grow up under the weight of that toxicity.
The realization hit me harder than I expected.
He hadn’t changed.
Not really.
Yet here he was, disrupting our lives again with that letter. Anger simmered, and my fingers gripped the edge of the laptop.
What did he want?
I scrolled further, looking for answers that weren’t there. His life, as laid bare by these records, didn’t scream of a man ready to take on fatherhood. It screamed of instability, of a person who hadn’t dealt with their demons.
And yet, here he was, making a claim for custody. Why now? What had changed? Had he even changed? The thought twisted in my chest like a knife.
I glanced at Hayden’s school picture on the fridge, his bright smile beaming back at me. My hand shook as I reached for the mug of tea next to me.
A bitter laugh escaped me. This man—who once made me doubt my worth at every turn—thought he had the right to walk into our lives and disrupt it all. But I wouldn’t let that happen.
Not without a fight.
I found solace in my job with the horses. I found myself again, gained strength, and channeled it to my son.
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Kyle didn’t deserve to be in Hayden’s life—not after the way he treated me, not with the instability he still seemed to live in. He might’ve been part of our story once, but I’d rewritten that story for Hayden and me. And no amount of legal maneuvering or manipulative charm was going to change that.
Just so I didn’t have to pay for my attorney’s team to look everything up, I copied and pasted his previous addresses when a name popped up I didn’t recognize, but it was tied to him.
I quickly clicked on the female name and realized he’d gotten married.
And divorced.
In very quick order.
The weight of playing detective exhausted me, so I decided to send what I had to my attorney. At least this little bit of research might save me some money.
Sitting at the kitchen table, I stared at the empty coffee mug in front of me, the cool ceramic a stark contrast to the storm brewing in my chest. The morning had started quietly enough—Hayden’s bus had rolled away with his excited wave, and I’d come back inside hoping to focus on something productive. But instead, my mind kept circling back to everything that had happened.
I picked up my phone and dialed my mom, not entirely sure what I would say. She answered on the second ring, her warm voice instantly calming some of my nerves.
“Evie, sweetheart. What’s on your mind? Have you spoken with the attorney yet?”
“Yeah.” I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “He didn’t say things I wanted to hear.”
Her tone softened. “What’s going on?”
“My attorney said he does have every right to file for custody.” I cleared my throat. “But he thinks we have a good leg to stand on. However, the courts can be tricky.”
“Yes, they can.” She sighed on the other end of the line, her understanding palpable. “Evie, you know how he operates. He thrives on control. Maybe this is just another way to try to take it.”
“That’s what scares me. But why, after so many years? Why now? He’s not doing this for Hayden. He’s doing it for himself, and I don’t know how far he will go.”
“There is a motive with the guy. Mark my words, and things will fall into place once you figure it out.”
“I hope so.” I let out a deep breath. “And in the meantime, I need to keep Hayden distracted.”
“Sweetheart,” she said gently, “you’ve been an amazing mother. Hayden knows that. And anyone who looks at your life will see it, too. Your ex doesn’t have a case. He’s grasping at straws.”
I swallowed hard, her words comforting but not enough to erase the knot in my stomach.
“I keep trying to remind myself of that, but then I think about Hayden, and I can’t bear the thought of him being caught in the middle.”
Her voice grew firmer. “He won’t be. You’ll protect him, Evie. You’ve been protecting him since the day you left. And you’re not alone in this. I’ll come up the moment you say the word.”
I hesitated, the weight of her words sinking in. “I know. It’s just... sometimes it feels like I am.”
“You’re not,” she insisted. “You’ve got me. And from what I hear, you’ve got Liam, too.”
Her mention of Liam sent a rush of warmth and guilt through me.
“Liam’s great, Mom, but this isn’t his fight. He doesn’t need to be dragged into this mess.”
“Have you told him that?” she asked.
“Not exactly,” I admitted, my cheeks flushing. “I keep trying to keep things light, but he’s... persistent. He wants to help.”
“Because he cares about you, Evie,” she said simply. “Don’t shut him out. If he’s offering to be there for you, let him. It’s not about dragging him into the mess. It’s about letting him stand beside you.”
I leaned back in my chair, her words settling over me like a blanket.
“You think I’m overthinking this?”
“I think you’re doing what you’ve always done—trying to shoulder everything alone,” she said gently. “But you don’t have to. Trust yourself, Evie. And trust the people who love you.”
Tears filled my eyes, and I quickly wiped them away. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Anytime, sweetheart. You’ve got this.”
“Thanks, Mom. Love ya.”
“If you need me to drive up, I will.”
“I know, and I just might hold you to it.”
She chuckled. “You never do. You’ve always been too independent for your own good.”
“Sounds like someone I know.”
My mom sighed. “And you know what? I wish I’d let someone lend a hand occasionally.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“No, you won’t, but that’s okay. Talk to you soon.”
I laughed as my mom hung up.
If nothing else, I felt better.
Until I let my mind start up again.
I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned as Liam flooded my world.
Liam had dreams—big, ambitious ones. Red Barn Cider wasn’t just an idea to him; it was a vision, something he’d talked about with so much passion that it made me believe in it, too. His enthusiasm was infectious, the way he described the space he wanted to create and the people he wanted to bring together. It was so much more than cider—it was community, tradition, and the kind of legacy that would stand the test of time.
And here I was, dragging him into my world of court dates and a nasty ex.
What was I doing? What if I became a distraction? What if, by letting him in, I unintentionally held him back from chasing everything he could achieve? The thought made my stomach twist. Liam deserved someone who could stand beside him without bringing a suitcase of complications.
I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. But then, there was the way he looked at me and made me feel like I wasn’t too much for him.
Liam had this uncanny ability to make me believe he wanted to be in the middle of it all.
He didn’t shy away from the hard stuff, didn’t flinch when my reality crept into our moments together, and always had my back.
Still, what if the novelty wore off?
What if, one day, he realized that being with me meant sacrificing things he hadn’t even considered yet? The last thing I wanted was for Liam to resent me down the line, to look back and wonder what he could have accomplished if he hadn’t been tethered to a single mom with a complicated past.
I laughed and rubbed my temples, realizing I’d just managed to give myself a headache.
The truth was that he was stuck with me for now, which made me smile.