Chapter 9
Idrove into Toronto Friday afternoon, my stomach in knots, my grip on my steering wheel too tight. Part of me dreaded this meeting, hearing Halton Smithers tell me there was nothing I could do and I needed to move on. I was sure I would never move on from trying to see my son. I hoped Halton would at least give me the name of another lawyer I could use. A way to fight the restraining order and get a chance to see my son.
I parked behind Cherry’s building and walked into the salon. She was cleaning up, and she met my gaze with a soft smile. She walked to me, her dress swirling around her calves. The deep green set off her coloring, and her hair was swept off her face in a loose knot, tendrils dancing around her face and neck.
“You look so handsome,” she whispered, rising up on her toes to press a kiss to my mouth.
I glanced down. I wanted to make a good first impression. I had showered and changed from my usual jeans and T-shirt. I had swapped out dark dress pants and a button-down shirt. Loafers. I didn’t go so far as a tie. I hated those things and only wore one when necessary.
“Thanks,” I replied. “You look beautiful.” I offered her a tight smile, my nerves stretched to the limit.
She cupped my face. “It’s going to be fine,” she assured me. “Halton is going to help. I can feel it.”
I squeezed her hand. “I’m afraid to hope.”
“I know. But I’ll be right beside you.”
I touched her cheek with our clasped hands. “That’s why I can do this, Cherry G.”
“I’ll get my purse.”
“Okay.”
Halton’s law office was large. Impressive. His assistant Rene escorted us to the boardroom. Halton’s wife, Fiona, came in to say hello. She was a pretty woman with startling silver-white hair, considering her age. She shook my hand, her warmth and friendliness evident.
“Cherry G tells me you work here with your husband.”
She laughed, the sound pleasant. “Cherry G. I love that. I help Halton and Rene out. I work for BAM part time and here on occasion.” She rubbed her baby bump. “When I’m not busy baking another baby for Halton to spoil.”
Cherry laughed with her. “Remind me when you’re due?”
“Not for another eight weeks. I swear I get bigger every time.” She smiled at me. “This is number three.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Now, can I get you some coffee? Water?” She paused. “Scotch?”
“I’ll take one of each.” Halton Smithers walked in, stopping beside his wife. He pressed a kiss to her head. “But Rene will fetch them. You get off your feet.”
We shook hands, each sizing the other up. Halton Smithers was tall with broad shoulders. I was certain his suit cost more than my rent for six months, and he wore it well. His hair gleamed under the lights, and his dark-blue eyes were intelligent and shrewd. But kind. He greeted Cherry with a kiss on the cheek and indicated for us to sit at the large table.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like Fiona to sit in with us. She’s been helping me investigate. She’s bound by the same confidentiality as I am.”
“I have no problem with that.” Cherry trusted her and Halton, so I did as well.
Rene came in, carrying a tray. Water, coffee, and even the scotch and glasses were on it. He slid it on the table and left, returning right away with a tray of sandwiches. “In case anyone is hungry.” He eyed Fiona with a knowing look. She grinned at him then looked my way.
“I’m always hungry these days.”
Cherry smiled in amusement. “I remember that stage.”
Halton pushed the tray toward his wife. “Eat,” he said, his adoration evident in his voice. “Please help yourself. I know it’s dinnertime, so I think we can all have a sandwich and take a moment to get to know one another.”
I accepted a cup of coffee but refused a sandwich. I eyed the scotch but decided to wait. I needed a clear head. Halton wolfed down two sandwiches quickly, offering a rueful laugh. “I was in court this afternoon. No lunch.”
He poured a cup of coffee, then a finger of scotch into two glasses, pushing one my way. “You look as if you need this, Dominic.”
“Dom.”
He nodded. “Dom, it is.” He tapped the familiar box Rene had carried in a few moments ago. “First off, let me say, I wish all my clients were as meticulous as you are in keeping records. It was easy to go through and gave me exactly what I needed to know and determine the best course of action.”
“Is there a course?” I asked, grateful when Cherry intertwined our fingers.
“There is.” He paused and drained his coffee. “I’m a blunt man, Dom. I speak my mind, and I don’t say things I don’t mean. You okay with that?”
“Absolutely. I prefer blunt.”
“Good.” He indicated the box with a tilt of his head. “You were fucked over. Your lawyer had no clue what he was doing. And I’m not surprised you lost so often.”
I drew in a painful breath. “He was recommended to me. I thought he tried hard.”
“Oh, he did. But he was up against one of the worst lawyers around. Your ex-wife’s lawyer is a slimy lowlife and barely operates within the boundaries of the law. He fights dirty and encourages his clients to do so as well. They tag-teamed really well. Your guy was no match for their manipulation.”
I sat back, shocked. “So, I’m fucked.”
Halton shook his head. “You were fucked,” he said slowly. “But you have me now.” He rapped on the table. “I’m going to help you get your son back in your life.”
For a moment, I was sure I had heard him wrong. I stared at him, then looked at Cherry. She squeezed my hand.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
Halton smiled in understanding. “I went through your files, Dom. Got Fee to start digging. Rene, too. You were screwed over. You’re still being screwed over. I’m going to put a stop to it. I’m going to find a way to let you see your son.”
“I don’t even know where he is,” I said, disbelieving.
“He’s in Kingston.”
I blinked. “Kingston? As in, an hour away from me?”
“Yes.”
“How did you find him?”
“Your ex is lazy, and so is her lawyer. The payments you send are deposited into her bank account. It wasn’t hard to use my, ah, resources to find where they were deposited and the information linked to the account.” He shook his head. “Her lawyer should have deposited the funds on her behalf and transferred the payments. But as I said, lazy.”
I couldn’t believe Josh was so close. I could have passed him on the street and not known it.
“You did nothing wrong. You put your son and his needs above everything. Your ex is carrying out a personal vendetta that has hurt both you and Josh,” Halton said, his voice kind. “I would like to put a stop to that.”
I leaned forward, feeling desperate. “Please take my case. I was saving for a house, but I’ll use that for your retainer. I just want to see my son,” I begged. “Talk to him. Hug him. Take him out for pizza. I’m not trying to steal him from his mother. I want to be a part of his life. I’ll do anything, Halton. I’ll figure out a way to pay your fees. I’ll?—”
He held up his hand, silencing me and shaking his head. “Everyone needs a home, Dom. A place to belong.” He looked between Cherry and me. “Someone to share it with and make life wonderful. Don’t use your savings to pay me.” He shared a glance with Fiona, and another tender smile passed between them. He sat back, threading his fingers together and placing his hands across his chest as he regarded me.
Before I could say anything else, he spoke again.
“The laws and the courts still favor the mother, although things have come a long way. In many cases, that is what is best for the child. In some, it isn’t. There are fathers desperate to be part of their kids’ lives. Willing to do almost anything to be with them. Usually, it’s an issue between the parents, as in your case. A personal grudge.” He paused and rubbed his chin. “Often spouses punish each other, but it’s the kids who suffer. On Saturdays, I work with a group of dads like yourself. Wanting to be with their kids, struggling to find a way to do so. You should come with me. Sit and talk to these men who understand your pain and frustration. I offer guidance, help them navigate the system. On occasion, I represent one. And a few times a year, when a case touches me, I take it on fully—pro bono.” He met my gaze, his determined and serious. “Yours slammed into my heart, Dom. I want to help you reconnect with your son. If you trust me enough to allow me to take it on, I will do everything in my power to make that happen. I can’t guarantee you results, but I will bloody well try.”
“You’ll take it on,” I repeated slowly, unsure I had heard him correctly.
“I’m taking your case on pro bono. I’ll work with you. You’ll have the power of my office behind you, and we will do everything we can to get you back to Josh.”
I sat back in shock. Turned my head and looked at Cherry. Her eyes were wide and filled with tears. She met my gaze, grabbing my hand. I realized I was shaking.
“Are you serious?” I managed to get out.
“As a heart attack. I need some time to go through everything carefully. Formulate a plan. Mount a case and refile your request for visitation—to start. Josh is older now, and he has a say in this as well. I hope he wants to see you too.”
“It’s been so long?—”
He shook his head. “Kids have memories too.” He tapped the box. “Inside here is every card and letter you tried to send to him. Years of letters, birthday cards, Christmas cards. All dated and stamped, proving how hard you tried. Letters to Roxanne. These prove you didn’t give up. And I’m not going to give up until the day I see you hug your son.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“Scared,” I admitted.
“Why?”
“Because you’re making me hope, Halton.”
He smiled. “Hope is good, Dom. Hope is good.”
Cherry led me across the street to a bar Halton and Fiona told her had good food. I was barely able to walk, never mind converse. We entered the bar, and she tugged me to a booth, ordering us drinks and burgers. Then she sat quietly, letting me process.
“How are you feeling?” she asked when I finally reached for the Guinness she had ordered me.
I took a sip, thinking. Halton had told me to be patient. He’d scheduled another meeting in two weeks and, in the meantime, gave me the information on the group he met with on the weekends. Then he told me to go and eat something, think it over, and email him any questions. He made sure I had his cell number. He shook my hand, and Fiona hugged me goodbye. It was all I could do to mumble my thanks. Follow Cherry where she led me.
“Overwhelmed.”
“I can see that.”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table between us. I reached for her hands, holding them tight. “Grateful.”
She nodded. “Halton is going to help you.”
“I know that. But I meant you, Cherry G. I’m grateful for you. This is happening because of you.”
“I just asked a friend.”
“Your question has probably changed my life. I have a chance now. A chance to see Josh. To reestablish a relationship with my son.” I squeezed her hands. “Because you asked.”
Our burgers came, and she smiled. “Please eat.”
They smelled great, and I hadn’t eaten all day. Suddenly, I was starving, and I picked up the thick sandwich, taking a bite. We were mostly quiet as we ate, making a few observations about the bar and the food. After, we sat finishing our drinks, and Cherry met my eyes and asked the million-dollar question.
“What if Josh doesn’t want to see you?”
“I thought of that. It would gut me, but I wouldn’t stop. I would let him know my door was always open. I would ask to be informed of his big moments. Graduation, that sort of thing, so I could go and be there—even if he didn’t want to talk to me. Maybe one day, he’d change his mind, and I’d want him to know I never gave up.”
“I think he is lucky to have you for his dad.”
“I think I’m lucky to have you in my life.” I tilted my head to the side. “You are in my life, right, Cherry G?”
“As long as you behave,” she replied tartly, tossing her head, the tendrils around her face moving.
“I can’t guarantee that.”
“I probably need to stick around to make sure,” she countered. “Someone has to.”
Suddenly, I needed her alone. I stood and slid beside her, pulling her into my arms. I kissed her deeply, holding her tight. “I’m taking you home now, pretty lady. I need to be alone with you.” I kissed her again. “And I won’t be behaving. Neither will you.”
“Good to know.”
“I’ll get the check.”