Chapter 40
The dayof the hearing was overcast. Tally had Bobbi-June strapped to her chest as she walked up the stairs. Serena had said the hearing shouldn’t go for any more than an hour, and then it would be over.
Jesse and I walked a little behind Rocco and Tally. They were married, and it was important that they provided a united front. They were walking so close that their shoulders brushed, and Rocco had her hand tightly clasped in his. I hated that I wasn’t enough for this moment, but even I could admit that it had all worked out for the best. If it had been me married to Tally, or even Jesse, the outcome of today would be a lot more ambiguous. Money could buy a lot of things in this country, and unfortunately, babies and judges were among that list.
The huge bank balance Rocco brought to this fight meant that if Brick Willtot wanted to steal our baby from us, he’d have to have some damn good evidence that Tally was anything but a devoted mother. No such evidence existed.
But it didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous as hell. That nervousness only doubled when we saw Brick and his wife Laverne in the hall of the courtroom. I watched Tally’s feet stumble on the linoleum, and Rocco put an arm tight around her waist. He wouldn’t let her fall. None of us would.
I hadn’t seen Laverne Willtot since Buck’s funeral—a funeral that Tally hadn’t been allowed to attend—and she looked like she’d aged fifty years in the intervening months. A quiet and reserved woman, she’d always been overshadowed by her husband and sons.
The two older Willtot sons were also here, so apparently, it was a family affair. Bruce, the eldest, was the spitting image of his dad, and also an asshole. He helped manage Willtot Racing, and a couple of the other sub-branches of their business that made them so much damn money.
Buster Willtot had never been worth anything in his father’s eyes, and that was a badly kept secret in the industry. Much more like his mother than his father, he’d become a kindergarten teacher, which was probably worse than useless in his father’s eyes.
I had no doubt in my mind that Brick cursed God every day that it had been Buck who died, and not Buster.
The group spotted us, and the glares from Brick and Bruce were enough to peel paint. Laverne’s eyes fell to the baby carrier strapped to Tally’s front, and I watched the woman’s face crumple. She stepped toward us, and I tensed.
“Laverne,” Brick barked, and I saw her flinch, but she kept walking. “Laverne, come back here now.”
Laverne looked over her shoulder, and I saw her spine stiffen as she ignored her husband and walked toward us quickly. Brick moved to go after her, but Buster got in his way. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but you didn’t have to be a master in reading body language to know it was something angry.
As she came to a stop in front of Tally, the woman’s big blue eyes looked watery. They were Bobbi-June’s eyes, inherited from Buck. Tally took a deep breath. “Hello, Mrs. Willtot.”
“Tally. You look well.” Her voice was shaky and small. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry for this. Brick hasn’t been the same after Buck’s death and…” Another stuttering breath. “I fear he’s ruined everything by bulldozing his way through life once again.”
Tally said nothing, her face a blank mask, but I could see tears shine in her eyes.
Nodding to herself, Laverne continued. “I wouldn’t blame you if you cut all contact with us after this, so I was hoping, just in case, that I could see Buck’s daughter, just once?” A tear slipped down the older woman’s cheek.
Tally stared at the woman who seemed so small, like she was curling in on herself, preparing to shrivel away from the light. It was a pitiful scene, and it would affect even the hardest, most vengeful person. Tally was neither of those things.
Pulling the baby wrap to the side, she showed Bobbi-June’s angelic sleeping face to her paternal grandmother. Laverne sucked in a deep, pained breath as she lifted a hand and traced the curve of her face. “So beautiful. Just like my boy. You named her Bobbi-June? You stuck with the B theme?”
I doubted it was intentional, but Tally wasn’t going to contradict this woman who seemed like she was barely clinging to her sanity. “It’s a good name.”
Laverne nodded again, taking a step back. “You’ll be a good mother. I know it. Buck really liked you. His eyes always lit up when he spoke of you, which is probably why Brick hated you.” She touched Tally’s shoulder. “I know it wasn’t your fault. It was that silly sport that he loved so much.”
This woman was breaking my heart. Jesse handed Tally a tissue that he’d pulled from god knows where, and that was when I realized they were both crying. For a boy who never got much of an opportunity to be a man. For Bobbi-June, who wouldn’t get to know her grandmother or uncle, just because her grandfather was a narcissist. For Tally, who never got to say goodbye to her first love.
Serena, the lawyer, stepped up. “Mrs. Willtot, the proceedings are about to start. You better go back to your party.” Her voice was gentle, like she too knew that this woman in front of us was one harsh word away from crumbling to dust.
Buster appeared behind his mother. He nodded at us, and I nodded back. “Look after her,” he said to Tally.
My beautiful girlfriend lifted her chin at Laverne. “You too.”
Buster’s jaw tensed, but he gave her a curt nod as he led his mother into the courtroom. I watched them disappear completely before I came closer, pressing my hand to Tally’s spine.
“You okay, sweetheart?” She shook her head, and I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. “It will work itself out, I promise. I know it feels like a lot now, but we can figure out the rest later.”
I kissed her temple and stepped away, even though it pained me to do so. Rocco reached for her hand again, so she was never without the support of one of us. We were here for her. We all were. Now we just had to wait for this shit to be done.
We filed in, sitting on the left side of the courtroom. Tally unhooked Bobbi-June and handed her to Rocco, who placed the sleeping baby on his shoulder, rocking her so she didn’t wake.
The judge grabbed the file in front of him, scanning through it quickly. “Mr. Willtot, Mrs. Palmer-Passero, I see we are here to decide who gets custody of Bobbi-June Palmer.” The lawyers agreed, and the judge nodded. “Okay, proceed.”
Twenty minutes later, I was tempted to leap across the courtroom and punch Brick Willtot in the mouth. His lawyer was trying his best to make Tally sound like a flake—an unstable adrenaline junkie, who’d probably die in a fiery car crash before she turned twenty-five. He’d also suggested that Rocco was a fake husband for the sake of this court case, who just wanted citizenship. That might have been true at one point, but good luck proving that now.
When he’d suggested that, the judge had raised an eyebrow at Rocco. “Is that true, Mr. Passero?”
I’d watched as Rocco had leaned forward, his eyes alight with passion. “Absolutely not. I love Tally, and Bobbi-June. I’ve set up a trust for Bobbi-June’s future. I want to adopt her, so she can be a Passero like her mama. I want to watch her grow into a fierce and loving woman like my wife.” He let out a sigh. “Did we expedite the natural progression of our relationship because of Mr. Willtot’s aggressive tactics? Yes. However, it was inevitable. I have been smitten with Tally since the moment I laid eyes on her, the first time she put me in my place.”
He gave a crooked grin, then it faded again, merely a flash before the sunset. “But I promise you that I meant what I said when I stood up in front of that judge. I intend to love her in sickness and health, in the good times and the bad. I will be there for both of them forever.”
Man, I wasn’t even married to the guy—or interested in dick—and I could swoon. The judge just nodded, making notes.
Willtot’s lawyer scoffed. “How can he say that when we have proof that she is sleeping with two other men? Does that sound like a committed, healthy relationship to you, Your Honor?” He passed a stack of photos to the judge, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to guess what they showed.
Serena took the stack that the opposing counsel handed her. She wasn’t shocked. We’d prepared for this.
The judge raised his eyebrows at us. “I see. Mrs. Palmer-Passero? What do you say to this?”
Serena stepped forward. “Your Honor?—”
“Counsel, I was talking to your client.”
Tally stood. “Sir, I know it is unorthodox. Relationships have been between a man and a woman in the eyes of the law for a long time. However, I ask that you look at my relationship not through a patriarchal, traditionalist view, but an open mindset that reflects modern times. I love all three of these men, Your Honor. We love each other. We provide support, emotional and physical stability, for each other and Bobbi-June.
“At no point in the day is Bobbi-June without someone who would lay down their life for her. Instead of having one father to step into the shoes of the one she lost, she has three men who love and protect her. Who will love and protect me. Only one is my significant other in the eyes of the law, but in my heart, they are all my husbands.”
Bruce Willtot muttered, “Whore,” in a cough, and the judge raised a stern eyebrow at him.
“I understand it’s unorthodox, but not unheard of in this day and age, especially not here in California,” Tally implored.
“Indeed. Okay, continue,” the judge said, waving a hand at the lawyers.
It continued, but it was more of a joint character assassination than anything else, and Serena fired back as she mentioned Brick’s underhanded tactics in getting Tally fired, and his aggressive stand-over tactics at the hospital after she’d given birth.
In the end, it went for nearly five hours before the judge was ready to give a decision. “It is in the best interests of the infant not to drag this out any further. Her wellbeing, both physically and emotionally, is the only thing that this court is concerned with. It is clear that in front of me is a happy, loved and well-provided-for child.”
Brick Willtot growled low, a feral sound.
“This court grants sole custody of Bobbi-June Palmer to her mother, Tally Palmer-Passero. This court also denies the request for grandparent visitation rights.” He looked at Brick. “You need therapy to help you deal with the tragic death of your son, Mr. Willtot. This child is not a replacement for the son you lost. She has no relationship with you, and will not unduly suffer from not knowing you, as is the mother’s right. However, I fear that she might suffer under your influence.”
The judge looked at Tally, whose whole body had sagged into the chair with relief. “Unorthodox as it may be, I believe that you provide a loving and stable home for your daughter. In the future, it might be beneficial for the child to know her grandparents, but that is entirely at your discretion.” He looked down at the court stenographer. “Court dismissed.”
I kissed the top of Bobbi-June’s head, who’d been such a good baby during the trial, not even a little disgruntled about being passed between the three of us constantly. “Hear that, baby girl? You’re ours for good now. Let’s go hug your mama.”
Rocco already had Tally in his arms, and she was quickly squished between his chest and Jesse’s. We were a family, for real now.