Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Case
As I walk up the rutted path past Tessa’s to my trailer that evening, sweaty from a long day of labor, I’m not thinking about how much I’ve finished on the house or if I’m still behind, or even how to get even with Tessa Harlow.
No, I’m wondering what she’s doing inside that little cottage. Is she still writing? Having a glass of wine? Watching television? Is she lonely? Has she eaten? Does she sleep naked?
Tessa had bested me and that hadn’t happened in a while. She reminds me a bit of Lulah, just less down to earth. Both women had serious trust issues, were headstrong, determined, full of pride, and had more walls around them than a fucking castle. Jeff needed endless patience to gain Lulah’s trust and maybe that’s all Sunshine Snooty Pants needs too.
“Yeah and she can get it from someone else,” I say aloud to myself, picking up my pace. Reece is my focus, not some sexy spitfire in need of taming.
“Case?” I spin, noticing Tessa’s on the front porch tonight. Her hair has completely sprung free from the confines of her hair clip and she’s glistening with a fine sheen of sweat.
“Yes, Sunshine?”
“I’m rescinding my grandmother’s offer for you to use this path to get to and from the job site.”
I frown but I doubt she notices. She’s trimmed the vines back from around the windows, doors and veranda giving the cottage a rejuvenated look. I don’t comment on her hard work though. Instead, I nod at her. Driving all the way around to get to the site is going to be a huge pain in the ass, but there’s no reason it can’t be that way for both of us.
“No problem, Sunshine. Have a good night.” I smile, knowing how much she’ll hate hearing my bike roar loudly up and down the road twice a day. I might even start going home for lunch.
I’m cooking sausages on my fire, attempting to listen to the latest bestseller by my favorite crime novelist when Tessa pops into my head for the hundredth time and I realize I haven’t been following the storyline. I can’t wait to ride my bike by the cottage tomorrow. I laugh picturing the look on her face.
Turning the sausages on the rack, I grab my cell phone. After a quick search for Harley and Hearts, the Tank Long book, I order an audio copy and download it.
I smile wickedly, pulling the sausage off the fire. It’s time I find out exactly what makes my sunshiny neighbor tick and how I might make that work in my favor. The sausage hisses as I spear it with my fork and plop it on a plate.
My cell rings with my first juicy bite and I glance down to see Jeff and Lulah’s number.
“Boy or girl?” I say by way of greeting.
“Have you checked your email?” Jeff demands. He’s not usually one for small talk but tonight his abrupt manner puts me on edge.
“Uh, no. Why?”
“Look, I’ll wait,” his clipped tone again sets off warning bells.
I navigate to my email. My stomach knots and I release the breath I’m holding. Fuck, fuck, fuck! The email is from the judge’s assistant and the first visitation they’ve scheduled with my parents.
“What the hell is that, Case? Who the hell are Liam and Siobhan Callen? And why the fuck are they suddenly entitled to visitation?”
I honestly thought they’d backed off after I called them. But no, seems they were just waiting until it was more convenient for them. I check the date. Yeah, like when they’d closed the beach house for the season.
“My parents,” I say numbly, tossing my sausage, paper plate and all, into the fire. “They’re filing for custody themselves on grounds I’m unfit.” I sigh forcefully. “I thought they’d given up after I called them, but I guess not.”
“You knew about this? Why the fuck would they do that, Case? What the fuck aren’t you telling us.”
He’s pissed and I don’t blame him. My parents are strangers to both Reece and her family. Hell, they’re even strangers to me now. “I don’t have anything to do with them. I don’t even know how they could have found out about this. About Reece. We’ve been estranged for a long time. I didn’t tell you because I thought it was going to go away, and I didn’t want to stress you out.”
“Do they have a chance?” Jeff asks, his voice ripe with worry and impatience. “I don’t know these fucking people, Case. And the fact that they introduced themselves by means of a custody lawsuit tells me everything I need to know about them.”
“I haven’t even seen them in over five years, but they…” I pause to gather a breath. “They’ve got money, Jeff. A lot of it and the connections and influence to go with it. And I’m not so sure the caseworker or judge like me very much. But even if they don’t win, they’ll likely get grandparent rights.”
Jeff lets loose a string of curses and I don’t stop him, probably because my own head is filled with them.
The fucking audacity. Wasn’t it bad enough they’d made my life hell growing up, did they have to do it to my daughter too? Screw that.
“I know this isn’t great news, Jeff, but I’m going to do everything in my power to stop them.”
“Jesus, this is our baby, Case. This is Reece. Smart, sweet, and sensitive, Reece. She better not be a pawn in some battle between you and your parents.”
“That’s the last thing I want, Jeff. I want her to be safe and secure not tossed around between a bunch of greedy adults who think they know best.”
His grunt ends the call, and I let my face fall into my hands for a few minutes, rubbing the skin as if I can rub my troubles away. And then I call my sister.
“Posy?”
“Hey, Case. What’s up?” There’s music in the background—classical.
“Do you know what our parents are up to?”
“What now?”
“They’re petitioning for custody of Reece.” I sigh, feeling exhausted. “I thought it was a ploy to get my attention at first, but they’re actually pursuing it seriously now.”
“Just a sec,” she says, and I hear the muffled sound of her covering the mic. “Excuse me folks, I’ve gotta take this.”
A minute goes by before she uncovers the phone and the music is gone. I put her on speaker so I can pull up the email.
“What the fuck do you mean?”
“Apparently, they think my daughter will be better off with them. How’d they even find out I had a daughter?”
There’s silence for a minute. “That might be my fault.”
“Jesus, Pose, what did you do?”
“Reece’s picture is your caller ID on my phone. You called when I was there, and you know Mom, she doesn’t let things go.” She pauses long enough for me to growl. “I’m so sorry, Case. I didn’t think they’d do anything like this. I mean they’ve been bugging me about grandchildren, but this is too far. Reece doesn’t need this. Send me all the legal documents and I’ll get David to look it over. Let me help fix this.”
“Posy, you’re still in their good graces, do you think you getting involved is a good idea?”
“I’m not letting them do this to you, Case. They’ve done enough. It’s time they learn boundaries apply to them too. And I’m only in their good graces because I played the game by their rules, and it fortunately worked out. You did what was right for you. And I’m proud of you and the strength that took.”
“If you’re sure,” I say as I forward her the emails from my current lawyer.
“Got it.” She hums a bit as she glances through the stuff I sent her. “When are you back in town next? We’ll set up a meeting.”
We arrange a time to meet, and although I loath to take time away from my daughter when I’m in town, I’ve got no choice.
My parents cannot win this. Reece cannot grow up like Posy and I did.