29. When Trouble Finds You
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Brooke
When Trouble Finds You
A fter a night with Max, Brooke resigned herself to the fact that she was going to have to play by the judge’s rules: she had to let Max spend some time with Tyler if he showed up for his visitation day. Then Declan called to tell her Tyler wanted to change his first visitation to Friday, which was the first day of the Summer Solstice.
The only good thing was that Max had school all day, so it limited the length of their visit. But when she told Max his dad wanted to take him to the Summer Solstice, Max was excited and said he didn’t need her or Miles to go with them. He wanted to spend time with his dad, and it crushed her to know that it was very likely Tyler was going to disappoint him. But there were still two more days for Tyler to change his mind and flake out.
Today was Wednesday, and even though she’d had one lapse of judgment with Dalton at the park, she wasn’t ready to parade around town with him. So, they had agreed to wait until tonight to spend time together, when Max was with her parents. Brooke felt a little guilty being so eager to get time away from Max to be with Dalton, and knew it was a limitation she was putting on their relationship. But she didn’t want to confuse Max or let him get even more attached to Dalton if he was still just leaving at the end of summer.
For tonight she was just excited to be with Dalton, so she didn’t think to check when there was a knock at her door. But her excitement died the moment she opened it and found Tyler on the other side of her screen.
His eyes roved over her and then narrowed as a grin pushed up one side of his mouth at the same time.
“Were you expecting someone else?” he asked as he tried to open the screen door.
But she almost always kept it locked, because she and Max entered through the garage.
“Why are you here, Tyler?”
“I came to see Max. He is my son, after all.” He said the words as if he didn’t really believe them.
“Max is with his grandparents this evening, bonding over baseball.”
Tyler looked at his watch. “Well, maybe I’ll just stick around until he gets home. We can spend some time together.”
An alarm bell went off. Tyler never dropped by her house to see Max.
“Your attorney said you wanted Friday for your first visit. You can’t just drop by for random visits, that isn’t how custody works. What do you really want? In seven years you’ve never once stopped by to see your son or wanted to spend time with me.”
He leaned forward on the door frame and, like a scripted actor, plastered his most charming smile on.
“Maybe I’m trying to make up for lost time, and Max is a lot easier to hang out with now that he doesn’t need diapers or ask for you every five seconds.”
Her stomach twisted. Poor Max was stuck with a father who didn’t really want to spend time with him, and now—because of the child support—Tyler was going to pretend to be more interested than he really was.
“You do know the judge is going to base the child support on your earnings and wealth, not how much time you spend with Max, right?”
“Actually, my lawyer tells me that if I have fifty percent custody, then I won’t have to pay any child support. Isn’t that neat?”
“Fifty percent custody? You’ve barely spent fifty hours with your son since his birth. Miles spends more time with Max.”
His fake smile turned into more of a sneer, making his undeniably handsome face look angry.
“You don’t get to lecture me about parenthood when you can’t even afford a decent place to live, and if I want to see my son, you have to let me.”
Before she could respond, Dalton’s truck pulled into the driveway, and she could feel the tension roll off Tyler as the recognition dawned on him.
“Well, well, while Max is away, Mommy gets to play. I wonder what the judge will think of you sleeping around, and with a coworker no less.” He made a tsking sound with his tongue.
Dalton exited the truck and stopped a few feet away from Tyler, who just stood there with his hands on his hips and his chest puffing up.
“Evening, Tyler,” Dalton said with a nod before his eyes passed over Brooke’s face, searching.
“Isn’t it about time you head back out of Sandy Point, or are you still hell-bent on trying to weasel your way into my family?”
Dalton just sighed. “I can see why this might be awkward for you, Tyler, but Brooke hasn’t been part of your family for a long while. There’s no need to make things uncomfortable.”
“You think this is bad, you just wait and see. Unlike you Hart boys, I’ve got all the money and time in the world to make this extremely uncomfortable,” Tyler said, then stepped forward to crowd Dalton on the sidewalk. He even had the nerve to shoulder bump Dalton while on his way back through Brooke’s yard to his flashy black sports car that he’d parked in front of her house. “Tell Max I’ll pick him up after school. And I don’t want my son around this loser,” he called back, then got in his car and sped off.
Brooke unlocked the screen door and Dalton stepped in, making the already small house seem even smaller with his size.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I don’t know. He said he’s going to fight me for custody of Max because I filed for child support. Apparently, his lawyer said he won’t have to pay if he gets fifty percent custody. I can’t lose Max. Tyler will stick him with some nanny and it’ll be all my fault.”
Dalton’s warm hands gripped her upper arms. “He won’t get granted fifty percent custody after being an absentee father for almost eight years. No judge will let him take Max away from his home and school. It’s just an intimidation tactic.” His deep voice was soothing and what he said was logical, but Brooke knew better. The Banks family were notorious for throwing their money around to get what—and who—they wanted.
“I don’t believe that and neither do you. He already has several high-powered attorneys, he accused me of sleeping around, and he said the judge will find me unfit.” Her hands went cold. “And now he knows we’re spending time together, which will only egg him on. I can’t lose my son.”
Dalton pulled her into his warm, hard chest. “You won’t lose Max. You’re a fantastic mother, you have a great support system, and you don’t sleep around. Don’t let him get into your head.”
“Too late. I need to talk to Declan about this. I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t date anyone until this is all settled.”
Dalton took a deep breath. “That’s exactly what Tyler is hoping to do, scare you and make you second-guess yourself. You can’t let him have this kind of power over you.”
Brooke stepped out of his arms. “Until you have a child with someone and they threaten to take them away, please don’t tell me how to feel or react. You have no idea what I’m going through.”
“You’re right. Why don’t I drive you over to Declan’s office, and we can go out another time?”
“Dalton, I’m serious. I can’t date you if Tyler is going to use it against me in some custody battle. I can’t do anything that would risk my time with my son.”
“Okay, let’s go speak with Declan and see what he says. I’m just a concerned friend right now. You’re upset, and I’d feel better if I drove you there.”
She nodded and grabbed her bag and cell phone, sending off a text to Declan saying she needed to see him for an emergency.
Dalton helped her lock up the front door before he opened the passenger door for her to get in his truck. The memory of the first time she sat in his truck flooded back, his mouth on her skin, his hands holding her close as she’d straddled his lap. She had been so reckless. What had she been thinking? Tyler was right, it wouldn’t look very good to a judge in a custody battle if he could prove she was being promiscuous. Dalton fired up the truck but remained quiet as he buckled his seat belt and pulled out onto the street. When he parked in front of Declan’s house that also doubled as his law practice, he stayed in his seat.
“I’ll wait out here unless you want me to come in.”
“It’s probably better if you don’t. In fact, maybe we should just call it a night now. I don’t want to drag you into this mess, and your presence only seems to instigate Tyler into behaving badly.”
“I’m not going to let you walk home alone. Go talk to your lawyer and I’ll be waiting right here.”
“Okay.” She let herself out of the truck and Declan opened the front door before she even had to knock. His twins ran up to greet her.
“Is Max here too?” they asked with excitement.
“No, sorry, kids, Max is with his grandparents.” She looked up from their frowning faces to Declan. “I’m sorry to burst in on you like this, but Tyler showed up at my house and he was pretty adamant that he’s going to get fifty percent custody of Max. I feel like maybe I should just stop with this process now.”
Declan waved out at Dalton and then opened the door wider. “Come on in and let’s discuss it over ice cream.” The twins squealed. “They were just about to have some and it’ll help.”
“Ice cream always helps!” the boys yelled in unison, and ran into the kitchen to pull out the ice cream and cones.
Declan closed the door. “Are you sure you don’t want to let Dalton join us?”
“No, I think I need to refocus my priorities.”
“I know a little about that, but we both also know that’s a lonely place to be.”
She dropped her purse on the side table and let out a huff. Part of the reason she trusted Declan so much was that he understood what it meant to be a single parent. She’d been friends with his wife and the entire town had been devastated when she died. He understood what it meant to put his own needs aside while he raised their boys.
“You’re allowed to date and be a good mom, Brooke. Dalton is an upstanding member of society, a former Navy officer, an ER doctor, and from a prominent family. Dating him won’t hurt your reputation, so don’t let Tyler get into your head.”
“Dad, we can’t get the scooper to work!” Owen called out.
Brooke had to smile. “I know what you’re saying is logical, but when my rich ex shows up and starts throwing insults at me and telling me he’s going to take our son from me, it works.”
“Alright, so let’s go over the basics, but first let me get these two a few scoops or we’ll have a disaster.”
Ten minutes later Brooke was holding a big bowl of ice cream with sprinkles, sitting across from Declan at the small eat-in kitchen while the boys sat in the other room and ate their treat.
“So, I can’t promise you anything, but what I can tell you is that Tyler will have a tough time trying to get fifty percent custody of Max. In the state of Georgia a child can’t be expected to attend two schools, so the most Tyler could hope for is every other weekend. No judge will uproot Max and send him to a new home with a father that has not had consistent visits for the first seven years of his life.”
“What about finding me unfit? I work a lot and my parents have to help me. And one time I was late to pick him up from baseball practice.”
Declan shook his head and then looked her dead in the eye. “You, Brooke Garcia, are a fantastic mother. You have a safe, clean home, work full-time, have a family support system, and Max is thriving. There is literally not one fault to be found.”
A lump of emotion swelled up in her throat.
“And you have been doing it all on your own from day one financially. I think the fact that you do let your parents help, and that Miles gets time with Max, only proves you understand the balance of parenting and self-preservation. Which, as I’ve learned, is a sign of great parenting.”
“It’s so hard to let anyone help you because you want the best for them, but then even a little break gives us time to recharge and remember who we are,” Brooke said.
“Parenting is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s also the most rewarding. And Tyler knows nothing about that. He will not win this fight.”
“But he has money, and money buys attorneys and people to dig up dirt.”
“Unless you have some skeletons hiding in your closet, there’s no dirt. You’re too busy. And dating Dalton will not even be a blip to any judge in this county.”
“But how can you be sure?”
“Well, I have the trump card: a few character witnesses I’ve secured just in case Tyler tries to sling some mud.”
“Is this the person who told you about the family trust, under sworn secrecy?”
“Maybe, and I suspect there are more people in this town who will stand behind you if and when the time comes. I’m not going to tell you not to worry, because that’s unrealistic, but I do think you should trust the process.”
Brooke let the tension in her shoulders ease a bit, because everything Declan said made sense. He was an experienced and well-respected attorney.
“Okay, then we proceed with child support and hope Tyler changes his mind about any type of custody.”
“And I think we counter with a request for full custody, to make it official. Now, if we could prove Tyler was unfit, it’s possible they would remove all his parental rights, but I’m not suggesting we go that far. But for Max and for your sake it would be best to have terms settled.”
“Does that mean I’ll have to let Max go stay with him two weekends a month? I don’t think I can do that.”
“No, there is no reason to believe Tyler wants that or is capable of that. So I think we just highlight the fact that he walked out on Max from day one and let the judge see where Max belongs.”
“I hate this,” Brooke said. “I hate it for Max and I hate it for me.”
Declan nodded. “Now why don’t you let that man out in his truck take you on a date, a walk on the beach, or whatever two young people that look at each other like they’re thirsty do.”
Brooke gasped and covered her heated cheeks with her hands. “Declan!”
He just shook his head and took a big bite of ice cream.
Brooke stood and put her empty ice cream bowl in the sink.
“I’m not sure it makes sense to date someone who will be gone by the end of summer, but I guess I have to at least thank him for putting up with my crazy.”
“You’re not crazy to want to make sure you’re doing the best by Max, but do us both a favor. Next time Tyler stops by, don’t answer the door. Avoid him as much as possible.”
“I think the only reason he’s even pretending to care is because he knows I do. I don’t even think he cares about the money.”
“It’ll be over soon, just stay positive and avoid him.”
She thanked Declan and headed back outside to find Dalton standing against the front of his truck as the sun was setting.
“I’m sorry I ruined our plans,” she said, walking up to where he leaned against the front bumper.
“Nothing’s ruined. We still have time to spend together.”
She stepped closer and intertwined her fingers with his. “What did you have in mind?”
“Does this mean you’re not worried about being seen with me?”
She swayed and watched as his hands interlaced with hers and he played with her fingers. It was fascinating how a simple touch made her feel so safe.
“I’m worried, but I’m also not doing anything wrong. And as Declan pointed out, you’re an upstanding member of the community, so it’s not exactly bad for me to be seen with you.”
“So I have the counselor to thank for convincing you to go out on our first real date tonight? I’ll be sure to send him a thank-you.” Dalton pulled her into his open arms and wrapped them around her. Then his mouth was on hers, but with the type of sweet, gentle kiss that provoked the kind of emotion she wasn’t ready to voice.
Falling in love with Dalton wasn’t the best move, but she wasn’t going to worry about the consequences tonight. She was going to enjoy his attention, let him take her out, and stop letting Tyler have any hold over her.