Chapter 5
Hez paused as he passed Jess’s old office. The brass nameplate beside the door still said Jessica Legare, Chief Financial Officer, but the office was empty. Or almost empty. Her presence still haunted the room in small ways—the faint indentations on the
floor where her stylish office furniture once stood, the little scratches on the walls where her TGU and NYU diplomas hung,
and so on. The invisible marks Jess left on Tupelo Grove University went much deeper, of course.
Hez took a deep breath and blew it out. Jess’s legacy was complex, to say the least. She had tried to destroy TGU financially,
but her plan ended with the university flush with cash and debt-free for the first time in generations. She did her best to
undermine Hez’s relationship with Savannah, but she wound up strengthening it. She hid Simon’s very existence from Savannah
and Hez, and now they were about to become the boy’s parents. Or at least that’s what they hoped.
Erik Andersen’s lawyer had called Hez the same day she filed her appearance and objection in the adoption case. She had requested
a meeting and volunteered to come to TGU. Hez checked his watch—she’d be here in five minutes.
Hez walked down the hall to his office. He gave the room a quick scan. Nothing confidential on his desk or monitor. The remnants of his to-go breakfast sandwich from the university cafeteria went in the trash. So did the used pod from the little Keurig machine on his credenza.
He adjusted the pictures on his computer stand. Both were unposed snapshots from the engagement party last month. One caught
Savannah on the verge of a laugh, her green eyes sparkling in the early evening sun, which brought out the gold highlights
in her auburn hair. The other photo showed Savannah, Hez, and Simon walking barefoot along the sand after the party, the reds
and oranges of the sunset glowing on the water behind them. An excited grin split Simon’s face from ear to ear as he showed
them a shell he had just found. That day had felt like a new beginning for all three of them. Had it really been an ending,
at least as far as Simon was concerned?
The receptionist called to let him know Andersen’s lawyer had arrived, and Hez walked out to get her. He had never practiced
family law, but he’d met Nita Hendrix at several bar functions over the years. She’d always been friendly, but he’d heard
opponents call her “Nita the Knife”—usually right after she’d slashed them.
She smiled as she rose to greet him. She was around sixty, with warm brown eyes and a round face framed by salt-and-pepper
curls. A pink blouse, navy slacks of some stretchy material, and sensible shoes completed her outfit. She appeared more like
a beloved kindergarten teacher than a knife fighter, which was one reason she was so effective in court.
“How are you doing, Hez?” she asked as they entered his office. “I saw that news story about you and Simon almost drowning the other day. Are you both okay?”
“We’re both fully recovered, thanks.” He walked around the desk. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Decaf with creamer would be wonderful. You must have been terrified.”
“I didn’t really have time to be scared.” Hez popped a decaf pod into the coffee maker and slid a fresh mug under the spout.
“I was too focused on saving Simon.”
Her gaze rested on the pictures behind Hez. “You love your nephew, don’t you?”
Hez didn’t hesitate. “Very much.”
“He seems like a special boy. Erik is very much anticipating getting to know his son.”
The Keurig hissed as it spat the last drops of coffee into her mug. Hez handed it to her along with the little box of creamers
he kept in the drawer under the coffee maker. “They already know each other, or did Erik forget to mention that?”
Nita emptied two creamers into the mug. “He mentioned finding Simon and Savannah in his living room, but that didn’t sound
like it really qualified as getting to know each other.” She smiled. “It sounded more like breaking and entering—but you’re
the criminal-law expert.”
Hez smiled back. “I personally would have charged it as unlawful imprisonment because he wouldn’t let them leave.”
“Followed by assault with a deadly weapon when you arrived, correct?”
Hez shook his head. “Self-defense and defense of others. I’ll be happy to tell the whole story at the adoption hearing if
that’s what your client really wants.”
She chuckled. “There won’t be an adoption hearing. If the father doesn’t consent, the adoption is automatically denied. You’ll need to either terminate his rights—which you won’t be able to do—or get his consent.”
Hez didn’t know enough about adoption law to argue with her—but maybe he wouldn’t have to. “Are you implying that we might
be able to get his consent?”
“Maybe.” She took a slow sip of her decaf. “He’s been distracted due to the, ah, employment issues caused by his recent absence.”
“You mean his claim for back pay?”
“And the unfounded allegations about misconduct with female students.”
Hez could hardly believe his ears. “He was seen taking a young woman into a warehouse with a wine bottle. And then he went
AWOL for months. He’s lucky he still had a job when he came back. We had already started recruiting for a new European history
professor when he waltzed back onto campus.”
“He had a mental-health crisis triggered by the stress of working under the cloud of that smuggling ring and then being attacked
in his own home. Plus, he’s a tenured professor, so you can’t just fire him.”
Hez wished they could do exactly that, but TGU’s tenure rules tied their hands and Andersen still had friends in the school
bureaucracy despite his antics. “That’s the only reason he’s back in his old office and not out on the street. Besides, these
are HR issues between him and the university. Savannah and I can’t—and won’t—excuse personal misconduct or use TGU’s money
to bribe Erik into doing what’s best for Simon.”
She took a sip of her coffee and switched gears. “You and Savannah love Simon. Despite your busy lives, you’re obviously willing to make great sacrifices for him—even to the point of risking your lives. My client is a financially sophisticated individual who also cares deeply for Simon.”
Hez resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her description of Erik Andersen. “Go on.”
Nita set down her mug. “He is open to a division of labor. You and Savannah would have plenty on your plate with your careers
and raising Simon. Erik would take over management of Simon’s trust.”
So that was it. Andersen wanted access to the fortune Jess left for her son. Hez’s stomach churned. “Savannah is the trustee.
Are you suggesting that she would appoint Erik as successor trustee and then resign, making him the trustee?”
“That would be one way to do it. She could also just hire him to manage the trust assets. Oh, and one other thing: In light
of the, ah, tension between Erik, Savannah, and you, it would be best for the university to arrange a long-term visiting scholar
position somewhere appropriate. He believes several schools in southern France would be excellent fits. He would also be open
to the University of Hawaii.”
Hez could hardly believe his ears. “And if Savannah refuses?”
Nita shrugged. “Then Erik would take custody of Simon and send the trust periodic bills for expenses related to raising him.”
“Parents have a duty to provide for their minor children, don’t they?”
“Sure, but the bar is low. As long as a parent isn’t guilty of child neglect, they’re fine.”
Anger flared in Hez’s chest at the implied threat, but he kept his voice even. “I appreciate your candor.”
“I’m glad we understand each other.” She gave him a smile that wasn’t at all warm or grandmotherly. “Thank you for the time
and the coffee.” She drained her mug and rose. “Talk to Savannah and let me know what you decide. I know you’ll want to do
what’s best for Simon.” She turned and left.
As her footsteps faded down the hall, Hez swiveled to look at the picture of Savannah, Simon, and him. They were so right
together. Hez wasn’t going to give up Simon—and there was no way he’d let Andersen use the boy as a hostage to extort money
from the trust. But there was no way Savannah would—or should—turn the trust over to Andersen as a ransom. That money was
Simon’s, and they would fight to protect every penny of it. And the idea of using university money to send Andersen on a long-term
vacation was the sort of thing Savannah’s father, Pierre, might have done, but she never would.
“So what are we going to do?” he murmured.
Boo Radley roared from across the pond, and Marley strained at his leash and snarled. “Stay,” Savannah ordered. She let go
of Hez’s hand long enough to restrain her dog. Marley’s hatred of the old gator only grew with time, and Cody offered a snaggle-toothed
grimace of support.
Hez’s gaze was far away as he watched the sun setting over the tupelo trees lining the water. He hadn’t said much since he arrived for an evening stroll while Will Dixon tutored Simon after dinner. The fact Hez hadn’t immediately told her about his meeting wasn’t a good sign.
A hard knot formed in her midsection. “What happened with Erik’s attorney?”
They reached a bench, and he tugged her down with him onto the stone seat. “It’s not great, babe. His attorney is good, very
good. I don’t know enough about family law to recognize if what she said was true, but based on her reputation, I suspect
it is. Brace yourself.”
Savannah listened with growing horror as he laid out Erik’s proposal and how a judge would likely react to his request for
custody and his threat to basically hold Simon hostage to get access to Jess’s money. If she didn’t pay him out of Jess’s
estate, he might refuse to provide more than the bare necessities for Simon—so she’d have to hand over whatever he demanded.
It was a diabolical move.
Savannah rose with clenched fists and paced back and forth in front of Hez. “So let me get this straight—he wants TGU to pay
for a permanent vacation so he can strut the beaches of some tropical paradise and target college girls? That’s ridiculous,
Hez, and I’m not going to do it!” Both dogs cowered at her tone, and she reached down a soothing hand to rub Marley’s ears.
“It’s okay, boy.”
“I agree with you, but it’ll be an ugly fight. We’ll need to hire a top family law attorney.”
She fought nausea and wrapped her arms around herself. “I watched my sister become a pawn between my father and hers, and
I can’t stand by and watch that happen to Simon. He’s already been through too much. We have to fix this, Hez—we just have
to!”
He rose and opened his arms for her to step into his embrace.
She tried to take comfort from his closeness—but failed.
If Hez couldn’t see a way out of this morass, what could they do?
Her thoughts spun frantically, and no quick solution came to mind.
She straightened and pulled away. “How do we protect Simon?”
His arms dropped back to his sides, and concern still lingered on his face. “It will take terminating Erik’s parental rights.
That’s not easy to do.”
“He’s a criminal! Can’t we get him sent to jail?”
“When I brought up his actions, his attorney was quick to point out that you and Simon could be accused of breaking and entering.”
This situation looked worse and worse. “What kind of a lawyer would take a case with such a slimeball client? Doesn’t she
care about a child at all?” She raked her hand through her hair. “Don’t answer that. She obviously has no more scruples than
Erik.”
“I’ve got a few attorneys in mind, and I’ll check with Jimmy. He might have some advice for us.”
The worry in his voice sent her spirits even lower. “We have to win, Hez.”
“I know.”