Chapter 15 #3
“But I want to be. For you, I want to be.” He rested his hand against the wall behind her and bent closer. “I’ve been reading your books and trying to talk and act more like one of your heroes would.”
“Really?” She seemed to soften toward him. Did he dare hope that she would forgive him for not sharing all his dark, deep secrets before they were thrown in front of the world by Janielle? “I … love that you did that,” she admitted, biting at her lip.
“Will you be patient with me while I figure out this mess with Janielle?”
Kari stared up at him, so beautiful, so perfect to him. She didn’t respond for far too long. “I’ll try,” she finally said.
It wasn’t the answer he’d been hoping for, but what did he expect?
Her sappy declaration of undying devotion?
He rolled his eyes at himself. That wasn’t what he needed.
He needed solid and good and kind and all things Kari.
“Thanks,” he forced out. “I need to go.” He didn’t want to leave her, especially as he’d be going to face Janielle and whatever horrors or tricks she had up her sleeve.
“Okay,” was all Kari said, but she darted under his arm, across the room, and disappeared in the women’s restroom next to the restaurant. Gavin pushed out a breath. That hadn’t gone as well as he’d hoped, but he couldn’t do much about it right now.
He strode around the fringe of people, trying not to draw more attention to himself, and finally arrived at his office. He rapped sharply on his own office door, and then pushed through it. Papa’s face looked drawn, stressed. Janielle was in a corner, talking on her phone.
Mama rushed toward him. She hugged him tight and said, “How did Austin take it?”
Gavin couldn’t help but smile. “Like a champion. He said he loves Papa, but he wants me to be his dad.”
Papa smiled. “That’s exactly how it should be.”
“But he doesn’t want the ‘scary lady’ to be his mom.”
Mama’s dark eyes filled with determination. “We might have a legal battle on our hands, but that selfish brat is never going to touch our boy.”
Gavin’s gaze sharpened on Janielle. She was selfish, always had been. “What do you think her play is?”
“I bought her off in the first place. A hundred and twenty thousand dollars for her to sign her rights away.”
Gavin staggered. That was a lot of money, a lot more than he’d ever imagined Mama had handed over to bring Austin home to him. Mama and Papa must’ve taken it from their personal investments.
“She originally went to Texas with the promise of luxury and all the money she could imagine, if she’d sell her baby to human traffickers.”
Gavin’s breath rushed out. Austin. His boy.
The thought of traffickers ever touching him, or any child, made him want to hurl.
He knew it happened, had almost seen it happen at an orphanage in Cozumel where Cassie and many children were threatened, but now the ugliness was overwhelming.
He couldn’t believe Mama had never told him all of this, but it was so awful that he could see why she’d kept it to herself.
Also because of his closed-off personality, he’d never asked.
“But they didn’t come through,” Janielle said from behind them.
Mama gave Gavin a secretive, reassuring look, and Gavin felt like maybe they’d be okay. With Mama on his side, he could protect his son.
“What do you mean, they didn’t come through?” he asked.
“The traffickers, they promised me a beautiful house, money, a modeling contract. All I had to do was give them my baby and I’d be rich and famous.
Five months, I waited and waited on empty promises.
When Ruth showed up, Austin was over a week old and I had no clue how to take care of him, hardly any money, and I was just praying my contact would show up with my money and take my baby away.
I was desperate, and Ruth bought me off with only a hundred and twenty thousand dollars.
It wasn’t worth it. I’ve missed out on my adorable boy.
Now I want my son, and I want a bigger chunk of money than that, as well as twenty thousand a month for child support, or you’re all going to prison. ”
Chills raced down Gavin’s back. Janielle couldn’t have his son.
Mama seemed confident and unconcerned. “You signed away the rights to your son. You’ve got no legal recourse here.”
Janielle waved her papers. “I just got off the phone with my boyfriend—I mean, lawyer—and he says I do.”
Mama’s eyes narrowed, but she said smoothly, “How much money do you need, Janielle?”
Janielle’s face crumpled and she started crying. “I’m in so much debt and I need a lot. I need a whole lot.”
Mama made a noise in her throat that could be compassion or disgust. Gavin would bet on the latter.
Mama was a sweetheart, and she was more charitable than anyone he knew besides Cassie, but she had little patience for those who looked for a handout when they were able-bodied and could help themselves.
Gavin watched, and prayed, as she and Mama talked and negotiated. Janielle seemed at best unstable. She claimed she wanted Austin, but it became more and more obvious as they talked that she only wanted more money.
He was concerned about the ramifications of Mama buying her off almost eleven years ago, but he also hoped they could work this out, and quick.
Mama and Papa were missing out on their daughter’s and son’s weddings.
Kari and Austin needed him. If he could simply hold the two of them close, everything would be better, but this probably wasn’t that day.