Chapter 34 Nothing To Hide
NOTHING TO HIDE
“Are you ready for this?” Jocelyn asked two hours later.
Rhea had left twenty minutes ago, and the caseworker was knocking on the door.
“Just to get it over with,” he said.
He stood up and walked the few feet and opened it.
Jocelyn saw the woman standing there with a smile on her face. That was something at least.
“Hi. Chance Drummond?”
“That’s me,” he said, putting his hand out.
“Shelby McCrace.” She held up the badge that was hanging on a lanyard around her neck. “I’m with child services.”
“Come in,” he said. “My attorney has provided you with everything?”
“I was in contact with Monica yesterday. I’ve dealt with her many times. This should be relatively painless and part of the process. Your paperwork is in order and the temporary custody filed.”
He let out a long breath. “Good. Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? Sorry. This is Jocelyn—”
“McCarthy. Oh my God, I thought that was you. I actually recognized Chance but don’t think you remember me.”
Oh shit. She stood up. “Shelby Carmichael?”
“That’s me,” Shelby said. “Wow.” Shelby’s hand was moving back and forth. “Are you guys like a thing? Or friends? You don’t work for McCarthy’s because I’ve got your employment information.”
Jocelyn looked at Chance to see how he’d reply to this. There were too many things going through her mind.
First off was that Shelby was innocent enough. Not really mean in school, but her mouth ran more than the school water fountains did when it was ninety outside.
“We’re dating,” he said.
She smiled and stood up. Maverick was playing on the floor with his new fire truck, a stuffed dog running around it in his hand.
“I never saw this coming,” Shelby said. “You look the same, but guess you didn’t end up in jail like many thought. I know, I checked.”
Talk about a rude thing to say. But that was Shelby, blurting out shit all the time.
It was innocent enough years ago, but now not so much. Just went to show what people thought of Chance still.
“No record,” he said dryly. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“That’s good, because we’d find it,” Shelby said. “Not to be mean, but we have to know.”
Which Jocelyn thought was a joke, all things considered. That Maverick was living in much worse conditions and a family home life than what he was going to get with Chance.
Nettie had said there was government help that would stop now. Thankfully Nettie didn’t hold on to Maverick for that reason, but maybe with Baylee in jail it wouldn’t have transferred to Nettie.
She didn’t know those things.
“Maverick,” he said. “Come here.”
Chance walked over and got his son off the floor, the stuffed dog still in his hand. “Tuck, tuck. Da. Tuck.”
Her bottom lip quivered some. That was the first time Maverick had said his version of Dad.
Chance swung in her direction. “Did he just say what I thought he did?”
Jocelyn nodded. “Who is that?” she asked Maverick and pointed to Chance. “Who is that?”
“Da, Da.” Then Maverick pointed to the floor. “Tuck.”
“You can have your truck soon,” he said, then cleared his throat.
He was just as emotional as she was over it. One day was all it took for the boy to open up to his father. She didn’t think that would happen this soon.
“You just met your son this week?” Shelby asked and took a seat. Chance sat with Maverick between him and Jocelyn.
“On Sunday. I saw him again on Monday to get the DNA sample, the results came in Monday night, and Tuesday, once my attorney got everything in order, we picked him up from his grandmother’s.”
“He seems comfortable here,” Shelby said, nodding. “I’ve got questions, but a lot of this visit is watching how you interact. Most children would be upset or shy, but I don’t see that.”
“He’s pretty outgoing,” he said. “Or seems to be. Has only gotten upset at bedtime or when we don’t let him shove food down his throat as fast as he wants.”
Shelby opened her laptop and she wondered if Chance shouldn’t have said that.
“He looks thin to me,” Shelby said. “I’m not a medical professional by any means, but he also appears tall.”
“I could get an appointment to bring him in tomorrow morning for a check-up.”
“Good,” Shelby said, typing. “That’s fast. We like to see these things. How about while you’re working? Who is going to be watching him days and nights?”
“I’ve got two daycare centers with openings and will view them this afternoon,” he said.
Jocelyn was going with him. She wasn’t sure if he wanted her to tag along, but he said another set of eyes was needed and she’d been the one gobbling up all the research online.
“Moving fast there too. Even better. Nights and how does your schedule work?”
“I work every other day for nine days and then have six days off. I’m off for two weeks, and if I can’t get daycare set by then, I’ll take another rotation off, which gives me two more weeks. Nights will be a combination of my grandmother and Jocelyn.”
She smiled. “That’s why I’m here for this visit. Not sure if you needed to talk to me or not.”
“It’s an added bonus,” Shelby said. “Chance could have hired someone just the same as during the day. As long as we know he has it covered, we’re content with that.”
“I’d like to keep him with family at night.”
“And Maverick’s other grandmother. Will you be letting Nettie Bradley have visitations or him stay overnight?”
“That hasn’t been decided yet,” he said. “I don’t suppose you can let me know anything about them or that situation? I’m not exactly thrilled I didn’t know about my son and I’m aware she was receiving assistance. There had to be check-ins for that, right?”
“I’m not at liberty to say those things,” Shelby said.
“Which is kind of odd, don’t you think, Shelby?
” Jocelyn asked. Might as well play this up like they were friends from years ago.
“Here Chance is doing all the right things and only wants to know what his son’s life was like before.
Between us and the four walls, we know Chance is going to do much better than Maverick had. ”
“Most definitely,” Shelby said. “Unfortunately, there is only so much child services can do. There are a lot of cases out there much more complicated.”
“I’m not letting my son go into foster care,” he said firmly.
Shelby’s smile dropped. Chance’s voice might have been harsh, but it needed to be said. “I don’t believe your attorney would allow it. You’ve got one of the best money can buy in the area in terms of family court cases.”
“Which is another check in his favor, right?” she asked.
“With you next to him and your name,” Shelby said. “All the better.”
“It’s not about those things,” he said, frowning.
Great. This wasn’t going the way either of them had hoped.
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Shelby rushed out. “I’m saying that we all know that money talks. There isn’t much we can do about those things. You’ve got it with your attorney. Your job in the community is huge too. You’re doing all the right things and moving quickly.”
“I think that’s human decency,” she said.
“It is,” Shelby said. “I can see that the place is promptly equipped for a child with new items.”
“Everything is new,” he said.
“There is an old blanket on that chair,” Shelby said. “One that is most likely a comfort for Maverick.”
“Nettie gave us what Maverick had. It wasn’t much.”
“No,” Shelby said. “Why don’t you show me around the place? I have to do an inspection. You know about them in your job.”
“I do,” he said, standing.
“I’ll stay out here with Maverick,” Jocelyn said.
Chance was tense. Shelby too. Walking with them would be better, but she could still hear what they said.
Twenty minutes later, everything had been looked at and she had Maverick sitting at the table with some cut-up fruit to keep him occupied and behaving well.
“Here is my card,” Shelby said. “I’ll have to check in again. I might call also but understand that your job could make it hard for random visits. That is how I’ll do it at first.”
“I can let you know my schedule as we get close to the next visit.”
“I appreciate that,” Shelby said. “These visits aren’t easy for anyone, but I don’t see any issues.
No concerns. My hope and wish are always for the child and his care.
He seems happy, comfortable, and as adjusted as expected.
I see no reason to remove him from your custody, and I will note this in my report. You can rest easy.”
“Thanks,” he said. “Sorry if I was a dick.”
She smiled as Chance lowered his voice to say the last part.
“You’ve been much better than others in this same situation.” Shelby walked to the table and saw Maverick reaching for his fruit trying to shove it into his mouth before he was done chewing.
Chance moved the plate back. “Chew that first, Maverick. Then you can have more.”
“He thinks I’m going to take the food from him,” Shelby said.
“What?” he asked.
“I’ve done visits to the home before. He’s used to eating alone on the floor. If you put him next to someone if he has food and they don’t, he thinks they are going to take it and he eats it faster.”
Why hadn’t they thought of that?
“I’m not going to let him eat alone,” he said. “First, he could choke.”
“I know. I’m just letting you know what I observed before.
When Nettie or Baylee gave him food to keep him occupied, he ate it slower by himself.
But if they put him at the table with them there or sat him next to them, Baylee would pick food off his plate.
He’d yell and want it back, then eat faster. ”
“Jesus,” he said.
“It’s going to take time, but I think he’ll get there. Call me if you have questions, though I doubt you will. No one ever calls me voluntarily.”
The smile was back with those parting words and Chance showed Shelby out.
“Your face is red,” she said.
“I’m ticked. I’m sick to my stomach over what she just said.”
“She gave you a piece of information you needed,” she said. “Take it for what it is. Now we know. It’s going to be something else we have to work on. Let him eat his snack while we watch from a distance. We’ll know whether what she said is true.”
They moved back a few feet after they pushed the plate next to Maverick. The toddler slowed his feeding down.
“Guess that is one mystery solved,” he said.
She let out a breath. “Time, Chance. Cut yourself some slack and breathe easier. Maverick isn’t going anywhere and neither am I.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her, the tension in his body releasing, the same as hers.
Her heart was pounding with the need to express her love, but he wouldn’t be able to handle the weight of that with everything else.