Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
Declan
My BP hits a high right as the judge makes his decision. Evie clutches my hand and my entire family is sitting behind us, along with quite a few others.
“Full custody is hereby awarded to Evie Elizabeth Hansen.”
He continues with more details that blur and stretch in my mind, then dismisses us all and there’s a second of quiet before it hits everyone that this is over.
A cheer goes up, and there’s applause. Relief hits and I pull Evie into me. She’s already hugging me, burying her face in my neck and either laughing, or crying, or maybe both.
The family crowds around and I’m still holding Evie, so I don’t worry about keeping track of who is saying what until we separate and she swipes at her eyes, then turns to accept hugs from Sam, my mom, and May. Grant, who’s in uniform today, hauls me in for a hug, then Finn does the same.
Davis stands to the side, grinning. Eirinn is here, too, and as Finn squeezes me a bit too tight, I see her nod and offer her husband a stiff, “Good job.”
We’ve really got to get her alone and see what’s going on there.
“Oh, crap.” May’s voice is odd enough, I turn to see what she’s so taken off guard by.
Ah, of course. Jack McKean is pulling Evie into a hug. Miraculously, there’s no ugly crush of jealousy like I had before.
It might have something to do with the fact that Evie is married to me.
It also may be thanks to her lecture last Friday night.
A thrum of satisfaction hits me whenever I think of how definitive and in charge she was.
That’s not to mention the part where she mentioned having had a crush on me, liking me, well before any of our conversations about getting married took place.
And now we’re here. Trevor’s lawyer has already disconnected his side of the virtual video call he was on for the hearing.
I’m not sure how his being unable to be here without special dispensation from his parole board wouldn’t have automatically disqualified him from being a responsible party for Charlie, but I can’t complain.
The only reason I’ve gotten to get close to Evie is because of this mess.
I wish she’d never met the man, let alone had to deal with him, except that’s how she has Charlie. And it brought her here.
And she might actually want me, too, for real.
“If you all don’t have plans, I arranged for us to have lunch at Farm Comfort.”
Jack says this, and May’s head looks like it’s going to explode. Ma has already somehow charmed Jack into escorting her outside, and I see Da grinning after her, then sliding his arm around Eirinn’s shoulders.
“I guess we’re going to lunch.” I press a kiss to Evie’s cheek because it feels right.
She smiles. “I’m happy to celebrate this way. I also just want to hug Charlie.” Her watery chuckle leads to her wiping her eyes. “I’m so relieved, and I kind of can’t believe it, but I also knew it would go this way. It’s a weird feeling.”
I hold her close, breathing in the sweet scent of her shampoo and the warm, lovely sensation of her body against mine.
Can’t continue that line of thinking. Not here and now.
“I’ll leave you to celebrate. Congratulations. We’ll get all the documentation sent over so you have everything you need immediately.” Davis pats my shoulder. Evie thanks him effusively, and then he nudges his glasses higher on his nose, grabs his leather folio, and slips out a side door.
“Do you want to go?” Evie’s hand slips into mine.
“To lunch?” I’ll go anywhere with her. Doesn’t she know that by now?
“Is it okay? I know we hadn’t planned on it, but it’s his way of celebrating. I can tell him we can’t if you’d rather not.”
This woman. She’s so tender and thoughtful.
I slide my hand to the back of her head and tilt her face up, then drop a kiss to her lips. Her brows pop up and she smiles as I respond.
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
The lunch at Farm Comfort is as delicious as our last meal there.
Since they aren’t normally open on weekdays, we’re the only people in the place.
Apparently, Jack arranged this well in advance, so there’s a long banquet-style table for all of us.
Cole Palmer comes out and greets Jack like an old friend, acknowledges my parents, Grant and Sam, Finn, May, me and Evie, and then his gaze finds Eirinn.
His face bursts into a grin and he beelines to her, the professional, suave air about him faltering with his enthusiasm.
Evie and I share a look. I glance over to see each of my siblings eying the exchange. Eirinn smiles and accepts a hug, though her response feels far less enthusiastic. Still, she doesn’t come right back to us. She lingers, chatting with her old friend.
“I don’t like it,” Grant grumbles from next to me.
“None of our business, Sheriff.” Sam tugs on his hand and he sits.
Finn’s squinting at Eirinn and May has her arms crossed, but when Jack speaks, their attention snaps to the movie star.
“Thanks for letting me be a part of today.” He mostly says this to Evie, but I appreciate that he looks around as though it’s also directed at the rest of us.
He pauses on me for a moment and gives me a nod.
He’s already shaken my hand and told me how happy he is for us, too.
He’s a good man, and I’m glad Evie has him in her life.
“Of course you were part of it. My understanding is you had a great deal to do with helping Evie get settled here. We owe you for helping her find us.” Da winks at Jack.
The A-lister drops his head in a show of humility. “I don’t think I can take much credit for anything.” His gaze hits Evie and they share a moment. “I only wish I’d figured out how to help sooner.”
Evie pats his hand. “None of that. We’re here to celebrate, and we can celebrate the result and the fact that Trevor should have basically zero reason to be in our lives in any way for a nice long time.
” Her smile spreads slowly, like it’s multiplying by twos until it finally shifts into exponents and covers her whole face.
“Hear, hear!” Jack lifts a glass of champagne that has materialized as we were all speaking, and the rest of us raise ours, as well. “To Evie and Charlie, and now Declan, and the beautiful family they’ve built.”
Everyone toasts to us, to our family, and I swallow down the lump in my throat right along with the bubbling drink.
“You realize this makes you an honorary Ryan, don’t you?” Ma asks Jack.
“Does it?” He chuckles gamely, but there’s something raw-edged hiding there.
“Of course it does. You have been Evie’s family and support. Now she’s part of ours, and you’ve been inducted whether you like it or not. We’re claiming you.” Now Ma winks.
I’m not surprised May’s face is beet-red and she ducks her head with a shake. She’s nearly thirty and a free thinker to be sure, but apparently, our mother winking at the Jack McKean is too much. I’m not sure I can blame her, except I could swear Jack is secretly pleased by Ma’s declaration.
Eirinn finally joins us. Somehow, none of us presses her on what’s going on with her and Davis, but it’s the context. I imagine we’re all envisioning a check-in soon, but it doesn’t need to be in the midst of the celebration.
The meal is delicious, the company’s great, and by the end, I am replete. With food, with hope, with so much love and good feeling, I hardly know what to do with it.
“So, what’ll you two do first now that the battle is behind you?” Ma sets her napkin on her plate and grins over at me and Evie.
I cough to cover my first thought, grateful none of them can read my mind. Because there is no mistaking that my first thought is make love to my wife. I only hope we’re on the same page.
“We’ll go get Charlie, and I had HoneyBun make a little cake.” Evie grins.
“Oh my gosh, can you please let him smash it like he did on his birthday?” Sam claps.
Evie chuckles. “I’m sure he will. He hasn’t had cake in a while—I didn’t let him get his hands on the cake at the wedding.”
“Take pictures! I want to see.” May makes grabby hands.
Everyone chats for another moment before we get up and leave. Jack assures us it’s taken care of, and I guess when you’re a big-name celebrity you don’t even give them a card at the table.
We wander out into the parking lot and Jack gives Evie a hug, then shakes my hand.
“We’d love to have you for dinner sometime in the next few weeks. I’m sure Charlie would love to see you.”
Evie smiles up at me. “We really would. When’s your next job?”
Jack squints. “I think I head to Australia in late October. We’ll find a time before then.”
In a few minutes, everyone disperses. It’s Thursday, so most of us will be back together tomorrow night. Evie and I drive to the house, passing her apartment on the way. It seems like another lifetime she lived there, and I lived for every morning I got to greet Charlie and see her.
I don’t want to hold off any longer. I want to take her at her word and believe that if she says she wants me, then she does. And when we step inside the house, I say exactly that.