Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
PATIENCE
I swear, I blinked a few times, and it was over.
After going over things with Landon prior to the mediation, I knew he planned to do most of the talking. He told me he’d prompt me if he felt I should answer a question or elaborate on something.
What we had prepared for was not what happened. Landon had warned me that if he got in there and read the room differently, things could change.
He wasn’t kidding.
But I hadn’t expected that not a single word would come out of my mouth.
I mean, I literally said nothing.
Jett had told me to trust Landon, and that’s what I’d done. It paid off; the man had slayed it.
It wasn’t that he went on forever, but his words packed a punch.
We’d sat down and listened to the mediator for a few minutes about the goal of the meeting and why the court ordered the mediation before scheduling a court date.
It was a load of crap about trying to reach an agreement between us for them to have a part in Griffin's life.
In my mind, that was a hard no, which was exactly what Landon flat out told them.
It was like watching Tom Cruise in the movie A Few Good Men drill into Jack Nicholson—only ten times better. I managed to keep in the smirk that threatened to break free, but it wasn’t easy. I was in awe, watching Landon in his element.
Alley will be so proud.
Chaz’s dad opened his mouth, and the first thing he said lit a fire in my gut as anger burned bright. It also set Landon into super lawyer mode.
“We feel that my client has been robbed of five years of his son’s life and ripping him of the privilege of being a father was not only heartless but also unfair.”
The a-hole—you know I was pissed if I was thinking in those terms—looked dead serious, and Chaz couldn’t hide the smug look on his face.
How dare he.
When Mr. Huntington started to speak again, Landon rose to his feet, stopping him in his tracks. “I think you can stop right there,” he said with authority, and everyone fell silent.
My body tensed but Landon laid his hand on my shoulder, grounding me before shutting the meeting down with a sharp lashing of his tongue.
“Face it. The only reason you are pulling this nonsense now is because the vultures came knocking on your door to dig into your lives since there’s chatter of you, Mr. Huntington, making some sort of political move soon.”
One of the other lawyers attempted to speak, but Landon hushed him.
“This is what I know: My client was pregnant alone. She attempted to tell Chaz about the baby she knew was his, which resulted in bullying along with denial that your client was the father.”
His hand left my shoulder and slammed down on the table, causing me to jump in my seat a bit. Watching him in his element was a thing of beauty.
“I have witnesses from back then as to how it all played out, so you will get raked over the coals if you even attempt to take this to court or think you are spending one second in my client's son’s life.”
My pulse picked up as he went on.
“It has been five years, and she has done everything for her child while you have done nothing. She is also married to a man of integrity and honor. He is a decorated United States Marine who served honorably and received a Purple Heart for injuries he received in action while fighting for our country. He is also the only father that Griffin has ever known.”
Landon dropped his head for a second—a look of disgust crossing his features—like he couldn’t bear to take in someone who’d deny his child. Then he looked back up with a hard look in his eyes and continued.
“If you continue taking this before family court, you’ll only come across as inadequate and downright negligent in a courtroom.”
Stunned, I gasped, hoping nobody realized it was because I didn’t know about the medal. How did I not know? I couldn’t contemplate that but for a second because Landon landed one last blow, finishing them off.
With both hands on the table, he leaned in, an edge to his voice that I’d never heard, and practically growled, “You think those reporters digging up dirt are bad?” A taunting laugh rumbled from his chest. “They are nothing compared to me, because I already have more than enough to not just end your political ambitions… but to destroy you and your entire family. And don’t think for one second I won’t share that shit with everyone. ”
With that, Landon looked at me, gently took my arm, and motioned for me to get up.
“This was a waste of everyone's time, but if you pursue this, mark my words: You. Will. Not. Win.”
Next thing I knew, we were walking out the door, with all the men sputtering behind us, but Landon didn’t pay them any mind.
What the heck just happened?
All I wanted was to spend time with my guys.
I didn’t have a clue what was going to happen, but Landon had been beyond amazing. If a court date was set, then we would fight until the end.
If we failed, Jett had promised to run away with me. Not that I’d let him, but I still couldn’t get over the fact that he was dead serious with the offer.
When we emerged from the meeting, my eyes locked on Jett, and I ran straight into his open arms. I soaked up the feel of his body pressed against mine, letting it calm my racing heart. That had been intense sitting in there with the enemy, and also watching Landon work, even for a short time.
“I’m right here, sweetheart. I’ve got—”
Voices echoed from behind me, stealing our moment, and then I heard Sloane’s whiny voice. “What is going on? It can’t be over yet; it barely started!”
We needed to get out of there. Removing myself from my husband's embrace, I grabbed his hand and yanked him toward the elevator. Thankfully, Landon and Alley had already hit the call button, and the door opened just in time.
After stepping into the cab, I refused to turn around and cuddled back into Jett. I didn’t miss the woman who grated on my nerves when she spoke yet again.
“You need to handle this; they…”
Thankfully the doors closed, cutting off the remainder of whatever she was going on about.
Now that it was just the four of us, I turned toward Landon. “You were freaking brilliant!” I told him.
Alley looked up at him, a huge smile on her face, and then back at me. “I told you he’d handle it for you.”
I let out a cross between a scoff and a laugh. “Handle it? I don’t think that’s what you call what just happened in there. He annihilated them.”
“I was just doing my job,” Landon replied modestly.
Now I really scoffed. “That was a whole lot more than that. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“No thanks necessary, really.”
That was so far from the truth. He was representing me at the friend rate of a big fat zero, and the compassion he had for me during this whole ordeal was wonderful.
I rolled my eyes just as the doors opened but began telling Alley and Jett the details of just how phenomenal Landon had been. By the time we reached the cars, I’d finished my story.
“You are so getting some tonight,” Alley told her husband who I swear blushed. “Maybe a little courtroom role play is in order.”
Yup, Landon was definitely blushing while I was giggling, and Jett let out a deep bark of laughter. Taking pity on Landon, I broke in and thanked him again—which he protested once more—and then we said our goodbyes.
Once the pair had driven away, I looked at Jett. I wanted to ask him about the medal, but I didn’t think it was the time or place. He was obviously sensitive about it. So instead, I asked…
“Can we go pick up our son now?”
His smile was blinding. “Yeah, let’s go pick up our son,” he emphasized, knowing just how much that one word, our, meant to me.
My heart fluttered with love.
It was hard to believe sometimes that this was my life.
After picking up Griffin from Gramps and Ruby, the three of us had dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory before heading home. We brought dessert with us, made a huge fort in the front room, and watched the original Jumanji movie.
I glanced down at the sweet boy sound asleep between Jett and me as the credits for the movie rolled across the screen. Griffin had almost made it to the end, but fatigue took over in the last twenty minutes of the show.
As I brushed his hair back from his face, I looked up over his head. My eyes met my husband’s, and my heart fluttered with an abundance of love. They were mine, and it was unfathomable to think that I could ever lose either of them.
Griffin didn’t belong with Chaz; he was ours. Then my mind wandered to the sorrow and pain I felt when I thought I might have lost Jett. When he’d been missing, I tried to think positive, but it was hard. Then, when he came back, I wasn’t sure he was going to truly let me back into his life.
That thinking brought up something else. Jett may be trying to work through everything, but he was still holding back. He wasn’t opening up with me or his family completely. Or was it just me? Was I the only one who didn’t know about the medal he’d received?
Taking a deep breath, I decided to just ask but kept my voice soft. I didn’t want to wake Griffin, but I also wanted my husband to know I wasn’t mad at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the Purple Heart that you received?”
He closed his eyes, and I felt like maybe he was going to shut me out, but he opened his lids, meeting my stare. I could see his throat work and knew he was going to share, but I wanted to tell him something first.
“I’m not upset.” My stomach flip-flopped a bit knowing the moment obviously wasn’t easy for him and I felt bad bringing it up, but… “I just want to know you. We used to share everything—the good, the bad, and even the ugly.”
Reaching my arm across Griffin, I extended my hand in Jett’s direction. It was his move now. A sigh of relief escaped my chest when he clasped palms with me, his eyes never leaving mine.
“It didn’t feel right receiving the medal when my friends lost their lives, and I couldn’t save them.”
His voice was thick and laced with so much sorrow that I couldn’t stand even the smallest amount of distance between us. I released his hand, crawled out of the fort and back around to his side, then curled up next to him, wrapping him in my arms.
He held on tight. “Dusty got one too, and my buddies' families have one in their names, but to me all I can feel and see is the loss when I look at or think about that medal.”
My heart broke for him but shattered even more when he decided that since he was sharing, he’d go on to tell me about the nightmare he had that changed, with me in the mix now. He was wounded and scared—not broken.
Jett was right there for Griffin and me; he was working on his past, and he was reaching for the future. Maybe the closure he spoke of before was key?
I tilted my head up and saw his eyes glistening with tears. Leaning closer, I kissed his chest above his heart.
“I’m sorry you lost your friends, and I am sorry you have to deal with the fallout.” I patted his chest. “But I’m not sorry that you’re here because I don’t want to live without you. You are the best man I know.”
A tear leaked from his right eye and slipped down his cheek. I moved my hand to softly brush it away, just like he always did for me.
“I think maybe we should take that trip.”
His eyes widened, a bit alarmed at the thought. He knew exactly which trip I was referring to. “You sure you want to go with me?”
“Of course I do. I love you. I’d do anything for you.”
Jett pulled me in, hugging me to his chest like he was never going to let go. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I think it’s time I go, and you being with me makes it easier.”
He wasn’t shutting me out.