Chapter 9 #2
“You’re living in my house with my child, Olivia. I might not be great at expressing my feelings, but I’d say it’s safe to assume I trust you.”
There is so much in that sentence, I’ll have to wait until after Nina leaves to unpack it all, choosing instead to focus on our next moves. “Okay, good. Let me run with this, and remember, Nina can’t know the details of our arrangement. She’s an officer of the court.”
He squeezes my hand before dropping it and slipping his to the small of my back. “Then let’s get on with the show.”
Logan
Nina Adjepong looks between Liv and me like she knows we’re full of shit but refuses to call us on it.
Listening intently, she takes notes, asks questions, and never quite convinces me she believes us.
Probably not good. “And has Monica ever done anything to make you question her ability to parent Magnolia?”
“Other than be completely uninvolved in Maggie’s life for the past year?
No, nothing really stands out. But honest to God, I don’t think Maggie even realizes what a mother is supposed to be or who hers is, she sees her own so infrequently.
Monica was supposed to be seeing her on weekends, and that rarely happens.
I doubt she even realized Maggie’s birthday was last month,” I bite out, fucking fuming over the fact I have to even do this.
“She doesn’t know her favorite food, her favorite show, her sleep schedule or fucking bedtime routine.
She doesn’t know she likes a nightlight or that she needs her stuffed cow to sleep.
Or that we have backups stashed all over the house in case she loses one.
Monica doesn’t know her, and she sure as hell doesn’t deserve her. ”
Nina nods, making a few notes. “This is a start. If you think of anything else, please let me know.”
“Are you concerned?” Olivia asks her as Waverly walks by the dining room for the fifth time in the past thirty minutes, no doubt trying to hear what Nina has to say. “Should we be concerned?”
“Not yet,” Nina answers, but I’m not sure I believe her this time.
“But I’d like to have more to back our case up than she’s been uninvolved.
They can argue that by simply petitioning the court for custody, she’s showing interest. They can say that Logan has refused her visitation.
” I open my mouth to argue, but Nina holds her hand out.
“Don’t worry. She’d need to prove that. And assuming that’s not the case, she wouldn’t be able to prove it. ”
“I can’t lose her,” I tell the women in the room, my voice cracking.
“You won’t,” Olivia laces her fingers with mine. “We’ll make sure of it.”
“That,” Nina smiles conspiratorially. “I know you’re not exactly the touchy-feely type, Liv, but it will do you good to show a slightly softer side in this case.”
Olivia stiffens. “Do us good?”
“Yes. That’s good. Focus on the us. Focus on the stable family environment you both provide for Magnolia.
So long as you’re living here, your entire family is going to need to be on board with this, if we’re going to win.
And the two of you will have to put up a united front.
And before you say anything, don’t. I don’t want to know what your history is, but I want you to realize that while being married should help you, it can also leave you vulnerable. ”
“In what way?” I ask, not liking the sound of this.
“They can try to poke holes,” Olivia answers before Nina can.
“Let them try. There’s no holes to poke,” she tells her.
“I’ve always kept my private life just that.
Private. Falling in love with Logan and Maggie was no different, and he honored my wishes to keep our relationship low-key.
The idea of it being played out in front of the media makes me break out in hives. That doesn’t mean I love them less.”
Well, damn. There she goes again, shocking the shit out of me.
I know this is all an act, but it’s a damn good one.
“Good.” Nina closes her tablet and rests it on her lap, then narrows her focus on the woman next to me, sitting casually, like this is just another day at the office. “Don’t let them find any holes, Liv.”
Olivia nods, absently rubbing soothing circles over my knuckles. “Not a problem.”
“Do you have any questions for me?” Nina asks, although I’m not sure she actually wants to hear any as she rises from the chair.
“I think we’re good for now, but I’ll let you know if anything pops up,” my feisty little wife offers, not bothering to check in with me, but she stands as well, pulling me up with her. “Thank you so much for taking this on. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate it.”
There goes that word again.
We.
She drops my hand and takes Nina’s between both of hers. “Keep me looped in, okay?”
Nina nods. “No holes, Liv.”
“I heard you,” Liv answers without looking back at me.
“I appreciate your help, Nina,” I offer as we walk to the front door, directly past Waverly, who has a sleepy Maggie curled against her shoulder.
Nina offers Maggie a soft smile before bringing her focus back to us. “I’ll be in touch.”
I watch her walk to her BMW before shutting the door and taking my daughter from my sister. “Thanks for watching her.”
“No problem.” Waverly nods toward the door. “What did she say?”
“Like you weren’t listening . . .” I taunt and make my way to the stairs. “She basically said Monica has a case, but we have a better one. Even if she can’t make us any promises.” I kiss Maggie’s head. “I’m going to put her to bed.”
“Logan,” Olivia calls after me, and I stop two steps up. “We need to talk.”
My shoulders slump.
This doesn’t sound good.
“Sounds like you better change then,” Waverly tells her matter-of-factly.
Olivia looks at her pale-gray skirt suit, then back at Waverly, silently questioning.
“Logan promised if I took Maggie during your meeting, he’d feed the goats and the girls tonight. Pretty sure you don’t want to do that in Chanel.”
“The girls?” Olivia’s nose scrunches as her head swings to me.
“The cows,” Waverly answers before I get a chance to. “Might want to invest in a good pair of boots the next time you go shopping too. Those red-soled shoes aren’t going to cut it on a ranch.”
I watch as my wife straightens her spine, all too aware she’s being challenged, then silently sighs as if to say, Bring it on. “Then I guess I’ll go get changed.”
Olivia slides past me and runs a gentle hand down Maggie’s back before marching up the curved staircase, giving me a spectacular view of her heart-shaped ass as she goes.
“She doesn’t know how to back down, does she?” Waverly grumbles with what might just be a hint of respect in her voice.
“I watched her make a six-foot-eight defensive end cry our freshmen year in college when she told him unless he got his shit together, he was never getting drafted. Once he stopped fighting her, she turned around and laid out exactly what he needed to do, step by step. Then, without anyone watching and for absolutely no one’s benefit but his, she helped him get there.
He was drafted to her family’s football team six months later. She’s always been impressive.”
And for now, she’s mine.