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churchgoing pillar of the community, with a stable home, solid moral character, significant financial resources and experience in raising children and creating a home. Those may appear to be the facts, but they couldn t be further from the truth. Clay raked his fingers through his hair. So where do we go from here? We fight them. Clay gave him a skeptical look. You think we have a chance of winning? That depends on you. How serious you are about keeping the children? Very. Enough to make some significant changes in your life? Clay swallowed hard. Yes. Then we may have a chance. First of all, possession is nine-tenths of the law. You re a family member, and you have the children. The court won t take them away without cause before a hearing. And they re not going to find one. I saw the children at Easter. It s obvious they re well-cared for and happy. But now that these papers have been filed, you ll be checked out. Irene Hannon 97 How? Expect some visits from a social worker. They ll be unan- nounced. The intent is to catch you and the children in your daily routine. Okay. Now let s talk about changes. The court is not going to be disposed in your favor if you re moving every few months. You re going to need to think about a job that lets you stay in one place. Are you willing to consider that? Although Clay liked his work, he had no particular loyalty to his firm. It was a job, nothing more. And there were other, less mobile jobs for people with his skills and experience. Yes. Good. How large is your apartment? Tiny. It s an efficiency. I had it before I got the kids. Move. To a house, if you can manage it. Renting is fine, but the court always prefers houses to apartments. It s more impor- tant in this case, considering your father is offering a house. If we can demonstrate your willingness to make these kinds of changes for the good of the children, we ll have a stronger case. I guess it would help if I had a wife, too, wouldn t it? Clay s mouth twisted into a humorless smile. No question about it. Do you have someone in mind? When Clay did a double take, Mark flashed him a smile. Just kidding. I don t think you have to go that far. After all, your father is only offering a single-parent household, too. So what do I do next? Wait for the social worker to visit. Rent a house. Start putting out feelers for a different job. Mark rose and held out his hand. I ll be in touch. Clay s head was spinning as he returned the man s firm clasp. This isn t going to be easy, is it? 98 Apprentice Father Tucking his pen into the pocket of his jacket, Mark gave him a steady look. Most things worth fighting for aren t. Cate was waiting at the door when Clay walked into the apart- ment that night. She d hoped the meeting with Mark had gone well, but the weary droop of Clay s shoulders wasn t encouraging. What did he say? Dropping a roll of blueprints on the couch, Clay checked over her shoulder. Where are the kids? In the bedroom. Playing an educational video game on your old laptop. He let out a long, slow, breath. Your brother is one tough interrogator. A wry smile tugged at her lips. He s always been like that. You should have heard him giving my boyfriends the third degree when I was in high school. And his technique has only improved with age. Clay s mouth twitched. All I can say is, I d hate to be on a witness stand with him asking the questions. Let s sit for a minute. She moved to the couch and he perched on the chair, the muscles in his shoulders bunching as he leaned forward to clasp his hands. After giving her a quick recap, he shook his head. I m willing to do everything he suggested, but I m not sure it will be enough. It has to be. I can t believe anyone would send those children to the kind of environment you describe. Not after all the sacri- fices you re making to do what s best for them. That s the odd thing. He shook his head and raked his fingers through his hair. I don t feel as if I m making any sacrifice at all. I feel as if I m getting way more out of this deal than they are. Cate smiled. It s amazing how two little kids can worm their way into your heart, isn t it? Irene Hannon 99 The kids aren t the only ones who ve managed to do that. At his unexpected comment, Cate s smile fled. And as their gazes locked, what she saw in his dark eyes rocked her world. It was attraction, pure and simple. More potent and powerful than anything she d ever seen in the eyes of the man she once loved. The silence between them began to pulse with a tension that had nothing to do with the custody issue. And it intensified when Clay reached over and took her hand. Cate stopped breathing. From the beginning, she d felt a strong pull toward this man. And it seemed the feeling was mutual. But she suspected Clay s attraction was based on appreciation. She d bailed him out several times with the kids, and he was grateful. Gratitude had led to liking. But those didn t add up to an attraction that lasted. To love. They added up to a recipe for hurt. She d been on the receiving end of feelings masquerading as love once. And she had no desire to repeat the experience. Summoning up every ounce of her willpower, Cate pulled her hand away with a gentle tug. I need to check on the children. To her relief, he let her go. Perhaps he was already regretting his impulsive gesture, she speculated. But when she took a quick peek at him before ducking into the hall, his expression was pensive rather than chagrined or em- barrassed. As if he was trying to figure out why she d retreated or was planning his next move. Both of which made her decidedly uncomfortable. A week later, a plaintive wail pierced the night, yanking Clay back from the brink of sleep. It was Emily. Again. Adrenaline pumping, he swung his feet to the floor and 100 Apprentice Father covered the distance to the children s bedroom in a few long strides. She was thrashing on the bed, in the throes of a night- mare. A bad one. Josh, on the other hand, remained sound asleep, oblivious to his sister s distress. The kid could sleep through anything, Clay marveled, shaking his head as he leaned over to brush the hair back from Emily s flushed cheeks. It s okay, Emily. You re okay, he soothed. Although he kept repeating that mantra, it had little effect. Recalling how she d clung to him during the daylight episode, he picked her up and cradled her in his arms, hoping that would help. But when her whole body began to twitch and she clutched at him convulsively, his panic escalated. The first time Emily had had a meltdown, Cate had come to his rescue. But he was on his own tonight. And he had no idea what to do. Maybe he should sit on the couch, he reasoned, heading toward the living room. That had worked before. Except then, Emily had been awake and gripping his neck, not asleep and writhing in his arms. This was a different scenario. He sat and tried rocking her, murmuring comforting words, but that seemed to agitate her more until all at once she began to mutter and fight against him, exhibiting amazing strength for such a tiny thing. Realizing he was getting nowhere, Clay gave her a gentle shake, trying to awaken her. It took several attempts, each a bit more vigorous, but at last she awoke with a gasp, her eyes wild, her body rigid. Emily, it s okay. Clay said the words slowly, in a gentle tone, You re safe. You re with Uncle Clay. You just had a nightmare. He stroked her back, emulating the rhythmic motion Cate had Irene Hannon 101 used during the last episode, until at last her body went limp and she collapsed against him, sobbing. I I was afraid he was going to h-hurt her. Emily hic- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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