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“Come on, Julia,” he said softly, his grin holding steady. “Don’t act like you aren’t glad to see me.” She’d been fooled by that smile once and wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.
She flashed a smile of her own. “I don’t see anyone throwing a ticker-tape parade. You can turn right around. I’ve got no use for you here.”
“I’m here to see my son,” Jeff said, as any trace of charm vanished.
Charlie met his biological father’s gaze then buried his face in Julia’s shoulder, suddenly shy.
“Why now, Jeff?” She rubbed a hand against Charlie’s back when he began to fidget. “Why all of this now?”
He sighed. “The custody request, you mean.”
Jeff’s IQ was in the genius range, but sometimes he could be purposefully obtuse. “Of course the custody request. Do you know the hell you and your parents have put me through? We’ve barely scratched the surface.”
“Invite me in, Jules,” he said, coaxing, “and we can talk about it. I have an offer that may make this whole mess go away.”
It had felt different when Sam stood at her door waiting to be invited through. Her stomach had danced with awareness and her only doubt had been worrying about her heart’s exhilarated reaction to him. Still, Julia relented. If she had a chance to make this better, she couldn’t refuse it.
Jeff stepped into her apartment but froze when Casper greeted him by sticking his snout into Jeff’s crotch. “Get away, you stupid mutt.” Jeff kicked out his foot, hitting Casper in the ribs. The dog growled.
“Casper, no.” She pulled him back to her side with the leash then leveled a look at Jeff. “Don’t kick my dog.”
“It was going for my balls. What do you expect?”
“I wouldn’t worry too much. As I remember, your mother keeps them on her mantel.”
Jeff gave a humorless laugh. “Always one for the quick retort. I miss that about you.”
“Good doggy. Charlie doggy.” The boy wiggled in her arms and Julia put him on the floor. His chubby finger pulled the leash from her hand and he led the dog toward the kitchen. “Doggy nice.” Casper followed willingly.
“You trust that beast with him?”
“More than I trust you.” Julia folded her arms across her chest. “For the record, there’s nothing I miss about you.”
Jeff’s eyes narrowed. “He’s still my son. Whether you like it or not, I deserve to be a part of his life. There’s no judge in the world who will deny me access.”
“I never wanted to deny you access. I called you after he was born, emailed pictures and never heard one word back. You haven’t answered my question. Why now?”
His gaze shifted to the floor. “Change of heart.”
“You need a heart for it to change. You made it clear you never wanted to be a dad. What’s the real story?” Before he could answer, Charlie led the dog back into the family room. He pulled a blanket off the couch and spread it on the floor. “Mama, doggy bed.” She smiled as her son took a board book from the coffee table and sat on the blanket with Casper, making up words to an imaginary story.
Her gaze caught on Jeff, who yawned and looked around her apartment, obvious distaste written on his face for the kid-friendly decorating style. He didn’t pay a bit of attention to his son. Since she’d opened the door, he’d barely looked at Charlie. It was the first time he’d laid eyes on his own flesh and blood. She realized he couldn’t care less.
Unable to resist testing her theory, she said, “He’s about to go to sleep. Do you want to read him a story? He loves books.”
Jeff held up his palms as if she’d offered him a venomous snake. “No, thanks.”
“I’ve got paperwork that says you want joint custody of my son. You act like you’d rather be dipped in boiling oil than have any interaction with him.”
“I told you. I’ve got a proposition for you.”
“What?”
“Marry me.”
Julia stared at him, disbelief coursing through her. He couldn’t have shocked her more if he’d offered her a million bucks. “Is that a joke? It’s sick and wrong, but it must be a joke.”
“I’m serious, Jules. You’re right—I have no interest in being a father in any sense of the word. Ever. In fact—” he paused and ran his fingers through his hair “—I got a vasectomy.”
“Excuse me?”
“After you, I was determined no woman would try to trap me again.”
“It takes two. I’m sorry, Jeff, that I ever believed we could be a family. I know how wrong I was. But I don’t understand why you’ve changed your mind now?”
“Are you kidding? I love my life. I’ve been on two research expeditions in the past year. I make my own schedule and can teach whatever classes I want. Why would I want to be tied down to a woman or a baby?”
“Then why are you suddenly proposing? Why the custody suit?”
Jeff had the grace to look embarrassed. “My parents found out about my surgery. It made them interested in our kid. You know I’m an only child. They expected me to marry and ‘carry on the family line.’” He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. But my dad’s company is a big funder of my grants. If he wants a grandchild, I need to give him one.”
Julia’s gaze strayed to Charlie, who was snuggled against Casper’s back, sucking on his thumb. His eyes drifted closed. She felt a wave of nausea roll through her. “You need to give him one? And you think you’re going to give him mine?”
Jeff shrugged. “Technically, he’s ours. When my parents want something, they don’t stop until they get it.”
“How is anything you’re saying good news for me? Why don’t you get the hell out of my house and out of my son’s life?”
“Not going to happen.”
“When the judge finds out your plan...”
“No one is going to find out. I’m the father. You can’t keep him from me.”
“I want to keep him safe and protected.”
“That’s why you should marry me. Oh, I heard all about your engagement to the cop. He’s not for you. I know you. You want someone who’s going to make you look smart.”
Julia sucked in a breath. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Does he know about your problem?”
When she didn’t answer, Jeff smiled. “I thought so. I’m guessing you don’t want him to. It hasn’t come up in the court proceedings, either, but that can change. Here’s my proposal. Marry me, move to Ohio. My parents’ property is huge. They have a guesthouse where you can live with the boy. All of your expenses will be covered.”
“Why would I agree to that, and what does it have to do with us being married?”
“A marriage will seem more legit to my parents’ precious social circle. They’ll get off my back with someone to shape and mold into their own image.”
“Like they did you?”
“My parents are proud of me.”
“I thought your father wanted you to give up the university and take over his business.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Instead, Charlie and I should spend our lives at their beck and call?”
“They’ll keep fighting until they take him away from you. We all will.”
Her temper about to blow, Julia yanked open the front door. “Get out, Jeff.”
“On second thought, maybe I should read the kid a story. Get to know him before he comes to live with us.”
“Get out!”
Jeff must have read something in her eyes that told him she would die before she let him touch her son tonight. He hesitated then turned for the door.
She slammed it behind him. The noise startled the dog and woke Charlie, who began to cry. She rushed over and cradled him in her arms.
“It’s okay, sweetie. Mama’s here.” Tears streamed down her face as she hugged Charlie close. “No one’s going to take you away from me. No one.” She made the promise as much to herself as to him, wanting to believe the words were true.
Chapter Eight (#u6fb1c79c-95f4-5a6a-a295-9008d544077b)
Julia stepped into the afternoon light and put on her sunglasses, more to hide the unshed tears welling in her eyes than for sun protection.
Frank Davis, her attorney, took her elbow to guide her down the steps of the county courthouse. They’d spent the past two hours in a heated session with Jeff, his parents and their lawyer. She couldn’t believe how much information they’d dug up, from the details of her finances, including the business loan that had yet to be approved, to her credit history. Thanks to a loser boyfriend who’d stolen her bank-account information, her credit was spotty, at best.
They knew all of the dead-end jobs she’d had over the years, including those she’d been fired from or quit without notice, and had a detailed record of her habit of moving from city to city for short periods of time.
They’d brought in statements from one of her ex-boyfriends and a former employer stating she was flighty and irresponsible. Her old boss even said that she’d threatened to set fire to her hair salon. No one mentioned the woman had skimmed Julia’s paycheck without her knowledge for over nine months after she’d discovered Julia’s learning disabilities. Torching the place had been an idle threat, of course, but it hadn’t sounded that way today.
“They made me seem crazy,” she muttered.
Frank clucked softly. “It’s all right, darlin’. A lot of mamas in the South are a bit touched. No one around here’s gonna hold that against you.” He checked his watch. “I got a tee time with some of the boys at one. Give me a call tomorrow and we’ll plan our next move.” He leaned in and planted a fatherly kiss on her cheek, then moved toward his vintage Cadillac parked at the curb.
Frank had known her since she’d been in diapers. He’d been one of her father’s fraternity brothers in college. Not for the first time, she questioned the wisdom of hiring him to represent her. It was no secret Frank was close to retirement, and from what Julia could tell, he spent more time on the golf course and fishing with his friends than in his office or working on cases.
Lexi Preston might look like a pussycat, but she was an absolute shark. From her guilty expression every time they made eye contact, Julia knew Lexi was the one who’d researched her so thoroughly. Julia would have admired her skills if they hadn’t been directed at her.
She glanced toward the courthouse entrance. Jeff and his parents could come out at any minute and she didn’t want them to see her alone and on the verge of a breakdown. She wished now that she’d let her mother or Lainey come with her today.
She turned to make her way to her car and came face-to-face with Sam.
“Hey,” he said softly and drew the sunglasses off her nose, his eyes studying hers as if he could read what she was thinking. “How did things go today?”
“I told you not to come,” she said on a shaky breath.
“I don’t take direction well.” He folded her glasses and pulled her into a tight embrace. “It’s okay, honey. Whatever happened, we can make it better.”
She tried to pull away but he didn’t let her go. After a moment, she sagged against him, burying her face in the fabric of his uniform shirt.
As his palm drew circles on her back, her tears flowed freely. She gulped in ragged breaths. “So awful,” she said around sobs. “They made me seem so awful.”
“I don’t believe that,” he said against her ear. “Anyone who knows you knows you’re a fantastic mother.”
“What if they take him from me?”
“We’re not going to let that happen. Not a snowball’s chance.”
Julia wiped her eyes. “They’re going to come out any minute. Jeff can’t see me like this.”
“My truck’s right here.” Sam looped one arm around her shoulders, leading her away from the courthouse steps. He opened the passenger door of his truck then came around and climbed in himself. He started the engine but didn’t make a move to drive off.
Julia kept her face covered with her hands and worked to control her breathing.
“Is that him?” Sam asked after a minute.
Julia peeked through her fingers as Jeff, his parents and the attorney walked out of the courthouse. Shading his eyes with one hand, Jeff scanned the area.
“He’s looking for me so he can gloat.” Julia sank down lower in the seat. “Jerk,” she mumbled.
The group came down the steps.
“They’re heading right for us.”
“Sit up,” Sam ordered, and she immediately straightened. “Smile and lean over to kiss me when they come by.”
The urge to duck was huge, but Julia made her mouth turn up at the ends. “Here goes,” she whispered as Jeff led the group closer, his father clapping him hard on the back. She waited until he noticed her through the windshield then leaned over and cupped Sam’s jaw between her hands. She gave him a gentle kiss and pressed her forehead against his.
“That a girl,” he told her. “Don’t give him the satisfaction of seeing you upset.”
“I can do this,” she said, and Sam kissed her again.
“They’ve passed.”
Julia stayed pressed against him for another moment before moving away. She leaned against the seat back in order to see out the side-view mirror. Jeff and his parents headed away, but Lexi trailed behind the group, looking over her shoulder every few steps.
“This isn’t going to work.”
“Yes, it is.”
She shook her head. “I told you before, I made a lot of stupid decisions in my life. It’s like they’ve uncovered every single one of them to use against me.”
“Did you kill someone?”
Her head whipped toward him. “Of course not.”
“Armed robbery?”
