Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
He glanced up when I entered. “So. What are you going to do?” he asked abruptly.
I didn’t pretend to misunderstand. I needed to make a decision, for Lellie’s sake. “That’s a very good question. She needs a good home. Better than the Scotts. And better than me.”
Our eyes met. As much as I hated to admit it, I really wasn’t the pathway to happiness for Katie’s beloved daughter.
“But I’m accepting custody… until I can find the best situation for her,” I went on. “Custody of my daughter will be on my terms, and the Scotts are not in the running.”
“I’m not sure that’s how it works, Dev. Anyone can make a case for custody, and biological family gets an automatic serious consideration, especially in Texas. The Scotts have excellent attorneys.”
I eyed him. “I guess I need a good attorney, too, then. Can you recommend a family lawyer in Texas?”
“I know a woman who’s passionate about LGBTQ family law,” Tully said slowly. “She’s the one…” When he trailed off, I shot him a questioning look. He sighed. “She’s the one I recommended Katie use for a contract when I learned she was using a sperm donor.”
“But we didn’t have a contract.”
“I know. I thought that was…” He ran his tongue over his teeth as if searching for the correct word. “Ill-advised.”
I bristled at the implied insult… which was foolish, considering Tully and I hadn’t even met at that point. “I told Katie I’d never wanted kids. I wouldn’t fight her for custody. She trusted that.”
“Clearly. But people change their minds.” He shrugged. “It’s fairly common. Enough to make it worth protecting against. Trust is all well and good in theory, but sometimes the people you think you can trust are the least trustworthy of all.” He smiled without humor. “I wouldn’t put my future in someone else’s hands like that, still less my child’s future.”
“And in the end, Katie trusted me with her child’s future anyway,” I said hotly.
Tully looked troubled, but he nodded. “She did,” he agreed reluctantly. His gaze caught mine. “But you don’t want her.” The words which shows I was right remained unspoken, but I still heard them.
I narrowed my eyes. He made it sound so easy. “I told you, it’s not a matter of want, it’s a matter of what’s best for Lellie, and I’m not the right person—”
“So be the right person,” he shot back.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
Tully rolled his eyes. “Then for god’s sake, explain it to me.”
“Explain that I have family issues I don’t want to saddle my child with? That I never want to repeat the same mistakes my own parents made? That I could never forgive myself if I—” I broke off and ran a hand through my hair.
What the fuck was I doing? In my anger, I was giving him evidence to use against me in the custody case.
I tried to soften my words and my tone. “Anyway. That was before I met Lellie, when Katie was around to be a better parent than I could ever be. I care enough to make sure Lellie finds a good situation with a loving family.”
Tully seemed to be making a supreme effort to keep his own temper under control. “Do you have the resources for this fight? It’s not something you’ll be able to use Lellie’s money for—”
“I wouldn’t.” I gritted my teeth. “Don’t worry about the money.”
Tully’s eyebrows lowered even more. “I’m just saying—”
I knew what he was saying. That I was a simple ranch hand living in someone else’s apartment, sleeping on my boss’s furniture, barely making ends meet. There was no way for him to know I’d fixed up this place myself, had made sure it was professionally decorated and fitted out so it would increase Way’s property value as my way of thanking him since he wouldn’t let me pay rent. But I didn’t owe Tully any explanations. As long as I could pay my legal bills, it was nobody’s business how.
“I get what you’re saying. And I’m telling you, it’s none of your business. Can’t make it clearer than that, Tully.”
“Fine,” he bit out.
“Fine,” I repeated. “And while we’re at it, I’d like to see a copy of Katie’s will, please. Along with any other documentation I’m entitled to, including trust documents, bank statements, et cetera.”
Tully’s fingers flexed like he wanted to hit something—possibly me—but he didn’t argue. He simply got up and retrieved his computer bag before returning with a large legal-sized folder full of paperwork.
After handing it to me, he returned to his spot on the end of the sofa and watched as I began to go through it. I felt like I was a bug under a microscope and he was recording every tiny tic or change in my expression.