Page 33 of Tough Love
His hands click the pieces into place effortlessly, the shape coming together more the longer I watch him.
“He’s doing a great job,” Evan says. “As much as I’d like to stick around and see the finished product, I really should carry on.”
“If you’re sure,” Mum says automatically.
“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to be in touch.” Evan stands, his height even more noticeable from my position on the floor.
“Thank you.” Mum scoots forward, eager to see him out, but I stall her with a raised palm while Evan’s distracted.
She frowns, but slides back into her seat.
“Can I just…?” I point to the front door. “I’ve got a couple of questions.”
He fixes me with that sharp gaze, and nods, a small frown pinching his brow. “Sure.”
I lead the way through to the entrance, yet it doesn’t seem private enough, so I open the front door as Evan catches up after saying bye to Briar. “I’ll see you out.”
He passes by me, quirking an eyebrow. “Okay.”
The morning’s surprisingly mild still, and I cross my arms, wishing I’d put a cardigan or something like it on as well. Evan’s marked car is parked at the kerb, no doubt gaining attention from the neighbourhood as we walk toward it.
He stands, elbow resting on the roof of the sedan, and patiently waits for my questions with a cheeky smirk.
“Do you know much about custody rights?”
“A little.” He frowns, probably surprised I didn’t want to talk about us.
I glance back at the house, as though Briar might show at any second and overhear me if my back is turned. “Mum and Dad can’t take Briar back to Aussie without his father’s consent.” I turn back to face Evan, my chest tight from the future I’m about to acknowledge. “So I want to have him.”
“Uh-huh.”
Shit.He probably thinks I can’t do it either. Probably wondering why we’re so dead-set on keeping Briar’s dad out of the picture. To be honest, other than the knowledge Kath had cut him off, I can only speculate why as well. “I kind of wondered if you’d know what sort of battle I might have if his father found out.”
“Well,” he says, easing his position against the car. “As the father, he does have rights that take preference over yours.”
I drop my chin, staring at the ground. I feel as though I’ve let the kid down already, just by being who I am.
“But,” Evan continues, “if you can prove that staying with you is in Briar’s best interests, you’ll have a case.” He pushes off the patrol car and steps toward me. “There’s plenty of info online about the process of applying for guardianship, but I’m happy to walk you through it. You’ll need to go through the court, but having them on side should the father turn up will mean you’ve got a head start toward keeping Briar in your care.”
I nod as he shares the information with me, my head swimming already.Court means lawyers.I have some money saved, but what if it’s not enough to pay for a complicated case?
“I don’t even know for sure who the father is,” I admit, “but I’m 99 percent certain I’ve guessed right.”
I’m so scared I’m going to fuck this all up, that I’ll welcome Briar into my life and I’ll let him down. I don’t think Briar could take any more heartache.
Evan reaches out, clearly sensing my self-doubt, and rests his hand on my elbow. I hug myself tighter, and in response, he tugs me gently toward his huge frame. I relish the arm that drapes over my shoulders, and the way, even though it’s only our sides that touch, his gentle hug calms my nerves.
Some things clearly never change.
“Why did you become a cop?” I ask, looking up at Evan’s strong profile. “You never said anything about it when we were together. Back then, you were so set on being a professional muso.”
He chuckles, staring off down the street as his humour fades to something darker. “There was an incident, something I should have done more to stop. It shook me up, made me want to make amends for it, make sure it never happened to anyone else if I could help it.”
“Must have had a real effect on you, whatever it was.” What happened after he left?
He nods, turning his head to look down at me. “Yeah.” Pain is etched in the lines around his eyes. “It hurt her more though.”
My breath hitches as he releases me, the tension breaking our moment of intimacy.Surely he doesn’t mean …