Leap of Faith (The Blake Boys Book 17)

by Laurel,Rhonda

  She knew that name. She was handling Joy and Isaiah’s case. “Of course, nice to meet you, Ms. Garth. I’m sorry but I’m in a hurry to get back to my office.”

  “It will only take a minute.”

  “Sure. What can I do for you?” Cassidy closed the car door and leaned against the door.

  “I was informed by Isaiah’s daycare that you removed him from the school. I am very concerned about that.”

  “Yes. Everything should be in order. I just dropped off another letter for the director to make sure everyone had the appropriate paperwork. And I submitted it with Joy’s approval and signature.”

  Ms. Garth pulled out a notepad and pen from her bag. “Why is she taking him out? Did she find another daycare?”

  “Isaiah was removed because Joy had to move and the daycare would have been too far away from her new accommodations,” Cassidy replied.

  “That’s another interesting thing I uncovered. Joy was evicted from her apartment. I went there for a surprise visit, and the neighbors informed me she no longer lived there.”

  “It’s true. When Joy and I met for our first consult, she’d been under so much stress about Isaiah she forgot to tell me about the back rent situation. But I did retrieve her and Isaiah from the property as soon as it happened. We filed the appropriate address update at the state offices, but maybe it’s lost in the bureaucratic shuffle and hasn’t been updated yet. She’s living safely at a new place. Isaiah has great care during the day while she works.”

  “It’s good to hear she has a new residence,” the woman grumbled. “No, the updated paperwork hasn’t come through to me yet. What’s the address? I may be inclined to do a spot check on the place and talk to this new caretaker.”

  “Is this standard procedure?” Cassidy felt her jaw tick.

  Ms. Garth looked up from her notepad. “Of course. You may have just met her, but Joy has a history. I’m only looking out for the best interest of the child.”

  “It just feels to me like this whole situation surrounding a report from the daycare escalated very quickly and has turned into a full-blown issue with very little meat behind it. Don’t get me wrong. I like that the state of Texas is diligent in protecting children, but this feels personal.”

  “It isn’t personal, but I’ve tangled with Joy before. I’m not taking any chances that she’s on drugs again.”

  “She’s dedicated to her sobriety. She’s assured me of that.”

  “Where’s the new apartment?” Ms. Garth ignored the statement.

  Cassidy folded her arms across her chest. “They are residing at the Twelve Horseshoes Ranch. It’s located in—”

  The lady’s eyes widened. “I know where it’s located. How on earth did she end up there with the Blake family? Are you sure she’s staying there?”

  “I see her every morning. She’s living with me and my husband, Channing.” Cassidy clasped her hands together.

  “Oh. You’re a Blake, Blake.”

  “I didn’t know there was any other kind,” Cassidy fired back.

  Ms. Garth slipped her notes back into her bag. “Well that explains a lot.”

  Cassidy glanced at her watch. This had already taken too long. “Explains what?”

  “Why she’s getting special treatment this time around.”

  “I can assure you I haven’t pulled one string on her behalf. I’m just doing my job to the best of my ability for one of my clients. Joy may have stumbled, but she’s trying. Yes, she was evicted, but she has a place to stay. Isaiah’s being cared for during the day by my mother-in-law Teri-Lyn Blake while Joy works. And you better believe I’m prepping for that hearing, and I intend to win.” She looked at her watch yet again and opened the car door. “I’m sorry, but I have an appointment I simply can’t miss this afternoon. If you need anything else, call my office in the morning.”

  “I’ve seen this kind of thing before.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “A rich woman like you sees a situation like Joy’s and it tugs at the heartstrings. The answer is not to take her into your home and try to save her. No matter how enticing it may seem. She’s made some changes, but frankly, I still don’t trust her and I don’t think you or I should gamble with Isaiah’s future on some false sense of belief in her.”

  “Turning my back on Joy would be turning my back on Isaiah. She’s his mother, and I’ll do all that I can to make sure I get the best possible outcome for him. If you still need to inspect the new residence, you’ll need to contact my secretary. The security firm that protects my family will need to vet you thoroughly before you can come onto the property.” She got into the car, started the engine, and pulled out of her parking spot.

  As soon as her phone synced with the car’s Blue Tooth feature, she dialed Channing.

  “Hey sweetie. The errand I told you about took longer than expected. Can you meet me at the doctor’s office?”

  “Sure thing. I’ll get a ride. Is everything all right?”

  “Everything’s perfect. See you in twenty.” She disconnected the call. She suspected that Channing had picked up on some of the stress in her voice when he’d asked if everything was OK. But she didn’t have time to go into things now. She would process her chat with Ms. Garth later, but right now she had to relax herself for the injections. She’d done a lot of research online and had an idea of what was going to happen today. No matter what, she was prepared for it. It was worth it to bring them closer to having a family.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  When Channing woke on Saturday morning, he looked forward to a leisurely day around the house. They’d had a great time the previous night eating Chinese takeout and gabbing around the table. Joy, after that long talk they’d had about punctuality, had been coming home at a decent hour. They’d all watched a kid-friendly movie before turning in for the evening, even though Isaiah had a big day ahead of him. Seth had drafted him onto the kids’ soccer team, and he was becoming quite good. Channing had gone to the kids’ game and it was nice to see the family cheering Isaiah on as he made his first goal. Isaiah had even become a member of the exclusive tree house club.

  Sex had been tricky these days but they’d manage to make love without being too loud. But Cassidy was adamant about keeping their baby-making schedule. He felt so good, he wanted to take a horseback ride around the ranch with Cassie. He remembered Joy saying something about spending the day looking at apartments. He walked into the family room to find Cassidy and Joy talking. Isaiah was back from soccer and watching cartoons.

  “Hi, ladies. What’s going on?”

  Cassidy bit her lip. “We have a dilemma. Joy has an opportunity to pick up an extra shift at the tattoo parlor, but I have a Blake Foundation meeting. Teri-Lyn is meeting with her garden club this afternoon. There’s no one to watch Isaiah.”

  “I thought she was going to look for apartments today?”

  “She was, but an amazing opportunity came up.” Cassidy scowled at him.

  Joy beamed. “I know it’s not my regular job, but the owner of the tattoo parlor is expecting some people from Southern Ink, the reality show that tapes the drama in the shops. He’s auditioning to be featured on the show next year. He wants me there as a thank you for getting Riley Sloane to come into the shop. Riley stopped by just to say hi and he mentioned the shop to a friend who was working on the show.”

  “You’ve been working there a lot more lately. Business picking up?” He wanted to believe she was doing the right thing, working more hours at the shop, but there was still something gnawing at him about her.

  Joy’s eyes darted to the wall. “There’s been an uptick in business.”

  Cassidy gave him the look that meant “say something nice.”

  “That sounds like a great opportunity,” he eked out. When his wife’s stern look didn’t wane, he knew what that meant. “I could watch Isaiah.”

  The little boy’s head perked up.

  “Really?” Joy asked, looking relieved.

 
; “Sure,” Channing said with more gusto than he felt. So much for carving out some alone time with Cassidy. “I can see what the kids are up to this afternoon. Maybe we can go to J.J.’s and use the pool. What do you say, bud? Would you like to swim in a huge pool?”

  “Yeah!” Isaiah clapped.

  “That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Cassidy said.

  But Joy was frowning. “He can’t swim.”

  “Well, I can remedy that.” He smiled. “We’ll go get you a pair of trunks and some swim gear and head over to the house.”

  “Thanks, sweetie.” Cassidy kissed him on the cheek. “I won’t be more than a few hours at Morgan’s.”

  “Yeah, thanks Red.” Joy punched him in the arm.

  “I’ll take good care of him.”

  “I know. Have fun, Scooter.” She kissed Isaiah on the head and picked up her bag from the couch. “My cell phone is on, and I have my charger. So call me if you need anything.”

  “I’ll be leaving too,” Cassidy said. “I’m in charge of the refreshments.”

  He laughed. “Why do I get the feeling all you do is get together to gossip and eat?”

  “Oh, like you do on your poker nights? The only difference is that in six months we’ll have a multimillion-dollar non-profit to aid the community to show for it.” She stuck her tongue out at him and left with Joy.

  Channing picked up the remote and turned off the TV. “OK, Isaiah. First, we put the word out about the impromptu pool party. Then we go to the store to get a few things.”

  Channing knew one the kids probably had trunks Isaiah could borrow, but he felt it was important that Isaiah had his own things. The last thing he wanted was for the little guy feeling out of place because he had something borrowed from someone else. They made a quick trip to a children’s clothing store and got some trunks then it was over to the toy store to get all of the beginner swimmer’s gear. He got the goggles, the flippers, an assortment of floaters and nose plugs. They headed back to the ranch and saw the staff having a heated discussion with a man in a beat-up, blue sports car that security had stopped at the gates. The man had on a worn-out pair of jeans and a T-shirt with holes in it. And his eyes had a glassy look like he was on something.

  Channing drove up to the gate and put the car in park. “Is there a problem?”

  “No, sir. We’re taking care of it.” The specialist gripped the guy’s arm. “This man claims to know Joy Whitaker and said he wants to see her.”

  “Hey!” The man started toward Channing’s car, but the Regency specialist kept him in place. “My name is Trace. I’m a friend of Joy’s. Is that Scooter in your car?”

  Channing rolled up the windows and climbed out, shutting the door behind him. “That little boy is none of your concern.”

  “I know him.”

  “Well, we don’t know you. So until I can talk to Joy about you, I suggest you leave.”

  Trace bristled. “She knows me. You’re going to regret this, buddy.”

  “We don’t take kindly to roving strangers around here,” Channing warned. “Don’t come back or I can’t be responsible for what my security team does if you do.” Channing turned to get back into the car.

  Trace shrugged out of the tight grip the specialist had on him. “You need armed guards to make me leave? You can’t do it yourself?”

  “I don’t fight trash. But I have been known to put it out on the curb. Guys, call the sheriff’s office and have them pick him up for trespassing.”

  “Not necessary,” Trace snarled. “I’m going!”

  “You have a good day now. I know we won’t be seeing you again.” He hopped in the car and continued through the gates. He couldn’t help but notice Isaiah craning his neck to see the commotion going on back there.

  “Do you know him?”

  Isaiah nodded his head yes.

  “Is he a good guy or bad guy?” Channing asked carefully.

  Isaiah only shrugged.

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about him. He’s not going to get near you or your mom.” He flashed him a reassuring smile.

  To his relief, Isaiah seemed to brighten when he spotted the pool. Channing had recruited the kids to help him teach Isaiah to swim. He was a little shy and embarrassed at first. But witnessing a few cannon balls from Jake and Connor gave him the courage to try. He had fun splashing about in the pool with the protection of the floating devices while building the confidence to try on his own. They all pitched in and in no time, Isaiah was doing the doggy paddle on his own.

  After a while, the kiddies were ready to get out of the water and do something else. But first he had to feed them. He whipped up sandwiches and chips and drinks in the kitchen. He normally watched the kids with Cassidy, so it was quite the balancing act to keep an eye on all of them. After lunch came bike riding. Luckily, J.J. had a spare bike in the garage for Isaiah. Channing outfitted it with a set of training wheels and off they went. Once they were done with the bikes, he piled them into the specialized van his dad had bought his mama to tote all of the grandkids around. They went to get ice cream with a Regency team safely in tow.

  While Isaiah seemed to have forgotten about the man at the gate, Channing certainly hadn’t. He’d have to tell Cassidy about the incident as soon as he could. He had a feeling this guy Trace was bad news. How had he known where Joy and Isaiah were staying? A call to Kendrick was in order, but right now he wanted to enjoy watching the kids getting messy trying to eat their cones. Thank goodness his mama kept a ton of wet wipes in the van. He could see the happiness in Isaiah’s eyes. Whoever that guy Trace was, he’d make sure to protect Isaiah from the creep.

  * * *

  With Cassidy going over work notes and Joy and Isaiah turned in early for the night, Channing saw no reason to take a break and hang out with his brothers. He’d missed the last few poker nights, but he looked forward to reconnecting with them. The game was in full swing by the time he’d made it over to J.J.’s house.

  “I told you he would show.” Tyler slapped him on the back as he entered the living room. “Seth told me to call your cell, but I knew it wasn’t necessary.”

  “Sorry I’m late. Isaiah asked me to read him a story. Then it turned into three. You were right, Tate, the book about the bears who play the banjo does the trick every time.” He sat down and took the beer Tate offered.

  “I can tell Gabe four stories in a row and he won’t get sleepy.” J.J. laughed as he stacked his poker chips.

  Tate shook his head. “Let’s face it. Every kid in this family can con us into reading one more story.”

  “Cherish those moments,” Seth said, biting into a chip. “Jake’s more interested in comic books these days. Connor and Colby are starting to lose interest. Mackenzie is my saving grace.”

  J.J. dealt the cards. “I saw you taking a ride with Isaiah the other day. You two sure are bonding well.”

  “He’s a curious kid. I enjoy showing him different things around the ranch.” Channing scratched at his beard.

  “Mama says he’s sharp as a whip,” Seth added. “And he’s great at soccer.”

  “I just think he needed to be in an environment where he could be a kid. You know he tried to help me with the laundry? And he knew where Joy kept her motor oil in the car. That’s no way to grow up. I wish there was something more I can do for him.”

  “He wants to help Joy,” Tate said. “I remember those times I lived with Lila. It becomes a team effort to get chores done when you only have one parent in the household.”

  He looked at his hand, then put his cards down. “Sometimes I wish Cassie and I could take care of him on a full-time basis. If for some reason they want to take custody away from Joy, I think we’d be good candidates.”

  The table fell quiet. He’d been thinking about it for the last couple of days but hadn’t known how to bring it up to Cassidy.

  Tyler finally broke the silence. “How does Cassie feel about that?”

  “I haven’t told her. She has enou
gh on her plate with the fertility treatments and trying to sort things out for Joy. She’s hopeful things will turn out well, but we would be an alternative if it doesn’t. We’d make good foster parents.”

  “I think you’d make wonderful parents,” Seth said, “but the objective right now is to get Joy’s current troubles resolved so she can find an apartment and get on with their lives.”

  “That’s another thing. Her last apartment left a lot to be desired,” Channing countered. “I feel like a snob for saying it, but it wasn’t a safe environment.”

  “I’m sure there’s a Blake property we can put her in and subsidize her rent,” J.J. said carefully before taking a sip of his beer.

  “We also need to think about what Joy wants,” Tate added. “She has the final say in all of this. Like it or not, she’s his mother.”

  “I don’t know.” He sighed. “Like I said. I’m just talking.”

  Tyler smiled. “It sounds like you care about Isaiah an awful lot.”

  “I didn’t want to, but it’s hard not to reach out to someone who is hurting. It’s what mama and daddy taught us. But I worry about Cassie and all this stress. We’re doing the fertility treatments, but no luck so far. I can tell it’s all getting to her, even though she doesn’t want to show it. Stress isn’t good for conceiving.”

  Tate nodded. “Things will settle down soon and you two can get back on track.”

  “I hope so,” Channing replied. “Not that I mind making love to my wife. It’s been fun.”

  “We know. We can hear you in your office when she comes up for her afternoon visits.” Bo smirked.

  Seth grinned. “Daddy always said half the fun was in the trying.”

  Tyler grinned too. “I had fun trying with Michelle, even if it was unintentional.”

  “You didn’t plan to get pregnant?” J.J. asked.

  “We’d been playing fast and loose with the birth control for months. We both knew it was possible we’d get pregnant.”

  Tate ran his hand through his hair. “Looks like you won that bet. So have you made any decisions about racing?”