A Family Name

by Liz Botts

  Charlotte swallowed against the dryness in her throat. "Lexi wanted to meet you, so here we are?"

  Lexi looked at her, and reached out to take Charlotte's hand. That's when she felt the girl shaking. Cursing herself, Charlotte squeezed Lexi's hand in a show of reassurance. She had been so busy thinking about Will and how she didn't want to lose Lexi that she had not been paying proper attention to how Lexi was dealing with this meeting.

  "Yes, but where's Mary? I just don't understand how this could be happening. Mary would have told me if she was pregnant when we split up."

  Charlotte glanced at Lexi and saw that the girl's eyes were bright, and she guessed that crying in front of Will was not something Lexi wanted. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte tilted her chin up.

  "Can we come in? Hopefully we can sort everything out, but it's pretty chilly out here."

  "Of course, come in. Come in," Will's father said, stepping back from the doorway.

  Will stepped back as they passed. Charlotte's head began to throb from the implications of this meeting. Soon she wouldn't have to wonder if she'd get to keep Lexi, not if she kept up with these very unsanctioned visits. The agency would simply let her go. No one else would want to hire her either. She'd be labeled a renegade. While those thoughts danced through her head, Charlotte felt Lexi grab her hand. Everything else melted away as Lexi laid her head on Charlotte's shoulder. This was all for a hurting thirteen-year-old. If someone had given her a chance to meet her parents again, even after all the horrible things they had done, she would have been there in a heartbeat.

  Never mind that she had a crush on Will that made her feel like a high schooler, and that she was so far out in left field career-wise right now that she couldn't even see the infield. Lexi mattered. A relationship with her mother was out of the picture for the time being, but they still had hope with Will. Charlotte only hoped he didn't kill it in the next few minutes.

  Somehow, though, she knew he wouldn't. It had to be those eyes. Kind eyes.

  Once they were all seated on leather sofas in the rustic feeling living room, Will repeated, "Where's Mary?"

  "Mary couldn't come today. I brought Lexi without Mary knowing." Charlotte ran a hand over the smooth cushion, hoping the motion would calm her.

  Will ran a hand over his face. "I don't understand. How could you bring Lexi here without Mary knowing?"

  "Charlotte's my foster mom," Lexi said. She hugged a throw pillow close to her body as if to shield herself. "My mom told us about you and I really wanted to meet you, so Charlotte said we could come and…"

  "Wait, I think you need to back up and tell me the whole story here," Will said. "None of this makes any sense. How could I have a daughter that I never knew about? Mary certainly would have told me she was pregnant before we divorced. We weren't right for each other but our split was amicable. And how on earth did she end up as your foster child? Shouldn't she be with me if her mother can't care for her?"

  Charlotte drew in a quick breath at his last question. All her fears lay bare before her eyes. She tried to put herself into Will's shoes, and she acknowledged that she was feeling pretty selfish at the moment. Just as she had started to build her family, it was all going to be taken away.

  "There are so many things to talk about. And honestly some things you would need to find out from Mary, although that might not be all that easy," Charlotte began. "Lexi and I visited Mary the other day. She's not well."

  "It was my first time meeting her, and she didn't even want to spend time with me," Lexi said. Charlotte noted the balled up fists digging into the throw pillow, and the false bravado coloring Lexi's voice.

  When Will raised his eyebrows in apparent surprise, Charlotte rushed on. "Mary lost custody of Lexi when she was two and a half. You aren't listed on the birth certificate, and every indication in the case file seems to support that Mary refused to name the father. I can only assume that she had a good reason for not telling you she was pregnant. You said your marriage ended amicably?"

  Will hesitated. He rubbed a hand across his face. "We parted as friends, but we didn't talk after the divorce. So I suppose that stretches the definition of amicable."

  "Why did you get divorced?" Lexi leaned forward, staring intently at her father.

  Charlotte held her breath waiting for his reply. Instead Will stood and paced over to a window. He stood staring out for awhile. Maybe he was remembering a different time in his life. Whatever he was doing Charlotte began to feel antsy as he stood stock still. Her eyes darted to Bill. They hadn't even introduced themselves.

  "I'm sorry, I don't think I properly introduced myself," she said, standing and walking over to Bill. "I'm Charlotte and this is Lexi."

  "Bill Wright." The firm handshake accompanied by a smile made Charlotte feel instantly at ease. While he studied her, she thought about what to say, though her mind kept coming up blank. Finally Bill said, "Lexi, would you like to come outside and see the horses? There are a few people you might like to meet."

  Lexi gave Charlotte a confused look, and Charlotte felt the hesitation. She'd felt it before when she'd entered new foster homes when she was a kid. The moment she got involved with them, she would start to care, and that only spelled trouble because what if it all ended?

  Instead, Charlotte nodded firmly, giving Lexi a confident smile. If all went well, this man was the girl's grandfather. They had a lot of lost time to make up for. It was as selfless as Charlotte could be at the moment.

  When Lexi and Bill had left the house, Charlotte turned her attention to Will. "You don't seem all that surprised that she's your daughter."

  Will shrugged, his shoulders slumping at the end. He pushed away from the window and moved closer to her. "She looks a lot like Mary but I see my family in her as well."

  "It's your eyes."

  "Hmmm?"

  Charlotte felt the heat of embarrassment color her cheeks. "Your eyes. The two of you, well your father too. You all have the same blue eyes."

  Despite the tense awkwardness of the moment, the corner of Will's mouth tugged upward a bit, and he raised an eyebrow. "We do, do we?"

  Even though she couldn't bring herself to look Will in the eye, she had to smile. "You do."

  Will took a deep breath. "So what happens now?"

  "You'll get to know Lexi."

  Charlotte hoped that sounded like enough of a plan to Will because she hadn't gotten any further than showing up on the ranch. Her heart hammered, sending blood thundering through her veins and roaring through her ears. Each breath hitched irritatingly in her throat until she gagged and started to cough.

  "Hey, are you okay?" Will was beside her in a moment. "Let me get you a glass of water."

  When the plastic cup was pressed into her hand, Charlotte sucked down the cold liquid hoping for relief. The cough abated but was replaced by anxiousness that made her throat constrict. She wasn't ready to give Lexi up, but this man was her father. On top of that, Charlotte hadn't thought she'd actually have a reason to see him again. Sure she'd offered to listen if he needed to talk but he hadn't taken her up on it. She liked Will from what she knew of him. He seemed like a caring guy, and as Lexi's father he'd be able to give her a good home. But that's what Charlotte had wanted to do too.

  "Let's try this again, shall we? What I meant to ask before is what steps do I have to take to gain custody of Lexi? I want my daughter to live with me. Naturally." Will leaned against the side of the sofa.

  Charlotte found the throw pillow Lexi had discarded, and ran a finger along the braided edge. "Well, I assume a judge would want a DNA test for conclusive proof, and a social worker will interview you and your family. Talk to Lexi. That kind of thing."

  "A DNA test seems like pretty conclusive proof that she's my child. Will they talk to Mary? Find out why she didn't tell me about my child?"

  The words sounded strangled, and Charlotte's heart broke a little for him. "Probably not. Mary's parental rights were terminated when Lexi was three."


  "How soon can Lexi move here? I don't want to waste any more time without her."

  Her head was beginning to ache from the back and forth nature of the conversation. "You'll have to contact a lawyer to get things moving." Charlotte heard the autopilot words, but all she felt was her heart breaking then going numb. She had come to care deeply for Lexi in the past three weeks, and had even begun to imagine a future for them.

  Will shook his head. "You're her guardian. Can't you do anything to speed it along?"

  Charlotte shook her head. "I'm not her social worker any more. Someone else was assigned to her case once I became the foster parent. For now she has to live with me."

  "Then you could move in here," Will said, his voice bright with excitement. "If you live here, Lexi can live here. I have plenty of space. Then I could get started on a relationship with my daughter. My daughter, it's amazing isn't it? So… what do you say?"

  Chapter Four

  "What do I say to what?"

  Charlotte stared at him as if he had grown a third eye. He felt himself squirm under her gaze. Was he being unreasonable? Try as he might, Will couldn't bring himself to see the situation in any other way. Lexi was his daughter. She needed to be home with him. Not only was that his responsibility, but his right and privilege. To have a daughter appear in his life, while certifiably crazy, seemed like a dream come true. Although it was a dream he didn't know he harbored until they'd showed up at his door.

  Will moved to sit on the sofa beside Charlotte. He hovered a moment before easing himself onto a cushion at the opposite end. "What do you say to moving in here? You and Lexi. I'm sure the move will only be temporary. Just until I can get custody of Lexi, then you can go back to your own life."

  He watched as Charlotte clenched her jaw. He wondered what was going on in her head. Something told him to keep his mouth shut, which was proving far harder than he had ever imagined. Walker had always been more of the strong, silent type. Wyatt served in the role of family goofball. Will, on the other hand, had prided himself on being the serious one, the honest one, the shoot-from-the-hip one. Now he shut his mouth and decided to keep it shut until Charlotte answered him.

  "That could take awhile." Charlotte kept her eyes down, no matter how much he wished she would look up at him. "The courts can be so slow. I just don't know how I feel about living here, just the three of us."

  "Sierra and Shane will be here too."

  The look on Charlotte's face told him that he might have said the wrong thing. Or at the very least confused her. As he thought through the events of the past half hour it dawned on him why Charlotte's brow was furrowed. In the shuffle of the news that he had a daughter Will had forgotten to mention his guardianship of Sierra and Shane.

  Will took a deep breath. "My best friend and his wife named me temporary guardian of their children. They'll be living with me until their grandparents come for them."

  "Oh."

  He watched as Charlotte pinched lumps of stuffing under the fabric of the throw pillow. She had long, graceful fingers, but short, unpolished nails. Refined, yet practical. The paradox of this woman intrigued him, and Will found himself mentally shaking himself to bring the conversation at hand back into focus.

  "They're great kids. Sierra's five, and Shane is three." Will felt a knot of emotion rise up in his throat, and he stopped talking. This grief he felt was so out of character for Will, and while he knew it was fine to feel it, he couldn't stop himself from being embarrassed. He certainly didn't' want Charlotte to see this weakness.

  To his surprise, a moment later Charlotte's hand curled over the top of one of his fists. She didn't say anything, simply held on to him. The connection Will felt to this virtual stranger nearly overpowered him. When he looked up and their eyes met in a gaze that caught something deep inside Will, he let go of Charlotte's hand like it was on fire. Grief was making him soft.

  "I just don't know," Charlotte said softly.

  Silence settled over them as Will watched Charlotte. Her teeth caught at her bottom lip, and he could read her nervousness no matter how hard she was trying to hide it. Emulate Walker. That would be his new motto.

  "I'd have to take a leave of absence from work, and I don't think that's even possible," Charlotte continued after a few minutes. "And Lexi would have to leave her school. She just started there a few weeks ago. How would that make her feel?"

  "We could ask her," Will said, glad to hear his voice sounding even and like himself again.

  "She's thirteen and desperate for a relationship with her real parents. I can guarantee she'll happily agree, but I can't let her make this choice. She's a child, and I'm still responsible for her well being." Charlotte leaned back and crossed her arms.

  "And I'm her father, so I think I should have some say in her well being."

  Charlotte laughed a short laugh. "You just found out that you are her father not even thirty minutes ago."

  "There's no doubt in my mind that she's mine," Will said, knowing that he meant it. "I can see my family in her."

  "But how does that qualify you to make decisions for her so soon?"

  Irritation rankled Will. Many retorts came to mind, but he bit them back instead only shrugging. "I'm her father. That's all the qualification I need, in my mind anyway."

  The look Charlotte gave him actually made Will shiver. Her eyes narrowed, and her mouth became a line so thin it appeared to disappear into her face.

  "So… I'm guessing this isn't something you're really considering?" Will felt defeated, and confused. Defeat wasn't in his nature, but he couldn't very well bully Charlotte into moving to the ranch. He'd feel guilty even if it did mean having his daughter there with him. Still there had to be a way.

  "We can come visit you as often as you would like," Charlotte said, breaking into his thoughts. "And you can stop by my house after work whenever you want."

  Will frowned. "That's really not enough. I know you're reluctant, but I think all the negatives of the situation will be outweighed by the good. The fact that Lexi and I can start to build a relationship. And it will give you and Lexi extra time together if you take off work. Please consider moving out here."

  The gasp at the doorway made both of them turn. Lexi and Bill stood in the doorway. Will could tell by the ecstatic look on Lexi's face and the pensive one on Bill's that they had heard everything.

  ****

  "Please say this is true."

  Charlotte's stomach tightened as Lexi threw herself onto the sofa. As the girl's arms snaked around Charlotte, the cushions bounced. Will had been presenting his case, the same point over and over, for the past twenty minutes. No matter what he said, she knew that he was sincere. He wanted a relationship with his daughter, and no matter what shock and anger he felt over the situation, he was willing to put it aside. And even if it was hard to admit, she admired him for it. Her own selfish reasoning for wanting to keep Lexi at home with her had begun to fade away. Still, she couldn't find the words to tell him that. Now that Lexi was in the room and had heard the plan, Charlotte felt her resolve strengthening again.

  "Lexi, we can't just pull up and move here," Charlotte said, her words firm but soft. "You have to finish the school year, and I have work."

  Lexi's eyes widened and got shiny. Her lower lip trembled almost imperceptibly. Charlotte wondered how on earth she was supposed to stand up to that. She had a responsibility to Lexi. Her job was already in jeopardy from these unorthodox visits with Lexi's birth parents. She couldn't risk what little professional credibility she had left by moving to the father's home no matter how much she wanted to.

  "But… but… but why?" Lexi's whisper cut right through to Charlotte's heart. She couldn't look at the girl or at Will. Guilt smacked her hard upside the head. Was she being selfish, or was she being responsible? Right now she wasn't sure she could differentiate between the two.

  Charlotte swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. "I just don't think it will work, sweetie. My job as your foster mom is to
make sure everything is in your best interest. I definitely think getting to know your dad is important, and until a judge can make it permanent, we'll visit as much as we can."

  The tears that Charlotte had been waiting for spilled down Lexi's face. The thirteen-year-old turned back into a child and buried herself in Charlotte's arms. As Charlotte smoothed back Lexi's hair her eyes met Will's solid gaze.

  "This is hurting her more," Will said.

  From the doorway Bill cleared his throat. Charlotte forced herself to look away from Will to his father. Bill Wright was a big man. How she had overlooked this information before, Charlotte didn't know, but looking at him now she could see nothing but his height and girth. The door to the kitchen was blocked by Bill's frame. With his arms crossed and his hat pulled low over his eyes, the man commanded an intimidating presence.

  "William, I think Charlotte is right."

  Charlotte's breath caught in her throat. The tickle turned into a cough that sent embarrassing spasms through her body. She sounded like she was ready to hack up an internal organ. Just what she needed. Instead of responding to his father, Will got up and hurried to the kitchen. He returned a moment later with a glass of water. Charlotte let go of Lexi and gratefully accepted the water. After a few sips, she managed to calm her lungs, and take a few normal breaths of air.

  "Why don't I take you girls outside and show you around a bit?" Bill's suggestion cut through the room with a swiftness that startled Charlotte.

  Beside her on the sofa, Lexi shifted her weight causing the cushions to dip. Charlotte set the glass on a coaster, and glanced at the girl. Lexi's long dark hair hung forward over her face, but Charlotte could just see her eyes. Through the fringe of bangs, Charlotte could tell that Lexi's gaze was solidly on Will. When Charlotte turned to look at Will, she wasn't surprised to see him glaring at his father, eyes narrowed, mouth set in a thin line.

  "That's a good idea, Dad, but I think I'll take them." Will took a step closer to Charlotte and Lexi.