by Tia Siren
“Yes.”
“That makes you the brother,” she said, pulling her eyes away from the screen.
“Yes. I’m Jake Colter, Tracy’s older brother and only remaining family member.”
I shot him a glare. He wore that label like it was a badge of honor.
The woman nodded her head. “I’m Janice Grimes. I’ll be handling the case.”
“Why is there a case?” I blurted out. “I’m perfectly capable of taking custody. It’s what Tracy wanted.”
The woman was brisk and immediately rubbed me the wrong way. I glanced at Jake. He didn’t look all that impressed by Janice either.
“Unfortunately, it isn’t so cut and dry. Your friend didn’t have a will. We can’t go by what she may or may not have told you. She passed away before she could sign any kind of document that would legally give one of you custody. The police said she was barely conscious, and in her condition, the doctor didn’t feel she would have been capable of making such decisions anyway.”
“She told the paramedics to call me,” I interjected. “She knew she was hurt and wanted me to take care of her daughter.”
Janice nodded. “She did. That doesn’t give you custody in a case like this.”
I did my best to school my features. I knew I had a killer resting bitch face. I didn’t want to put the woman anymore on edge. As it was, it looked as if she had been sucking on lemons. I felt as if she were jaded and already biased against me. If I didn’t watch my step, I was going to lose before I even had a chance to fight.
“I understand that,” I started in a calm voice. “However, I’ve been with Iris since she was born. I was actually there when she was born. I’m her godmother. I am the best person to take care of her. She knows me,” I stressed.
“I’m her family,” Jake interrupted. “She is young. I can be her caregiver, her uncle, parent, or whatever my title would be. I have the means to care for a child. She’s my blood.”
I glared at him, wanting to kick him in the shin again.
Janice was nodding her head. “I understand you both want the child. However, some legalities have to be addressed. In the meantime, the child can stay with Miss Hampstead. You will be given temporary custody while we navigate the difficult waters of permanent custody. These situations are never easy. If we feel the child will be better off in the care of a foster family—"
I gasped. “A foster home! You can’t do that. She would be terrified. She knows me!”
Janice looked at me, nonplussed by my outburst. “Our foster parents are used to taking in scared children. They have the training needed to help soothe a child. She would be just fine.”
“But why do that when you have a perfectly good option right here? Why put the child in a foster home when it isn’t necessary? I thought foster homes were for children who had nowhere to go or were in unsafe living conditions,” I said, trying my hardest not to completely freak out over the absurdity of it all.
Jake cleared his throat. “Is that standard procedure? You pull a child away from the temporary guardians?”
Janice shrugged. “We only do that if we feel the child’s interests are not being looked after. Our job is to keep the child safe and provide the child with the best environment possible. I’m sorry, but your feelings or your feelings”—she looked at me—“are not my priority. My only concern is for the child.”
“The child is fine,” I seethed. “She is fed, bathed, and loved. I would never do anything that put her in danger. She is my priority as well.”
Janice nodded her head. “And that’s fine, which is why you are being given temporary custody. However, that could change. I hope to get a full order of permanent guardianship drawn up very soon. This is the government, and these things do take time. I will do what I can to see this matter is solved in a timely manner.”
“What do I need to do to prove I’m the right guardian? I will do whatever it takes,” I said, choking back the tears that threatened to fall. I didn’t want to appear weak.
She shrugged. “Being financially capable is one of the biggest concerns. Children are expensive, especially babies. They need diapers, formula, medical care, daycare, and so on. Not everyone is prepared to take on the expense of a raising a child that isn’t their own. We need to look at every aspect and do our due diligence.”
I nodded. “Okay. That’s it? I need a job and I can keep her?”
She grimaced. “It’s not that easy. Wait—you don’t work now?” she asked, looking at the papers in front of her. “I thought you had a job. That may change things.”
I waved a hand. “I do.” I didn’t specify it was part time and paid next to nothing. “I have a job. I just meant a different job. I live with a woman who helps take care of her. Plus, she is still in the daycare Tracy had her in.”
She eyed me a little closer. “A good home situation is also required. Iris will need her own room and the house must be suitable for a child.”
I scoffed. “It’s suitable.”
Janice didn’t seem to care what I had to say. “You will need to prove you can properly care for Iris until she is eighteen. The agency likes to see guardians in established homes and jobs. It is important a child has stability. We don’t want to have to come in a couple years down the road and place her in foster care.”
I bit back my retort. I could already feel the tides shifting in Jake’s favor. I knew he was wealthy, so of course he could provide a stable home, but he couldn’t love her like I could. He would probably hire a team of nannies. She would never even see him. I knew in my heart I was the best person to raise Iris.
Chapter Six
Jake
I had initially thought I didn’t like the Janice woman staring down her nose at me from across the desk, but I could have misjudged the situation. Janice could be the one who got me what I wanted. I had a home, plenty of money, and, most importantly, power. Avery couldn’t compare. She lived in a house with an old lady. That wasn’t exactly the best environment for a baby. I wasn’t all that familiar with babies, but living in an old woman’s house didn’t sound all that fun.
I felt a twinge of guilt when I looked at Avery’s shocked expression. I knew she loved Iris. Love wasn’t always enough, though. I could give my niece everything. There was nothing money couldn’t buy. She would have the best nannies, go to the best schools, and have doors opened for her simply because of who she was. That had to count for something.
“He doesn’t even know how to take care of a baby,” Avery whined.
I looked at her and smirked. “I can learn. Don’t all new parents have to learn? It isn’t like you have any more experience than I do. I can hire people to help me—people who do know and who have experience caring for infants.”
She was shaking her head with obvious frustration. An idea popped into my head. I could hire her to act as a nanny of sorts. It was a win-win situation. She would get to see Iris and so would I. Iris would get the benefit of having two parental figures. The idea began to take shape in my mind. It seemed so logical.
Her shirt was unbuttoned just enough to tease. It was all very respectable, but all I could think about was me, her, and a desk. It was sexy as hell. I could really get used to having her live under my roof. Maybe we could get to know each other again and develop a friendship. A friendship with benefits if I had my way.
“Janice, what do I need to do to prove to you I am a suitable guardian for my niece?” I asked, expecting her to say nothing. I was the man for the job.
She gave me a look that told me she wasn’t going to fall under my charms. I could usually woo most women. Not this one. This lady was a tough cookie. She was not going to be so easily swayed. Fine by me. I would hire a fleet of lawyers to sway the system. That was what money could do. I had learned that in recent years. I didn’t like the word no, and when I heard it, I threw money at it until it was a yes.
“Mr. Colter, we here at child services don’t live under rocks,” she started, and I knew I was
screwed. “Your reputation is quite notorious. I understand you have money. A lot of money doesn’t necessarily make you a good guardian. I’m looking for someone who can not only provide financial stability but a nurturing, loving environment. That is where I find you come up short upon initial checking. I could be wrong, but do not assume I will cave to your demands because you are rich.”
My mouth fell open. I heard Avery snicker and turned to look at her. “I don’t feel that is entirely accurate. Don’t judge me based on what you’ve read in some silly tabloids. That is not a fair assessment of my ability, and I would think, you being a professional and all, you would know better.”
“Sir, I’m not judging you at all. My assessments are based on facts. I follow the facts,” she said. “Money doesn’t mean anything to me. You can’t buy me or the system. This is a process, and I don’t intend to cut corners because of who you are or what you have.”
I could buy anything. The woman had no idea what my money could do. I didn’t see what the problem was. Iris was a very lucky little girl. She’d been born into the right family. There were probably millions of kids who would want to be in her shoes, or booties or whatever it was I was seeing on her feet.
Instead of voicing my opinion, I smiled and nodded my head. I didn’t want to come off as an arrogant prick, even if I had been called exactly that many times in the past.
“Thank you. Will there be anything else?” I asked, hoping I sounded genuine. In the back of my mind, I was already planning my way around the prudish woman.
She shrugged. “No. I’ll be in touch.”
“Actually, I’ll be in touch. I’ll have the documentation you need to prove I’m the right person to raise my niece by Wednesday at the latest.”
She chuckled. “It doesn’t work like that. We do our interviews, home inspections, and present it all to a judge. This matter will go to family court, and I guarantee you it won’t be before Wednesday. In fact, I would be impressed if it happened in the next week.”
I scowled at her. “That seems a little ridiculous. We are talking about a baby here. She can’t sit on a back burner and wait for a bunch of government red tape to be cut through.”
Janice didn’t give two shits about what I thought. That much was obvious. She turned to Avery, dismissing me and my complaints. I did not appreciate being ignored. I wasn’t accustomed to being ignored. I was generally the center of attention.
“Miss Hampstead, I’ve reached out to a couple foster families. I’m waiting to hear back. Depending on how our investigation goes, I need you to be prepared to turn Iris over to a foster family.”
The woman spoke with no feeling at all. She had to be the most callous, no-nonsense woman I had ever met. I hoped she was good at her job because I couldn’t imagine a child having to face her. I assumed she was a bit jaded because she had to see child abuse and neglect on the daily. Hopefully, she was much kinder to the children who were put in her charge.
“Why?” Avery said. “She knows me. I can’t believe you would take a happy baby out of the home she is comfortable in and put her with strangers. That makes no sense.”
“I’ve already explained the situation to you,” Janice said, clearly not affected by Avery’s pleas.
“I’m her godmother. Doesn’t that give me some rights?” Avery asked.
Janice shrugged. “Not really, no. I mean it looks great on paper, and it may foster a bond between godparent and child, but it means nothing in the legal system. It’s more of a spiritual thing or a way for a birth parent to honor a friend or loved one. Being a godparent does not automatically make you the legal guardian of a child.”
“Fine, it isn’t legal, but clearly I’m the one Tracy chose. I am the godparent for a reason,” Avery said.
Avery’s face started to pinken. I knew she was mad and afraid. My heart went out to her. I appreciated how much she was fighting for Iris. If I couldn’t have the baby, I wanted Avery to have her. It was obvious there was a bond and Avery loved the child a great deal. She may not have been able to buy the kid a new pair of shoes or send her to college, but I could see Iris would be cared for.
“Look, I understand both of you want what’s best for the child. That’s a good thing. I appreciate that. However, I have a job to do and all this,” Janice said, waving a hand between us, “this is me letting you know what’s happening. I suggest you each retain a lawyer. This matter will go before a judge. Yes, I will provide a recommendation. Ultimately, this will be decided by a family court. If you have proof or you want other factors to be considered, it needs to be presented to the court.”
Avery sighed. The woman looked defeated. I wanted to win, and I wanted Iris, but I didn’t want to hurt Avery. She had done nothing to me.
“Is that all then?” I asked, anxious to get out of the tiny, messy office.
“Yes, it is. I’ll be in touch. Mr. Colter, will you be in town or going back to California? That is where you reside, is it not?”
“I do live in California. I will see what I can do to stick around. Do I need to? You said I can’t do anything to persuade you,” I pointed out, a little irritated the woman was trying to tell me what I could and couldn’t do.
She shrugged a shoulder. “I guess that’s really up to you. If your business is more important than all this, that’s understandable.”
I shot her a glare. Now the woman was being a bitch. “I didn’t say that. I have a private jet. I can fly back and forth. I expect I would have at least twenty-four-hour notice for any hearings or meetings like this?”
She smiled. “Possibly.”
“Will I be granted some kind of official visitation while we wait for all of this to be decided?” I asked, realizing if I was going to be stuck in Phoenix, I wanted to see Iris.
She grimaced. “You can certainly file the paperwork to get that started.”
The woman loved her paperwork. I looked at Avery and decided she was an easier opponent. If Avery had Iris, I only needed to persuade her to let me see the baby. I didn’t want to have to make everything official. It seemed ridiculous I had to have a court order to see my own niece.
I nodded my head. “I guess I’ll have my lawyers start that paperwork.”
I would not let the woman see how pissed she was making me. I had a feeling this was her way of testing me. She wanted to see me lose my temper and then she could automatically cross my name off the list. Fuck that. I was not going to make it that easy.
“That’s a good idea. It’s better to have everything official.” She closed the manila file that I suspected contained all kinds of secrets about our lives.
I stood and smiled sweetly at her. “Well, if that’s all, I need to make some arrangements. I would love to stay in Phoenix. It’s been a long time since I’ve been home. I’m sure I can work from here.”
Janice nodded her head. “Good.”
“Is that all?” Avery asked in a strained voice. “Can I go?”
“Yes. I’ll be in touch,” Janice reminded her.
Avery stood, took a deep breath, and then reached for the car seat. Her hand was shaking. I thought about offering to carry the baby but thought better of it. Instead, I opened the door for Avery, doing my best to appear gentlemanly.
“Have a good day,” I said to Janice before closing the door behind me. It was sarcastic. I didn’t care if Janice knew it or not. She couldn’t hold sarcasm against me.
I watched Avery walk down the hall, her head held high as her heels clacked across the tile floor. I immediately went in the opposite direction, pulling my cell out of my pocket and dialing my assistant.
“Get George to call me right away,” I barked into the phone when Jason, my assistant, answered the phone.
“Can I tell him what it’s about?” Jason asked.
“He doesn’t need to know. I pay him a shit ton of money to answer my call, day or night. It doesn’t matter why I need him. I do.” I needed to hear from my lawyer, not answer a bunch of questions.
; “Anything else?”
“No. I’ll be waiting for the call,” I said, hanging up abruptly.
I had too much money to be dealing with this on my own. That was why I had people. My people were supposed to make my life easier by dealing with irritations like Janice. I smiled, thinking of my lawyer, who had probably been a pit bull in a former life. He would tear her and her stupid rules and procedures to shreds.
It was good to be me. Most days anyway. Some days it really sucked—like the days when I realized my entire family was dead and I was truly alone in a very big, cold world. Harsh.
Chapter Seven
Avery
My legs were shaking, which made sense since my hands were as well. I was a mess. I felt weak, as if the weight of the world were on my shoulders and threatening to make me collapse under the pressure. The image of being on a roller coaster that twisted and turned before spinning upside down popped into my head. That was what the past week felt like.
Everything I had been dreading was happening. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t keep Iris. I mean, I did sort of understand their reasons, but it was stupid. I was doing fine taking care of her. Iris would be so loved in my care. I knew I couldn’t buy her the best of everything, but I could take care of her, love her, and in my mind, that was far more important. I would get a job and have a career and all that. It was going to take some time, but I was not the first young, single woman struggling a bit. That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to be a good mom to my goddaughter.
Iris started to cry in the car seat. I needed to get her settled before I put her in the car, so I sat down on a bench outside the building and unfastened the straps to pull her out of the seat. I needed a few minutes to get control of my own wild emotions as well before I got behind the wheel of my car with my precious cargo in the back seat.
“Hi, sweetie. What’s the matter?” I cooed. “Let’s get you some lunch before we get back in the car.”