“I didn’t want to ruin your night with my drama. But then…”
“You should have told me what happened. If you weren’t up for it, you shouldn’t have even come.”
“I wanted to be there for you because I love you. I wanted to see your shining moment. Instead I wrecked it. I’m so sorry, Chanda.” He rubbed his forehead unsure how things had gotten so bad. He should have known he couldn’t be happy for long. He’d been tempting fate.
“I’m sorry too.”
He didn’t know why she would be sorry. She hadn’t done anything wrong. But before he could say that, she had her arms wrapped around him, her face in his chest.
“This is all my fault.”
Was she crazy? He moved back and stared down at her. While he didn’t want to break contact with her, he couldn’t let things get out of control. It would just hurt worse later.
“It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I took my anger out on that guy. Christ, he was so scrawny. I could have really hurt him.”
“You fought for me, Doug. Now I’m going to fight for our family.”
* * * *
By Wednesday, Gray didn’t think he’d make it until the next day to hear if there was anything open in San Diego. He contemplated flying there and waiting until they had a position for him, no matter how long that might take.
Avoiding Alyssa was becoming more and more difficult.
It wasn’t like he needed to avoid her because she was giving him a hard time or being nasty. It was the exact opposite. She was still indifferent and pleasant, just like always. It was killing him.
“You okay?” Doug asked.
“No. I’m not. You look better.”
“I’m back with Chanda,” his friend smiled.
“She took you back after you demolished her art show?”
“Yeah. Can you believe it?”
Actually, he could believe it. That was what people did when they loved someone. They didn’t give up.
“Good for you.”
“She’s got some secret plan to get my visitation with Lucy back. She told me to relax and let her take care of it.”
“You’re not relaxing.”
“No. I’m scared. You don’t know what it’s like being called before child services. All your words get twisted around and you end up looking like the villain.”
“Why don’t you hire a lawyer?”
“I can’t even afford a new phone, Gray. How am I supposed to get a lawyer?”
“Maybe I could—”
“No. It’s my thing. I’ll take care of it.”
“If you need me.” If anyone ever needed him, he would be there. Nobody did.
“I heard a rumor,” Doug said, looking over his shoulder.
“About?”
“Seems you’re looking to go somewhere warmer?” Shit.
“Yeah. I think it’s time to move on.”
“Your family is closer here.”
“And I will fly out to see them as much as I do now.”
“What about Liss?” Doug challenged. It was clear he knew Alyssa was the reason he was leaving.
“She’ll be fine.”
Doug snorted at this and shook his head.
“And I thought I was bad at this.”
* * * *
Doug left work early to go to the meeting with the family counselor. Chanda had been working on what she called her secret weapon. When he’d asked, she said she wasn’t positive she could pull it off and didn’t want him to get his hopes up.
Now as he walked up to the office—his only hope being able to see his daughter again—he saw Chanda waiting for him with a big smile on her face.
He rushed to greet her, and only noticed the man standing next to her when he was a few feet from her.
“Doug, this is my father, Thomas Donavan. Dad, this is Doug, the man I told you about.”
Shit. This was not exactly the time and place to meet her father. Doug wasn’t prepared. Not that he would ever be prepared to meet a woman’s father.
He was certain he’d pummel any guy who showed up on his doorstep for Lucy. Though from this side, he hoped Chanda’s father wasn’t as protective as he was.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Doug offered his hand making sure he seemed respectful. Had he been staring at Chanda’s breasts when he saw her? Her blouse was cut low and—yes, no doubt he had been looking. This guy was going to kill him, and Doug couldn’t blame him one bit.
“Chanda’s told me about you.” Okay, so that wasn’t the best greeting, but it was better than getting a fist in mouth right before he went into an important meeting.
The man’s bushy gray eyebrows pulled together when Chanda squeezed her father’s arm. Chanda told him her father was an American who met her mother in Cambodia when he was there on business. He’d pictured the man being small like his daughter.
He wasn’t. Instead, he was tall and looked quite capable of handling Doug whom Chanda was now hugging. While he didn’t want to push her away, he worried about poking a stick at the bear.
“My father is an attorney. He’s going to be your attorney.”
It took a second for the words to make sense.
“He’s coming inside for the meeting?”
“I will be handling the meeting. You will sit there and be quiet while I take care of this mess.” Chanda’s father straightened his jacket and began walking.
Doug had never been able to afford an attorney. He’d just gone into the hearings hoping for the best. The best being that the judge would see he was a good father, despite the spin Julie put on things.
The man headed for the door to the building and Chanda moved to follow him.
“Is he any good?” Doug worried. Chanda just laughed and nodded.
“He’s the best there is.”
* * * *
Chanda tugged nervously on the dress she’d put on. No ripped jeans or T-shirt with a snarky logo today. This was important. She’d even taken out her lip ring.
Doug noticed when he kissed her.
“You look so normal,” he commented with a frown. “I don’t like it.”
The sweater covered her tattoos and her make-up was less… scary. She hoped it helped their case.
Since these weren’t formal proceedings, everyone gathered in a small room filled with a large conference table.
Chanda smiled at the look on Julie’s face when they walked in. Her father looked quite formidable in his suit. And despite not feeling comfortable, Chanda knew she played the part of sophisticated girlfriend quite well.
The caseworker looked bored as she straightened a stack of papers and turned to the group.
“According to Ms. Phillips’ attorney, we are here to determine if Mr. Phillips should be granted visitation. I’m told there was an incident at the home of the child.” She turned expectantly to Doug.
Chanda’s father interceded.
“I spoke with a witness to the said incident and I wish to provide this affidavit from the neighbors. They both stated the incident was clearly escalating due to the actions of the mother. They also stated the father said he would leave even though the child cried for him to come back. At that time, the father bent down to talk to the girl, telling her he would see her as soon as he could, but that right now he had made her mother mad and didn’t want her to be upset.”
Chanda pressed her lips together as her heart broke for the man next to her. She took his hand and gave it a little squeeze.
“I ask the court to dismiss this allegation entirely. As no law enforcement was called to take a formal complaint, the only recourse we have is to take the word of the witnesses.”
The woman in charge took a moment to read over the document and then handed it to the other attorney who frowned before leaning over to whisper to Julie.
Julie didn’t look happy but gave a quick nod of agreement.
Chanda’s father then pulled out another document.
“While we are officially convened, I also want to provide my request to have the custody arrangement reconsidered.”
“What?” Julie shouted. Her lawyer hushed her and reached for the copy she was provided.
“Joint 50/50,” the attorney read while Julie exploded.
“Never! That will not happen. She’s my daughter.”
“Ms. Phillips, I’ll ask that you please sit down. Lucy is also Mr. Phillips’s daughter.” The caseworker scowled at Julie and perched her glasses so she could read the document.
Doug was holding Chanda’s hand so tightly she could no longer feel her fingertips.
When the woman finally opened her mouth to speak—an eternity later—Chanda thought she might pass out from holding her breath.
“I see that Mr. Phillips has been the sole supporter of Lucy’s financial needs.”
“Ms. Phillips doesn’t work. She instead provides a home for Lucy,” Julie’s attorney said.
“It appears Mr. Phillips was paying for that home. And now she and Lucy live with someone else?”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Phillips, you have proven you can provide a safe home with a room for Lucy. You’ve provided financial support. I ask you—not your attorney—if there is a reason Lucy should not spend equal time with both parents.”
Doug swallowed and shook his head.
“No reason, ma’am. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of no matter where she’s living.”
“Then I grant temporary 50/50 custody. We’ll reconvene next month to examine the results. As dictated by the court, no parent is liable to pay support when the custody is equal between them. Meaning each parent is to supply the child’s needs during the time period said child resides with that parent. And, it being equal time, no parent owes the other parent for additional expenditures.”
“I’m going to lose my child support payments?” Julie’s eyes went wide and then narrowed on the woman in charge. “Hold on just a second. I need those payments.”
The women took off her glasses and looked at Julie in a way that made even Chanda nervous.
“I believe what you meant to say was that Lucy needs those payments.”
“Yes. Of course, that’s what I meant. I can’t take care of her without that money.”
“Your attorney has been given the projected income a person with your degree is expected to make. Support is based on actual payroll records, or if none are supplied, we use these projected figures. You have the potential to make the wage calculated on that document. My suggestion to you would be to supply your actual payroll records if you feel this number is too high.”
“I don’t have any payroll records.”
“Then this figure stands. If you cannot provide for your daughter, the court can give full custody to Mr. Phillips until a time when you can.”
Julie’s lawyer whispered again, too quickly for Chanda to hear. Julie nodded. “We’re fine with the judgment for today.”
Not waiting to be dismissed, Julie jumped up from her chair and glared at Chanda and Doug.
Chanda knew Doug well enough to know he would have given anything he had to make things easier for Lucy. Even agreeing to custody and alimony that weren’t to his benefit.
“This isn’t over.” Doug frowned. “She’s going to fight this.” If there was one thing Julie was good at, it was fighting.
“I expect your ex-wife will be very unhappy when I’m through. But my daughter is important to me, and I am fighting for your daughter as if she was my own.”
Chanda was touched by her father’s words. He’d always been so busy, she hadn’t realized he cared that much. Her parents were still happily married so there’d never been a need to fight over her. Still, it made her smile that she meant that much to him.
“Thank-you, Daddy.” She leaned her head on her father’s shoulder, hoping he could make things better as easily as he had when she was younger. Except her problems were more complex now.
Chapter 25
Grayson heard back from his boss first thing Friday morning.
They had room for him at the San Diego office. He thought this news would make him feel better, but it didn’t.
There was no way he would have been able to walk any slower on his way home that evening. He looked up at their building and cursed. He didn’t want to walk in there and see her smiling face of indifference.
He forced himself to go inside, letting his bag slide down his arm to rest by the door.
Alyssa was sitting on the sofa with her legs tucked under her.
“Hey, how was your day? You worked really late.” She stood. “I made chicken stir-fry. You want some?”
“No thanks. I’m going to go take a shower and go to bed.”
“Do you feel okay?”
“No.”
* * * *
Alyssa asked if Grayson needed anything as he rushed to his room, but he didn’t answer.
She’d always been under the impression that when guys had an argument they said what they needed to say, cleared the air, and then made up and went back to being buddies.
Gray wasn’t making up or going back to being buddies. She knew she’d hurt him, but she couldn’t allow herself to love him. Somewhere, out in the world, was a woman who had been hurt because Alyssa had once been blinded by love.
Love meant not seeing what was right in front of you.
As she tried to come up with a plan, his phone rang from his bag by the door. She tried to tune it out, knowing his voice mail would pick up after the fourth ring, but instead it rang again right away.
Then again.
And again.
She looked annoyingly toward the hall, still hearing the water running in the bathroom as the phone started yet again.
“For the love of God!” she huffed, and got up to go answer it. She saw two letters that made her smile. I-Z
“Hey, Izzy. What’s up?” she asked as she knocked a wrinkled piece of paper out of his bag.
“Hi, Alyssa. Where is he?” she asked, sounding angry.
“Um, he’s in the shower. Do you need me to take the phone in?”
“No.”
“What’s wrong?” There was a long silence. She guessed Izabelle was deciding whether to side with Alyssa or her brother.
“Please tell him I’ll call him back later to discuss the email he sent me,” she said.
“Okay. Sure. I’ll let him know.” It was obvious the email exchange had not been good. They said their good-byes and she put his phone back in the pocket of his bag and moved to replace the wrinkled paper, until she noticed a familiar name written at the top.
“Oh, no,” she gasped as she started reading. It was a consent form for visitation with Donnie and it was filled out for Grayson Hollinger. He’d gone to talk to Donnie?
Her hands were shaking so badly that she could barely hold the paper still.
Just as she was finished reading the date of the visit, Gray walked into the living room in a pair shorts, his hair still wet from the shower.
He stared at her with wide eyes.
“No.” He rushed over and took the paper from her, but it was too late.
“Why do you have that?” was her first question.
“It’s not how it looks.”
“Why did you go to see him?”
“I didn’t see him.”
She shook the form at him as proof.
“I went there to speak with him, hoping he could offer some closure. I was desperate to help you heal, but before I went through with it, I realiz
ed he wasn’t going to be able to help you.”
“So I’m just some broken toy you’re trying to fix, but the parts are no longer available so just toss me out?” She remembered what his mother had said about the projects he’d taken on in the past.
“No. It’s not like that.”
“What is so wrong with me that you feel I need to be fixed?”
“You…” He obviously thought better of answering that question. Instead he shook his head and let it fall. “I can’t do anything right with us. Is it wrong that I want to help you? Is it wrong that I care about you?”
“I never asked you to care about me.” She tossed the form at his chest and went to her room.
She wasn’t his fixer-upper project.
As she lay there sobbing herself to sleep, she realized the effort he’d made to help her. To go to a prison. As misguided as the idea was, she knew his heart was in the right place. One day, she would thank him. But it wouldn’t be any day in the immediate future.
Somehow she managed to fall asleep, only to be awoken by her phone ringing by her head.
“Yeah?” she asked, not recognizing the number.
“Hey Alyssa, it’s Chanda. Can you come down here? Gray’s blitzed and I’m going to have to put him out. I’d have Doug help, but he has Lucy.” For a moment, Alyssa contemplated letting him stay down there all night, but she couldn’t. He’d gone to Syracuse to try to help her. She could at least make sure he made it home safe.
“Sure. I’ll be right there.”
In the ten minutes it took her to find shoes and get to the bar, Gray had already been put out on the street.
Chanda peeked out with a frown.
“Sorry. I didn’t have a choice. It’s a legal thing. Mac said we had to kick him out. Do you want me to call a cab?”
“No. I’ll take care of it. Thanks for calling me.”
“He’s going through something. He didn’t ever get to the point, but I’m pretty sure it has to do with his feelings for you.”
“I don’t know what to do. I told him this was never going to work.”
“Maybe you’re both trying too hard. It’s a common mistake.”
“Maybe.”
“Let me know if you need any help.” Chanda waved and closed the door.
Getting Down to Business Page 24