“Because the decision will totally depend on the judge we draw. If we get a judge who is hands-down a family reunification judge, she’ll win. But if the judge truly cares about the well-being of the child, there will be no contest. Jerry will be your son.” She tapped fiercely on her laptop.
“He’ll be my son,” Ethan repeated, enjoying the thought of taking him back to Birmingham and showing him his room, which Ethan had already decorated in a baseball theme before he came to Claremont. He smiled. More than likely, he’d be swapping it out for fishing decor once he returned home.
Well, it turned out he enjoyed fishing, too, especially with his son.
“Yes, he will be your son,” Candace said with a confident smile. “And I’m working on his case file, which will detail how well he’s doing with you and how I can wholeheartedly recommend you as his legal parent. I’ll also recommend for the adoption to go through as soon as possible.”
“Do you think our chances of getting a judge who will rule for us are good?”
“There are a few judges who rule for family reunification at all costs. But from what I’ve seen in most recent cases, the majority of the courts thankfully lean toward what’s best for the child,” she said, still typing fiercely, “and this report will definitely identify you as the best parent for Jerry.”
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help,” Ethan said as the red wooden train completed its path around the zoo’s perimeter and pulled back into the station.
He scanned the adults and kids onboard until he spotted the attractive woman in the big, floppy straw hat, long green jersey dress and sandals. She’d taken his breath away when he’d first seen her this morning, but he’d become used to the fact that the vision of Lindy Burnett had that effect on him.
Lindy pointed toward a peacock casually walking along the sidewalk near the train. It spread its feathers proudly. She said something to Jerry, who held both arms up as though displaying his own “feathers.”
Candace tapped a few more keys and then closed the laptop. “Okay. The report is done, but I’ll read over it again when I get back to the office before sending it in. If I’ve done my job right, there shouldn’t be any question about who should have custody of Jerry Flinn.”
“Can’t wait until he’s Jerry Green,” Ethan said, still watching Lindy and Jerry.
“You and me both.” Candace followed his gaze to the pair across the path. Lindy had gotten off the train first and held her arms out for Jerry to jump into them. Jerry, giggling, hurled himself wholeheartedly toward her, causing her to take a step backward, losing her footing on the pebbled rocks on the edge of the track.
Ethan moved, but there was no way he could make it to catch her before she fell, and he watched them tumble to the ground. “Oh, no.” He stood, but they were already sitting up on the soft earth near the train tracks, Lindy quickly checking Jerry over, and then his laughter—and hers—drifted through the air. Both laughed so hard they had to hold their stomachs.
Something shifted inside Ethan, a happiness even stronger than what he felt around his future son. Hearing Jerry laugh touched his heart, but adding that laugh to Lindy’s made his joy topple over. Grinning, he sat back down and found Candace also smiling at the display...and at him.
“Jerry really likes her, doesn’t he?” she asked.
“Yes, he does,” Ethan said. And as much as I’ve attempted to fight it, so do I.
“Is she doing better now? She seemed so sad that day when I first met her, but she looks much better now. I take it the job at the sporting goods store is working well for her?”
“She seems to love it,” Ethan said. “And she’s good at it, especially since Mr. and Mrs. Bowers have her working with the kids from Willow’s Haven in their fishing program. She’s obviously great with children.”
Candace nodded, watching Lindy get up from the ground and, still laughing, extend a hand toward Jerry. “She mentioned wanting to adopt. I’ll need to talk to her about that. I sense she’d probably make a great mother to a child.”
Ethan couldn’t disagree.
“You know, that’s one thing that would have improved your chances, but it isn’t as big of a factor nowadays as it was, say, fifteen years ago.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“A two-parent family,” she said. “When I first started in social work, it was almost impossible to get an adoption to go through for a single parent. Now it’s definitely possible, though almost every judge would prefer to place a child in a two-parent home.” She nodded toward Lindy and Jerry. “But thankfully, with modern society such as it is, the courts often have no choice but to place children in single-parent homes, which gives great opportunities to people like you, and Lindy.”
Ethan had almost forgotten about Lindy’s comment that first day, that she wanted to adopt a child but didn’t feel she had anything to offer a little boy or girl. Now, after spending time with her, and particularly after seeing the way she interacted with Jerry and all of the other Willow’s Haven children, Ethan had no doubt that a kid would be blessed to have a mother like her.
And, though he certainly wasn’t going to admit it or act on it, a man would be blessed to have a wife like her, too.
* * *
Lindy couldn’t imagine a better gift than the one Mr. and Mrs. Bowers had given her, a paid day off to spend with her son. Jerry was so excited about everything at the zoo, and she relished his exuberance during their train ride together. Even though they had seen a good portion of the exhibits this morning, he’d spotted several more animals he wanted to visit before the day ended, and Lindy wanted to make sure he got to see each and every one. He’d never been to a zoo before, and his enthusiasm was contagious. She almost felt like this was her first trip, too, as she saw it all through her son’s eyes.
It was so delightful to experience this “first” with her little boy. She’d had a difficult time watching Ethan have his “first” with Jerry the other day when the two of them were fishing, but she thanked God that, even though Ethan was a part of this memory, too, she’d also been included in Jerry’s first zoo trip.
“What are those pink birds called, Miss Lindy?” He pointed to the large pond in the center of the zoo, where several salmon-colored flamingos mingled along one edge.
“Those are flamingos.”
“I like them, but pink is a girl color. Micah said so.”
“Who’s Micah?” she asked, enjoying learning more about his world. She imagined picking him up from school each afternoon and asking him all about his day. “Is that one of your friends?”
“He was, but I won’t get to see him anymore.” Jerry tried balancing on one leg like the flamingos, lost his balance and grabbed her hand. “Whoa!”
Smiling, she steadied him. “Let me help.” She held his small shoulders so that he could hold the pose. “Why can’t you see Micah anymore?”
“He got his forever family.”
A thick lump settled in her throat. “His forever family?”
“Yes, ma’am. That means he gets to go live with them forever.” He dropped his leg to the ground and squinted up at her. “I almost had a forever family, but then I didn’t.”
Lindy couldn’t answer that, and in spite of the fact that she was glad he hadn’t been adopted yet, she was still angry at the people who decided they didn’t want her child.
“But Mr. Ethan wants to be my forever daddy,” he added with a sweet little grin that pierced her soul.
She swallowed. “He does? How do you know?”
“One of the big kids told me.”
Lindy looked across the pebbled pathway that ran through the zoo and spotted Ethan, talking to Candace but looking directly at them. “Do you want him to be your forever daddy, Jerry?” she asked, knowing that a court would probably be asking him the same t
hing in the near future.
“Sure!” His smile inched higher, and her heart squeezed tighter. She’d known what the answer would be, but that didn’t make hearing it any easier.
How could she compete with that?
She glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to hear, then she squatted to face the boy she loved more than life itself. “What about a forever mommy, Jerry? Would you want a forever mommy?”
He squinted at her, those adorable freckles sprinkled across his cheeks and drawing even more attention to the same blue eyes she saw each day when she looked in the mirror. “Like who?” he asked with the beautiful innocence of a child.
“Like maybe someone like me.” She held her breath and prayed for an answer that wouldn’t break her heart.
Those freckles danced with his smile. “Sure!”
It took everything she had to keep from crying in front of her son, but she held it together. “I would like that, too,” she said softly.
“Hey, I saw you two take a tumble. Are you okay?” Ethan asked as he and Candace walked toward them.
“Yes, sir,” Jerry answered. “We’re good, aren’t we Miss Lindy?”
“Very good,” she said, doing her best to control the happiness flooding through her at Jerry’s statement. He wanted a forever mommy, someone like her. Now if he would just tell the judge that, maybe...
“Awesome. I sure didn’t want my little man to get hurt,” Ethan said, and then looked to Lindy. “Or Miss Lindy.”
“Thanks,” she said, and then realized that, as far as the court was concerned, Jerry wanting her to be his forever mommy would probably be canceled out by the fact that he also wanted Ethan to be his forever daddy.
“Jerry, I have to leave to go back to work, but I’m so glad I got to see you and spend time with you today,” Candace said. “Are you having a good time at the zoo with Mr. Ethan?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “And Miss Lindy, too.”
Candace smiled. “I see that.” She looked to Lindy. “We should talk sometime. After you feel like you’re settled in in Claremont, I want you to give me a call.” She withdrew a business card from her bag and handed it to Lindy. “I think you were wrong when you said you didn’t have anything to offer a child. I’m seeing quite the opposite.”
“I can vouch for that, too,” Ethan said, giving her a smile that sent butterflies dancing in her stomach. How could she be so attracted to a man who could take her son away?
“You’d be a great mom,” he mouthed, and her skin warmed from the encouragement. But she wondered if they would still be saying this if they knew the truth about who she was.
“Thanks,” she said, scanning Candace’s card before sliding it into her purse.
Dylan jogged toward them. “Hey, Jerr-Bear, I already took the other kids to see the lions’ den, but I can take you now, if you want to go. What do you say?”
“Can I?” Jerry asked Ethan.
Not Lindy. Ethan.
Ethan ran a hand across his sandy hair. “Of course. Just bring him back here when y’all are done, Dylan, okay?”
“Yes, sir.” Dylan held a hand out to Jerry. “Ready, Jerr-Bear?”
“Ready,” Jerry said, taking Dylan’s hand and letting him lead him toward the exhibit.
Candace waited until they walked away before speaking. “I saw an exhibit on the other side of the park that would probably be a good place for you to take Jerry.”
“What is it?” Ethan asked.
“It’s called the Remarkable Parents exhibit,” Candace said.
“Oh, I saw that on here.” Lindy withdrew the park map from her dress pocket and unfolded it. “It isn’t far from here.”
Ethan peeked over her shoulder to see the location on the map, and Lindy tried to ignore that appealing spicy scent of his aftershave. Or was it, like she’d suspected before, simply the masculine scent of Ethan? Either way, she attempted not to notice.
It was not an easy feat.
Candace nodded. “Yes, that’s it. From what I read about the exhibit, it will show Jerry how parents take care of their children. Often, when I have a family who is going to adopt a child, I ask if they’re interested in adopting a puppy. If they want a puppy, of course,” she added with a laugh.
“A puppy?” Lindy echoed.
Candace nodded. “It’s a great way to show the child how the adoption process works and how they will be loved in the new family. Since Jerry isn’t living with you yet, and since you’re staying at the Claremont Bed and Breakfast instead of your home, adopting a puppy wouldn’t make sense at this point. But I’m thinking you can accomplish the same thing by taking him to that exhibit, answering any questions he may have about the family unit, things like that.”
Ethan nodded. “I see what you mean. Sounds like a good idea. We’ll head over after Dylan brings him back.”
“And let me know how it goes. I’ll add any insightful responses on Jerry’s part to my report.”
“I will,” Ethan said, and Lindy suddenly had the impulse to ask the woman to add Jerry’s earlier insightful response, that he would like a forever mommy...and that he’d like it to be her. But she kept that to herself for now.
Candace said goodbye and left, and Dylan brought Jerry back from the lion exhibit.
“Show them how the biggest lion went,” Dylan said as they neared.
Jerry took a deep breath then did his best impersonation of a lion’s roar, his growl hardly fierce but absolutely adorable.
Ethan laughed, and so did Lindy. “Good job,” she said.
“It sure is,” Ethan said. “So how many lions were there?”
“Four, but two of them were taking a nap, so we didn’t get to really see them that good. But the other ones were a mommy and a daddy, and the daddy was the one with a bunch of hair.”
“And that bunch of hair is called...” Dylan prompted.
“His mane,” Jerry said proudly. “And the mommy one was a lot smaller, and they don’t have any babies yet, but the zoo man said that they are going to have some one day. So I guess they aren’t a mommy and daddy yet, but just a boy and girl lion.”
“Gotcha,” Ethan said. “Hey, Miss Candace told us about another place at the zoo that she thought we’d like to see. Want to go see it?”
“Yes, sir!” Jerry said excitedly.
“I’m going to go see some of my friends at the reptile discovery center,” Dylan said. “I’ll catch you later, Jerr-Bear, okay?” He held out his palm.
“Okay!” Jerry said, slapping it in an exaggerated high five.
Lindy could hardly believe this was the same little boy who had seemed so sad such a short time ago, when she’d first seen him at that fountain on the square. She glanced to Ethan, grinning at the little guy he wanted for a son, and her heart pinched inside. Ethan had been great for Jerry, and she really didn’t want to hurt him.
But...he was her son.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the entrance of the Remarkable Parents exhibit, which was unique from the rest of the zoo. This one was an air-conditioned theater, with the buttery, salty smell of popcorn filling the air and teasing them as they entered.
“Can we get some popcorn, Mr. Ethan?” Jerry took a deep breath to enjoy the scent that had practically everyone lining up for an afternoon snack.
“I’ve never been able to turn down popcorn at a movie,” Ethan answered. “Didn’t even realize we were going to a movie, but this will be a nice break from the heat, won’t it?”
“Definitely,” Lindy said, as they moved toward the concession line.
“Do you like butter on yours, or want it plain?” Ethan asked her.
“How did you know I wanted popcorn?”
“If you could smell that and not want popcorn, I’d think something was
wrong with you,” he said with a grin.
“Good point. But I can buy my own.” She unfastened the top of her purse, but Ethan placed his hand on hers.
“Not today. It’s my treat.” He perused the items on the menu board hanging overhead and was ready when the girl behind the counter asked for his order. “We’d like the family special—two large drinks, one small drink and three popcorns.”
“Butter on the popcorn?” the girl asked.
“Lindy, do you like butter on yours?”
Her mind was still swimming from the fact that he’d purchased a family special. “Um, no,” she said. “No, thank you.”
“I want butter,” Jerry said, rising on his tippy-toes to get the girl’s attention.
“Is that okay with Daddy?” she asked.
Lindy turned to see Ethan inhale thickly and glance down at Jerry, who hadn’t said anything to correct her error.
“Yes, it’s fine,” he answered.
Lindy’s heart plummeted. Had Jerry already started thinking of him as his forever daddy?
Ethan handed her a box of popcorn and a soda, then handed Jerry a “kid pack” that included a small drink, popcorn and a packet of fruit snacks.
“This is awesome!” Jerry said. “Thank you, Mr. Ethan.”
Lindy was glad he hadn’t called him Daddy...yet.
“Okay then, let’s go find out what this movie thing is all about,” Ethan said, leading the way and holding open the door to the theater for Lindy and Jerry, their arms filled with popcorn and drinks, to pass through.
“Can you both sit by me?” Jerry asked, picking a row of seats near the top.
“Of course,” Ethan said, and he moved past Jerry to sit on his left side, while Lindy took her place on his right.
“Miss Lindy, can you help me with my drink?”
“Sure,” she said. She lowered the armrest and placed his drink in the slot. “How’s that?”
“Great,” Jerry said, wiggling into the seat and then digging into his box of popcorn. He wasted no time putting more than she’d have thought possible in his mouth.
There weren’t a lot of people in the theater for this showing. In fact, they were the only ones seated on their aisle. So when she glanced across the row, at Jerry sitting beside her eating popcorn and at Ethan, also eating popcorn, but grinning back at her, she saw them as they probably appeared to anyone who looked at them now.
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