Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
But then I have to remember…she left her on a porch in the dark of night. Charlie could have died, or worse, been mauled by fucking coyotes. The thought makes me want to vomit and I grit my teeth. “You’re not seeing her, Lida. Call your attorney and you’ll have to petition the court.”
“But they won’t let me,” she wails as big fat tears slide down her face. She holds her arms out, beseeching me. “I was sick, Legend. In my head. I was depressed and didn’t have any control of myself. I’m better now, though. You have to trust me.”
I don’t. Not one bit, as evidenced by the fact she’s here right now making a spectacle of herself. The one thing I know about Lida…she’s not stupid. She holds a master’s degree in fine arts, which means she’s got some brains. But her common sense is a little lacking if she thinks she can just roll up here and have Charlie back.
“I want to be a family,” she tells me in a tremulous voice. “You, me, and our baby.”
There is no “our” baby. It’s my baby.
“We were good together,” she tries to remind me. “We can have that again.”
I reach a hand out to her, and she smiles at me as she takes it. I help her up to her feet and when she’s steady, I let her go.
“You and I will never be a family with our daughter. Whether or not you can be a mother to her remains to be seen, but it will not be alongside me.”
Lida’s jaw hardens and some of her Latina fire comes through. She looks to the door and then back to me. “Who were those women with my baby?”
I don’t feel compelled to answer her, but I also want to stall her a bit so the police can get here. “One of them is the nanny I hired to help me when I’m at practice or games and the other is just my neighbor.”
“The one with short hair,” Lida says with disdain. “She looked like more than a neighbor.”
“She’s none of your business,” I growl back at her.
Lida’s eyes blaze with fury and I brace for whatever she might throw my way. Fury or another recourse to begging?
It ultimately doesn’t matter. A police cruiser swings into my driveway with the lights on but no siren. Lida follows my gaze and then she whips back around to glare at me. “You called the cops? Why? I’ve not done anything wrong.”
“You’re trespassing on my property and I want an official report that I’m telling you that you’re not welcome here.”
“You’re a fucking asshole,” she screeches as a police officer exits the car and heads our way.
“What seems to be the problem?” he asks as his gaze shifts between Lida and me. He’s short and stocky with gray hair. Clearly a veteran who I bet has seen and heard it all.
Good thing too because Lida points at me and dramatically accuses, “This man will not let me see my daughter.”
The cop’s attention comes to me, but at that moment, my front door opens. It’s Pepper and she has a document in her hand. I recognize it immediately as the Order giving me full custody. I’d had it stuck to my refrigerator with a magnet as a daily reminder of how lucky I am.
She hands it to me and barely gives me a glance before turning around and running back into the house. I’ll be sure to thank her later.
I hand the Order to the officer. “I have full custody of our daughter and the Order specifically prohibits this woman from seeing her. I’ve asked her to get off my property and not come back, but she refuses.”
“And your name?” he asks me.
“Legend Bay,” I reply and he doesn’t even blink in response. I’m not sure if he doesn’t know who I am or he just doesn’t care.
“And this is your house?”
“Yes,” I tell him.
The cop nods and then takes a moment to carefully read the Order before handing it back to me. He looks to Lida and asks, “Ma’am…can I have your full name?”
Lida lifts her chin. “Lida Martin, and that document cannot keep a mother from her child. It’s not fair.”
The cop sounds bored when he answers, “Ma’am, I can assure you that that Order does have the power to keep you from your child. And Mr. Bay here tells me you are trespassing on his property, so you’re going to have to leave.”
Lida turns to glare at me and then gives the same hateful look to the cop. “Fine.”
She starts to turn to walk across my yard, back the way she’d come from but the officer stops her. “Not just yet, Ms. Martin. I need to see your ID.”
Her voice is suspicious as she faces him. “Why?”