Duty and Devotion (14 page)

“What sort of situation?” Matt thought about Evan being injured a few months after they met. How his in-laws had swooped in and taken the kids; he had no say, the kids had no say.

“He and his partner were raising a child, biologically his partner's… Well, his partner was killed in an accident, and in the middle of all the grieving, his partner's parents announced they were taking the child back to Florida.” Bennet's voice cracked. “It was awful. There was nothing he could do. They have the rights; he did not.” He sighed. “Again, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm tired, and it's been on my mind.”

Matt felt numb. His hands tingled, his ears buzzed.

“No, I'm glad you said something, actually—it's important to think about,” Matt said, trying to regain his equilibrium.

“To get us back on track—I'm willing to offer you one hundred fifty thousand dollars a year plus expenses and insurance to come work for me. You'll be solely responsible for Daisy's well-being.”

Matt blinked. “That's a lot of money.”

“I have a lot of money. I spend it on what matters most.”

“I have to think about this. It's going to involve late hours, traveling. That might not be workable.”

Bennet nodded, sitting forward. “Of course. I don't expect an answer right away. In the meantime, I'd like you to assist me on a retainer basis. When you have time.”

“Sure.” He gave into temptation and checked his watch. School was just getting out. “I really need to go home and shower, change my clothes. I'll give you a call tonight.”

“Good enough.” Bennet stood and offered his hand. “We'll talk later. Let me call the driver so he can take you back to Queens.”

It started raining halfway through Matt's limo ride home. He knew the twins didn't have umbrellas and hit the auto dial for Katie's cell phone.

“Hi, where are you?” Katie huffed without even saying hello.

“Stuck in traffic. Where are you?”

“Waiting for the twins. It's pouring. God, my hair is a mess.”

Matt cursed under his breath. “Stay at the school. As soon as I get to the house I'll pick up my car and drive over there.”

“Too long to wait. We'll walk. It'll be fine.”

“Katie, please just wait for me. I'll be there as soon as I can.”

She agreed begrudgingly, and they hung up. Matt leaned forward and tapped on the glass.

“Hey, listen, you think Mr. Aames would mind if we made a detour?”

Any guilt about being made to wait in the rain was erased when he picked up the kids in the limo.

They delighted in pressing buttons and stealing soda from the fridge. Katie caressed the lush leather seats and squeaked.

“I need to talk to the career counselor at school,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because I need to know what major I have to have to make this kind of bank.”

“This kind of bank?” Matt stopped Elizabeth from standing up and hitting her head. “No more urban music for you.”

“So you're friends with a rich guy now? Can we have a pony?” Katie took a Pellegrino from the fridge.

“He asked me to work for him; this is my ride home from the interview.” Matt shifted in his seat. He wasn't expecting to have this conversation with the kids before a) thinking it over and b) talking to Evan. Their wide-eyed stares made him nervous.

“You're getting a job?” Elizabeth asked. She looked decidedly unhappy.

“Hey, people work while their kids are at school, you know. It's not like we're babies,” Katie said helpfully. “I'm sure it wouldn't be too much of a difference.”

“What about summer time? Or after school?” Elizabeth looked at Matt. “What about if we get sick?”

“I'm not going to some stupid after-school program,” Danny announced, and that was all he had to say on the matter.

“Hey, slow down. He made an offer, and I'm supposed to think about it.” Matt didn't mention the traveling or late hours. “No one is going to any after-school program just yet.”

Elizabeth seemed mollified, but Katie's appraising look made him glance away out the tinted window.

People with kids worked all the time. If he wanted to they could figure it out—and it would be something that was just his. Separate.

“Mom didn't work,” Katie said as she sat down next to Matt at the kitchen table. He was trying to drink a cup of coffee and read the paper, but she brought a can of diet soda and clearly wasn't leaving until they talked.

“I'm not your mom,” Matt pointed out.

Katie traced a pattern on the table. “You sorta are.”

“No, actually I'm not.” Matt pushed the paper away and reined in his tone. “I'm not legally anything.”

“Who's talking about legal? I'm talking about you being the person who's here for us.”

“Well maybe I need to do something else and remind everyone I'm not the mom.”

Katie frowned. “That's stupid. I thought you enjoyed it.”

“I like taking care of you kids—I do.” Matt rubbed his eyes. He hadn't slept enough to have this talk with Katie. “I'm just thinking about getting a job, that's all.”

The frown deepened. “Are you and Daddy breaking up?”

“No, of course not! Nothing's wrong.” Matt laid his hands over hers. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“Right, okay.” Katie's hands were cold under his. “Okay. Well—good luck with deciding about the job.” She pulled her hands out from under his and got up, leaving her soda behind as she drifted upstairs.

Matt sighed. The television was blaring as Danny played his Xbox. Elizabeth he could see on the deck, kicking around in the puddles left by the sudden rainstorm.

He had dinner to get ready and things to consider. Like whether there was enough money in the world to lever him out of this house.

A nap sounded like a great idea, until he heard a key in the front door lock, and Miranda Cerelli—the eldest and most dramatic of all of Evan's children—flew through the door with a fierce look on her face.

“My grandmother is going to try and get custody of the kids,” she seethed, slamming the door behind her.

Chapter Fifteen

Evan knew something was wrong three steps into the front door. It was ridiculously quiet at half past seven, and Miranda was sitting on the sofa, an angry expression on her face.

“Oh God, what?” he asked as he dumped his briefcase.

His eldest folded her arms over her chest. “Grandma came to see me at the dorm.”

An inward groan subdued, Evan took his suit jacket. “What happened?”

“She said that her and Grandpa wanted the younger kids to live with them, and I quote, 'Get them out of this house of sin.'” She air quoted. “And she wanted to know if I would testify.” Miranda tsk-tsked. “She wanted me to talk to her priest.”

“Now she's got her church involved. Wonderful.” Evan muttered to himself as he sat down catty-corner to Miranda. “Can I ask what you said in response?”

Miranda smirked. “I feel vaguely powerful right now.”

“This is kind of a serious matter, so I'm not joking,” Evan said quietly. “I need to know what you said.”

His daughter looked surprised and then a tad offended. “Like I would testify against you? Whatever I think about you and Matt is an opinion, but I wouldn't put the younger kids through something so ugly.”

“Whatever you think about Matt and I?” Evan's fingers wound tightly together. “Can you elaborate?”

“Sure—it's weird and confusing since you were married to Mom for like—ever. You have no idea what sort of stuff people say behind your back and what they say to Katie and Danny and Elizabeth at school. It's not easy, okay?” Miranda's arms tightened, and she gave herself a hug. “But I still don't think Grandma and Grandpa should be raising the kids.”

“Thank you.” Evan cleared his throat. “And I'm sorry this hasn't been easy for you.”

“It's fine. Whatever.” She jiggled her legs nervously. “It's weird coming home and it not being home. No, Mom, no same old house.”

“I know. Sometimes I miss it too,” he said, honest and raw as his throat began to hurt.

“You have Matt now, and the kids have someone to take care of them, but I—I don't have Mom. I can't call her to talk about stuff that's going on like…like boys and school and the future. Who am I going to go to when I get engaged or married? Who's going to plan my wedding with me and…” Miranda's voice cracked. “I miss Mom and I hate Grandma for putting me in the middle.”

Evan got up and sat down next to Miranda, sliding his arms around her. He caught the first tear against his shoulder and rubbed her back in gentle circles. The process of comforting her kept his own tears at bay.

They sat in silence after her crying jag ended. He realized somewhere in the middle of the quiet that no one else was home.

“Where're Matt and kids?” he asked finally.

Miranda blew her nose on a tissue. “Matt took them to dinner. When I got here I was all pissed, and I told Matt what Grandma said.” She bit her lip. “He was kinda upset.”

“I'm sure,” Evan murmured. He patted her shoulder and got up to get his phone. “He didn't call.”

“I think he just wanted to get the kids out the door.”

“Right.” Evan scrolled down and hit Matt's name on his contact list. It rang a few minutes, then went right to voice mail. Evan redialed.

“Maybe he shut his phone off?” Miranda said helpfully.

Voice mail again. Evan hung up and glanced back at his daughter. “You know I need to call your grandmother about this.”

Miranda sighed. “I know. She's going to be pissed at me for telling.”

“She has no right to be. She also has no right to come to your school and bother you about this.”

“I think she means well, Dad. Seriously. She just misses Mom so much, like we do. But she can't move on.”

Evan scrolled up and hit Ellie's number. He needed allies before making the next call.

“I know, and I'm sorry for that. But this isn't about her or me or your mom. This about what's best for my children.”

Ellie was exasperated as Evan explained the day's events to her. He could hear her relaying the story to Walt through the phone.

“There's a new priest at her parish. He seems to be a bit more radical than Father Deckard. Maybe he's pushing her for this custody thing.”

“Ellie, seriously—I'm not going to let it get to that point.” Evan's nails dug into his palm as he paced the living room. “Katie and the twins are not going through the spectacle of a court case because your parents can't accept facts.”

“Evan, I know. I'm on your side,” Ellie said. “I don't want it to get to that either. I'm just saying—she's… It's all she's got right now. My dad is barely sober these days,” she added, sadly. “The hope that she might get the kids is what's keeping her going.”

“That is not my problem.” Evan glanced around to the kitchen, where Miranda was making tea and listening to the conversation. “The kids are well taken care of, loved, and healthy. The only problems are in her head. I don't want to do this, but I will end contact between her and the children if it comes down to her not abiding by my wishes.”

Ellie went quiet. “That would be cruel. The kids are all she has left of my sister. They're her only grandchildren.”

“I don't want to be a jerk here, Ellie, but the threat of a custody battle is unacceptable.” His teeth gritted. Everything in his body hurt from the strain of keeping his temper in check. “Asking Miranda to testify against me? Un-fucking-acceptable.”

A car pulled into the driveway; Evan looked out the window and saw the twins and Katie getting out of the minivan, with Matt not far behind.

“I know.”

“The kids and Matt are home. I'll talk to you in the morning.” Evan hung up on Ellie, knowing he'd be apologetic the next time they talked, but for right now, all he could see was bright red fury.

“Daddy!” Elizabeth's voice was followed by a solid thunk against this middle. His youngest hugged him tightly, burrowing against him. He hugged her back, just as tight.

“Hey, sweetheart, how was dinner?”

“We went to the diner. And mini-golf,” she said, looking up at her father with those wide doe eyes. “Is Miranda still here?”

“In the kitchen, squirt,” her eldest sister called. Elizabeth disengaged and ran to her sister with the same physical greeting.

Danny slunk in and gave his father a strange look. “Hey.”

“Hey. You all right?”

Danny shrugged. “Not doing day care, not going to court. I mean it.”

Evan nodded, perplexed by the day care but reassuring his son nonetheless. “Agreed. It's fine. Your grandmother's just doing what she thinks is best.”

Katie and Matt finally reached the door, heated whispers breaking off as they saw Evan. Danny took the pause as a cue to disappear into the sunroom.

“His grandmother…” Matt muttered, but Evan held up his hand. Matt shut up.

“This is crazy,” Katie said. She was clearly trying to keep it together, but the adult/child war going on for the sixteen-year-old was starting to list to the latter's side. Her eyes filled with angry tears. “Totally crazy. She can't really do anything right? They can't take us away?”

“No, they can't take you away.” Evan put his arms around Katie; she rested her head on his shoulder. “You're sixteen. You can decide who you want to live with.”

“So they would be fighting for custody of Elizabeth and Danny?”

“No, they're not fighting for anyone or… Just don't worry about it, okay? Your grandparents do not have the right or the legal precedent or the money to make this a reality. It's just a threat.”

Matt said something under his breath and stalked off to the kitchen. Evan tried to catch his eye, but it was impossible—and Katie needed him more at this moment.

“They need to stop, okay? I don't want to talk to them ever again if they don't stop.” Katie cried against his shoulder, and Evan's stomach turned, anger boiling up again. It would be a fitting punishment for him to keep the children away from Josie and Phil entirely.

“Hey, calm down. It's okay. I'll talk to her in the morning, and we'll get this straightened out,” Evan murmured, stroking her hair. “Calm down.” He could feel the tremors running through her body—this wasn't normal Katie behavior. “Hey, did your grandmother contact you as well?”

“No.” Katie wiped her nose on her sleeve. “She makes little digs on the phone sometimes, but I ignore her.”