Green Tea (35 page)

Walking back into the white room, before I could say a word, Adeline commented, “I’ll go.
 
I want to lunch with Aileen and Joy first, but I will go.”

I am assuming that Nana Jo is Joy and that Aileen is AJ’s grandma.
 
I didn’t ask.
 
Instead, “Adeline, you make it sound like we are asking you to take that long slow walk.”

“Cara, I am not a stupid woman.
 
I’ve known for some time that there is something wrong with me.
 
Something more than age.
 
Now I have to face what that is.”

“But the doctor just told us that all your numbers are well within range and that you are actually in very good health.”

“There are many health issues that do not make themselves known with a simple blood test.”

“Adeline, I understand, I really do, but it is better to know so that whatever the problem is, it can be treated.”

“Not all health problems can be treated Cara.”

“True, but I have talked to Anastasia, and she assured me that she believes you’re fine.”

“Then there is no reason for you to worry Cara.
 
By the time you return from your trip, I will have had my tests and we will have some answers.
 
I will hope it is good news, but either way, I am grateful for your concern.”

“Whatever happens Adeline, I promise I’ll be there to walk through it with you.”

“I am grateful.
 
Now go home to your young man.”

“Yes ma’am.”

The rest of the day was uneventful.

The evening was a repeat of the evening before, with variations.

I love variations.

Teagan was waiting for us at the diner.
 
Morgan and I walked in, sat at the booth, and ordered comfort food.
 

Teagan smiled and asked, “So, how is the newest O’Flynn?”

“Better, actually, I’m good.
 
I went over and talked to your mom, just as Cara and Liam suggested.
 
We had a long talk.
 
What it comes down to is simple.
 
I have the responsibility and the right to decide for myself how much power I am going to give other people. I love my parents, God knows I do, but I am not going to give them the power to make me unhappy or to cause problems for me that could result in problems in my very new marriage.”

“Yep, that sounds like something Mom would say.
 
Of course, when it’s Mom who has the power, that’s a whole other conversation, but you’ll learn that in time.”

It’s nice to sit in a diner and laugh.
 
Makes people wonder why you are having more fun than they are.

A young man walked in the door, looked around, and walked up to the table.

“Morgan O’Flynn?”

“Yes?”

“You have been served.”
 
With that he handed her an envelope.

“Served?”
 
She sounded horrified.

Teagan seemed very casual, “Probably something simple.
 
People are going to court over anything and everything these days.
 
Take a breath and just read the paperwork.
 
I’m sure it is nothing.”

“Oh, you know what, I’m sure this is actually good news.
 
Your brother and I decided a while ago, we just haven’t said anything.
 
Liam decided to adopt Jordan.
 
We got all the paperwork and everything done before the wedding.
 
That is the only legal thing I’ve got going.
 
It has to be about that.”

We yipped and whooped for a little while.
 
Did a few toasts to the happy family.
 
Asked all the right questions.
 
Made all the right comments.
 
Explained, not for the first time how blessed we are to be Jordan’s aunts, and now it would be official.
 
Morgan beamed.

We ate our lunch, and just before leaving Morgan said, “You know what, the attorney is just down the street, I should open this in case I need to sign something and bring it to him.”

She opened the envelope.

She read with a big smile on her face.

It was like watching a horror movie.

Her emotions so clear on her face.

She went from elated, to confused, to shocked, to terrified.

“I’m being sued.”

“Sued?”

The tears were rolling down her
face,
she turned the papers for Teagan to see.
 
“Who is Richard
Kaynard
?”

“Keep reading.”

“Oh. Sweet. Jesus.”

I couldn’t see the papers, “Who is Richard
Kaynard
?”

“Jordan’s father.”

“But I thought you didn’t know who he was.”

“I didn’t.
 
Not until the very second that I read his name there.”

“What the hell can he sue you for?”

“Custody of Jordan.”

COMING SOON

PEPPERMINT TEA

CHAPTER ONE

Teagan tried to calm Morgan down while I called Liam.
 

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me.
 
Listen, we have a problem.”

“What’s going on?
 
You hear something new about your serial killer?”

“Teagan and I are having lunch with Morgan at the diner across the
street
from the photography studio.
 
She’s fine, but she got some bad news, and we need you to come.”

“I’m on my way.”

O’Flynns do not call each other and ask the person answering the phone to drop everything and come running, so when one of us calls another of us and asks for just such a favor, the person called doesn’t ask questions, they just do what they are asked.
 
Especially when the person called, is the new husband of the person needing help.

I was torn.
 
I couldn’t decide if I should call my mom, since she knows how to make all things better, or let her and Liam make that decision, after all, they are adults, and it is their life.

I played the chicken card and dialed, “Mom?”

“Yes Love.
 
Well, that was a quick meal.
 
I thought you and your sister were meeting with Morgan for lunch.”

“We did.”

“Well, that is lovely.
 
Now it will be off with the two of you on your great adventure.”

“Mom, there is a problem.
 
We were sitting there eating lunch when some guy served papers on Morgan.”

“She is a fine business woman Cara, I’m sure she carries insurance for whatever problem that might arise.
 
It is upsetting to be sure, but that is what error and omissions insurance is for.”

“It isn’t about work Mom.
 
Jordan’s father has slithered out from under a rock.
 
He wants custody of Jordan.”

“How is that possible?
 
You can’t rape a girl, disappear,
then
years later come try to take her child.
 
That is obscene.”

“I agree, but what is legal, and what is moral, are often two different things.”

“Have you called Liam?
 
Has he gotten to her yet?”

“He is on his way.
 
He’ll be here any minute, his office isn’t that far.”

“You tell them that anything that this family can do will be done.”

“I will.”

“I’ll tell your father then.”

“Mom?”

“Yes, Love.”

“Pray!”

“I shall.
 
You do the same.
 
You tell Morgan that we love her, and we will take care of this.”

“I will.”

Poor Morgan.
 
She is still on shaky ground with her family, and now this.

I brought Morgan over to the photography studio so that she could have some privacy.
 
I wasn’t sure she could walk across the street and gave serious consideration to calling AJ and having him come over to carry her.
 
She was doing her best to keep it together, but it wasn’t working, and under
the
circumstances, there isn’t a person in the world that could blame her.

Teagan stayed at the diner to pay the bill and direct Liam when he showed up.

At the photography studio, AJ wasn’t even there, but Jovana was.
 
She took one look at Morgan and went into full-blown mother mode.
 
She swooped in held her tight, giving me directions to grab one of the prop chairs and blankets.
 
I was sent off to the bathroom to get a cold cloth and was heading back, when Morgan flew into the bathroom and closed the door.
 
I could hear a low animal sound just before she lost her lunch.

I filled Jovana in with the basics, since I didn’t know just how much Morgan had shared with her, but knew that Morgan has said repeatedly that she wasn’t going to hide her history any more, I just went for it,
 
“Stop me if you know this stuff, but basically, back when Morgan was a teen, she was walking across a college quad late at night, and was pulled into the bushes and brutally raped.
 
The guy beat the crap out of her physically and emotionally.
 
She ended up pregnant.
 
Her family had a really hard time with it, and although they played nice for the wedding, I guess things have started to go badly again.”

“Poor dolly, I can understand why she is so upset.”

“That’s not the problem.
 
We were just having lunch at the diner and she was served with papers.
 
The guy who raped
her,
now wants custody of Jordan.”

“What?”

“I know, I don’t know any more than that.
 
My brother is on his way.”

“Sugar, we are not gonna let that happen.”

Morgan came out of the bathroom.
 
She’d aged ten years while in there.
 
Her makeup was gone.
 
Her hair was pushed back.
 
She looked like she was going to faint.

“I need to go to the school.
 
I need to pick him up.”

“Morgan, if he was going to do anything crazy, he would have done it before he let you know who and where he was.
 
It looks like he knew about you, even if you didn’t know about him.”