“I told you. I want what’s best for Danielle. And I can’t in good conscience stand by and watch you raise her the wrong way.”
“What do I do that is so awful? What’s so terrible about me that you would take my child?”
“You don’t go to church. You have completely inappropriate employment. You gallivant around with him and who knows who else. Do you really think that’s a good environment for a child?”
Matt looked at Ariel, and the expression that met him was fearsome, almost scary. The tiredness, sadness he had seen faded and in its place was unyielding malice.
“I’m done, Matilda. I’ve tried, and I’m done. I had hoped that we could work together, for Dani’s sake. You’re not interested in that and now neither am I. You want a fight? Fine, you got it. But know this. No one will take my daughter from me. Ten years from now when you wonder why she is not a part of your life, think back on this day, and know that it was your fault, that this could’ve been avoided.”
“Big words from somebody behind bars,” Matilda said.
Matt clenched Ariel’s hand, hoping she would keep her cool. But his concern was unnecessary. Ariel’s face was now the picture of serenity and determination.
“I’ve said all I need to,” Ariel said.
Then she turned and walked back to the hard, uncomfortable bench, and sat.
“Looks like this conversation is over,” Matt said.
The time for peace was over. They were about to go to war.
Chapter Twenty-Two
In the days after, Matt tried to comfort Ariel, tried to show as best he could that he would be there, that Matilda’s suggestion was beyond ridiculous. Ariel had nodded, seemed to agree, but Matt couldn’t shake the feeling that her leaving him wasn’t completely off the table.
There was nothing she wouldn’t do for Dani. He’d known the girl for less than a year and knew he would do the same. But the thought of losing them so soon after he found them, and missing the chance to be with Ariel and the new baby, was too much to bear.
“How are you and the new bride holding up?” his dad asked as he walked up the front steps of the old house, where Matt had come to pick up a few things.
Matt hadn’t spoken to his father, but the looming custody battle was no secret, so he wasn’t surprised that his father knew.
Matt sifted through the box on the porch and then shrugged. “She’s all right. Scared as hell, though.”
“It’s a terrible thing, trying to take a child away from her mother. But nothing that woman does surprises me anymore,” his father said, settling on the porch swing.
Matt settled beside him, and they swung in silence before he said suddenly, “What if she wins?”
He hadn’t discussed that possibility with Ariel, didn’t even want her to know that he’d considered that it could happen, and what they would do if it did.
“She won’t, son.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because it’s not right and because you’re on her side. And I know you’ll move heaven and earth to make sure that little girl stays where she belongs.”
He looked at his father, who, for the first time in as long as Matt could remember, didn’t look sad or angry. Only pure conviction shone on his face.
And for reasons he didn’t understand and couldn’t explain, his father’s confidence buoyed him.
“Yes, I will,” Matt said, and then he and his father lapsed into silence.
••••
“Part of me still can’t believe this is happening,” Ariel said.
“Me either. But we will get through this,” Matt said, reaching over and entwining his fingers with hers.
She squeezed his hand, probably too tight, but he didn’t flinch, didn’t even move. And she was again reminded of what made him so special, and she thanked God she had someone beside her for this, even though this situation was entirely of her own making.
“Don’t look like that, Ariel,” Matt said.
“Like what?” she responded.
“Like this is your fault,” he said and something in his voice made her turn.
She’d always thought herself a little bit distant, but it seemed nothing escaped Matt. “But it is, it is my fault. I know that she tried to goad me, and I played right into her hands.”
“You can’t be responsible for Matilda’s actions. And if it hadn’t been that it would have been something else. She will not be satisfied until she has Dani, and that’s not your fault. All we can do now is do whatever it takes to make sure our girl stays home where she belongs.”
He squeezed her hand again, held her gaze and she felt the tears welling in her eyes. He loved Dani, and he was willing to fight for her. And through the fear and uncertainty, Ariel reflected on how incredibly lucky she was.
“Right this way,” the receptionist said.
They’d been waiting for about ten minutes, and now it was time to meet with the family lawyer from Charlotte. Matt had assured her that this guy had a great reputation. And she trusted him.
“Dr. and Mrs. Poole, I presume,” the small man who sat at the conference room table said.
It took a second for her to realize that he was referencing her. She’d heard it more than once, but being referred to as Mrs. Poole was still something of a novelty.
“Yes. Pleased to meet you, Frank. You come highly recommended,” Matt said as he shook the man’s hand.
“Pleased to meet you as well. Have a seat. I’m sure you’re anxious to get to the matter at hand,” he said.
He wasn’t rushed, but he was no nonsense either, something Ariel greatly appreciated.
“Have you looked at the paperwork we submitted?” Matt said.
The lawyer nodded and then opened a folder that sat in front of him on the conference table. “We’re putting together the adoption papers, but I’m more concerned about the custody issue. I’ll be honest, this whole suit is completely cockamamie,” he said.
Ariel’s heart soared.
“But don’t get your hopes up just yet,” Frank said in the next breath.
Ariel narrowed her eyes at the man, wondering if he was intentionally messing with them.
“If it’s crap, why not get my hopes up?” Ariel said.
“Because these little country judges do whatever they want. Grandparents’ rights is an evolving area of the law, but they rarely come into play, and usually in the context of a heated divorce or custody battle, and only after a judge has determined that it’s in the child’s best interest to have a meaningful relationship with her grandparents. That doesn’t apply here, and as far as I’m concerned, the Mallick family has no standing to sue for custody of Danielle. But”—he paused and looked from her to Matt—“this can and probably will proceed. My plan is to work to get it tossed, but you need to be prepared for any eventuality, up to and including losing Dani.”
“That’s not an option,” Matt said, voice firm.
“I know you feel that way, but it is an option, and it can happen. If this gets in front of the judge, there’s no way to predict what he or she might do, and while I’m confident an unfavorable order would get thrown out on appeal, do you really want to wrangle for years and risk Dani being permanently removed from your home?”
“That’s not an option either,” Matt said, voice now steely.
“Then you need to work it out with the Mallicks,” Frank said.
“Work it out? That woman is entirely unreasonable. I can’t work anything out with her,” Ariel said.
“Well, attacking her and trashing her house definitely doesn’t help your cause,” he said, looking at Ariel with contempt.
“We’re done. Let’s go, Ariel,” Matt said.
“You can leave, but anyone else you find is gonna tell you exactly the same thing, and no one you find will be as good as me. I don’t like to waste time or mince words, and I suspect you don’t either.”
Ariel was furious, but some part of her saw reason.
“So why are you goading me?” Ariel asked.
“You think this is goading?” Frank said. “I know the Mallicks’ lawyer, and she’s a bulldog. Every little thing about you is going to be examined and found lacking. You’re little temper is the least of your concerns.”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean you’re already starting off in a terrible place with open charges, which I suggest you get taken care of immediately. Then there’s the little shotgun wedding. Any reason for the rush?” he asked, looking back and forth between Matt and Ariel as if they were guilty of a grave conspiracy.
“We’re expecting,” Matt said.
“I figured as much.” He turned his focus to Ariel. “So what kind of example could you set? Are we sure about the child’s parentage? How many men have you seen, Mrs. Poole? Was it just Dr. Poole? Others? How many? Did Dani know about them?”
She felt Matt tense, but she squeezed his hand, hoping to calm him.
“I get your point. This is a shit show. I get that. Now what do we do?”
“All things being equal, getting married was probably smart, though it’s going to be clear to the judge why you did it. Still, we can paint that as you both being responsible and committed to family values.”
Ariel huffed and Frank, who had looked over at Matt, turned back to her. “Hey, it’s not politically correct, but it’s the truth, and depending on the judge you appear in front of, you will be at the mercy of their own biases, and trust me, the Mallicks are going to paint you with a letter of the deepest scarlet. So keep living the straight and narrow, and if I were you, I would go to the Mallicks and grovel.”
Matt tensed again, and Ariel’s mind immediately rebelled against the idea.
“Why grovel?”
“You want her to dismiss the charges, so get back on her good side. I assume you don’t have a problem with the girl seeing her grandparents?”
Ariel shook her head.
“Then smooth it over, get her to dismiss this case and drop the charges. It’ll be easier for everyone and you’ll get a better outcome. Litigation ensures hard feelings, and I don’t think she understands that. But once you do this, there’s no going back. And as much of an asshole as I may seem, I want every one of my clients to be happy. In this case, I see a way to resolve this. You’ll have to swallow some pride, but you should take it.”
“Matt, you know Matilda won’t listen. She smells blood and thinks she has me right where she wants me. She won’t cooperate.”
Matt’s silence and his stony expression was more than enough confirmation. “She won’t,” he finally said.
Then he looked toward Frank. “As awful as it sounds, I don’t think either of us would be above begging if we thought it had a chance in hell of working. But it won’t. So what’s our next option?”
“Mediation. We’ll get everybody in the room and try to talk this out.”
“And how is that different from groveling?”
“It makes it a little more formal. She may feel like she has the upper hand, but things might look a little different if someone else is delivering the message.”
“Okay, mediation, then. Are they obligated to come?” Matt asked.
“No. But when I present my motion to dismiss and the draft of the letter I’m going to send to the bar, I think they’ll be willing to come to the table.”
Ariel felt her hope rising again but tried to temper herself. “And when can this happen?”
“It’ll take two or three weeks to get everything in place,” Frank said.
She looked to Matt, who stared back, eyes calm with resolve.
“Let’s do it.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
It turned out to be more like four weeks, each of which felt like a month, but it was finally time.
Dani was in school, and Mandy would bring her home if the meeting ran long.
The ride to Frank’s office was tense, but Matt tried to hold it together for Ariel.
The mediation would be at a separate location, but they were going to Frank’s early to prepare. The thirty-minute ride was too long but not nearly long enough, and by the time they arrived, Matt could see that Ariel was flagging. She got out of the car, but before she started to walk, he pulled her in for a tight embrace, the crush of her breasts against his chest, the hard protrusion of her belly, the softness of her thighs against him perfect.
“We’re not going to lose her, Ariel,” he said, whispering into her ear. He punctuated the words with clenched fists and then relaxed and let his hands roam up and down her back. “We’re not going to lose her.”
And they wouldn’t. Matt would fight with everything he had, every dime, every contact, every breath. They would stay together.
Ariel practically melted into him, breathing deep, shuddering breaths, and after a few moments she stood straight.
Her gaze centered on his, her eyes now bright with fight and love and not the sadness that had been haunting her. She nodded. “Let’s go.”
Heartened by her renewed spirit, Matt grasped her hand and led her into the office, where Frank was waiting.
“Okay, so this is how it’s going to go. I’m gonna give my little spiel about working together, and then their lawyer is going to give hers, and then the mediator will take over. She is good, did about twenty years with CPS before she retired, and she knows how important it is to keep things stable. She’s gonna be impartial, but expect her to grill you about those charges. All things being equal, I think she’s sympathetic to our side. Oh, and they’re gonna play up the dead-son angle, but don’t fall for it. It’s a tragedy, and everyone feels sorry for her and regrets her loss, but that’s beside the point, so stick to Dani and making sure her life is as it should be.”