Page 91 of Fierce-Dane

“I’m Sloane Redding and have an appointment with Miranda Star.”

“Please have a seat and I’ll let them know you are here.”

She and Dane moved over to the waiting room and found two chairs in the corner.

She remembered coming into rooms just like this as a kid.

The clothes on them ill-fitting and stained. They were clean but not clean enough back then.

They’d left the cult with bags on their backs and a few changes of clothing each.

A hotel room was their first stop, then they took buses until they were far enough away, got a furnished apartment, food and more clothes from the Salvation Army and other consignment shops.

That was where most of their possessions came from while her mother took the steps to reenter society and explain as best as she could for the two teenage daughters who had never seen a hotel room before, let alone a store.

Talk about wide-eyed and fearful.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“That I used to be in rooms like this for another reason,” she said. “But never once did I worry that I wouldn’t be with my mother.”

“Remember that,” he said. “Your sister has it worse.”

Her phone started to ring; she pulled it out and saw it was Trent calling. “Hello.”

“I know you are waiting,” Trent said. “They’ve got everything. I’ve talked to Miranda twice today and she’s still looking into a few things knowing that you are only there a few days. I wanted to let you know there is a very good chance Shiloh will be going with you when you leave. Be prepared to tell them your plans. Either a hotel room or going back to your mom’s apartment to pick up anything of hers first. Keep those things in mind. I’ve been in contact with your mother’s landlord and everything is there until the end of the month. I also reached out to the hospital and have paperwork coming for you to fill out for your mother’s medical records. Tell Dane to press for Shiloh’s records. It will show you’ve got a game plan to set her up in a stable home.”

“Okay,” she said, “I’ll tell him.”

“Sloane,” Trent said. “Hang in there. I know we haven’t met, but it’s going to be okay. You’ve got the law on your side and you were listed as Shiloh’s guardian. We can contest anything. They can’t keep her without due cause. They’ve got nothing on you.”

“Thanks for that. I needed to hear it.”

“I’ll be in on the call soon.”

She hung up and told Dane what the call was about and to bring up wanting Shiloh’s records.

“Sloane Redding?”

She stood up with Dane. She wasn’t in a suit or dress or anything, but she had nice black pants on with a light blue sweater and black shoes. Dane was dressed as if he was going to work. Dress pants, a button-down shirt, no tie. She already felt like they were standing out in the waiting room but nothing she could do about it.

“That’s me,” she said.

“I’m Miranda. It’s nice to meet you and I wish it were under different circumstances.”

“I wish I wasn’t meeting you at all,” she said. “Sorry, that came out wrong.”

Miranda smiled softly. The woman was older, maybe in her fifties, a little on the soft side and barely five foot. Not what she expected when she’d heard the accent on the phone.

“It’s fine,” Miranda said.

“This is Dr. Dane Grey,” Sloane said. She figured she’d throw his title in there for effect. They knew he was coming anyway just not what he did for a living.

“Your lawyer is hammering us with paperwork this morning,” Miranda said as she followed them through a door and down a hall. “I was checking to see if you walked on water.”

She laughed. “Sorry about that.”

“No,” Miranda said. “It means you care. Care enough to get an attorney fast and know he’s doing his job. That comes at a cost and not something many can afford.”

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