Page 101 of Stealing Home

As usual, he jumps straight in, skipping all pleasantries. I’m not sad about it. He’s cutting me a deal on his retainer, but it’s still pretty expensive.

“Harlow, can you be at the courthouse this afternoon? Apparently, Mr. Rivera’s attorney managed to get your hearing moved up on the docket to this afternoon, probably hoping you wouldn’t get notified in time and they could slip something in with you not showing up.”

Of course, Wren is straining to hear every word, so when I look over at her she nods emphatically.

“That won’t be a problem,” I promise him. After he gives me the time and which courtroom to show up to, we get off the phone.

I send up a thank you to the universe, or whatever deity is listening for Wren’s appointment being tomorrow. For once, circumstances are working out in my favor.

Wren is practically bouncing in her seat. “Well?”

I can feel a smile spreading across my face. “It looks like I’m going to be divorced by this evening.”

“Pay up, kid,” Charlie shouts.

“Dammit,” Liam grumbles.

“Seriously?” I ask Wren.

She shrugs. “I told you, they’ve got a pool going for everything.”

“Yeah, what else are they betting on?” I’m almost afraid to ask.

She starts ticking things off on her fingers. “You already know about the pool for when this little bun decides to leave my oven,” she says, rubbing her stomach again. “Then there was the one for when your divorce is finalized. They’ve got one for when Scott finally knocks you up. Another for when he proposes. Oh, and those idiots are running one for when Griffin convinces me to have another kid after I evict this one.”

I cock an eyebrow. “Insider information,” she whispers conspiratorially, “the correct bet on that one is half past never. This baby factory is done. This is his fifth kid. How many does he need?”

“At least a half dozen,” he shouts back from the garage bay.

Wren wrinkles her nose. “Totally didn’t notice they turned off the music. Doesn’t matter. I’m done. Making them is fun. Babies are cute and all, but I miss being able to tie my own shoes.”

I laugh, and lean back in my chair to shout out to the guys. “Charlie, are you recording the bets?”

“You know it,” he answers.

“Put me down for a year and a half and Griff is on his way to six kids.”

Wren gasps. “Traitor.”

I level her with a look. “Bitch, please. When did you bet Scott gets me pregnant?”

She chews on her lip and looks away. I stare her down until she answers me.

“Fine,” she relents. “I bet you’re pregnant before this one is born.”

* * *

My hands start shakinghalfway to the courthouse. If I were less stubborn I’d have taken Wren up on her offer to come with me, but she spent most of the day squirming with Braxton Hicks contractions, so I didn’t want to subject her to the hard wooden benches at the court.

What I really want is to have Scott with me, but I didn’t think having him and Nando in the same room was the greatest idea. Not to mention, bringing your boyfriend to your divorce has got to be the worst date idea ever.

My lawyer meets me out front, and together we enter the small courthouse. Centralia, being a rather small community, only has two court rooms. One handles traffic and family law, and the other one everything else.

“I want you to look over these documents so you’re not surprised when we go in front of the judge. I hope we can get everything finalized today. He’s finally hired a lawyer, and they do have everything they need to get this done, but Mr. Rivera still hasn’t signed the petition,” he informs me and hands me a folder.

I flip through it, trying to decipher the legalese, when I finally make sense of the settlement terms. “You asked for half the house?”

He nods. “Since Mr. Rivera refused to meet about terms, I went with the standard. Your documents proved that you provided the funds for the down payment, and you paid half of the mortgage up until the moment you vacated the home, correct?”

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