Page 33 of Hold My Heart

Olympia went off to work without saying goodbye, her mind already focused on what she had to do in the office. He knew this was something she had to do, and he admired and respected her ability to focus completely on the job. Then acknowledged a flash of guilt at the tiny voice in his head telling him he wanted her attention focused on him. On Renee. On the household. Another couple of weeks and she would be home, focusing on starting her own gallery. That was what they’d talked about, wasn’t it?

Why did it make him feel rotten?

He had Renee secured in her high chair and eggs cooking on the stove when the landline rang. Habit had him reaching out to answer it. “Hello?”

“Hello, is Mrs. Trumbald there?”

The voice was unfamiliar. Unfamiliar andmale. Harlan felt his face melting into a sour pout before he realized it. “She’s out at the moment. Working,” he said, making sure to keep his tone even and pleasant. “Can I take a message for her?”

“And to whom might I be speaking?” the man pushed.

“I’m her...caregiver. My name is Harlan Anderson.”

“This is Marvin Bower. I’m the attorney for her late cousin, Joshua Salant, engaged to handle his and his wife’s estates.”

Attorney? His memories aligned with a click and Harlan rounded his mouth in understanding. “Oh, right. Right. You’re the one who handled Renee’s paperwork, when Olympia became her guardian.”

Marvin met his statement with a rush of air that might have been mistaken for a laugh in different circumstances. “Funny you should mention that. I was going back over the paperwork to make sure everything was finalized and realized we missed a few things. I really do need to speak with Mrs. Trumbald. When will she be available?”

If the man didn’t have her work or cell number, then Harlan wasn’t about to hand over the information. “I’ll be sure to relay the message to her. Could you tell me what this is about? It sounds important.” He cracked his knuckles, feeling a swell of concern. “Please.”

“Well...” Marvin was hesitant. “The adoption wasn’t completed. Not entirely. There are a few things we still need to file with the state and I thought they’d been submitted already. When I received word from child services, I realized there were papers Mrs. Trumbald hadn’t signed. As we did not proceed with the adoption, her legal guardianship is being threatened.”

“Impossible.” She would have made sure to sign everything. Olympia was nothing if not thorough. “There must be some mistake.”

“I’m afraid not. Of course, I take most of the blame. I was preoccupied with the child and... Well, this matter must be rectified immediately, I’m sorry to say. The state courts have already become involved.”

“What do you mean, the courts are involved? I’m sorry, I don’t have a law degree so I’m having trouble following you.” He pinched his nose in agitation.

“That is a matter for Mrs. Trumbald.Whodid you say you were again, Mr. Anderson?”

“I’m a concerned party and Renee’s daytime caregiver.”

“A male nanny...unorthodox, I must say. However, you’re not authorized to handle these affairs, and to protect attorney–client confidentiality, I am unwilling to discuss them further,” Marvin replied. “Please have Mrs. Trumbald contact me immediately.”

Harlan hung up the phone with a sick sense of dread falling heavy in his abdomen. The adoption wasn’t completed. The state was involved. He didn’t need a law degree to put two and two together, but he’d felt testy with Mr. Bower and came out with the first thing on his mind.Of coursehe understood the implications. If this wasn’t settled, then there was a good possibility that the state would take Renee away from them. From Olympia, he corrected himself.

It made him sick to his stomach.

He dialed her cell phone number by memory, the receiver balanced between his ear and shoulder while he flipped the scrambled eggs out of the pan and into a steamy pile on a plate.

Olympia answered seconds before voicemail would have kicked in. “Harlan, I’m busy. Is this an emergency?”

“No, not yet,” he said in warning.

“Not yet,” she repeated. “Well then, I’m going to need you to handle things for me. I can’t talk at the moment.” He heard papers flip in the background. “I had an artist back out at the last minute. Everything has to be redone.”

“But the law—”

“Harlan.” The syllables were terse. Stressed. “Handle it, please. As long as no one is dying, then I’ll see you tonight. It’s crisis mode here.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but heard the click of a call going dead. She was right, he thought, forcing himself to hang up with slow deliberation rather than slam down the receiver. If it was as simple as a signature on a piece of paper, as Marvin Bower led him to believe, then maybe he would be able to handle it himself. There were copies of the adoption paperwork in her office. He could get her to sign when she came home this evening.

It was strange being in her personal space without her there. Personal touches were kept to a minimum, although she’d added a photo of Renee to her desk. One he’d taken of the two of them playing outside. It warmed his heart to see it there. A cursory glance of the space assured him there were no papers out of place and he’d need to do a bit more digging to find the folder regarding her executorship he knew she kept somewhere in that office.

Renee’s call came from the other room. “Harlan!”

He walked out of the office, determined to investigate later. Then he and the baby spent the rest of the day with their schedules packed. They read from a few books he’d brought, worked on their numbers, and walked down the street to the closest park. He made sure to bundle her up and ended up carrying her part of the way when she complained of being winded.

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