Page 20 of Just Like That

My gaze was unfocused as I stared at the wood grain of his desk. “No, sir.”

“Did Olive ever contact you in any way to inform you of?—”

“Absolutely not.” I dipped my chin in a steely, confident nod.

“I object!” Hazel held a folded piece of paper over her head.

Judge Burns shook his head and chuckled. “Ms. Adams, there’s no need for that. This is not a formal hearing.”

“She did try, and I have proof.” Hazel leaned forward, smoothing a handwritten letter open, splaying it across the judge’s desk. Tucked inside the folded letter was an old photograph.

Shock radiated through me as I stared at a younger version of myself. In the picture I was wearing some kind of crimped, blond, eighties-style wig. My eyes were half closed and I looked drunk as fuck. Tucked into my side was a pretty woman I didn’t recognize. She was grinning at the camera as it captured a moment in time I simply could not recall.

I scraped a hand over my jaw and sat back.

Judge Burns whistled softly. “Sure does look a lot like you, Mr. King.”

I swallowed as I stared at my stupid, love-drunk happy face. “Yeah.”

“While we wait for paternity results,” Judge Burns continued, “it can be presumed JP is the father and would have the right to visitation with Teddy, if you choose to honor your sister’s wishes.”

Beside me, Hazel swallowed hard. It was clear she loved her sister deeply and, despite her disdain for me, wanted to abide by her sister’s dying words.

We both sat in stunned silence.

Judge Burns sat back in his chair, lacing his fingers over his abdomen. “Or ... given the information presented today, I believe there is another logical way to move forward ...”

He should have been dressed in a black executioner’s cloak. I clenched my teeth and waited for the judge to swing the ax and seal my fate.

SEVEN

HAZEL

My entire bodyshook with nerves.

Confusion, fury, anger, sadness—it all soaked through me and was directed at one person.

Him.

First he got my sister’s name wrong, and his continual dismissal of Teddy was enough to make a girl want to haul off and slap the handsome right off his face.

JP was still staring at the photograph on the judge’s desk. His brows creased as though he was performing mental gymnastics, trying to figure out where the photograph had come from.

The judge’s voice stole my attention. “Given the information presented today, I believe there is another logical way to move forward.” His kind smile was the only comfort I could find. “Perhaps young Teddy could weigh in and have a voice in whether or not he would be comfortable spending time with Mr. King?”

My mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air.

Sure, I’d set out to Outtatowner to honor my sister’s final wish to allow Teddy to get to know his dad, but as soon as I’d realized what an epic jerk he was, I had been left with no choice. Teddy would never feel unwanted as long as I was there to care for him, and if that meant seeking full custody, then so be it.

Judge Burns pushed a button near his phone. “Margerie? Can you please send in the young man in the waiting room?”

Moments later Teddy’s face peeked out from behind the door.

“Come on in, son,” Judge Burns greeted. “We don’t bite.”

Teddy’s eyes turned to mine, and I found the courage to smile. A sense of ease washed over me. The relationship Teddy and I had formed over the past four months was stronger than ever. He didn’t evenknowJP, and I was confident Teddy’s logical brain would make the right choice.

If JP wanted to deny the fact he was Teddy’s dad, then he didn’t deserve to have such a cool kid in his life anyway.

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