Page 12 of Finding Home

He twists his mouth. “That timeline’s not going to work for me. My lawyer said the custody hearing in LA will probably happen in a month or so.”

My eyes widen. “Amonth?”

“I understand what you’re saying, though. It probablymakes sense to transition Raine a bit more slowly than I was initially thinking.”

Ya think?“Caleb, listen, my father is injured. He broke his leg badly last week, so he can’t travel for a while, and Raine adores him. If you saw them together, you’d never want to take her away from him. Not now, at least.Please. This isn’t about you or me. It’s about Raine. She’s got a family here. A new life. Stability, when she needs it most.”

As I wring my hands, Caleb ponders my plea for an eternal moment.

Finally, he exhales and says, “I’ll stay in Prairie Springs until it’s time for us to leave for the custody hearing in LA. That way, Raine can get to know me before then, on her home turf, surrounded by people she loves and trusts.”

I exhale an ocean of relief. It’s not the length of time I begged him for; but at least it’s better than Caleb forcing Raine to come with him to LAtomorrow. Plus, a lot can happen in a month. Maybe, when Caleb learns what parenthood actually entails, how hard and thankless the job can be at times, he’ll realize he’s more than happy to leave Raine with me in Prairie Springs, after all, leaving him free to visit his daughter, whenever the mood strikes him.

Also, by the time the custody hearing rolls around, if I’m not thoroughly convinced Caleb is good for Raine, whether as her full-time father or a regular visitor, I’ll be free to tell the judge my honest feelings then, no matter what Caleb currently thinks I’m going to say on his behalf at the hearing.

“Okay,” I say, nodding decisively. “Thank you for changing your plans for Raine’s sake.”

“I only want what’s best for her.” He begins to say more, but before he gets his next words out, his gaze shifts sharply to a spot behind me and to my left. Instantly, thehardness in Caleb’s green eyes vanishes, replaced by something I’d call wonder and awe.

Fuck. I turn around, and, as suspected, Raine is standing behind the screen door, smashing her little face against it like she always does, so her nose rides up and makes her look like Peppa Pig.

“Auntie Aubbey?” Raine squeaks out. “All done.”

“Okay, honey. I’ll be right in.”

I turn back around to address Caleb, but he’s fixated on Raine and practically vibrating with excitement.

“Hello, Raine,” Caleb coos softly, his deep voice quavering. “I’m Caleb. It’s really great to meet you.”

Chapter 6

Caleb

Raine.

My child.

My daughter.

She’s stunning. Breathtaking. An angel on Earth.

Peeking over a fence at her didn’t have nearly the same impact as staring into her big, blue eyes from a short fifteen yards away, even if it’s only through a screen door. I feel like I could topple over from the torrent of euphoria flooding me.

She’s staring at me. Not replying to my greeting. So, I try again.

“Hi, Raine. I’m?—"

Without warning, Raine scampers away from the screen, shrieking like she’s seen a velociraptor.

“Nice,” Aubrey hisses. “You scared her to death.”

“By saying hello?”

“While looking like the Grim Reaper! She’s not used to men, Caleb. She’s only met two in her life, other than doctors: my father and Claudia’s ex. And neither of those guys are covered in tattoos all over their neck and arms.”Aubrey crosses her arms over her chest defiantly, and I can’t help thinking it’s a good look for her.Defiance. Although, honestly, I’m beginning to think there’s not an expression in Aubrey’s repertoire that could possibly be abadlook for her. Up close and standing still, she’s even hotter than I realized while watching her in motion from afar.

“You don’t need to go to her?” I ask, motioning toward the screen door.

“I can hear her singing in there. That means she’s okay and probably playing with her dolls.”

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