Page 64 of Lush Curves

“Back pay for child support. I didn’t know about Cindy out there until a little over a month ago. Kathleen – Cindy’s mother – showed up and I went to a lawyer, and he told me how much I owed. I paid the full amount yesterday.”

Jinx looked at the note again. “Lump sum payment to her bank account?”

“Yes.”

Jinx sighed heavily. “You know it’s cleaned out by now, right?”

“I figured as much.”

“Hmmmm.” Jinx turned his attention to the legal papers, flipped the pages rapidly. “And these sign over full parental custody to you? She’s waived her legal rights as parent and guardian of one Cindy Marie Loughlin?”

“I think so. But that’s what I needyouto confirm. I mean, she never put my name on Cindy’s birth certificate, never gave her my last name, so how can I even prove that I haveanylegal right to the child? Besides these papers, I mean.”

“Loughlin is her last name? Kathleen’s?”

“Yeah.”

“Ohhh-kaaaay.” Jinx sank down on to the massive sofa, flipped back to the first page of the documents. “Lemme read these. I need a few minutes.”

Sam nodded, left the room. He stood in the hallway for a few seconds, trying to grasp the enormity of what the hell was going on. If Kathleen was really gone, if she’d really taken the money and run, if she’d really abandoned Cindy, then… well, Jesus.

Then Sam was raising his daughter alone; his heartbroken, devastated, confused, scared daughter. Because how the actual livingfuckwas he going to be able to explain Kathleen’s selfish, horrible, appalling actions to an almost-three-year-old? Christ, he didn’t understand them himself.

“Daddy?”

He turned now, turned to see Cindy standing at the end of the hallway. Scars loomed behind her, watching Sam closely. His brother wasn’t number-smart or what anyone would call traditionally ‘educated’, but he could read Sam like a fucking book, he always could. God knows what he saw now, but his hard face was pitying, worried, kind.

He knew. He knew everything.

“Hi sweet pea,” Sam said now, holding his arms open. “Need a hug?”

“Yes.”

“C’mere, then.”

Cindy ran into his embrace, clung to him tightly as he stood up.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, my adorable girl?”

“Is Mommy gone?”

Sam met his brother’s eyes over Cindy’s head. “Yes, baby.”

“For good?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Like Daddy Keith?”

“Oh, no… no. Mommy isn’t gone that way.”

“Mmmm.” She pulled at her hair. “Am I staying with you?”

The office door opened then and Jinx stood there, holding the papers.

“Are you staying with me?” Sam echoed, clearly directing the question at Jinx. He met Sam’s eyes, and he nodded. “Yes, sweet pea. You’re staying with me.”

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