Page 35 of The Seal's Promise

“Hey, no problem. I’m happy to be able to help you and will gladly sue Tyler Banks for you anytime.”

She laughed. “I have a feeling you’re enjoying this.”

“You would be right.” He smiled and then faced the kids. “Owen and Gray, we gotta go. Max, we’ll see you at the ballfield later.”

“See you there!” Max called.

Once Declan and the kids were gone, Brooke wondered if she was doing the right thing. But she couldn’t resist the chance to work less and spend more time with Max. She was playing the part of MomandDad, and she just needed to remember that the courts decided the amounts required to pay in child support. Tyler’s family owned half of Sandy Point, had a financial firm in Atlanta, a family estate and tennis club outside of town, and it was rumored that they were trying to buy the Hart family pier. They were worth millions, maybe even more.

If she had to guess it was Miles who had visited Declan and told him about the trust, but why would Miles volunteer that information if it was going to cut into his inheritance too?

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Dalton

Resistance Is Futile

Standing at thetown ballfield brought back so many childhood memories of playing with his brothers and the hours they would spend with their dad here—they’d spend their entire weekend hitting balls and playing catch. He could see his dad now on the pitcher’s mound with his ball cap turned backward, throwing balls and coaching them on their swings. Their dad had loved baseball, and had always joked that he needed at least one of his three boys to go pro. Maybe he’d seen Levi’s talent even then, but it was a damn shame he didn’t live long enough to see his youngest turn into an All-Star MLB player, even if he was the league’s supposed bad boy.

“Man to man, I don’t think you’re what Brooke or Max needs right now. Especially while she’s challenging my brother for child support.”

Dalton stood with his forearms resting on the chain-link fence to watch Max on third base. He looked over to find Miles Banks standing in his crisp, blue-collared shirt, slacks, and some fancy leather shoes not commonly found on a ball field.

“Good thing I’m not worried about what you think, Miles,” he replied, and looked back at the game. “Keep your eye on second base, he wants to steal,” Dalton called out to Max as the kid started to take a few steps off the base.

Max turned his head just enough to see what the kid would do.

“Come on, Dalton, they don’t need you making this into some kind of sad turf war between you and Tyler before you leave town again.”

He sighed. “What’s your concern exactly, Miles? Since when do you care about your brother’s ex-wife’s feelings?”

Miles squinted his eyes at Dalton and his jaw flexed.

“Ah, I see, unless you were thinking you’d claim them for yourself?” Dalton let out a low whistle. “That doesn’t sound like it’d go over too well with your baby brother.”

“It’s not like that, I’m worried about Max. And I know my brother let Max and Brooke down, but that doesn’t mean I have to lose a relationship with my nephew.”

Dalton nodded as he eyed him again. “Well, that’s honorable, but if you knew your brother wasn’t paying child support, you should have made sure you did.”

He leaned forward on the fence and sighed. “I didn’t know, I just thought Brooke wanted to raise Max without any of the flashy things. For years I lectured Tyler about honoring his responsibility to be a good father to Max, but then I realized that maybe they’re both better off if my brother isn’t involved much.”

“That proves you’re a better man than Tyler.” Dalton turned to face Miles, who was looking out at Max.

“It’s not easy when your brother makes decisions you don’t agree with, but he’s still my brother.”

“I don’t know what your brother owes Brooke or Max, and I can understand you wanting to look out for them. I admire that. But I’m not going to keep my distance so your irresponsible brother doesn’t have a tantrum.”

“Just remember that Brooke and Max are a package deal, and if you hurt one of them, you hurt them both,” Miles said. “Please.”

Dalton held out his hand to shake Miles’s. “Consider me warned. I won’t hurt your family.”

“Thank you,” Miles said.

Then the kid at bat hit a high line drive right to Max on third and the kid on second base started to run for it.

“You got it, Max. Get right under it!” Dalton yelled.

They both watched, riveted, as Max raised his glove, caught the ball, and tagged the kid barreling down on him out. But he made one error getting in the kid’s path: the two collided but the other kid happened to be almost twice Max’s size and Max went down on the base with a grunt. Dalton hopped the fence in a flash and ran over to him.

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