Page 74 of Big Island Sunrise
It was to keep the dog from disinterring the kitten. She had learned that one the hard way.
Rory seemed puzzled by the request, but she was willing to go along with it. She found a likely-looking rock, and Emma carried it over to set it on top of the grave.
“I’d put flowers,” Rory said thoughtfully, “but there’s already lots. I picked a good spot, huh?”
“You sure did.”
“I’m hungry,” she announced then. “And mama’s sleeping.”
Emma patted the top of her head. Her shiny black hair was just like Kai’s.
“Let’s go make you some breakfast.”
23
Lani
“How can he say those things?” Lani paced the yard, too upset to stand still. “It’s perjury!”
“It’s par for the course.” Her attorney’s voice was gruff and gentle, both at the same time. “They call it liar’s court.”
She stumbled to a stop. “What?”
“Family court. It’s often referred to as liar’s court, because this kind of thing is so common. We’ll file your response, and the judge will assume that the truth lies somewhere in between.”
“But my responseisthe truth!” She was moving again, grass and gravel shifting underfoot as she paced next to the house. Her eyes stung with anger, but no tears fell.
“I’ll file it today,” he told her, “and then it’s just a whole lot of waiting until the first court date. If you want to change yours at all, you have time. I’m headed into a hearing, and then I can file your response this afternoon.”
“Okay.” She took an unsteady breath, stuffing down the many things that she wanted to say. “Thank you.”
“Have a good one.” The call went dead.
A good what?Lani wondered, looking up at the clear blue sky. It was a gorgeous day, but she didn’t feel part of it. The shining green plants and showy hibiscus flowers felt separate from her, like she was seeing them through thick glass.
She hadn’t slept at all the night before, but her blood was still so filled with cortisol that she didn’t feel the least bit tired. Her whole body vibrated with anger. She started walking again, stomping through the overgrown orchard in an effort to shed some of the excess energy.
Her Alaskan attorney had forwarded her an email the night before, a declaration filed by her soon-to-be ex-husband. Her first time through, she had felt nothing but frozen shock. But then, reading it again and again, she felt a growing anger. She’d channeled that furious energy into her own declaration, refuting each claim point by point.
By the time she finished her response and tried to get some sleep, it was no use. Every line, every lie was burned into her brain.
By sunrise, the whole house was spotless. And Lani’s fear-fueled fury still hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
“Lani!” Emma called from the lanai. “Tenn’s here!”
She cursed under her breath. With all of her energy centered on the brewing court case, she had completely forgotten that she had a date set for today. Her parking-lot lesson had been a success, and they were supposed to bike along the sea cliffs today.
“Tell him I’m dead,” she told Emma as she stomped up to the house.
Her roommate just grinned. “Some sun and exercise will do you good.”
“I hate this.”
“I hear you.”
“I don’t know how to live my life like normal while someone is trying to take my baby from me.”
Emma walked down the steps so that she stood level with her. “Rory is safe. She’s having a great time with her cousins at the beach. He won’t win full custody. He doesn’t even want to. What he really wants is this. Your stress, your fear. Don’t give it to him. Don’t let him win.”
