Page 30 of Coffee Shop Girl
“No.” I frowned. “Look, I don’t want to take advantage of our friendship. I’m happy to pay for dinner, but I can’t afford any legal consultation, and I’m in a bit of a tight spot.”
“The coffee shop?” he asked, something in his voice making it sound like he’d been waitingfor this conversation to happen.
“No, actually.”
He leaned closer just as Maverick and Stephanie walked by. Butterflies stirred in my stomach at the scent of pine. Kin rested a heavy, warm hand on mine. His breath smelled like spearmint. “Bethany, we’re friends. I’m happy to help you any way I can. Besides, I don’t always charge for consultations, so you can let that go.”
“Thanks, Kin.”
“Everything okay?”
Thankfully, Stephanie led Maverick a little farther into the restaurant. I shrank lower in the seat, shifting to the side where Maverick couldn’t see me.
“Yes, everything is okay. Well, not really. I think ... ah, no. Can I ask you some questions about family law?”
“Please do.”
“Thank you.”
He listened while I recounted the story of Lizbeth and Ellie showing up on my doorstep. Until it started to tumble out, I didn’t realize how much I needed to say the words. Kin, though he’d donned a calculating expression, listened with utmost attention. I needed it. I so desperately needed someone to tell me what to do. To be on my side. After Dad died, I’d lost my team.
I wanted one so badly it hurt.
No one in town had really known Mama. Her bright eyes and long hair still lived in my mind, an interesting dichotomy of love, uncertainty, and sheer desperation. Only Jada had officially met her when Mama drove out once to see me. Jada and Dad had been an unofficial couple. They twirled around their feelings, never committing, but never looking away, either. She’d known Mama, and had kindly reserved judgment.
Stephanie returned, setting down our drinks. She tried to catch my eye, her grin wider than ever, but I deftly avoided it by studying the menu. If Kin sensed the tension, he didn’t say anything. I ordered something by memory, grateful for a momentary pause to collect my thoughts again. Repeating the story only made it sound crazier than before.
After a sip of his beer, Kin shook his head. He straightened when Stephanie moved out of eyeshot.
“Wow. Two half-sisters dropped in your lap like that is no small thing.”
My brow furrowed. “I know.”
“You did the right thing, taking them to Jada. The photographic proof and record of what they told her will go a long way. She and I have dealt with this before, so I know she documented correctly. It’s a start.”
“That’s ... good.”
A short span of silence swelled between us. I didn’t know what to say next. The feeling of Maverick’s gaze distracted me every so often, but I didn’t dare look. I’d lose my train of thought, and I’d finally gotten it back.
“The first thing I need to know is whatyouwant,” Kin said. “Do you want to try to get custody?”
I hated myself for hesitating.
Did I want them in my life? I selfishly wasn’t sure. On one side, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. Warm bodies in my house. People to talk to. Not beingsoalone. But they were like miniature versions of the best parts of Mama, and reminders of a painful past at the same time. Ellie didn’t trust me. Lizbeth and I had competed for Mama’s attention and affection, so I didn’t think she really trusted me, either. Although, she must trust me on some level to have come to me.
No matter what I could have done to impress Mama, they’d have always won. She’d kept them.
This whole situation wasn’t their fault, and any perceived competition with Lizbeth may have been in my head. But was keeping them the right thing to do? They weren’t dolls. I couldn’t offer them a home just so I didn’t feel so mind-numbingly alone.
Ellie’s stricken gaze and lack of speaking flashed through my mind. The real question was couldIhelpthem? Could I afford the clothes they needed? How much emotional help would they require? Lizbeth was sixteen. She’d be ready for college in two years, something I absolutely couldn’t assist with financially. Ellie would be with me at least seven more years.
Then there was the matter of living arrangements. I lived above a coffee shop in a tiny, one-room area that barely fit the three of us. As a temporary thing, it was fine. But we couldn’t stay there forever. I’d have to find a new place, and that required money. I shuddered thinking about it.
Amidst the spiral of my thoughts, a phone rang.
Kin fished in his pocket for it, mumbling something about a case. I told him to answer it, grateful for a chance to slow my thoughts.
Then I made the mistake of looking outside the booth. Maverick watched a baseball game at the bar. He looked back as if he sensed my attention. Something lingered in his gaze. Something curious.
