Page 150 of Already At Risk
Her face screwed up. “Because I told Dad about you, and then he got mad. I don’t knowwhyhe got mad, but I guess I shouldn’t have told him about going to the law gardener and the baseball game and stuff.”
My heart squeezed, even while I tried not to chuckle at what I was pretty sure was a mispronunciation of Gardner. “Oh, sweetheart. No, of course I’m not upset with you about that.”
Chloe dared to look hopeful. “Really? But Mom says you’re not her lawyer anymore, and I feel like it’s all my fault.”
“It’snotyour fault,” I insisted. “And I’mnotmad. Okay?”
Natalie firing me was the best part of my day, but I understood why Chloe might be confused about that.
“Okay.” She gave a little nod, but doubt still lingered.
I sighed, debating the right course of action on this, debating what to say that would help Chloe wrap her head around whathad happened in a way that wouldn’t demonize the one real father she did have. While I certainly didn’t like the man, it would never be my place to try to push him out of Chloe’s life if she wanted him there or frame him in a way that created a wedge in their relationship.
“There are some things you should know, Chloe,” I said after a beat of silence.
She cocked her head to the side, her eyes still round. “What?”
“First of all, because I was your mom’s lawyer, your dad’s automatically not going to like me very much.” She needed to know Korey’s reaction wasn’t her fault, not one bit. That man didn’t like me from the start. “It was my job to ask him some uncomfortable questions, and that might mean he’s not my biggest fan. Does that make sense?”
She pressed her lips together, seeming to think hard on it before saying, “I guess so.”
I nodded. “Second of all, your mom and I decided together that it would be best that she get a new lawyer. Your dad didn’t make us do that, okay? So nothing’s your fault.”
She released a sigh that was too heavy for a nine-year-old, making my chest hurt. “Okay. I guess…I guess that’s good.”
“You’ve met Juniper, right?” I gave Chloe an encouraging smile, and she nodded. “She’s going to be your mom’s new lawyer.”
“I like Juniper,” Chloe said, but her voice was still distant. “She has pretty dresses.”
“Yes, she does,” I agreed. “Is something else still bugging you, Champ?”
She shrugged, not answering aloud, so I gave her some time. Annabeth jumped back onto her lap, and she pet her absent-mindedly.
“But if you’re not mom’s lawyer…does that mean you won’t be around anymore?” she asked eventually—so quiet I almost couldn’t hear her.
Oh, this kid. She’d wormed her way into my heart in ways I never imagined possible.
“I’m here tonight, aren’t I?” I said, grinning through the emotion in my throat.
Chloe gave a slow nod.
“I’m hoping to be around a lot, Chloe,” I said, a little more seriously. I wanted to tell her justhow muchI planned to be around but knew that would contradict the promise I’d made to Natalie about going slow. So I just added, “Would you like that?”
Her nod was more eager this time. “Yes.”
“Good. That makes me happy.” Happy and achy and maybe a tiny bit terrified, knowing that this tiny human was counting on me. But mostly happy. Sofuckinghappy. “You ready to head to the park?”
She perked up a little, but I could tell there was still something on the tip of her tongue. I just never expected it to be “Can I give you a hug?”
I held my arms out, chuckling as Chloe immediately dove into them.
“Yeah, Chloe,” I promised her. “I’m always here for a good hug.”
Chloe bounced up off the couch a moment later, her usual energy mostly restored.
And then I took my sunshine girl and her spirited daughter to get sandwiches in the park.
To no one’s surprise, we stopped to get ice cream on the way home and ate it on their front stoop, attempting to look up at the stars through the small clearing of tree branches above.
