Page 86 of Wed to You-
“I’ll ask the PI. Now, when we go in there, don’t say anything. The way you look now, it might be better not to look at her either.”
Jagger frowned.
“You do look fierce.” Chelsea threaded her arm through his, hoping to reduce the tension.
“Let me do all the talking unless the judge speaks to you directly.”
Jagger nodded.
“Remember, this is just a hearing. Odds are this will end with a trial date. Okay?”
“I understand.”
Mrs. Monroe entered first with Jagger, holding Chelsea’s hand, following. She glanced at Tanya. There was no way anyone would take her for a drug addict or stripper. Chelsea wondered if her lawyer gave her the “dress like a mom” speech too. She wore a light pink dress and her brown hair was pulled into a loose braid down herback. Her head turned, her gaze stopping on Jagger. Chelsea would have expected a venomous glare, but Tanya’s expression appeared more apologetic than adversarial.
The court appearance followed exactly as Mrs. Monroe said it would, until the judge ordered a trial and a guardian ad litem for Kaden. At that point, Mr. Masters asked for visitation for Tanya.
“No.” Jagger’s rough voice echoed through the court.
The judge, who for the most part had appeared bored by the proceedings, sent him a chastising glare.
Mrs. Monroe patted Jagger’s hand. “Your honor. My client apologizes for his outburst. However, he does want me to remind the court Miss Gilson hasn’t seen or even attempted to contact Kaden Talbot for two years. The boy doesn’t know or remember her. It would be disrupting to his life, not to say traumatic, to send him off to spend time with a total stranger.”
“So noted.” The judge turned back to Mr. Masters. “I have to agree. While I understand your desire to put your life back together, Miss Gilson, my job is to make decisions in the child’s best interests. You haven’t made a single attempt to see or contact your son in two years?”
“Not before now, your honor.” Tanya looked down, and Chelsea could only imagine the guilt she was feeling at the dreadful choice she’d made two years earlier.
“With that said, children have a natural curiosity about their parents. Regardless of the outcome of this trial, Kaden should be reacquainted with his mother.”
Chelsea squeezed Jagger’s hand, hoping he wouldn’t make a scene. His jaw tightened and his hand nearly broke hers as the tension gathered in his fingers.
“I’m ordering two, two-hour supervised visits a week with Miss Gilson and Kaden to be conducted at the local social services building.”
“Your honor,” Mrs. Monroe kept her voice neutral. “We also applaud Miss Gilson’s efforts to get her life in order. However, at this point, we have no proof that she has. How do we know she’s not still using drugs or involved with people in that culture?”
“You should let me finish, Counselor. Miss Gilson will need to agree to drug testing over the course of the investigation period.”
“My client doesn’t object to that,” Mr. Masters said. “We do have one issue with Mr. Talbot. He’s not originally from this area, and he has the money and means to flee with the boy.”
“Oh, please.” Mrs. Monroe waved Mr. Master’s comment away. “If Mr. Talbot was going to flee, he would have done it the first day Miss Gilson trespassed on his property threatening to take the boy.”
Mr. Masters took in a calming breath. “He flies to New York frequently—”
“For business. And yes, he takes Kaden as well as his wife and staff. However, he travels out of state only infrequently. He has lived full-time in Charlotte Tavern for over a year. He’s started a business that helps the local area. He’s married and settled with a woman whose family has been in the area for over two hundred years. More importantly, Mr. Talbot doesn’t shirk his responsibilities.” Mrs. Monroe looked at Tanya as she spoke the last words. She turned back to the judge. “Mr. Talbot isn’t going anywhere.”
“So far Mr. Talbot has cooperated, but he needs to contact the court if he has any plans of traveling out of the Commonwealth.”
“He has no plans for such a trip at this time.”
The rideback home was silent. Chelsea wished she could do something to comfort him, but what could she say? There was nothing that could make his fear and pain go away except for Tanyato drop the case or the judge to award custody to Jagger. Since neither of those were happening, all she could do was sit quietly and let him stew.
Once home, he went straight to his office. Chelsea went out back, where Kaden was playing some imaginary game involving a stick used as a sword.
“You’re back.” Mrs. Stanton launched herself from the chair where she sat supervising Kaden. “Where’s Jagger. Did it go badly?”
“There will be an investigation of all of us. The judge ordered visits with Tanya.”
“No! Where’s Jagger?”
