Page 97 of Fourth Heartwarmers Trilogy
“Gigi!”
Chapter Twenty-three
Colin heard Jaq’s exclamation, but it wasn’t until he saw her rush to enclose the older woman in her arms that he understood fully. This pretty lady was Jaq’s grandmother. There could be no doubt.
Before he could approach the two still wrapped in a hug, the bailiff called for the court to come to order, respectfully announcing the approaching judge. “Please stand.”
The judge, who’s eyes followed Gigi to where she sat hugging Jaq, seemed shell-shocked. As the proceedings began, the old man appeared to pull himself together but more than once he brusquely asked Cord to “move along” with his evidence.
All the while, Jaq watched her gramma smile defiantly at the man in charge. It soon became obvious to her that they had some sort of a relationship. For example, when Gigi first moved to sit beside them, she’d bent to hug each child as well as Colin. Shooting a warning stare toward the judge before taking her seat might have been missed by the others but not by Jaq.
If asked, Jaq would have described it as a kind of threat… these people are my family so don’t mess with them. From then on, Jaq paid more attention to the judge and found his glance strayed many times toward Gigi. It was as if he wanted to see how the trial affected her. Whether she agreed with the unfolding testimony for Colin to have the right to look after the children. And that maybe he would follow her guidance.
In the end, it’s exactly what happened. After listening to all the evidence, the judge ruled in their favor, allowing the guardianship to be signed as a legal document. Once the official issues were taken care of, he banged his gavel, dropped it carelessly, and with a last glance toward Gigi, he shuffled out of the courtroom seemingly as fast as possible.
While Colin and Cord thanked the other witnesses, taking the children along to say goodbye, Jaq hung back with her contented-looking grandmother. “Gigi, what just happened?”
“What do you mean, dear?”
“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?”
“I had a hard time getting a seat and my plane was delayed making me miss my flight yesterday from Montreal. I came up on the early train this morning and only arrived slightly before the court case was to start. I didn’t have time to get in touch.”
“But you could have let us know you were traveling.”
“Actually, I hesitated to get your hopes up in case I had the wrong man. But when you told me the judge’s name, I didn’t think there could be two men with the identical job and the same name in Quebec City. So I took a chance and booked a flight. Turns out, I was right.”
Still stunned, Jaq asked, “It’s obvious you know each other. What did you say to him? How did you convince him to be so kind? Truthfully, we were expecting a real bastard today, and our hopes of winning had been non-existent. Even the bailiff warned us Judge Gagnon was in a horrible mood.”
“Tommy? Nah, he just had a few minor aches in his body, nothing he hasn’t dealt with for some time. Once he saw me, he seemed to forget all about them. We reminisced over old times.” Gigi’s smile was positively mischievous.
“What old times?”
Leaning close, and lowering her voice, Gigi admitted, “Well, I might have reminded him of the nights we spent together during a meeting we had in a hotel in Montreal about ten years ago. Us naughty old folks can still get up to mischief sometimes. Fortunately, I was a widow, but it seems that Tommy is still with his wife today. Poor woman didn’t know anything about that weekend.”
“You didn’t?”
“Oh, yes. I did.”
“That’s blackmail.”
“It sure is, baby. And I was glad to help.”
Laughing, she hugged Gigi enthusiastically, both so relieved over the outcome that it was difficult to stop. When asked, she couldn’t explain to Colin why she bordered on hysteria. Shaking her head, she pointed at Gigi who played the innocent while congratulating him on the outcome of the case. “I understand you’re going to be a daddy to these two now.”
“Yes, and it’s a huge relief to know it’s settled. Thank you for whatever you did to make it happen.”
Overhearing the comment, Jaq again broke into squeals of laughter and had to turn away to get herself in order. Finally, Colin’s arms wrapped around her in a hug of relief and that helped her settle. After a few seconds, they turned to the kids who they realized had been very quiet.
Charlie and Maisie, who’d both behaved well during the proceedings, looked at them with huge questioning eyes. Maisie clutching Princess, and Charlie clutching Maisie’s free hand heard what Gigi said. The boy stepped forward and bravelyasked, “What does she mean, Colin? Does being a guardian mean you’ll be our dad?”
“Only if it’s what you want. When we get back home to Vancouver, I’d like to start adoption proceedings for you both… you and Maisie. Would that be okay with you guys?” He turned to include Maisie.
“Will Maman know where we are… you know, so she can be with us like you said?”
“Your wonderful Maman has watched over us this whole time, and I can promise you she is very happy right now.”
“Then we want to come and live with you. Right, Maisie?”
