Page 66 of Enemy Daddy Next Door

I wouldn’t want to force that on her. She’s so young. I’m not in a rush.

But I can see it.

First, though, we have to get around this roadblock.

Kent nods. “Then you gotta give my guy a call.”

I don’t waste a second after Kent gives me the number. I dial the number of the lawyer, a guy by the name of Sam Serty. It’s a direct line, bypassing any of that secretary junk, which is helpful.

“Serty.”

I glance at Kent. Sam Serty sounds quite surly over the phone. “Hi, Mr. Serty. I was given your name by a former client of yours, Kent Solace, and –”

“Solace. Yes. Name rings a bell. And you are?”

“Sorry, where are my manners? This is Hunter Ricks.”

Serty is quiet for a moment. “How can I help you, Mr. Ricks?”

“Well, I’ve got a bit of a custody dilemma for you.”

Serty laughs heartily. “My favorite kind. Lay it on me.”

I explain to him my situation. Veronica’s absence, her addiction, her reappearance, my daughter, our bond, etcetera. I hear Serty tip tapping away on his keyboard taking notes as I speak, and from time to time, he hums as if I’ve said something groundbreaking. Kent eventually slips out of the kitchen to give me privacy.

“So, that’s it,” I say when my story finally comes to a close.

“You’re not married, are you?”

I purse my lips. “No, I’m not…married.”

“You dating?”

“I…date one woman in particular.”

“Okay, that’s good. That’s a good start. Can you marry her soon?”

“No, I’m not going to – is my winning the case hinging entirely on if I’m married or not?”

Serty laughs. “No, no. It’d help, certainly, but no.”

“You think she has a possibility of getting some sort of custody arrangement?” I ask, nervously twisting my mug on the counter.

“Well, listen, she still has her parental rights. And if she’s clean, she can file for partial custody. Certainly couldn’t get full, given her absence and her history, but I take it you don’t want that.”

“No. I don’t. I don’t even want her to get visitation if that’s possible.”

Serty clears his throat. “Okay, so we’re going for a sort of scorched earth policy, huh? I like it.”

“You’ll take my case, then?”

“Absolutely. Any friend of Solace is a friend of mine, Mr. Ricks.”

I try to resist a resigned chuckle. At the beginning of this call he barely recognized Kent’s last name. Now they’re “friends.” Whatever. If he can get the job done, I don’t need someone earnest.

“I’d like to meet you and your daughter as soon as possible. Tomorrow. Come into my office. We’ll have lunch.”

“That sounds great.” I don’t even bother to consider my schedule. This is top priority, above anything else.

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