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“I understand, your honor, and I won’t fail him. I know what he needs. I get this kid. I know what it is going to take and I am more than willing to go the extra mile.”

Julie’s father leaned back in his chair.

He spoke slowly and deliberately. “I’m glad you said that, because you won’t just get to take him home. There will be parenting classes to take and you will have a mediator that will need to be present especially at the beginning to oversee the transition for Hunter. He has been in foster care now for three years, so this is going to be a big change for him.”

I felt my pulse race. Shit. This was happening. “That is not a problem, sir. I have extra rooms at my home. I am more than happy to even open it and allow someone to stay there for a time while we all adjust if need be.” That would screw with my relationship with Julie for a while, but we’d make it worth it. Right now, we needed to make sure we could get Hunter out of the system.

“Julie?”

“Yes, your honor?” She sat tall in her seat. I noticed how conservatively she had dressed this morning.

“Would you be willing to take on the mediator role while Hunter continues to adjust?”

Her face broke into a smile. “Yes. Absolutely yes, sir.”

“All right. Then I need to speak to the boy and I’ll let you know my final decision.”

We exchanged looks. Julie squeezed my hand under the table.

My attorney nudged me. “We have to wait in the hall,” he whispered.

“Ah, gotcha.” We rose and waited in the hall.

I nodded at Savannah. The rest hinged on Hunter.

30

Julie

The minutes in the hallway felt like hours. Hawk couldn’t sit still. He paced from one end of the corridor to the other.

I felt the same way. As if at any moment I could crawl out of my skin, but instead I sat frozen like a damn statue. Afraid that if I moved I would somehow disrupt the balance of what was about to happen.

I trusted my father. I did. But he knew Hawk’s reputation. He knew everything he had done. Regardless of how hard he cheered for the Sharks on Sundays, my dad wasn’t going to hand over the safety of a child to this man just because he was a star. My dad was wise and fair. Deliberate and detailed.

I squeezed my hands together, praying that Hunter told him everything he wanted to hear in there. Hawk was great with him. Amazing even.

The door to the hearing room creaked open and Hawk and I both rushed to the entrance.

“You may proceed,” the bailiff announced.

I looked at Hawk, trying to reassure him when I was dangerously close to falling apart myself.

“It’s going to be ok.” He smiled.

We stepped inside the room and I stared at my father. I didn’t know whether he would ask Hunter to leave.

We all waited for what seemed like an eternity.

“This young man and I had a nice conversation.” My father grinned. “After speaking to all of the parties involved, I’ve decided it is in the best interest of the child in question to be placed in the temporary custody of Mr. Kane Hawkins.”

I almost squealed.

My dad wasn’t finished. “I want to remind you all that this is only a temporary custody hearing. There is another process for adoption, if that is the path you wish to pursue.”

We nodded.

“We will re-convene in forty-five days to assess how the situation suits everyone and how custody should be handled at that point.”