Page 15 of Delivery After Dark (Gansett Island #28)

K endall James had gotten her boys off to school and was heading to the law office she shared with Dan Torrington when the man himself called.

“Hey there. How’s your little one doing?”

“Dylan had a great first night, and we’re hoping to take her home later today.”

“Congratulations again to you and Kara. Hope she’s feeling okay.”

“She’s aching and tired but elated to finally hold our bundle of joy.”

“Give her my best. I didn’t think I’d hear from you today.”

“I didn’t either, but I got a voice mail from a lawyer on the mainland who says he represents the father of Jared and Lizzie’s baby, who just found out the baby exists.”

Kendall’s heart stopped for a hot second as she pulled off the road. “What? Oh my God.”

“I wanted to make you aware of it right away.”

As she took down the name and number that Dan recited, she felt sick to her stomach at the thought of having to tell her brother and sister-in-law this devastating news. They were counting down the final weeks to Violet’s adoption being final.

“Did the lawyer give any indication of what he’s asking for?”

“No, he just asked me to call him.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“I’m sorry about this.”

“Me, too. Let’s hope he’s after money and not the baby.”

“That was my first thought—that he recognized Jared’s name and is looking for a payout.”

“As disgusting as that would be, it’s better than him wanting the baby.”

“Yeah, for sure. Let me know if you need help with this. I’m a phone call away.”

“Will do. Enjoy your family. I’ll take care of mine.”

“Keep me posted.”

“You got it.”

Kendall ended the call and stared out the window at the ferry landing for a long time, summoning the fortitude to make a call that could upend Jared and Lizzie’s family. “Please don’t let that happen,” she whispered to the universe.

Before she could figure out her next move, her phone rang with a call from her ex-husband.

“This day just keeps getting better.” After a deep breath to calm herself, she said, “Hey.” She tried to remember when she’d loved Phil Tobin more than any human on the planet. That felt like a long time ago after the ordeal he’d put her and their sons through.

“Hi. Thanks for taking my call.”

She hadn’t talked to him in a few weeks, but the sound of his voice had the same effect on her as always—unreasonable yearning for what used to be. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to check on how you and the boys are doing.”

“We’re doing well. Settling into a new life here on Gansett. It’s been a good move for all of us.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Fucking tears. She deeply resented them as she brushed them away. “Was there anything else?”

“I was wondering if I could maybe see the boys.”

She closed her eyes, as if that would contain the flood. “The, uh, therapist thinks we should keep things as they are now for a while. The boys have made such a smooth transition here… I wouldn’t want to do anything to interfere with that.”

“By letting them see their father?”

“It’s much more complicated than that, as you certainly know.”

“I miss them, Kath. I miss you all.”

“I go by Kendall now, and I’m not sure what you want me to say, Phil. I didn’t create this situation. I’m just trying to survive it.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, sobbing. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

“I know you are, but that doesn’t change my reality or the boys’. I have to do what’s right for them.”

“I’ve been sober for ninety-six days. I haven’t missed a single meeting.”

“I’m happy for you. Congratulations.” He’d made it to one hundred and ninety-four days the last time he got sober before relapsing for a third time.

“This latest rehab was outstanding. I feel different this time. I know you have no reason to believe me, but it’s true.”

“I hope with all my heart it sticks, for your sake and the boys’.”

“But not yours?”

“We’re divorced, Phil. It’s over between us. I’m not sure what else you want me to say, and having this same conversation every few weeks doesn’t help with the healing I’m working so hard to do. It just reopens the wound, which isn’t healthy.”

“What am I supposed to do? Not care about you and our sons anymore?”

“I never said that. But you need to leave us alone to recover from the ordeal you put us through. That’s what we’re doing here, and it’s going well so far. I’ll text you updates and photos of the boys, but please don’t call me again. I just can’t put myself through this anymore.”

“My mother wants to see the kids.”

“She knows she can text me any time she wants to come out.”

“She doesn’t want to go to the island.”

“Well, I’m sorry, but that’s where we live now.”

“So that’s permanent?”

“Maybe. We’re happy here. It’s peaceful. We’re surrounded by family. The boys are making some great friends, and they love their school.” After a pause, she added, “I have to go now. I have work to do.”

“Where are you working?”

“At a lawyer’s office.”

“So you’re practicing on the island?”

“Yes.”

“When you said you were going there, I didn’t think it would be forever.”

“You forced us to make a whole new life for ourselves. What did you expect?”

“I don’t know, but not this. Not never seeing my kids.”

“There’s so much I could say to that, but it’s all been said a million times before. Please don’t call me again.”

Kendall ended the call before he could say anything else that would drive the knife deeper into her broken heart.

She dropped her head into her hands as the tears flowed freely.

Nothing had ever devastated her more than the demise of her marriage and the loss of the man she’d expected to spend the rest of her life with.

She’d fought for him for years before she’d pulled the plug, realizing she couldn’t put her life and those of her sons on hold indefinitely while she hoped for something that wasn’t going to happen.

Doing what needed to be done didn’t mean her heart wasn’t shattered by the loss of the man she’d loved so much.

There’d been times, at the beginning, when she’d feared she might not survive losing him.

But her boys had been there every morning, needing her to show up for them, and one day followed another, and she’d gotten through it somehow.

Since they’d been living on Gansett Island, she’d felt as if they’d turned a corner toward a future bright with promise. That was until Phil called to send her spiraling back to day one as if all the other days had never happened.

Enough was enough. That was the last call she’d ever take from him.

She’d keep her promise to text him updates and photos of the boys, but otherwise, she would have no contact with him.

She had full custody of their sons and felt it was the right thing to keep them away from Phil for now.

Hopefully, when the boys were older, they’d be willing to entertain having their father back in their lives.

That would be for them to decide when the time was right.

Her phone buzzed with a text.

I’m sorry. I love you. I always will.

If only she could block him and permanently remove him from her life, but for as long as their sons were minors, she’d be forced to remain in contact with him.

The therapist had told her it was in the boys’ best interest to eventually repair their relationship with him.

In the meantime, she was stuck in this emotional battlefield, never knowing when the next bomb would blow apart the fragile accord she’d found with her peace of mind.

She shook off her own problems to focus on the grenade that threatened to explode in Jared and Lizzie’s world, determined to do whatever she could to make sure her baby niece stayed exactly where she belonged.

Lizzie was on the floor, playing with Violet like she did every morning before her nap, when Jared came into the room, fresh out of the shower.

Sunshine had broken through the gray clouds and cast a warm, cozy glow on Violet’s playroom, which had become their favorite room in the house.

“There’s Daddy.”

Violet clapped her chubby hands and let out a squeal of excitement when she saw Jared coming toward them.

Lizzie could relate to that feeling as her heart did a happy jolt at the sight of her handsome husband.

“How’re my ladies doing?” he asked when he joined them on the floor.

Violet reached for him, and Jared scooped her up, making her squeal with laughter when he kissed the ticklish part of her neck.

Her daughter’s laughter was the most joyful sound Lizzie had ever heard. She could listen to it all day long.

Jared loved it, too, and went to great lengths to coax belly laughs from her.

They played for half an hour before Jared’s phone rang.

“It’s Auntie Kendall,” he told Violet. “Should we see what she’s up to?”

“Yayayayayayaya.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Hey, KJ, what’s up?” He listened for a second before nodding. “Of course. We’re here. Come on over. Sounds good. See you then.” After ending the call, he told Violet, “Yay, Auntie is coming to see us.”

“What’s she up to?” Lizzie missed having Kendall and the boys staying with them since they’d moved into a small house Ned Saunders had rented to them a few weeks ago.

It was closer to the boys’ school and to the office Kendall shared with Dan Torrington, so the move made sense.

But it was quiet in the house without them.

“She didn’t say. She just asked if she could stop by to see us.”

“She doesn’t have to ask.”

“I’ll remind her of that when she gets here.”

Violet entertained them with her toys and baby chatter until they heard Kendall come in through the kitchen door.

“Back here,” Jared called to his sister.

Right away, Lizzie could tell that her sister-in-law had been crying. “What’s wrong?”

“Several things.” Sighing, she sat on the footstool and held out her arms to take Violet from Jared. She kissed the baby’s cheek and gave her a hug as Kendall’s eyes filled.

Lizzie was immediately on edge. “What is it, Kendall?”

“Dan called me this morning to tell me he’d heard from an attorney on the mainland representing Violet’s father.”

This must be what it felt like to get punched in the face. The noise that came out of her sounded like a wounded animal and had her daughter turning to her in distress.

“Wh-what does that mean?” Jared asked.

“I spoke to his attorney. The man’s name is Brooks Ward, and he only recently learned of the baby’s existence from a friend of Jessie’s.”

“What does he want?” Jared asked with a hard edge to his voice. As someone who’d made his first billion in his twenties, he was accustomed to people being after his money.

“He wants to see her.”

“No!” Lizzie cried. “Absolutely not!”

When Violet began to cry, Lizzie picked her up and held her close. “He’s not getting near our child.”

“Lizzie,” Kendall said gently, “she’s not officially your child yet, and until she is, she’s technically his.”

“How do we know that for sure?” Jared asked.

“His lawyer said Jessie was the one who gave him your number when he reached out to her after finding out about Violet. He’s also willing to take a paternity test.”

Lizzie couldn’t bear to hear another word about this man who threatened everything she held dear. She took Violet and left the room.

“Kendall…” Jared felt like he was coming out of his skin.

“I’m so sorry about this, Jared. I wish I didn’t have to bring this news to you.”

“What do we do? If we lose our baby… Lizzie won’t survive it.”

He wouldn’t either, but he was far more concerned about his wife than he was about himself.

“I think you have to play this out, as hard as it is. Let him come see her, and maybe that’ll be enough for him.”

“Until his parents find out there’s a grandkid, and suddenly, they’re filing for custody, and of course, the courts will side with them because he’s the biological father whose child was kept from him for all this time.”

“Jared. Stop. I know it’s very hard not to go to worst-case scenario, but it’s very possible that he just wants to meet her, not disrupt the family she’s found with you and Lizzie.”

“I want to know his intentions before we let him see her.”

“That’s fair, but you should know that the court can order you to let him see her, if it comes to that. You don’t want that to happen.”

“I don’t want any of this to happen. We’re weeks away from the adoption being finalized. What’ll we do if he fights us for her?”

“We’ll fight back.”

“This will wreck Lizzie.”

“And you.”

“Yeah.”

“I know it’s impossible not to think the worst, but let’s take this one step at a time and hope for the best.”

Jared would focus on the worst-case much more than the best-case outcome of this nightmare. That was his nature.

“Thanks for coming over to talk to us in person.”

“I couldn’t call you with this.”

“Is this why you’ve been crying?”

She shook her head. “That’s because Phil called to tell me how much he loves and misses the boys and me.”

“Aw, jeez, K. I’m sorry. I wish he’d leave you alone.”

“I promised him updates about the boys, but I asked him not to call me again. I can’t take it. Every time I talk to him…” Tears spilled down her cheeks that she angrily brushed away. “I just can’t.”

Jared hugged her, and she held on tightly to him, both giving as much as receiving comfort.

“We’ll get through this,” Kendall said. “I promise. Dan and I will do everything we can to make sure your adoption goes through.”

“Thank you.”

“Anything for you, little brother.”

“Back at you, sis.”

After Kendall left to figure out the next steps to keep Violet where she belonged, Jared went to find Lizzie, who was lying on their bed crying as Violet slept next to her.

Jared crawled onto the bed and took her hand.

“I was thinking earlier, when we were playing before you came in, that I’ve never been happier in my life than I am right now. If I lose her, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“We won’t lose her.”

“How can you say that? If he’s her father…”

“I’m her father, and that’s not going to change. If I have to offer him every dime I have, that’s what I’ll do.”

“We can’t buy her, Jared.”

“Who says? If he’s found out who we are, that might be all he’s after. If it is, I’ll give him whatever he wants to make sure we never hear from him again.”

“That wouldn’t be right.”

“That might be all he wants.”

Lizzie sighed. “I can’t even think about this without wanting to scream.”

“We’ve got two great lawyers on our team, and they’ll do everything they can for us. So let’s try not to lose our minds over this.”

“Too late. I lost my mind the minute Kendall said Violet’s father’s lawyer had called Dan.” Tears slid down Lizzie’s sweet face. “Look at her. Our perfect girl. Our dream come true. If we lose her…”

“We won’t lose her, Lizzie. I won’t let that happen.”

“Some things, even you can’t control.”

“Have some faith in me. I’ll fight for you and our baby girl with everything I have. I won’t let them take her from us.”

He silently vowed to keep that promise to her, no matter what it took.