Page 49

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR

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M iss Claudia gave me a hug and a quiet “Go on now, baby. I got him,” before I kissed Benny’s curls and left them at the house.

I’d dressed business-casual, but my palms were a swampy, sweaty mess by the time we reached the attorney’s office. Reece hadn’t let go of my hand since the parking lot. That grip grounded me—like it always did—but the knot in my stomach wouldn’t go away.

We were shown into a small, quiet office with soft-beige walls and a framed diploma behind the lawyer’s desk. She was a woman in her late forties with sharp eyes, a softer voice, and no-nonsense energy. Her name was Lila Morton, and she motioned for us to sit down as soon as she entered.

“I understand you’re facing two issues,” she said, settling into her chair and opening a manila folder. “A civil suit for assault from Mr. Mathers, and now a potential custody claim over your son, Benjamin.”

“Yes,” I said, my voice a little raw. “And to be clear, he’s never met Benny. Not once.”

Lila’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Never?”

I shook my head. “When I got pregnant, he didn’t want to be involved. I tried. I begged him to come meet his son. He never did. The court ordered him to pay child support, but he hasn’t paid a single dime.”

“That’s all documented?”

“I have everything,” I said, digging in my bag and handing over a folder. “Every letter, every court order, every bank statement showing zero deposits from him.”

Lila flipped through the documents, nodding slowly. “You’ve done a very thorough job keeping records. That helps. So what changed?”

I looked down at my hands. “Before I met Baker… Benny’s therapies were getting too expensive. I was behind on bills. I contacted the courts to try to get child support enforced. I guess that’s what set Dane off.”

“He’s only interested now because of the money,” Reece said, his voice calm but cold. “That’s it. He never cared about Benny. He never even asked about him.”

“My son can’t go to him. He threatened that he’d make Benny disappear. Now with going after the money, that’s probably changed, but any man who could make the threat in the first place can’t be trusted. My boy is special.”

“Do you have proof of this threat?”

I shook my head. “I was at work when he made it. I don’t think anyone heard.”

Lila closed the file with a soft click. “Without proof, I don’t think the accusation will get us far.

It might be better to avoid that claim for now.

But you’re right, we don’t want your son anywhere near that man.

From what I see, Mr. Mathers has failed to fulfill any of his legal or ethical obligations.

It’s clear to me this is about leverage. Not love. Not fatherhood.”

I felt the tears sting behind my eyes, but I blinked them back. “So what are our options?”

“There’s a lot we can do,” Lila said gently. “But my concern is your son. How will he fare emotionally during a custody case? Especially with someone who’s a stranger to him?”

She leaned forward. “The simplest and cleanest path? Give him what he wants.”

My heart stopped. “Excuse me?”

“Money,” she clarified. “Enough to satisfy his ego, enough to make him go away. I can draft a contract stating he relinquishes all parental rights permanently. He will never contact you, your fiancé, or the child again. If he does, we will have airtight legal protections in place. And trust me—he does not want to be on the receiving end of that.”

I swallowed hard. “And you really think he’ll agree to that?”

“I do. But he’ll want the payout first.”

I nodded numbly and stood when Reece did. “We’ll talk about it and get back to you.”

Outside, I leaned against the wall of the hallway, letting out a shaky breath. “I don’t have that kind of money, Reece. Whatever he wants—it’s going to be more than I can give. I—I shouldn’t have filed. I didn’t know it would go this far.”

Reece stopped in front of me and gently cupped my face, lifting my chin so I’d look him in the eyes. “Bree. Whoa. You agreed to marry me. You agreed to let me adopt Benny. That makes him my son. You do have the money. Because I have the money. We’re in this together.”

“But I don’t want to drain your savings,” I said, voice trembling. “You already put so much into Benny’s trust.”

“And I’d do it again. A hundred times.” He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “There’s nothing more important to me than protecting him. Or you.”

My throat tightened. “But you have the taxes on your mom’s house, all the added expenses of us living with you?—”

He cut me off. “I’m putting it up for sale,” he said softly. “It’s time.”

“ Reece . ”

He gave me a sad smile. “I know. It was my childhood home. But it’s just a house now.

What matters is the family we’re building.

That kid, our life. You . I want to give Benny a future, Bree.

One where he never has to wonder who’s got his back.

And I want him to grow up in a place filled with love. Not court orders and threats.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to us.”

“Damn right I am,” he whispered into my hair.

He was so lucky I loved him, or at least his groin was lucky, because I had a knee itching to make contact for that one.

But I held back.