Page 51 of The Love Ambush (The Sullivans #1)

Gentry

I ’m yawning as I pull into the driveway on Tuesday evening. It was a long day of work, and I’m ready for a comfort-food dinner and curling up on my couch to read a good book.

A familiar car pulls in behind me. As I get out, Daisy, my boss’ wife and Levi’s cousin, gets out of the car.

“Everything okay?” I ask. “Does Noah need me back at work?” Daisy and I are friendly, but I don’t know her well.

“Noah, who?” she asks, giving me a sly smile. “I’m here in my capacity as your CPS caseworker. I need to speak to your father, Harley Lendew.”

“Is that right?” I rack my brain for what she could possibly do to convince Dad not to sell the house.

“With your biological father returning home, I believe it’s important he understands how disruptive it can be to teenagers to move them out of their childhood home.”

Giddy joy floods me. “Way to think outside the box.”

“Thank Levi,” she says as she breezes past me.

I follow, but stop when I notice something green on the porch railing. It’s viscous and of an unnatural fluorescent color. If Emily hadn’t outgrown slime a few years ago, I might think she’d put it here.

Once on the porch, I notice more green slime that looks like it’s dripping from the porch ceiling. It streaks the walls and has puddled on the floor in places.

Is this an elaborate prank? Or is something seriously wrong with this house?

“I’ll find my dad,” I say to Daisy as she stands on the porch, waiting for someone to open the door. “Come on in.”

She follows me inside, stopping in the hallway. Trisha is in the kitchen, madly putting dishes into the dishwasher. “Please tell me that’s not another surprise potential buyer. The house is a mess. Your sisters aren’t even trying to keep it clean.”

“It’s our CPS caseworker. The girls have been busy with school, but I’ll talk to them.”

She straightens, her eyes going almost comically wide. “A CPS… A caseworker? Why would you have a caseworker? You’re family.”

“Because I’m not their mother.”

“But now your father’s here, so we don’t need CPS to get involved at all.”

“They’re already involved,” I say. “They’re the ones who decided Mom wasn’t able to take care of the kids anymore, and they’re going to make sure Dad has their best interests in mind.”

“Well, of course he does.” Trisha swipes a stray hair off her face, leaving a damp streak on her forehead. “Tell whoever it is we don’t need her.”

“Where is Dad?” I ask.

“He’s in the backyard,” Trisha says. “I don’t know what he’s doing.”

I hurry out the back door to find Dad with Sophie and Emily, playing corn hole. Emily’s laughing so hard she’s curled over on herself, and even Sophie is smiling, leaning against Dad while he gestures and explains something about technique or form to her.

They’re so happy with him.

Dad looks over and sees me. “Want to play?”

“Our CPS caseworker is here,” I say. “She needs to talk to you about your guardianship of Emily and Sophie.”

“Guardianship?” he says. “I’m their father.”

I shrug. I’m not about to be the one to explain how he lost his parental rights when he left. “I’m just the messenger.”

He glances at the kids and then back to me. “Want to take over for me?”

“I think I should be there to talk to Daisy,” I say as I follow him toward the house. No way in hell am I missing out on this conversation.

Sophie starts following us, but I face her and shake my head. “Stay out here with Emily. Keep playing.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but she must see the determination on my face, because she nods. “Is everything okay?”

“I think she wants to talk to Dad about how selling the house might not be in your or Emily’s best interest,” I say in a low voice, with a wink for emphasis.

Sophie smiles. “Got it.”

When I get inside, Daisy is still standing in the hall. She always dresses conservatively, but today she’s added a blazer and has her hair up in a neat bun.

Trisha is nowhere to be found and clearly didn’t offer Daisy a seat or a drink.

Dad shakes her hand warmly. “Thank you for looking out for my kids,” he says cheerfully. “But I’m back now, so you’re no longer needed.”

“Hey, Daisy,” I say. “Why don’t you come into the kitchen to talk? Can I get you something to drink?”

“I’m fine,” Daisy says, her smile tight as we all go into the kitchen.

We take seats at the table, and Dad gives Daisy his most charming smile. “I’m afraid there must be some mistake,” Dad says. “I’m the girls’ biological father. We don’t need a visit from CPS.”

“You lost all parental rights when you left the family three years ago. In the eyes of CPS, you are a new adult male who hasn’t been vetted in the home of two teenage girls .

Are you planning on requesting a restoration of your parental rights?

” Daisy bends down, pulls a thick folder from her bag, and sets it on the kitchen table with a thump.

Dad glances at me, and I don’t like the look in his eyes. “That is correct. I’m going to be taking care of my daughters. But I’m their biological father. My name is on their birth certificates.”

“I do understand,” Daisy says. “But it’s my job to make sure you’re a suitable guardian for your daughters.

Do you have a stable job here?” Daisy is nailing her role.

If our actual caseworker wasn’t constantly buried under far too much work for one person, she’d probably have already been here doing exactly what Daisy’s doing.

If I had called her, which I haven’t done because I don’t want to lose custody before I know exactly what Dad’s up to.

“Not yet,” Dad says. “But I shouldn’t have any problem finding one. Do you need to see my work history?”

“That would be helpful. I’ll also need an explanation for why you’ve failed to provide any financial support for your children for the past three years.

” She opens the folder and pulls out a stack of papers, setting it before my father.

“This is a detailed report of the back child support owed to your children.”

I stare at Daisy, beyond shocked. We didn’t discuss this.

Dad stares at the stack of papers, his face going pale. “Well, now, I’ll need to review this. It’s not as though I never sent any money.”

I turn my shocked stare on my father. He never paid a penny. At least not according to my mother. Did she lie about that?

“Of course,” Daisy says. “Now, let’s talk about the house. It looks like you’ve put this house on the market?”

“That’s right,” Dad says, puffing out his chest. “Financially, it’s the best thing for the family. We’ll downsize and have more liquid money to work with.”

“I’m afraid that’s not a great idea,” Daisy says, her expression all sympathy, her voice soft.

“Your daughters have just had a great shock with you coming back into their lives out of the blue. Further change, especially something as huge as moving them out of their childhood home, won’t be good for their mental or physical well-being.

I’d recommend you take the house off the market immediately. ”

Dad loses all of his natural charm. “And what if I don’t? I have a right to do what’s best for my family.”

“Of course you do.” Daisy closes her folder and stands, shoving it into her bag as she does so. “We’re going to need you to provide us with the address of your new home as soon as you’ve found one. We’ll also need to view the home before you move in and determine whether it’s suitable.”

“I’m their father.” Dad’s still smiling, but his hands are fisted and his body radiates with tension. He hates being told what to do. “You can’t tell us where to live.”

“Until we’ve determined whether to restore your parental rights, Gentry will remain their guardian, and she is to be the one to make all important decisions regarding their well-being. Please call my office if you have any further questions. I’ll be in touch.”

Daisy walks out before Dad can say another word, and we both stare after her.

“This is bullshit.” Dad scans the paperwork she gave him.

It looks genuinely official. Daisy works in publishing, and she must have used the publishing house’s resources to create the papers.

Or she has connections in the local government.

Neither would surprise me. “But I know how the government works. If we even manage to make any money off selling this shithole, CPS will label it as unpaid child support and force me to put it into a college fund for your sisters or something.” He sighs and rubs a hand over his face.

“Or, they’ll decide you should be the guardian and make me give all the money to you. ”

I stare at my father, my heart sinking. He doesn’t sound like a man concerned for his children, he sounds like a man worried he’s not going to get the payout he was expecting.

My throat is tight with heartbreak as I say, “I probably should get some of the money, since I’ve put a good bit into the maintenance and taxes on this place.

And Emily and Sophie should get a college fund.

You’ve given them nothing for the past three years, and you don’t think you owe them anything? ”

His smile turns oily. “Your mother wouldn’t accept anything from me, kiddo. Now, I’m back, I’ll be helping you out with whatever you need as soon as I get the money. I can’t do that if the government takes it all.”

But I don’t trust him to ever give us anything.

He’s never proved himself capable of it.

Even when he was still here, Mom had the better job and complained more than once about him spending everything he made carelessly and on himself.

Back then, I thought she was being too hard on my fun-loving father, but now I get it.

And I’m losing the last bit of hope I had that he’s changed. “If you want to stay here and be a guardian to the kids, Dad, you’re going to have to do what CPS asks. Like it or not, you’re going to have to do it.”