Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Finally, losing his grip on control, Jeff rocketed to his feet. “Not violent? Your Honor, as much as I’ve enjoyed this little story time, it’s irrelevant. I don’t want him around my son. The man headbutted me. I’m pretty sure that is still a crime in Belton.”
The judge nodded. “You are correct. So is obstructing justice.”
“Obstruction of justice?” Jeff shot back incredulously.
The judge lifted a paper in the air. “Did you think that, because you tried to rush this emergency hearing through in less than two days, I wouldn’t take the time to prepare? I watched your useless video and your meaningless pictures, but I also read the police report. It’s not lost on me that the arresting officers have not only joined us today, but are also sitting behind the defendant.”
He put his glasses on and leaned forward, the paper still clutched in his hand. “It says here that you were instructed by officers not to speak multiple times, and instead, you continued to argue and provoke Mr. West. In all my years of sitting on this bench, I’ve heard a lot of things that turned my stomach, but never have I been more disgusted than when I read that you used the senseless death of another man’s child to insult him.”
I gasped, rage burning my throat as I fought the urge to throw up. He’d brought up Kaitlyn. My Kaitlyn. He was lucky Truett only headbutted him. I would have done far worse.
“This is bullshit!” Jeff shouted, his voice echoing through the small space. “I’m the victim here!”
“Enough,” Judge Clavet snapped, slamming his gavel. “Bailiff, please take Mr. Weaver into custody.”
A familiar arrogance flared in Jeff’s face. “Are you fucking kidding me? Why does everyone in this Godforsaken town want to suck Truett West’s dick?” His rabid gaze slid to mine. “What is wrong with you? He left you after he killed your brother and your daughter. And you’re just going to run back to him? You really are that desperate and pathetic, aren’t you?”
Truett’s hand painfully gripped mine as he barely held himself back.
Jeff’s insults were nothing new to me. I’d spent a lot of years wilting under his abuse, convincing myself that keeping my family together was all that mattered. But, eventually, I had been forced to look in the mirror and accept that I mattered more. He could call me names all day long, but his words no longer held power over me.
So, as Truett fought to maintain his composure and the judge wildly banged his gavel, calling for order, I smiled as a pair of cuffs were clicked around Jeff’s wrists.
“You are a disgrace,” the judge spat. “I’m holding you in contempt of court. Maybe you should spend less time worrying about your ex-wife’s personal life and reflect on how you can be a better father. I find no reason to grant your request for emergency custody of Nathan Bryce Weaver. Your motion has been denied.”
Relief flooded my veins as the room busted into a flurry of quiet celebration. I slapped a hand down on Truett’s arm, my fingernails biting into the fabric of his suit, waiting until I could launch myself into his arms.
The judge let out an exasperated sigh. “Anything more from you, Mr. Cooper?”
“No, Your Honor. Thank you for your time,” my virtually useless attorney replied.
He lifted his gavel, but Truett quickly rushed out with, “May I say one more thing, sir?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Go ahead.”
“I think you were right.” He stepped over the partition dividing us and pulled me into his side. “My daughter would be proud, and as hard as it is to admit, she probably would have called me a hero too.”
With gentle eyes, the judge smiled. “You were her father. On the good days, the bad days, and every single one in between, you were always her hero.”
Truett’s breathing shuddered, his arm tensing around me, as another wave of tears filled my eyes.
“Thank you,” Truett rasped.
The judge nodded, banged his gavel, and then dismissed the court.
Dylan, Angela, and Lucille cheered and clapped as Daniel, his doctors, and even the cops Truett had brought with him that day hurried to the front, patting him on the back.
But he only had eyes for me. “I’m sorry that took me so long. All of this.”
We had so far to go. So much healing to do. But our future together was only a blink away.
“Welcome to the present, True.”
Truett
Life was hard. That didn’t change because I’d mentally committed to taking the first steps to reclaim my life. There were no fewer than a million grueling miles between where I was and where I wanted to be.
But I was trying. Little by little. Minute by minute.
With Gwen by my side.
We hadn’t heard anything from Jeff in nearly two weeks. With the majority of their custody swaps being done in the carpool line after school, it wasn’t necessary to see each other regularly. Thankfully, his surprise visits and nasty texts had stopped. That was as much of a win as I figured we could expect from him.