Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
“Rose and I are headed to the school for a freshman thing.” Both girls had applied for and been accepted into an early admission program, so they’d started classes a few weeks ago. “Are you sure you’ll be okay tonight?” Iris regarded me doubtfully, and I frowned.
“Hey,” I grumbled. “I’m their dad. I can take care of my girls.” In fact, since preseason training hadn’t started yet, I was around most of the time. They were just busting my chops as annoying little sisters like to do.
“We’ll see,” Rose snickered from behind me.
I rolled my eyes and waved at them as I picked up Daisy. “Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Iris gaped at me. “That’s not fair. You don’t do anything…ever. You’re like a monk.”
“Monks don’t have kids,” I stated. Thin argument, Ellis. Paper thin.
“Whatever,” she huffed. Then they both flitted around to kiss all of our cheeks and say goodbye.
After making dinner, we played hard in the backyard until it began to get dark. I gave both girls a bath, then we snuggled up on my bed and read stories while Daisy had another bottle. When bedtime came, Cassidy protested as I carried her to her room, but the minute I laid her on her bed, she was out. Daisy had fallen asleep as well, so I put her in her crib in the next room.
Armed with both monitors, I grabbed a shower and crawled into bed where I collapsed in an exhausted heap. Team workouts had nothing on chasing and playing with two energetic munchkins.
The ringing of my cell phone woke me the next morning, and I pried one eye open to look at the time. “Shit,” I muttered when I saw it was after seven and the house was silent. Either a miracle had happened and Cassidy was still asleep, or she was roaming the house by herself. It was too quiet for that to mean anything except trouble.
My phone continued to ring, and I picked it up as I climbed out of bed. “Hello?” After answering, I padded silently into the hall and down a few doors to peek into Cassidy’s room. I sighed in relief when I saw she was still asleep but was even more annoyed at Thom.
“Roan? Are you there?”
It was my lawyer, Thom, and I waited until I was back in my room to speak, keeping my voice low until I shut the door. “Hey, Thom. What has you calling me at the ass crack of dawn? Someone better be dead because my girls are still asleep, which means I should still be asleep.”
“Sorry, but I didn’t think this was news that could wait until a better time to call.”
My heart skipped a beat as fear flitted through me. I’d filed a petition to adopt Cassidy and Daisy shortly after they arrived. “Is there a problem with the adoption?”
“I don’t think so,” he hurried to assure me. “This will just be a small bump in the road since you are clearly their best option. ”
I gritted my teeth, annoyed that he, like most other people, seemed to think the only reason my girls should be with me was because of my wealth. “So what’s the problem?”
“Someone wants to file for custody of Cassidy and Daisy.” His voice was hesitant as if he was bracing himself for an explosion, which would have happened if my daughters’ rooms hadn’t been just down the hall.
“What the fuck, Thom?” I snarled.
“It turns out, Carrie’s sister-in-law…let me see…oh, right, Ava Cromwell, remained close with your cousin.”
“Sister-in-law? Cromwell?” My temper flared. “Are you telling me that Carrie’s deadbeat ex-husband has a sister who wants to try to get custody of my daughters?”
“Um, yes. But the good news is that according to her attorney—that’s who I just got off the phone with—she was originally planning to ask for full custody, but once she found out you had them, she decided to go for joint instead.”
“The judge won’t seriously consider it, will he? Everyone in town knows the Cromwell reputation.”
“I’m not sure what the circumstances are,” Thom said, clearing his throat. “But I can’t guarantee the judge won’t at least consider a petition if she files one since she’s their aunt. Obviously, you have the means to fight this, but custody battles can get messy., What I recommend for now is that you consider letting her visit the girls. It will show the judge that you’re acting in their best interest and give us time to figure out how to handle the situation.”
“Visitation?” I supposed that wasn’t too bad. At least I’d be able to supervise the whole time. And depending on how it went, I might be open to more visits. Considering this chick was a Cromwell, though, I didn’t think that scenario was very likely. “Fine. Set it up.”