He thought it over and nodded. “It might work.” He met my gaze. “What about you, Van?”
“I can handle myself.”
He snickered, the sound without humor. “From what I’ve been told, this guy excels at getting under your skin. Can you really?”
“I’ll move my stuff from the trailer. I’ll work out of one of the empty apartments. I’ll only communicate for business reasons, and I won’t be alone with him. I won’t give him the chance to get to me.”
He huffed a sigh. “I’ll be honest. This complicates things, but I understand you have a job to do. But one wrong move can affect this case—you understand?”
“Yes.”
“As soon as I get the papers from his lawyer, I’ll respond. I’ll try to get this before a judge privately and nip it in the bud. Hopefully we’ll get one of the judges I have in mind on the case.” He paused, flipping open the file. “Aiden tells me he has Reid digging into Mr. Nolan’s background.”
“Yes,” I replied.
He smirked. “I would kill to poach Reid away from BAM. If anyone can find anything to use against Nolan, it’ll be Reid.”
“I still don’t know why Chris is doing this,” Liv stated. “He didn’t want her before. He has never liked children. He wanted nothing to do with her.”
“Revenge. Anger. Jealousy. To be a prick.” Hal made some notes in the file. “I’ve seen it all.”
“What should we do?” Liv asked, her voice quivering.
He sat back, regarding us. “Stick to your schedule. Live your life. Make sure Samantha is taken care of. Don’t engage with Mr. Nolan, no matter what occurs. Let me handle this.”
“Can he win?” I asked, my voice tight.
“It’s rare it happens in cases where the rights have been voluntarily signed away. But it can occur.” He addressed Liv. “From what I see, your daughter is happy, well-cared-for, and thriving. There is no reason a judge would take her away from you. If I do my job right, we’ll shut this down as quickly as possible. But on the off chance he wins, you will have to prepare yourself that he might be part of her life. We would demand supervised visitation and a limited amount of contact, at least to start. It’s not as if she’ll suddenly be living with him on a part-time basis.”
“I don’t want her with him at all. He’s a terrible person,” Liv protested. “He would destroy her the way he tried to destroy me.”
“That’s what we need to show the judge. Did you confide in anyone? Were there witnesses to the way he treated you?”
Liv sighed. “My mother. I didn’t have a close friend. Chris sort of cut them all off. And I was ashamed, to be honest. He made me ashamed.”
“Typical.”
He folded his hands on his desk. “Leave this with me. Let’s see what Reid comes up with. I want you to write it out. All of it. Any detail of your time with him—especially when he found out you were pregnant. Anything you think of—you never know what could be significant.”
“Okay.”
He stood. “I’ll let you know when they make the first volley.”
I shook his hand, watching as he reached for Liv’s shaking palm. He met her worried gaze. “I’ll do everything I can, Liv. Trust me—you’re in good hands with me. I eat people like Mr. Nolan for breakfast and shit them out before lunch. I will break him.”
Her lips curved upward in a tremulous smile. “Okay.”
I met his gaze. “I look forward to it.”
Liv
Sammy bounced on her bed, her eyes bright.
“I love my room!” she crowed. “My bookcase is perfect here!”
“Calm down, Sammy. No more bouncing on the bed. I don’t want you to fall,” I murmured, sliding some clothes into the dresser Van had brought into the room for her.
She sat on the edge, looking around the room. “Is this forever, Mommy?”
I turned from the dresser, glancing around the room. How Van had done this, I had no idea. Her bed was here. Her bookcase. Toys, dolls, and books. A few pictures. Even her table and tea set. Drapes had been hung to match the cushion Van’s mom had made. A bright rug covered the floor.
I had brought Sammy and my mom back to Van’s place. His parents were there, helping Van. My mom and Lila bonded over Sammy. Dinner was ready. Sammy’s room set. All I had to do was unpack the two suitcases I’d had ready and Van had added to the truck. It was as if the house was waiting for us. It was lovely and somehow overwhelming at the same time.
Sammy had been in her element. Nanna Lila, Poppa Joe, plus Grammie, all glued to her words. Van, who sat beside her, made sure she ate and let her sit on his lap after dinner was done. His muscular arm held her safe as he chuckled at her stories. Looking around the table, I felt the love, and more than once I had to swallow the thickness in my throat. Van’s eyes met mine, his slight nod and understanding gaze making my chest warm. Our parents left not long after dinner, Joe and Lila insisting on driving my mom home. I had a feeling I would be seeing lots of them together.
Van cleared his throat from the doorway. “We don’t know how long it’s for, Sammy. A few weeks until they fix the apartment for sure.”
We had told her a pipe burst and we were staying at Van’s while it was fixed. When she found out her bed and bookcase were already there, she had been excited. Add in the touches from Lila, and it was perfect for Sammy.
“Oh, okay. I like forever, though.”
Van grinned, his eyes crinkling the way Sammy loved. “I like it too, Mouse. We’ll see how it goes, okay?”
She clapped her hands. “I’ll be good!”
He kneeled beside the bed, his tone gentle and loving. “You’re always good, Sammy. You’re one of the best kids I know. It’s a grown-up thing, okay? Not you.”
She flung her arms around his neck and said something in his ear. His expression grew tender as he held her close, a small bundle in his massive arms.
“Me too,” he whispered back.
I had to blink away the tears in my eyes as I turned back to the dresser. I loved the way he was with her. Her friend, protector, and father figure, all in one giant package. Gentle and sweet with her and those he loved, but fierce and stern with those who threatened them.
I wiped away the moisture and turned around. “Okay, kiddo. Bath time and then bed. It’s late.”
She didn’t argue, and as soon as her bath was done and she was tucked in, she was asleep. I watched her for a moment. Van stepped behind me, wrapping his arm around my waist. “We’ll leave the bookshelf lights on,” he murmured. “And I added a night-light in the hall in case she wakes up and is confused. We’ll leave the doors open.”
I leaned back into him. “You’re so good to us.”
He pressed a kiss to my head. “I’m just getting started, Liv.” He drew me to the door. “Now, it’s your turn.”
Twenty minutes later, I was in the huge tub in Van’s en suite. He had filled it and added bubbles, turning the lights down low, and had soft music playing. He’d even left a glass of wine on the edge.