Now this jackass wanted to be a part of his daughter’s life and was demanding more visitation, insisting that his ex-wife had kept his daughter away from him and poisoned her mind against him.
Luckily, my client kept impeccable records on missed visitation, all the texts and emails she had sent to remind him of upcoming birthdays, important dates, and visiting times. All of which he ignored until he found out he was being replaced.
And the kicker was how generous my client was being. Rather than put her daughter through a custody battle that could get ugly, she was trying to find a solution. Her offer of steady visitation was more than fair, especially given the fact that he was doing this because his nose was out of joint. His ego wouldn’t allow him to be replaced. And while Janet knew that, she still gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“I don’t want Kimberly not to know her father,” she explained to me. “He was a good dad when we were together, and she adored him.”
“That was then,” I argued. I wanted to go after him, no holds barred, and have him erased from their lives completely. “His track record speaks for itself.”
She looked sad. “I know, but I’m hoping if I make the offer, he’ll try. Really try. So, if Kimmy ever asks me why, I can tell her honestly how hard I attempted to have him be part of her life.” She sighed, looking past me to the window. “George loves her too, but Hank is her father.” She lifted her shoulders in a resigned shrug. “As George says, no child can have too much love. If she can have both of them, then it’s a good thing.”
Her words still echoed in my head. No child can have too much love.
Some kids had no love. Sometimes they were pawns—caught in a game they never asked to play.
A game where they were the losers—every time.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts, locking up the memories, pushing away the feelings where they belonged.
In the past.
The door opening behind me startled me, and I spoke without turning around.
“Why are you still here?”
A long sigh met my ears. “Because my tyrant of a boss is still here, so like the good soldier I am, I stayed.”
I turned and met the steady gaze of my assistant.
“Now you’re a soldier?”
Rene’s eyes crinkled as he chuckled. Twenty years my senior, he had more energy than I did most days. He had been married young, and his son was my age, married with two kids Rene doted on. His wife had passed away ten years prior, and since then he was a self-declared ladies’ man. Tall, thin, with café-au-lait colored skin and a polished bald head, he was dressed in his usual flamboyant style. It had taken me a while to get used to his wardrobe. If it had been a large law office, he would have stuck out like a sore thumb, but since it was my own practice, I allowed it.
Dark dress pants, a brilliant blue shirt, a wild vest, and a jaunty tie was his idea of an office uniform. Other days, his patterned jackets and pocket squares were vivid and bright. The funkiest shoes always adorned his feet. A gold earring gleamed in his ear. His wardrobe screamed uptown, but his work was definitely downtown, and I’d be lost without him. He ran my office with precision and put up with my grueling schedule without a complaint.
“I’m sure I have the outfit to prove it.”
I smirked. “No doubt.”
He set a pile of folders on my desk. “I’ve updated your calendar, made sure all your research was up to date, returned all your messages, and answered all the emails I could. I also rescheduled your dinner with the flavor of the month until Thursday. You have a new client meeting Wednesday evening, and I know how pissy Ms. Molly gets when you keep her waiting.”
My lips quirked. “Good thinking.”
“She bothers me.”
I tried not to laugh. “Does she now? In what way?”
“Her attitude. She’s a handful. Don’t get me started on that voice either. Like nails on a chalkboard.”
“Thanks for the heads-up.”
“I’m telling you, when you end it—and we both know you will—she’s gonna take it badly. She’s a clinger.”
“Duly noted.”
“You need to find a nice girl. Settle down. Stop this casual shit.”
“Not interested, thanks.”
He studied me, crossing his arms. “You have a lot to offer someone, Halton.”
I snorted. “Sex-wise, maybe. That’s all I’m interested in.”
“It’s all you allow yourself to be interested in.”
I waved my hand dismissing his words. “It’s no skin off your nose, Rene. Back off.”
“It would make my life easier, not having to remember who is who and with whom you’re sleeping this week.”
“I pay you well enough to keep track of those details. Do your job.”
“I do it well, thank you very much.”
I lifted one shoulder. “Meh. I guess.”
“Oh, don’t fall over yourself with the compliments,” Rene snipped. “I’d like to see someone else put up with your broody ass the way I do.”
He was right and we both knew it, but I liked to give him a hard time. He certainly gave me one every chance he got.
I sat back in my chair and pursed my lips.
“Why do you work for me if I’m such a miserable bastard?”
“Because you wear a suit like no one’s business and it makes my nether regions sing when I watch you strut around,” he deadpanned.
I blinked. “I have no idea how to respond to that.”
Rene rolled his eyes and became serious. “I work for you because of what you do, Halton.”
I interrupted him with an impatient wave of my hand. “Stop calling me that. You know I prefer Hal.”
He shook his head. “Hal is your persona. He is the asshole other attorneys and judges have to deal with every day. The man who refuses to back down from an argument. The individual who presents an indifferent persona to the world. I know the real Halton. The man who fights on behalf of children. For the woman trying to leave her abusive husband. For the dad who would be a better parent for his child. You battle for the underdog.”
“Keep the overflowing heart stuff to yourself. I like to see justice done. Simple. And I like to win.”
Rene turned on his heel and headed to the door. “Say whatever you want. Underneath all that bluster and snarky attitude is a good man.”
“Get out of my office.”
Rene paused with a smirk. “Don’t worry, boss man. I like my job too much. I’ll keep that part to myself.”
“Do that.”
He shut the door and my phone rang.
Seeing the number, I smirked. “Hal Smithers,” I barked into the phone.
“We’ll accept the deal.”
“I’ll let my client know.”
I hung up and picked up my scotch.
Victory.
Halton
“You’re not paying attention,” Molly snapped.
I glanced up from my phone with a frown. “I told you I was in the middle of an important case. My work takes priority. I was very clear from the onset of this…whatever you want to call it, with you.”
She sniffed. “I thought it was a relationship.”