Another Chance to Love Read online

  “Brian, Brian, Brian,” Paige said. “The sink is about to run over.”

  “Whu-What?” Quickly he snapped the faucet off.

  “Stop worrying so much, babe.”

  “I’m scared as hell, Paige. You never know what a judge will decide. Maybe Olivia’s lawyer talks a little faster than mine.”

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed the back of his neck. “If Judge White can’t see the truth, then he’s a fool and needs to be thrown off the bench.”

  Nodding, Brian grabbed her hand and kissed it. In a few hours, he would find out if she was right.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  As Paige and Brian drove to the courthouse, he looked over at her, thinking of the fantasy he’d conjured earlier. He knew their marriage would be filled with passion. Even with her quick temper, she was the right mix of sugar and spice, nothing like the selfish shrew he’d thought she was upon first impression. Paige was proving to be one of the most selfless women he’d ever known. She’d be his wife someday, but how soon?

  An hour later, Paige and Brian were sitting in the courthouse waiting for the judge to call his case. Olivia and her lawyer sat on the other side of the courtroom. Olivia shot icy daggers at them with her cold brown eyes. Gerald Johnson, Brian’s attorney, walked over to Brian and Paige with a confident smile on his face. “Good morning,” he said.

  “I hope it will be,” Brian replied.

  “It will be. Brian, you’re going to keep custody of your son. I’m willing to bet my fee on it.”

  Brian didn’t want to smile or be too optimistic about the case. Murphy’s law was still in effect. Anything that could go wrong probably would. A strange man walked over to Olivia and her attorney. Brian watched as the two of them embraced. “Who’s that?” Gerald asked Brian.

  “I haven’t a clue,” he said shrugging his shoulders.

  “She hasn’t remarried, has she?”

  “What difference would it make if she had?” Brian asked.

  Gerald sat down beside him and lowered his voice. “A two parent family looks a lot better to this judge than a single mother or father.” Gerald glanced at Paige. “Any chance that you two will get married any time soon?”

  Brian narrowed his eyes at him. “I’m not going to use my relationship in that way,” he said.

  Gerald folded his arms across his chest. “Your ex-wife doesn’t seem to have that problem.”

  “I’m not her. Besides, she abandoned her son. The judge will have to take that into consideration.”

  “Remember what I said before, you know, about betting my fee? Let’s not,” he said as the court clerk called their case.

  Paige blew Brian a kiss and he and his lawyer headed for the front table. Judge Charles White looked at Brian and Olivia.

  “Good morning. I see that things couldn’t be worked out between the parents. So, here we are again,” he said. “Mr. Kittles, I’ve reviewed the documents you presented to the court. I just want to get this straight: Mrs. Jackson is engaged to be married, has just purchased a house in Decatur, Georgia, and wants to take her son from the only home he has ever known.”

  Kittles stood up and pulled at the lapels on his jacket. “Your Honor, my client has the means to provide the stable family for her son that she didn’t have six months ago. Mr. Jackson has kept my client from her son, not giving her a chance to bond with her son. These are his formative years and he needs his mother.”

  The judge folded his arms under his chest. “If that’s the case, why didn’t the former Mrs. Jackson think of that before she left her son?” Judge White turned to Gerald. “Mr. Johnson, you contend that Mrs. Jackson abandoned her son and sole custody, if awarded, should remain with Mr. Jackson. Now, it’s my understanding that Mr. Jackson is a police officer. How can he provide adequate child care as a single father?”

  Gerald didn’t stand up. He looked at the judge and smiled. “Your Honor, Mr. Jackson has made several changes in his life. He gave up leadership in the Elmore Police Department’s vice and narcotics unit. He works more manageable hours as a school resource officer. He has built in family support as well. Mr. Jackson has a sister who babysits for him. Also, Mr. Jackson is in a relationship with a guidance counselor from the high school. She has helped Mickey cope with the divorce of his parents. But the child is fragile, Your Honor. Taking him away from his father would harm his psyche. Even while Mrs. Jackson has been in town, she has proven to be a neglectful mother.”

  Kittles cleared his throat. “I object to that characterization of my client.”

  Gerald stood up and picked up a copy of Mickey’s medical records. “If I may submit this to the court,” he said before approaching the bench. “This is a copy of Brian Jr.’s medical records. At age three, he was found to be allergic to shellfish. However, while in the custody of his mother, Mickey was served shellfish and ended up in the hospital. Mrs. Jackson allows her mother to smoke around the little boy and disappears at night, adding to his anxiety.”

  The judge turned to Kittles. “Well?”

  “Your Honor,” Mr. Kittles began. “I assure you, that was an isolated incident and Brian Jr. doesn’t have any respiratory problems that are aggravated by his grandmother’s occasional cigarette. And to get to the point, Ms. Watson, the grandmother, would not live with Mrs. Jackson and her family in Atlanta.”

  The judge raised his hand. “I’ve heard enough from the lawyers. I want to talk to the parents now,” he said as he stared intently at Olivia. “Mrs. Jackson, why did you leave your son?”

  Olivia dropped her head. “That was the hardest thing that I ever had to do,” she said. “I knew taking my son while I was in transition wouldn’t be fair to him. Besides, he needed to finish the school year. I thought my ex-husband and I had an understanding.”

  “You’re a liar!” Brian exclaimed.

  Judge White banged his gavel. “Mr. Johnson, control your client.”

  Paige, who was sitting behind Brian, placed her hand on his shoulder. Brian had forgotten that she was in the courtroom. He looked back at her, then again at the judge.

  “Your Honor, I apologize to the court for my outburst,” Brian said after he regained his composure.

  “Don’t let it happen again,” Judge White cautioned.

  “This is what I dealt with my entire marriage,” Olivia continued. “Fits of rage. Brian can’t control his temper and neither can his so-called girlfriend.” She shot a look at Paige. “She attacked me on the front lawn of her house.”

  Brian dropped his head. He’d known this was going to come back to haunt him.

  “I don’t want my son raised in that kind of environment,” Olivia continued.

  Paige stood up. “Excuse me, Your Honor,” she said. “I know I may be out of order, but I would like to explain my actions.”

  “And you are?” he asked.

  “The woman Mrs. Jackson attacked. While both of us were wrong for fighting like children, neither of us is innocent in the alleged attack that she’s talking about. Fortunately, Mickey wasn’t around to see his mother and me acting like two ill-mannered high school students. I take responsibility for what I did and I apologize to Mrs. Jackson and the court,” she said.

  The judge nodded. “Now please sit down.”

  Paige sat down and Brian turned to her and smiled. “Thank you,” he mouthed.

  The judge turned to Brian. “Mr. Jackson, have you allowed your ex-wife to see your son?”

  “Yes, sir, I have. But Olivia seems to be more concerned about what’s going on in my personal life than what’s best for our son,” he said.

  “Even though she’s engaged to be married?” the judge questioned.

  “This is the first that I’ve heard of an engagement, sir. I want Olivia and Mickey to have a relationship, but she has to realize that she walked out on him and he’s still dealing with the aftereffects of that. He has nightmares and abandonment issues. I don’t know this man that Olivia is marrying and neither does my son.” />
  “That’s because you haven’t let us spend time with him!” Olivia interjected.

  “Mrs. Jackson, you’ve had your say,” Judge White said. “And I’ve heard enough. We’re in recess until I reach a decision. I’ll contact the lawyers when I’m ready to rule.” He banged his gavel and then dismissed the courtroom. Brian knew he wouldn’t breathe until he knew what the judge’s decision was.

  Paige grabbed his arm. “You look like you’re about to pass out,” she said.

  “I’ll be fine, let’s just get out of here,” he said as he looked at Olivia and the man she claimed was her fiancé. They walked out of the courtroom arm in arm, brushing past Brian and Paige.

  “She’s not going to win and anyone can tell that she isn’t really going to marry that man,” Paige said as she and Brian headed out through the other door.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Though time had passed quickly before the custody hearing, it passed as slowly as molasses through a rusty drain while Brian waited for the judge’s decision. It had been two days since the judge began considering the case but he was on edge every time the phone rang, hoping it was Gerald calling to tell him that the judge had made a decision and Mickey wasn’t going anywhere. He took his phone with him everywhere he went, to the bathroom, to the storage room, to the porch when he and Mickey sat on the steps eating ice cream. But when the call finally came, Brian didn’t want to take it. He sighed before answering. “Hello?”

  “Jackson, it’s me,” Gerald said. “The judge is ready to rule. He wants us in court at noon. Can you swing that?”

  “Of course,” Brian replied.

  “See you then.”

  Brian headed down the hall to grab his son. “Hey, Mickey, we need to head downtown real quick,” he said as he walked into the little boy’s room. Mickey was sitting on the floor, playing with his Hot Wheels cars.

  “Why?”

  “The judge has made his decision about who gets to spend the most time with you,” Brian said. “So, put your sneakers on so that we can go, all right?”

  Mickey nodded and slipped his tiny feet into his sneakers. Once Mickey had his shoes on, he and Brian headed out to his truck. As Brian drove to the courthouse, he said a silent prayer that the judge had made the right decision and would allow Mickey to live with him.

  When Brian walked into the courtroom, he held his breath. Gerald was already sitting at one of the tables up front.

  “Where’s Brian Jr.?” Gerald asked.

  “Down in the daycare area. Any idea how the judge ruled?” Gerald shook his head. “My guess is that it’s more than likely an arrangement for shared custody. Judge White is big on keeping both parents involved in children’s lives.”

  Brian could deal with that. He didn’t want to keep Olivia away from her son, but she wasn’t going to take him to Atlanta, at least not for more than a few weeks at a time.

  The bailiff announced the judge and Brian held his breath as Judge White came in and told everyone to be seated.

  “Parenting is hard when the two parents live together. When parents are divorced, it’s that much harder. Because Mrs. Jackson lives in Atlanta, shared custody will be extremely hard. But a child needs to have both a mother and a father in his or her life. So, my decision is this: the child, Brian Jackson Jr., will spend nine months of the year with his father, since his school is here. The summer months he will spend with his mother. As for the holidays, Thanksgiving will be spent with his mother in Atlanta and Christmas will be spent with his father.

  “Now this is a court order. If you don’t follow these rules to the letter, and I mean each of you, I will hold you in contempt of court and throw you in jail. This ruling is in the best interest of your son and I implore you to work together to make sure Brian Jr. understands that both of his parents love him. The summer is almost over and Mrs. Jackson has expressed the wish to return to her home in Atlanta. I’m ordering that Brian Jackson Jr. go with her and stay with his mother until August 10th. At that time, Mr. Jackson will take custody of his son for the school year.”

  Brian’s heart dropped to his stomach. This was too much, especially since Mickey didn’t want to go to Atlanta with his mother. He didn’t want him to go either. Mickey didn’t need two houses. He glanced over at Olivia, who had a smug grin on her face. Brian stormed out of the courtroom and into the daycare area where his son had been sitting. He knew he was going to hear it from the judge for acting out in the courtroom, but Brian didn’t care.

  “Mickey,” he said. His son was sitting on the floor at a plastic workbench, pounding on a plastic nail like a carpenter.

  “Hey Daddy,” he said.

  Brian picked Mickey up and hugged him tightly. The judge burst into the playroom.

  “Mr. Jackson,” he said. “I hope you’re not planning anything stupid.”

  Brian shook his head, although he wished he and Mickey could disappear. “I need to explain to my son what’s going on. That’s the kind of relationship we have.”

  Judge White’s scowl softened. “I don’t doubt that you and your son are close and that you have been a big part of his life. But he needs a mother and a father.”

  Mickey looked from his father to Judge White. “What’s wrong, Daddy?”

  Brian smiled. “Remember what I told you about the judge?”

  Mickey nodded. Brian continued speaking after he took a deep breath. “Well, he has decided that you should spend the rest of the summer with your mommy, in Atlanta.”

  Mickey pouted. “I don’t want to go to Atlanta. I want to stay here with you and Miss Paige.”

  Brian was heartbroken, but he knew he had to be strong for his son. “Come on, Mick, be a big boy. Mommy hasn’t really seen you all summer, so it’s only fair that she gets some time with you.”

  Olivia walked into the playroom all smiles. “Mickey, sweetheart, we’re going to Atlanta tonight. Aren’t you excited?”

  The little boy shook his head no but Olivia continued talking. “We’re going to have so much fun. We’ll go to Atlanta Braves baseball games and the Underground and of course Six Flags.”

  “Why can’t Daddy come too?” Mickey asked.

  Olivia glanced over at Brian. “Because Daddy has to work, right, Brian?”

  He cleared his throat. “Yes, champ, I do have to work. But I promise I will call you every night before you go to bed and you can call me any time you want,” he said. Brian looked at Olivia as if to tell her that she wouldn’t stop him from talking to his son.

  “Come on, Mickey,” Olivia said as she nearly snatched the boy from Brian’s arms. As they walked out of the play area, Brian felt an icy dread wash over him. Judge White turned to Brian.

  “Normally, I would hold you in contempt, but since this is a delicate situation, I’ll let it slide this time,” he said.

  “Thank you, sir,” Brian said with forced deference in his voice. At that moment, as irrational as it was, he hated Judge White and blamed him for allowing Olivia to walk out that door with his son. Thirty days was too long to be away from his child and this judge was a fool for thinking that Olivia wanted to spend that much time with Mickey.

  Brian walked out of the courthouse and headed home. He didn’t want to go home to pack his son’s things and send him to Atlanta. But it was a court order and he was already on the judge’s bad side.

  When he pulled into the driveway, Olivia was already there. She had obviously bribed Mickey to sit in the car. He had a huge ice cream cone.

  “It took you long enough,” she snapped. “Please pack Mickey’s things so that we can go.”

  Brian glared at his ex-wife. “Mickey can pack what he wants, so he’ll need to come into the house. And I hope you plan to feed him a decent meal and not load him up on fast food and sugar.”

  Olivia placed her hands on her slender hips. “Who took care of Mickey when you were chasing drug dealers? Me. These six months of playing Mr. Mom doesn’t make you an expert on parenting. Listen, I don’t want to ma
ke this difficult. We both love Mickey and the judge said we have to share custody.”

  “Where is your fiancé?” Brian asked.

  Olivia smiled. “Jealous? He went back to Atlanta to get the house ready for my son.”

  “You’re not fooling anyone,” he snapped. “You’re not getting married. You did that to bolster your case.”

  “Well, I guess it worked,” she said as she opened the passenger side door. “Mickey, go help your daddy pick out some clothes and things for you. I’ll wait in the car.”

  Mickey nodded in between licks of ice cream. Brian and his son walked into the house, leaving Olivia outside in the car.

  Paige watched the drama unfolding across the street. Seeing Brian walk down the steps with luggage broke her heart. Knowing that her presence over there would cause nothing but trouble, she watched tearfully, studying Brian’s face. Angry frown lines deepened his brow. His jaw was clenched so tightly that if it were a spring it would have popped. Paige watched as he slammed the trunk on Olivia’s car, then walked over to Mickey and hugged him tightly. At the last minute, Paige realized she couldn’t let Mickey leave without saying goodbye and opened the front door and started across the street.

  “Brian?” she said.

  He turned around and looked at her. “Hey, champ, Paige’s here.”

  Mickey ran over to her and hugged her tightly around the legs. “I’m going to Atlanta for a month. Do you want to come?”

  Paige forced herself to smile as she locked eyes with Olivia. “I think I’ll pass. I tell you what. When you come back, you and your daddy and I will have a big welcome home party with all of your favorites.”

  Mickey smiled brightly. “I can’t wait!”

  Olivia glowered at Paige. “Let’s go, son,” she said sternly. Mickey walked over to the car and got inside. He waved to Paige and his father as Olivia peeled out of the driveway.