“No.” Michael shot an icy glare at Scott. “Not unless he visits the cemetery or the prison.”
“Do you love Simon?”
“With all my heart. That boy means the world to me.”
“No further questions.”
The tension in the courtroom eased as Michael left the witness stand and went back to his seat.
Judge O’Keefe glanced around. “Do the petitioners have additional witnesses?”
Scott stood. “No, Your Honor. Petitioners rest.”
The judge looked at Morgan. “Does the counterpetitioner have any witnesses?”
Morgan rose. “Counterpetitioner also rests, Your Honor.”
The judge nodded. “I believe quick resolutions are critical in adoption cases. And that’s what I’m going to give all of you and Simon.” He nodded to the bailiff. “Go get the boy so he can be here when I give my ruling.”
Chapter 33
Savannah leaned against Hez’s solid bulk and tried to calm her racing pulse. The bailiff would bring Simon in any minute, and they’d know their future. Hez released her hand and slipped his arm around her. The familiar scent of his sage soap was a reminder of how seldom he lost a case. They would win this too.
She leaned closer to whisper in his ear. “I thought it went really well.” Would Simon be allowed to sit with them, or would he sit with Michael? She wanted to take Simon and go home to a new normal life.
“Scott did a good job.”
Hez’s lackluster response sent a shudder of warning prickles down her back. “You can’t think we’ll lose—not when it’s clear Michael runs a crime family. The judge has to see the danger in letting the Willards be Simon’s main influence.”
A worry line between his blue eyes deepened. “It could go either way, babe. Morgan made some good points too. Let’s see what happens.”
She bit her lip but didn’t argue as the bailiff entered with Simon in tow. The boy shot her a worried glance, then sidledtoward Michael. The bailiff redirected him and had him sit in the jury box with the guardian.
Judge O’Keefe steepled his fingers. “This has been a challenging case. Let me get right to the decision. I accept the guardian’s recommendations and am granting Michael Willard’s petition to adopt Simon. Simon, you still have a loving aunt and uncle, but you have a new father. You are now Simon Willard.”
Simon whooped and leaped up to race to the front row. He flung his arms around his grandfather, who lifted him off his feet in a bear hug. “I’m a real Willard now!”
“It’s the best day ever,” Michael crowed.
His triumphant grin slammed straight into Savannah’s chest, and her heart began to batter against her ribs. The sounds around her grew muffled from the blood roaring in her ears. She couldn’t feel her body other than the vague sensation of Hez’s arm holding her and the hot course of tears down her cheeks. This couldn’t be happening. How could they withstand one more devastating blow? Michael had snatched away the last piece of her sister. He’d throw up a fatal obstacle to any influence they might have on Simon’s life. It wouldn’t be long before his sweet spirit was perverted and he went down the path of the others in the Willard family.
Her eyes filled. Would he be dead or in jail in ten years? She had to try to keep that from happening, but how?
Her nephew turned and smiled her way. He left Michael and came toward her with that same joyous expression. She couldn’t muster up a smile to match his. She couldn’t cough up a single syllable past the pain lodged in her midsection.
Simon’s smile faltered. “You’ll always be part of my family, Aunt Savannah. I love you and I can still come visit, right?”
She nodded and finally swallowed the boulder in her throat. “Your room at the house will always be there, and you can visit anytime.”
Shoulders back and a triumphant smile on his face, Michael came toward them like a conqueror. His arrogance and pride had laid waste to the plans Jess had for her little boy, and hatred surged in Savannah’s chest. She tried to shove it away, but it would take time to forgive him for the havoc he’d inflicted on their lives.
Michael’s smile widened, and he drew Simon against his side in a proprietary hold. “Now you know exactly how I felt, Savannah. The pain of having someone you love ripped away forever is now yours. You shouldn’t have underestimated me.”
Simon’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open as he stared up at his grandpa. His appalled gaze darted back to Savannah, and she saw the realization hit him that his grandpa was using him for revenge. He edged out of Michael’s embrace and stared at the floor.
Hope stirred in Savannah’s heart. If Simon saw Michael for who he really was, maybe he’d guard his heart against Michael’s manipulation.
Simon reached for Hez’s hand. “Do you still want me to be your best man, Uncle Hez?”
