Page 50 of Finding Home

“Why is he doing this? I don’t get it. Five years, five fucking years with no contact, and suddenly, he wants to be her dad?”

“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”

“How?”

“Well, like you, I can’t stand just waiting around. I made some calls myself, and we will see what comes of them.”

“To who? For what?” My mind is whirring, needing to know more, desperate to find a straw to grasp right now.

“Harper, I shouldn’t have said anything. I don’t want to get your hopes up,” Jace hedges. It’s on the tip of my tongue to pry when Tink and Lizzie appear in the doorway.

“Tee, Tee!” Lizzie screams, pointing at the tree.

I turn to the truck and stare at my symbol of hope and plans for the future. Part of me wants to throw a match on it and walk away. As if reading my thoughts, Jace whispers in my ear so Lizzie can’t hear.

“Don’t let the bastard win, don’t let him steal your joy, Harper.” Kissing me on the cheek, he picks Lizzie up and swings her in a circle. Dammit, he’s right. I’m not in a festive mood. If anything, I’m on the verge of having a heart attack, but I won’t let Curtis take anything from my baby, and that means pushing through. Squaring my shoulders, I follow them into the house.

In the end, we set the tree up but decided to wait to decorate until after we meet with Justin tomorrow. I want to make a day of it, and it’s almost dinner time. I refuse to let Curtis dictate this.

After dinner and bath time, Lizzie is on my lap, searching through a look-and-find book. My phone pings from the side table. “Babe, can you check that? I don’t want to miss anything from Justin.” Jace’s posture is all wrong as he looks at it. He’s tense, and the hand gripping my phone is so tight it shakes.

“What is it?” Dread fills me. What else could go wrong today? I’m tempted to ignore whatever it is, not sure I can take anything else.

Unknown

Hi Harper, it’s Curtis. Your mom gave me your number. She sure is excited at the prospect of having her granddaughter close by XOXO

And just like that, the other shoe drops. My mom has sided with that monster.

Chapter 34

Jace

How many blows can one person absorb? Her mother’s lack of interest in her own daughter is mind-boggling, but to give her phone number to the man who hurt her so badly, I can’t fathom it. I want to yell, rage, go to her parents’ house and tell them off. Never in my nearly thirty years on this planet have I been so angry. Harper has retreated back into herself. We blocked Curtis’s number, but now that he has hers, it's only a matter of time until he contacts her again with a different phone. The way her mom opened the door for further harassment is unforgivable.

It’s after midnight, and I want to hold her all night, but with the PI possibly watching us, I’m not sure if Harper will want that. I hate that Curtis ruined such a perfect day. The plans we were making, the future we were building, he’s trying to destroy them. “Let’s go to bed.” Harper's hand on my face stirs me from my brooding thoughts. Brooding, that’s the mature and sexy way to say pouting or stewing, right?

“Do you want me to stay or go? I can leave Tink if that makes you more comfortable.” Holding my breath, I give her space to decide.

Smiling, she shakes her head. “You were right, we can’t let Curtis win. We have plans, and unless him showing up changes things for you, I still want you here, all the time.” Fuck, she looks unsure. Can she really not get it? Not understand that nothing could stop me from wanting her.

“There is nowhere I would rather be. Is tomorrow too soon to move my stuff over?” I lift a brow at her in challenge. The first real smile in hours crosses her face, and it takes my breath away. I’m so fucking gone for her.

“Should we go christen our bed?” she asks coyly, stepping out of my arms and walking backward toward the bedroom, fingers pulling on the ribbon at her side. I watch transfixed as the bow comes undone, and her sweater falls to the floor. I don’t give her time to think, dragging her over my shoulder and carrying her to our room. Both desperate for a break, a chance to escape the crippling pain and anxiety from the day and relish in us. When all else is unsteady and fucked up, I’m grateful we can find even a few moments of respite from the dark cloud currently looming over our heads.

I pack up my must-haves the next day and move into Harper’s house as promised. Both of us are relieved to have something to keep our minds and bodies busy until four this afternoon, when we can meet with Justin and get a plan together. Because there is no fucking way we will let Curtis get Lizzie, not even for a second.

We pull up to Shaina’s house right at four. She and Daniel have offered to keep Lizzie entertained while we talk things through with Justin. I filled my folks in on all the developments of the last twenty-four hours, the good and the bad. They now know where to reach me and have offered to assist with any legal costs or anything else we might need.

The truck idles in the driveway, Harper not making any move to get out. “This is stupid, I know.” She laughs as she rolls her eyes at herself, wringing her hands. “I don’t know why I’m hesitating to go inside. They aren’t the ones trying to hurt us; they’re the ones trying to help.” Her knees jiggle while she bites her nail. That’s new. I don’t think I’ve seen her nail biting yet, but at least she isn’t struggling to breathe or having a full-blown panic attack. Damn, she’s so strong.

“Take all the time you need. It’s not stupid. We’re here to talk about big, heavy stuff; it’s natural to be nervous. Even if they are the good guys.” I want to fix it. I want to say the right things to erase the worry, but I can’t. What I can do is be here for her, not leaving her side, and allowing her the space and freedom to feel whatever she needs to feel while processing the situation.

Blowing out a breath, she opens her door and steps out, squaring her shoulders like Athena marching into battle. I glance back at Lizzie and tell her, “Look at Mommy, she’s so strong.” Lizzie flexes her arms like muscles, smiling.

“Harper, dear!” Shaina calls as soon as we walk through the door. “I’m so sorry for what you are going through. Justin will take care of it.” She gives him a pointed look.

“Thanks, Mom.” He laughs, stepping up to shake mine and Harper's hands. Lizzie sticks hers out, lightening the mood. Justin shakes it, smiling at her just like he did with us.