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Jude reeled.
His heart swelled with how fantastically Kate enveloped the emotions surrounding her and Sophie. How she gave into them. He saw more tears seeping out of the corners of Kate’s eyes as she squeezed them shut. He caught the tremors through her arms and heard the hitch in her breaths.
Jude ripped his gaze away and it connected with Nikki’s once more. Her eyelids drifted closed for a moment as well…then she pinned Jude with a steady gaze.
Son of a fucking bitch.
Her gaze didn’t waver.
Jude’s shoulders bunched. The cords in his neck tightened.
He sent a silent question to Nikki.
She answered it with the quirking of a brow.
Jude groaned.
Kate had to be back in New York in four days. She’d committed to Denny and Charlotte’s wedding—and Kate didn’t renege on her commitments.
But how the hell was she going to leave Sophie?
Nikki voiced what he’d been thinking all along. “This is something new and different…”
“We’re all supposed to be in New York, remember?” Jude prompted.
“Yeah, well… That might not happen. At least, not for you and Kate.”
“You both realize I can hear you, right?” Kate murmured.
“I’m not putting you on the spot, sweetheart,” Jude quietly asserted. “Take as long as you need.”
“Four days’ worth of need?” Kate sardonically quipped. “That’s not enough time to sort out something like this.”
Fuck.
This was everything they were nowhere near ready to get into and yet… Here they were, getting wrapped up in all they were nowhere near ready to get into.
Nikki stated the obvious: “There are tons of legalities, Jude… You know that.”
“Yeah, Nik. I know.”
“Including a father who’s still alive,” Nikki felt compelled to remind him. “He might be in prison, but he is still her legal guardian.”
“So we’re just supposed to relinquish her to Mexico City’s child protective services?” Kate inquired.
“Or send her back to her family in Juarez,” Nikki suggested.
“She doesn’t have any,” Kate said. “Not really. Her uncle was the local drug lord. He’s in prison, too.”
Sophie continued to sob, tugging at everyone’s heartstrings.
Kate stared up at Jude, beseechingly, and said, “You have to figure this one out. Whatever laws we have to tackle and hoops we have to jump through. Whatever it takes, I’m willing to do it. Please, Jude…”
Her voice cracked and it was all he could do to keep from promising her he’d find a solution. He wasn’t sure what that solution was going to be just yet.
But…goddamn it.
The legal issues were ones he’d work through. Because Jude would move heaven and earth to reach the right answer for Kate.
