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“Mom’s signed over parental rights to the Oakses until she gets better or…” He lets his words trail off, the meaning clear, and chokes on a sob. “She won’t let me keep her. She said she wants me to go to college and have a future. And I… I don’t want to lose her.”
“Oh my God,” I breathe. “Where are you?”
“I’m walking, I left the hospital. I couldn’t stay there and listen. It’s not fair. It’s not fucking fair.”
“Come home, okay? We’ll all sit down and figure this out. I’m sure Lane and Stanley are just trying to do the right thing.”
“They’re stealing my sister!” he shouts. “Please don’t take their side, Scandal. Please.”
“Okay.” I look at Carter who is on the phone to Stanley. I don’t know what they’re saying and I don’t have time to figure it out. “I’m on your side. I promise. But I need to know everything. So stay where you are, we’ll come and get you and then we’ll go and talk to Lane and Stanley. Okay?”
He breathes heavily into the receiver and then grunts, “Forget it. What’s the point?”
The line goes dead and I stare at my phone for the longest time. “Can you take me home?”
“Sure.” Carter jumps into action, he doesn’t complain, he just gets us to where we need to be.
The house is lit up in the dark as we pull down the drive. Neither of us have spoken beyond Carter agreeing to go looking for Presley while I figure out what’s going on with Lane and Stanley.
I kiss him over the console, whisper a thank you, and climb from his SUV. Then I head inside and announce my arrival.
“In here,” Lane calls from the kitchen.
“Why did Presley just call me in hysterics?” I ask, looking at them both and then around the room. “And where’s Paisley?”
“In her room playing with her new doll,” Stanley answers as I fold my arms over my chest.
“Explain.” Pulling myself up onto the breakfast bar, I stare them both down and place my phone beside me just in case I hear from Presley.
“You know I’ve been taking Paisley to see her mom, Rebecca, every day.”
“Yeah. It’s all Paisley talks about.”
Lane smiles warmly at that. “Well, Officer Myers…”
“Ex-officer,” I point out.
“He’s checked into rehab for alcoholism and anger issues. He’s going to be there for some months. There’s a chance he may never come back.”
My lips part and my heart breaks for Presley. “Did he even say goodbye?”
“His cigarette started the fire. Fortunately, the insurance and house are in Rebecca’s name, so they are going to pay out and there’s no genuine way they can prove that a cigarette started it. There was faulty wiring in the walls that nobody could have known about. Insurance will pay purely to keep it out of court and it won’t look good on them denying a dying woman her money. Meaning the kids will get the value of that house in cash. Rebecca is going to split it between them and put it in trust funds until they’re old enough to spend it.” Stanley rubs his face with his hands. “She wants Presley to use his for college, lodgings, and to settle down somewhere or even travel when he graduates. She knows he can’t do this with Paisley.”
“So we had a few long talks with Rebecca and we all decided that what is best for Paisley is that we become her fulltime guardians until Rebecca gets well enough to go home, or Myers proves he’s a fit parent.”
When I open my mouth to argue, Stanley raises his hand and continues, “He would be welcome to stay until he leaves for college. I offered him my old trailer if he wants his own space. He can visit his sister whenever; however he likes. We are not taking her away from him. We do not want to separate them.”
“You promise?”
“On my life,” Stanley tells me. “There are things you don’t know about the choices we have made. Paisley feels like our second chance.” Lane reaches over and takes his hand and they both smile sadly at each other. Meanwhile, my palms are sweaty and his words resonate somewhere deep inside. “You were right when you said we could step up for her. It was a great idea. We’re proud of you and we love you, Scandal.”
I hop down from the counter and put my phone back in my purse. “I’ll try and speak to him. Okay?”
“He might listen to you.”
“Be gentle,” Stanley adds with a sad smile. “He doesn’t know it yet but that boy is ass over head in love with you.”
Lane snorts and nods her agreement, sending her hair tumbling over her face. She’s normally so well-kempt but her hair twist must have come loose during all the drama.
