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“Of course. I’m happy to help in any way I can.”
“Mr. Zimmerman is claiming you and Ms. Kingsley are married in name only.” I scowl.
“I don’t mean any disrespect, your honor, but Mr. Zimmerman is full of sh— doggie doo-doo.”
She chuckles. “You have to admit the timing of your marriage is suspicious.”
“I agree we skipped the engagement and went straight to the wedding when Robin came into our lives.” I smile down at my baby girl. “But our marriage is not fake or a sham.” I reach over to grasp Harmony’s hand. “We love each other and our marriage is real.”
With a start, I realize I’m not lying. Harmony is mine and I never want to be without her. I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life teasing the stubborn out of her with my jokes.
Robin gurgles and I glance down at her. This baby girl is mine, too. Am I worried about fucking her up? I am. But I’m not alone in this. In addition to Harmony, I have my mom, Clementine, and my brothers. Hell, the entire town of Winter Falls has shown itself ready to step in whenever necessary.
“To summarize, you are saying, under oath, your marriage to Harmony Kingsley is not a sham.”
I nod. “Correct, your honor. Harmony is truly my wife.” I smile at her. “And this little baby girl is mine.” I bounce Robin on my lap.
“This is bullshit,” Wesley speaks for the first time.
“You will refrain from using such language in my court,” the judge tells him.
“Why? That guy.” He tries to point in my direction but his arm wobbles and he pitches to the side before catching himself on the table. “Lied his ass off.”
The judge glares at him. “Mr. Zimmerman, are you under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the moment?”
“Nope. Drugs and alcohol don’t influence me at all.”
“I’m ordering you to undergo a drug test.”
He pounds his fist on the table. “I’m not taking a fucking drug test.”
“I’ll ask you to curb your language while in this court, Mr. Zimmerman.” Wesley huffs. “I’ll also ask your counselor to remind you any failure to comply with my order will have a negative influence on your desire to have custody of your daughter Robin.”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “Fine.”
“I’m adjourning this meeting,” the judge says and stands before marching out of the room.
“What does this mean?” Harmony asks Mr. Craven. “I didn’t even have a chance to speak.”
Mr. Craven shoves papers into his briefcase and shuts it before answering her. “It means we’ll need to wait for the result of the drug tests.”
“How long will it be before we know the results?”
Mr. Craven scans the room to ascertain we’re alone before answering, “Anywhere from a week to two weeks.” He leans close and lowers his voice. “This couldn’t have gone any better for us.”
Harmony’s nose wrinkles. “I don’t understand.”
“One of the reasons we claimed Mr. Zimmerman cannot be a guardian for his daughter—”
I growl. Robin is not his daughter.
“His biological daughter,” Mr. Craven corrects. “We’ve claimed Mr. Zimmerman cannot be a guardian due to his drug and alcohol use. Arriving at court while under the influence after recently finishing a stint in a rehabilitation facility will work in our favor.”
“I hate this for Robin,” Harmony says and I squeeze her hand. “Her mother is dead, and her father is a deadbeat.”
Mr. Craven smiles at her. “Lucky for Robin, she has new parents who love her very much.” He stands. “She’s one of the lucky ones. I’ll be in touch,” he says as he walks away.
“I thought we’d have clarity one way or the other today,” Harmony complains as we leave the courthouse.
