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She’s it for me, this woman.
I can’t wait to make her mine.
Making her mine is still top of mind the next morning when Ben comes by to get Chase after breakfast.I go out of my way to keep things light and friendly as we introduce Ben to Nutty and gather Chase’s toys.
Ben is Chase’s father and in the picture for the long haul.I want him to know that I’m someone he can count on to care about his kid as much as he does.And there’s no reason to push back when Mel reveals things are getting serious between us, which I hope she’ll do soon.
I won’t be able to hide the way I feel for much longer.
The second Ben and Chase are out the door, I’m all over Mel again.We christen the couch and are debating whether to shower or stay sex sticky until we christen the kitchen island later in the day when we both hear wheels on the driveway outside.Mel scrambles quickly into her clothes while I grab mine and retreat to the downstairs bedroom to dress.
Everything takes longer one-handed, and I’m secretly hoping she’ll be able to get rid of whoever this is before I’m finished.I usually love company, but not today.
Today, I want to relish having Freckles all to myself.
But when I emerge from the bedroom, Mel isn’t alone.She’s standing by the kitchen island, her face pale as she talks urgently to two police officers.
My stomach is already sinking before she motions my way and says, “Please, just ask Aaron.He’ll tell you the same story I did.Because it’s the truth.Nothing sketchy happened here.It was completely innocent.”
Itwascompletely innocent I realize once the police share the reason for their visit.
But it doesn’t matter.They still want to talk to me down at the station.
All my naïve hope that Ben and Radcliffe are going to be on board with me becoming a part of the family is shattered on the way out to the car.I make the ride to the station in silence, my heart breaking a little more with every passing mile.
Even if this misunderstanding is sorted out without anyone being charged with a crime, everything is different now.Ben has made it clear that he intends to fight me every step of the way, even if it makes the woman he claims to still care for absolutely miserable.
Which means doing what’s best for Mel is on my shoulders, and I’m suddenly faced with a decision I never wanted to make.But what else can I do?I have to protect Mel’s relationship with and access to Chase.If she loses him, it will kill her.
Losing me, however…
Well, that’s still going to be a lot easier.
And the sooner we end things, the better.
Chapter 25
Melissa
In addition to being my kindest, most patient brother.Wesley is, rather surprisingly, a lawyer.Growing up, I would have guessed that Barrett would be the lawyer in the family.He’s the one who has nerves of steel and an asshole streak a mile wide.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore my oldest brother, but he doesn’t flinch in the face of conflict.
Instead, Barrett became a doctor with, if his online ratings are to be believed, a lovely bedside manner, and my gentle brother Wesley became a shark-level family law attorney who never met a spouse he couldn’t teach a lesson about attempting to hide marital assets.He wasn’t involved inmydivorce—Ben and I chose mediation and even if we hadn’t, Wesley felt his close relationship with Ben could be considered a conflict of interest—but he isn’t close with Aaron.
So, as soon as Aaron left with the police, I was on the phone with Wes, begging him to meet me at the station.
“I’m still not sure this is a good idea,” Wesley says, once I’ve handed over the report and explained everything in a hushed voice in the station’s lobby.“No, I’m not related to Aaron, but my nephew is directly involved.As are my sister and former brother-in-law.”
“But no matter how this works out, it doesn’t give you power over any of us,” I say.“This isn’t a will or an inheritance situation.That’s the only time it’s strictly illegal to represent family members, right?”
“Right,” he says with a sigh, “but this could get messy, Mel.”
“It’s already messy,” I say.“Ben and Radcliffe accused Aaron of child abuse, Wesley!This is as messy as it can get.Not to mention crazy.”
He flips through the report.“No one’s talking about child abuse.Not yet, anyway.Ben is just alleging that Aaron contributes to an unsafe environment in the home.It’s up to the police to decide if what happened fits the definition of a lewd act with a minor.”
“But they won’t decide that because he did nothing wrong!”I say, my heart racing with a mixture of fear and rage, the way it has been since the cops knocked on our door for the second time in two days.“I explained it to you, Wesley.Aaron happened to be getting out of the shower when Chase screamed, and we both went running to help him.It was an act of kindness and concern, nothing ugly.We just have to explain that to the police or to the judge or whoever and everything will be fine.”
