there’s every reason to believe that things will work out for the best.” He winked and cupped my jaw so he could brush his thumb over my cheek. “So as long as you have faith in me—as long as you have faith in us—we can’t lose. Team Marigold?” He ruffled the baby’s hair.
“Yeah,” I agreed, “Team Marigold. But what if—”
What if the judge buys Payne’s story?
What if we lose custody ’cause I was an idiot who fell for Payne’s lies?
How could you ever forgive me?
How could I ever forgive myself?
“No chasing ‘ifs,’ okay? Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it, and—” A wrecker pulled down the gravel driveway and honked its horn, and Diesel rolled his eyes. “Ah, Jim’s timing is impeccable as always. Can you hold the fort here for two minutes? If your ex moves his behind off his car, go open the chicken pen. I’d love to see what happens when Uncle gets at him.”
“Yeah.” I cracked a smile and felt my breath come a bit easier. I turned my face to press a kiss to his palm. “Good plan.”
“Don’t worry, baby.” Diesel pulled me in to press a kiss to my forehead, then further to press my cheek to his heart. “We’ve got this. You believe me?”
I nodded against his T-shirt. “I believe you.”
And when he walked away, I really did believe that he meant every word he said—I believed that he cared about me, and I believed that he had confidence in our chances.
However, I was also determined that, as part of Team Marigold, I needed to do all I could to make up for the trouble my past had caused. I needed to make sure our team prevailed. So, I dug my phone out of my pocket and pulled up my contacts.
“Cameron,” I said when the call connected. “Talk to me about that gorgeous Victorian. How fast can we move on it?”
20
Diesel
I was trying not to panic. The custody hearing was supposed to start in fifteen minutes, and Parrish still wasn’t here. Not only that, but I hadn’t even heard from him since I’d awoken to find him gone this morning, and he hadn’t answered any of my calls and texts.
When I’d stopped by the Partridge Pit, Colin told me he hadn’t been in all morning, so I knew he wasn’t at work either.
“Where the hell are you?” I muttered down at my silent phone.
“Bah!” Marigold called out to someone who walked past. The woman gave her a friendly smile and wave which made Mari wiggle and kick from her position in the front carrier on my chest. “Bah,” she said again for good measure.
I needed Parrish here with me. I couldn’t imagine where the heck he was, or what was keeping him, and I knew he had to be freaking out right now. He and I were solid, I knew that to my bones. But I was pretty sure we both also knew there was no way the judge was going to award custody to me without him, and when I heard the final decision, I needed him to help me pick up my broken pieces and make it back home. Hell, I was even worried about causing a big scene if they made me hand her over directly to the Kensingtons. Maybe I’d end up in jail. It wasn’t that I had a bad temper, but how could I be expected to give this girl away to people who wouldn’t love her like I did?
A fat ball of nerves lodged in my throat as I checked my phone for the millionth time and found nothing. Mari squirmed again, and I decided to do a last-minute diaper change before getting called into the courtroom. I couldn’t take the risk of bringing her into the hearing in any less than perfectly cared-for conditions. Besides, I didn’t want her poor butt getting a rash if by some chance she actually needed a change.
I made my way to the men’s room and noticed there was no changing table. Typical. Single dads were supposed to, what? Change their babies on the nasty men’s room floor? Nope. Not me. I pushed down my anger and stepped back out into the hallway where the woman who’d walked past us was coming back down the hallway from wherever she’d gone.
“’Scuse me, miss. Would you mind checking to see if the ladies’ room is empty? I need a changing table, and there isn’t one in the men’s room.”