couldn’t think of another term for “convicted criminal” that Sarah and Ali wouldn’t pick up on. “Do you know where I lived before I moved to Colorado, Mr. Powell?”
“I do. Your record doesn’t rule you out as a guardian for TJ. You are his family. You are all he has.”
“What about Jane’s parents? Are they dead, too?”
From the corner of her eyes, she saw Sarah and Ali share another worried look. In her ear, she heard the lawyer respond. “TJ’s maternal grandparents are unwilling to accept responsibility for him. They have … issues … where their daughter is concerned. They refused to take him once before when your brother spent time incarcerated—”
Gary has been to jail before, too? And he was such a jerk to me?
“—and based on conversations with them now, Social Services and I agree that even if we convinced them to step in, they wouldn’t provide a healthy environment for TJ.”
“But they—”
“They call him a delinquent, Ms. Moore. They have nothing good to say about either of his parents, either. TJ is understandably bitter, but I honestly believe that all the boy needs is some kindness and attention and he’ll be just fine.” He paused a moment, then added, “I understand that you had some troubles as a teen and that your grandmother stepped in to help.”
Savannah closed her eyes. Blasted attorneys. The good ones always knew just what to say, didn’t they? This guy was especially good. Gary had gotten lucky with his public defender. Her own lawyer had been a tool.
She didn’t have a choice. She’d lost that the moment he’d mentioned Grams.
Actually, she’d had no choice the moment Alan Powell had said TJ needs your help.
Clearing her throat, she asked, “You’re not asking me to return to Georgia for this, are you?”
“No. TJ would come to live with you.”
“Does TJ want to come live with me?” At that, Sarah’s and Ali’s eyes rounded in surprise.
“TJ wants to live with his father.”
She waited a beat for him to continue, but the line remained quiet. Great. Just great.
Savannah let out a long sigh. “All right. What do I need to do?”
She made arrangements with the lawyer, then ended the call. She stood for a long moment with her back to her friends, trying to absorb how her life had just changed. She was nervous and scared and filled with dread.
But beneath the darkness of spirit, excitement sparked to life.
Family. She had family coming to visit.
SIXTEEN
“It’s about time,” Zach muttered as the feds finally packed up the last of their equipment and departed the sheriff’s office.
Gabi smiled pleasantly as she told them good-bye, then she shut the door behind them, turned, and gave a fist pump. “I thought they’d never leave.”
Seated behind her dispatcher’s desk, Ginger nodded. “I think Perkins hung around trying to work up the nerve to ask you out.”
“As if.” She sniffed with disdain. “Did you see how much noise he made in the woods? City boy. The only reason the perp evaded us as long as he did was because Perkins tramped through the forest with as much subtlety as an eighteen-wheeler.”
“Not to argue,” Zach said, preparing to do just that. “Is it fair for you to call him a city boy? I thought you grew up in Denver.”
“I went hunting with my dad. That gives me forest trail cred.”
Zach grinned and glanced at the clock. Almost lunchtime. “I think I’ll grab something to eat. You all hold down the fort until I get back, and if we get a call that involves any jurisdiction other than this one, tell them they have the wrong number.”
He picked up his hat and stepped outside into the summer sunshine, pretending not to hear his dispatcher’s knowing comment: “Tell Savannah we said hello.”
Strolling toward Pinyon Street, Zach dragged a hand over his two-day beard and wondered what Savannah would think of his new look. He’d chosen not to shave and worn flannel rather than his uniform shirt just to annoy the stick-up-his-butt, spit-and-polish, citified pretty boy who thought rural meant stupid. Freddy the Fed hadn’t liked it one bit when the network news reporters chose to interview Zach over him. Ordinarily Zach shunned such attention, but after having spent three days in the incompetent’s company, the infantile revenge had been just the ticket and put him in a right fine mood. As did the fact that he now had time to put soap on his grocery list.
“Hey, Zach,” called LaNelle Harrison as he walked past her