Lots of Naughty & A Little Nice - Leigh Lennon Page 0,48
the whole neighborhood.” She begins following me through the hallway to the kitchen.
“Have a seat,” I offer, and she sits down as I pour her coffee with cream, serving her a fresh blueberry muffin with a side of butter.
“Listen, Avery. I’m not going to beat around the bush. I know I upset you with the added information I’d received last night. And I’m not judging you at all. You’re responsible and love your sister very much. And honestly, the court will view your relationship with Mr. Peterson and Mr. Glacier in the same way they looked at same-sex couples twenty years ago. Give it another ten to twenty years and committed polyamorous couples, in my opinion, will have the same sort of rights.”
She was given evidence of my relationship with both men, after all. “What is it you know?” She’s not beating around the bush, so neither will I.
“As I explained last night, your former stepfather has a PI on you. He called me after our conversation from yesterday. He doesn’t have your sister’s best interest at heart, though. Because he kept on talking about her trust and how when she’s back with him, he’s going to contest the will to get child support.”
“She’s his child. It’s part of his responsibility.” The dam breaks, and I can’t stop it as the tears free fall down.
“Listen, Avery, I’m convinced your sister’s best interest is with you. I’m on your side. I personally know Rowan very well, and though he’s very blunt, he’s a kind soul. And you’ve not admitted anything to me, so I don’t know what the truth is.”
She’s on my side. She knows what’s best for Whitney. “I can’t say I know what’s going to happen, but I want to prepare you.” She takes one more bite of her muffin and pushes it back. “Whatever I can do for you, Avery. Whatever it is, don’t hesitate to ask.”
I’m left with my heart broken, that the one time in my life, I choose something for myself, my sister may be taken away. More so, she may be given to a man who will only use her for money.
Text after text from the men flood my phone, but I don’t know what to say. I turn it off, ignoring the life I could have for myself because Whitney will always come first. She’s all I have left in this world. My dad died in a car accident when I was only seven. I barely remember him. I’d always felt gypped, as though everyone has something in this world I didn’t have.
And at first, Dennis seemed destined to be my second dad. For the first year he dated my mom, he doted on me. This much I remember. He even went to a daughter/daddy dance with me when I was nine. When it came around the next year, he had already dug his hooks into my mom, and they were married. He refused to take me again.
I can’t indulge in something that won’t be forever. Forever has never been something I can count on. Mom was taken from me when I was twenty-seven. It wasn’t enough years with her. My daddy is a figment of my imagination, someone I only have memories of in photographs.
So who’s to say the men won’t cut and run? Deep in my chest, I know I’m being ridiculous, but it’s my defense mechanism. After all, I have to put my sister first.
Whitney has stayed to herself all weekend, and I’ve finally emailed the guys that I can’t take the chance with Dennis getting any more discriminating pictures of us. Before we know it, Whitney and I are wearing dresses and waiting outside the courtroom. I’ve not mentioned any of this to her as she hasn’t mentioned much to me. She still hasn’t confided in me about her father’s idle threats. Which it turns out aren’t idle at all.
“Avery.” Leah is rushing toward us, and I can’t read the expression on her face. But why would I? I’ve known her for all of a couple of hours. “We’ve been given a new judge at the last minute. I don’t know if it’s a good thing, but I’ll say, the original judge is very conservative, but he had appendicitis over the weekend.”
Well, I’d not wish it upon anyone, but if it were to happen, I’d say it’s a good time. “Is your lawyer meeting you here?” Leah asks.
I’d not thought I needed a lawyer until this weekend, and my