Robin’s case.”
Hank sat up straight and his eyes narrowed. I reached around and pulled my purse off the back of the chair where it was hanging by the strap and pulled out my wallet.
“It was like a tennis match. She’d tell him about Robin and then he’d ask a question or say something about the case before he asked a question about you guys. And the baby,” Rason recalled.
“I don’t want that son of a bitch to know anything about my little girl.”
“I showed him a picture,” I said as I sorted through my wallet. “I told him about Meadow and I showed him a picture of a baby.”
“What? Who’s Meadow?”
“He asked about the baby’s name, not about your baby’s name. So, I told him her name was Meadow. He asked for a picture of the baby and I showed him this.” I slid the picture across the table in front of Hank and Nicole.
“That’s the picture you cut off the back of that baby name book we were flipping through.” Nicole laughed. “You cut it out because you loved the color of her eyes.”
Hank laughed as he picked up the picture of the pretty blue-eyed baby, “And you named her Meadow?”
I slid the paint card across the table to him. “I wanted that shade of blue, just like the color of her eyes, in my guestroom for an accent wall. This is what I found.”
“Meadow Mist.” Hank chuckled. “No shit.”
“That’s a very pretty color.” Nicole took the paint card and stared at it. “I’d like that in the waiting area at the shelter. It’s calming.”
“You’re devious.” Mesha reached over and put her arm around my shoulders and squeezed me closer to her in a side hug. “I’m so proud.”
“I’m not angry about it, but he didn’t care about me at all,” I told them. “He was just interested in you two. Well, mostly Hank.”
“He obviously has no respect for women,” Nicole pointed out. “Look how he treated his wife all those years. He was sleeping around with God knows how many others beside your mother and Mesha’s.”
“I’ve always thought there were more,” Hank muttered. “I swear, that girl at the grocery store . . .”
“We should go talk to her!” I leaned forward and looked intently at Hank. “Which store?’
“Oh, jeez, you two.” Mesha sighed. “What are you trying to do here? Get the band back together? Why?”
“Curiosity?” Hank said as he shrugged. “I just want to know.”
“I think he’s obsessed with Hank because he’s a man. He’s interested in Mesha because she was the only girl he knew. You just kind of . . . well, how do I say this nicely?”
“You’re the second born daughter and I’m the princess,” Mesha crowed.
Nicole nodded. “I think that’s probably accurate.”
“I’m fine with it. His eyes were cold. I don’t want anything else to do with him.”
“Good,” Hank said and passed the picture back to me.
“I had a great dad, and I still miss him every day. I don’t need Judge Nelson in my life.” I leaned forward and put one hand out toward Mesha and the other toward Hank. They each took a hand and I smiled. “I’ve got the best of him with me now. I don’t need anything else.”
“Except the girl at the grocery store,” Hank mumbled.
“Let’s go see if she’s there,” I whispered.
“Oh my God, you two.” Mesha shook her head. “I’ll drive.”
“Rason, get another beer. It looks like you’re stuck here with us girls for a while.” Nicole laughed.
I leaned over and gave Rason a quick kiss before I hopped up and grabbed my purse, “Love you!”
“Love you too.” Rason smiled. He stood up and walked into the kitchen. “Anyone else need a fresh one?”
Mesha kissed Jayla and leaned down to whisper something in her ear that made her smile. I looked away when Mesha moved Jayla’s hair back to nuzzle her neck.
I watched Hank give Nicole a quick kiss before he hurried down the hall.
“He has to check on her one more time before he can go anywhere.” Nicole laughed. “I can apparently carry her around in my body for nine months and bring her into the world, but only he can take care of her.”
“He’s a good dad.” I smiled softly as I watched Hank coming back down the hall. “And he’s a good big brother.”
“He’s the best.”
◆◆◆
ELIZA
“Are you sure I look okay?” I asked Rason for at least the 10th time in the last hour. “My skirt goes well below my knees, isn’t