He answered on the first ring. “I was just going to call you,” he said by way of greeting.
“Did you know Josie had moved back to Southport?” I asked, dropping heavily into the patio chair.
“I literally just got off the phone with her lawyer. It seems she wants to start her visitation. She’s moved back, signed a three-month lease on an apartment above the coffee shop in town. She says she wants to see Katie but doesn’t want to disrupt her life while custody is being decided. I’ve got to hand it to her; she’s playing this really well.”
“What about her job? How can she up and leave Florida like that? How does she think that proves a stable environment for Katie?” I demanded, pounding my fist onto the table hard enough to make it rattle.
“Apparently her new gig is work from home. She can technically do it anywhere. Sounds like she landed herself the perfect job if she’s trying to prove stability for Katie,” Adam begrudgingly admitted.
“This is fucking crazy, Decate. Doesn’t she have to notify me she’s in town?”
“She just did, Web,” Adam said softly.
“Shit. Shit. Shit.” I got up and started pacing through the back yard. “What am I supposed to do?”
“What you’re doing, buddy. You keep being an amazing dad, and the court will see that. How did the home visit go? I’m guessing that’s how you found out about Josie.”
“Mr. Struthers definitely caught on that I had no idea Josie was back in town. He’s a nice guy. A lawyer type—”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Adam joked.
“He said it was clear Katie had a safe and loving home,” I finished, ignoring his question.
“That’s good, man. Really good. It sounds like you and Whit sold the whole married act then?”
It was my turn to clear my throat, and I felt myself flush even though Adam couldn’t see me. “Uh, yeah. It was fine.” I cleared my throat again.
“Why are you making that noise? You sound like you’re about to hack up a furball. What’s got you so nervous, Webby?” Damn Adam and his best friend senses. He knew me too well.
“Nothing. I’m trying not to freak out about Josie being in fucking Southport, Adam,” I dodged. I wasn’t going to talk to him about Whitney and me. Not right now. There were other things I had to focus on.
“Look, Josie is going to be contacting you to set up a time to see Katie—”
“I don’t want to talk to her. I don’t trust myself not to tell her what I think about her,” I growled.
“I know you’re angry and rightly so, but you have to think about Katie. The judge granted Josie visitation. You have to do what the court says. And you have to play this right. You have to show everyone you’re willing to do whatever it takes as long as it’s in Katie’s best interest. Even if that means seeing Josie,” Adam instructed firmly. He was talking to me as my attorney, not as my best friend. I appreciated his ability to separate the two.
“Fine. When will I be hearing from her?”
“Her lawyer said she’d call sometime this week to set up a time for the weekend. I did stipulate since Josie’s a stranger to Katie that you be present for the visit. They can’t argue with that because unsupervised visits out of the gate would be unreasonable for a child of Katie’s age,” Adam said, and I sagged, feeling a little relief.
“Thanks, Adam. I appreciate everything you’re doing. I wish you’d let me pay you. You’re putting in a lot of hours on this—”
“Shut the fuck up. I won’t take a dime from you, and you know it. Pay me back in beers and wings.” Adam laughed.
“I’ll be feeding you wings and beer until you’re eighty at this rate.” I chuckled.
“Fine by me. Tell the wife I said she needs to pour you a stiff one and maybe rub your feet. You need to relax.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that’ll go over like a lead balloon,” I said.
We said our goodbyes, and I went back inside, feeling a little better.
Whitney looked up from pouring juice into a sippy cup. “What did Adam say?”
I closed the patio door. I could see Katie in the living room, pulling stuff from her toy box. She’d be occupied for at least a few minutes.
I pulled Whitney into my arms, holding her close. “He spoke with Josie’s lawyer, and she’s moved back temporarily until