Such Great Heights - Sydney Logan Page 0,55

the word and promise my whole heart to her. It was hers already. Maybe I just wanted a symbolic gesture to prove it.

Maybe I should have explained all that before I popped the question.

“I’m sorry, Olivia,” I murmur gently. “I just love you. And I promise, once the dust settles and I get my life in order, I will give you the proposal of your dreams.”

She smiles up at me then, and my heart beats a little faster when I see the love reflected in her eyes.

“I don’t need the proposal of my dreams. I just need you. But I need all of you.”

“The next time I propose . . . you’ll have all of me. I promise.”

The next morning, I offer to let Olivia sleep in and take Ryder to school myself. I’ve been doing that a lot lately, and I find that I love these extra moments with my son. He talks nonstop about anything and everything, and I find myself hanging on to every single word.

He’s so happy now.

So am I.

After dropping Ryder off at school, I head to my law office. My secretary meets me at the door with a cup of coffee and tells me my first appointment had to reschedule. Since I’m not due in court until after lunch, I use the free time to study some briefs. After a while, I find that my focus is on everything but the case, so I finally close the folder and toss it on my desk.

All I can think about is last night . . . and not just my ill-timed proposal.

I think about my wife. My future ex-wife.

I call Marcus and fill him in on everything that’s happened over the past few days. As much as Natasha hurt me and my son, I can’t just ignore the fact that she and her baby are in danger. Marcus offers to do some digging and promises to stop by later today.

Then, I grab a legal pad and make a list in random order.

*Have Marcus check into Natasha's allegations of abuse

*Finalize my divorce petition and custody agreement

*Prepare the Termination of Parental Rights petition

*Make Natasha sign everything!

*First Real Date with Olivia

*Meet her parents

*Give her the proposal she deserves

*Live happily ever after with my family

I smile as I gaze at the last item on the list.

Living happily ever after isn’t something I ever envisioned for myself. I’d made my choice a long time ago, not realizing I was relinquishing any hopes of having a happy life with my wife and child.

But sometimes, life gives you a second chance to make things right.

“He’s beating her, all right,” Marcus says as he makes his way into my office later that afternoon. He tosses his briefcase on my couch and loosens his tie before helping himself to a drink at the mini bar. “He bought her a mansion in Green Hills. Four domestic calls during the past two months.”

I groan and lean back in my chair. “Charges filed?”

“Of course not. Cops show up. He didn’t mean to. She forgives him. Blah blah.” Marcus takes a sip of his drink. “She’s probably getting a break now, though. He’s out of town on business, supposedly.”

“Probably cheating on her.”

“Most likely. And she is pregnant. About eight weeks along.”

“How did you find . . . never mind, I don’t want to know how you found out.” I tiredly rub my face. “You realize I have to try to help her. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.”

“I figured,” Marcus replies with a sigh. “But you know the drill, Jackson. Victims of abuse are hard to reach. Not to mention, you have a divorce and a custody battle that need your attention.”

“Those things are no longer an issue.”

“Oh?”

I tell him about Olivia and Natasha’s conversation from last night. While I talk, he’s on his laptop, looking for the Termination of Parental Rights petition. He types furiously before emailing the document to me.

“Print that TPR and make her sign it.”

“I will.”

“Do it now. You know how flaky she can be.”

“Flaky or not, I have to try to help her and her baby.”

“And we will try. Just as soon as she signs that petition, relinquishing her parental rights.” Marcus closes his laptop and snaps his briefcase. “You’re a good man, Jackson. Better than me. Let me get to work. You get that petition signed. Protect your kid. Then we’ll work on protecting hers. In the meantime, I’ll call her lawyer. Let’s get you divorced.”

Divorced. I always thought it was