Take the Chance (Top Shelf Romance #9) - Brittainy Cherry Page 0,158

Cut it out. Nothing’s happened yet.”

“Yet.”

We took our coffees to a table in the corner that was big enough for five and waited for the Abbotts to join us. My leg bounced under that table too.

“Mr. Haas,” Holloway said, extended his hand.

This time I shook it, and gave the Abbotts a small nod in greeting.

“This is Jackson Smith, my attorney,” I said.

Jackson offered his hand and a bright smile. Introductions were made all around and then the five of us sat with drinks in front of us that only the attorneys touched. The Abbotts studied me with that same mix of hope and fear in their eyes. They had nice faces. Kind. They weren’t monsters, but a grandma and a grandpa. Olivia’s grandma and grandpa.

I tried to loosen my clenched-jaw and unfurrow my brow to look less like an asshole next to Jackson’s friendly smile.

“I’ll get straight to the point,” Holloway said. “Mr. and Mrs. Abbott were only recently made aware of their daughter’s passing six weeks ago.”

“She’d always been on the run,” Alice said in a shaky voice. “We tried to give her everything but it wasn’t enough.”

Gerald covered his wife’s hand. “We hadn’t seen her in so long. We had no idea she’d been in an accident. Nor did we know that she’d had a baby.”

“We knew nothing,” Alice said. “So much joy and sadness all at once…”

Jackson nodded sympathetically. “And when, exactly, were you made aware that you had a granddaughter?”

“Two weeks ago,” Holloway answered. “Through a friend of the late Miss Abbott’s.”

Alice sat straighter, imploring me with her eyes as she spoke. “As soon as we knew, we wanted to see Olivia. To be a part of her life.”

“In what capacity?” Jackson asked. He looked to Holloway. “What’s this I hear about a hearing?”

Holloway folded his hands on the table, his gold watch glinting in the sun in tandem with his gold pinky ring.

“The friend of Molly’s informed us that Olivia’s birth certificate is most likely in your possession. Is that true, Mr. Haas?”

My heart did a slow roll in my chest. I nodded.

“And is your name listed as the father?”

“No, it is not,” I said slowly. “There is no name there. It’s blank.”

Holloway nodded. “I presume you have taken a paternity test?”

I glanced at Jackson. He nodded his head. Once.

“Yes. A few days after Molly left Olivia with me. She’s my daughter. And I’m not saying another word until you tell me what you want.”

Holloway opened his mouth to speak, but Alice put her hand on his arm.

“Wait, please. This is not going at all as I’d hoped. Perhaps it was a mistake to bring our attorneys into this so quickly.” She looked to me. “Can we see her? We’d like to see her.” Her voiced teetered on the edge of breaking. “Our daughter is gone. Our only daughter. All we have left of her is Olivia. We’d like to spend some time with her and maybe…get to know each other better. And you, but in a warmer setting.”

She looked to Jackson when my hard stare shut her out. “Is this possible?”

“Let me confer with my client.”

Jackson ushered me onto the sidewalk outside.

“You’re not making a great impression.”

I gritted my teeth. “Jackson…”

“I know. We’ll deal with that later. For now, let them see Olivia. Do what she said; get to know them. They don’t seem like bad people.” He cocked his head. “Don’t you want a family for Olivia?”

“Yeah, I do, but on my terms,” I said. I took my friend’s arm and gripped it tight. “She stays with me, Jax. You do whatever you feel is right. If they want to come see her, fine. But I want full custody. I’m keeping full custody. They can visit, they can have a weekend, maybe a week in the summer, but they’re not taking her from me.”

Jackson’s expression showed no trace of his usual cheerful self. He gripped my shoulder and met my eyes with an unwavering, intense stare.

“I’ll do my best, Sawyer, but it might not be up to us,” he said. “And you know it.”

The Abbotts took the sedan, and Jackson and I took an Uber back to the Victorian. Four o’clock on a Wednesday. Where was Darlene, I wondered as I climbed out of the car. Rehearsal? I would’ve given my right arm to see her smile just then. Her smile that made all the bad shit in the world seem far away.

But I fucked up. The thought of her with someone else