Chapter Two
Sawyer
You've got to be kidding me.
I reach around on my nightstand, looking for my phone without cracking an eye. Who the hell could be calling this late at night anyway?
“Hello.” I hit the answer button without even glancing at the screen. If it’s a solicitor, it’s not worth actually waking up for.
“Sawyer, it's Sally.”
“Hey, boss.” I rub the sleep from my eyes and try to focus on what she's saying. “What's going on?”
“I'm sorry to call you so late, but we have a situation. I was hoping you’d be available to help.”
Available in the middle of the night? Ha! She and I both know what that means. I'm the only single loser who can leave my bed at any odd hour without disturbing anybody else. “Yeah, sure. What's going on?”
“We have two abandoned youth at Fire Station Seventeen. The mother died after giving birth yesterday and was surrendering the newborn and a toddler to one of the firefighters there.”
“So, you need me to pick them up and take them to a group home for the night?” My brain is already running through the list of homes in the area that accept infants and have space. There're only two that come to mind.
“Not exactly.” Sally lets out a deep sigh that gets my attention.
“What do you mean?” Protocol for situations like this is fairly standard. We pick up the youth, take them into protective custody until they can be placed in foster care or with a suitable relative. There isn’t usually another option.
“Captain Mulder has called in a favor and asked if we can give temporary guardianship to his guy at the station. The mother named him specifically as the person she wanted to take her children.”
“She had a will?” That’s surprising because surrendered infants usually don't come with instructions for future care.
Sally can hear the questions in my tone, and her voice lightens. “No, but she did make a video before she passed, and she left a note. So, there's enough gray area that I think we can make an exception to the guardianship protocol.”
“Who is this guy?” I’m already pulling on a pair of slacks and searching for a thick button-up shirt to wear. It's cold as hell outside and my body was just in a warm bed.
“His name is Chad Ludwig, and he’s well-respected at the station.”
“Chad Ludwig?” I repeat, trying to place the name. “I feel like I've heard that name before.”
Sally laughs. “Yeah, you probably have. That’s the guy who was kicked out of a window by a drunk victim about a year back.”
“Oh, shit.” I stop myself mid-curse. “Sorry, boss.”
I can hear the smile in her voice. She’s a cool boss, but I don’t like swearing in front of women, especially not professionally. “No worries. That's my sentiment exactly.”
“So, Chad's okay? He wasn’t hurt from that fall?”
“He fully recovered, and I guess he befriended this young homeless woman. But that’s what you’re going out there for. You need to establish their relationship and figure out why she decided her kids would be better off with him than anyone else. I don't think she knew she was dying, but from what I've seen of the letter they faxed, she was planning to leave town and not come back.”
“Then she was murdered?” I ask, searching the kitchen counter for my keys. I’m pretty sure I left them here when I set down my takeout containers earlier.
“She delivered the baby by herself, had some complications, and bled out on the edge of the fire station property.”
“Damn.” I flip the lights off and lock the door behind me. “So where should I start?”
Sally laughs again. “Go pick up the case file, and then head over to the station. We need to do a preliminary evaluation of the children and Mr. Ludwig. If you feel he's capable of taking care of them on a temporary basis, you can authorize guardianship until we seek out any next of kin.”
“I'm on it. I'll let you know how it goes in the morning.”
“Thanks, Sawyer. I know this is an inconvenience for you, but I really appreciate your willingness to jump in when we need you.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
~**~
As soon as I step into the firehouse, I immediately regret not having put a little more effort into brushing my hair or my teeth before stumbling out of bed. Thank god I’ve got a roll of mints in my briefcase, or I'd probably kill someone with my dragon breath.
There's a group of five guys drinking coffee in the kitchen when I poke my head through the doorway. “Excuse me. I'm looking for Chad Ludwig.”
Three arms shoot up and point toward the back of the building. “Keep going down the hall, last door on your right.”
“Thank you.” I duck out and head toward the room they’ve pointed out. The door is ajar, so I knock quietly before pushing it all the way open.
A big guy with a tiny baby in his arms looks up quickly then motions for me to come in. “I think he's finished with this anyway.” He sets a tiny bottle of formula on the table then props the infant upright against his chest. “Are you the social worker?”
He’s eyeing me up and down. The stare isn't aggressive, but he doesn't seem happy to see me. I'm used to that reaction. No one is ever happy to see a social worker. We don’t show up during happy times.
“Yes, sir. Are you Mr. Ludwig?” I take a few steps forward and tentatively hold out my hand to him, unsure if he's coordinated enough to shake while attempting to burp the baby.
“Yep.” He reaches out and envelops my small hand in his thick fingers, squeezing firmly but not to the point of causing any pain.
And I’m trying not to get a boner. “I'm Sawyer Ralphson. I've been assigned to this case, and I understand you're seeking temporary guardianship of both children.”
Chad nods and looks over to the couch behind me. I didn't even notice it when I walked in because my eyes were completely focused on the large man in an extremely tight T-shirt. But when I follow his gaze, I see a small child curled up on the couch, sleeping peacefully.
“Yes, their mother left them in my care before she passed away. Is there anything I need to sign? I'm sure there's a lot of paperwork involved in me adopting them.”
My jaw drops, and I'm more than a little surprised at his willingness to take on these children. The more cynical side of me wonders why he's so eager to take them in, but I try to tamp down that instinct and give him the benefit of the doubt. Just because he's a big, strapping, gorgeous firefighter doesn't mean he's not a family guy.
Maybe he already has a couple kids of his own and is happy to take on a few more. “Actually, it's not quite that easy. I can consider giving you temporary guardianship, but you'll still have to go before a judge to petition for permanent guardianship. And, in the meantime, I’ll be seeking out next of kin and the father to see if there's a more suitable blood relative who would like to petition for guardianship as well.”
Mr. Ludwig shakes his head. “No way. She specifically said she didn’t want her parents to keep these kids. I don't know the whole story, but I know they really messed her up, and I'm not gonna let them do whatever they did to Britney to these innocent kids. Just tell me what I have to do to keep them, and I'll do it.”