“Hey, baby,” I whispered before kissing Porter long and deep.
“Mmmm,” he groaned into my mouth as his strong arms held me against his chest. “God, I missed you.”
“It’s only been two days,” I taunted. Though, not-so-secretly considering I’d all but mounted him the moment he’d gotten out of his car; I’d missed him too.
He set me back on my feet and then straightened his navy-blue suit coat. “Two days too long. How’s Trav this morning?”
“He’s…” Getting worse.
When I’d left that morning, his cardiologist wouldn’t even look me in the eye. It was literally overnight that he had gone from winning the uphill climb to crashing back down to below baseline. His decreased heart function was taking its toll on his lungs and liver to the point that I worried that, even if a heart did arrive, he wouldn’t be physically strong enough to handle the stress of the surgery. I hadn’t slept in what felt like forever because all I could do was stay awake, night after night, and watch his vitals.
Swallowing hard, I finished on a semi-lie “He’s doing fine. Mom and Tom are with him.”
Porter nodded, but judging by the purse of his lips, he wasn’t buying it. He could see right through me. However, he didn’t want to acknowledge the hovering reality any more than I did.
We weren’t exactly pretending as much as faking positivity.
“As soon as we finish here, we’ll go straight up to the hospital,” I whispered.
He shot me a genuine smile, one of the first I’d seen from him in a while. “Yeah. I can’t wait to see him.”
Hand in hand, we walked up the courthouse steps. Once we’d gotten through the metal detectors, we found our attorneys huddled together in quiet conversation.
“Hey, Mark,” Porter said.
Mark’s gaze cut to me and then dipped to Porter’s hand in mine. “So, this is the front we’re portraying?”
Porter’s forehead crinkled. “This is the only front I have. So, yeah, this is what we’re portraying.”
Mark stared at us for a beat longer like he had something to say that wouldn’t quite come out.
My attorney, Victoria, moved to my side, her shoulder brushing with mine as she whispered, “You sure about this guy?”
I hooked a finger at Porter. “Him? No. I just found him in the parking lot.”
Her lips thinned as she cut her gaze to Mark. “Charlotte, as I told you, Brady has filed for full custody. This is not something to joke around with. After the scuffle at the hospital and Porter breaking the order of protection, being here with him is not going to help your case. And, quite honestly, if you lose custody, it’s not going to help Porter, either.”
A hum of adrenaline started in my fingertips before clawing its way through my body. “I’m not losing custody. I have done nothing wrong. Porter has been cleared of all involvement in the kidnapping. We were dating before we knew about Travis. And we’re dating after. This should be a non-issue. And if this is an issue, I’m paying you an exorbitant amount of money to make it a non-issue.”
Porter’s hand tensed around mine in silent agreement.
“Relax,” she urged. “We’re on the same team.”
“Right. So, please”—I pointedly looked to Mark and then back to Victoria—“act like it.”
Side-glances were exchanged between the two of them, but they eventually nodded and stepped away.
I huffed and chanced a glance up at Porter, fully expecting a scowl to be covering his handsome face.
It wasn’t.
A sexy-as-sin smirk pulled at his lips. “You are so getting laid tonight,” he whispered. “That whole ‘make it a non-issue’ thing was hot.”
I rolled my eyes, but only to hide the fact that my stomach was fluttering. “It’s true though. Combined, we could probably put Travis through college for what this is costing us. And, paying this kind of money, I sure as hell don’t expect it to come with a heaping side of judgment.”
He grinned again and bent low to kiss me. “I like the idea of us putting Travis through college together.”
My whole body warmed as I stared into his blue eyes. “I like the idea of that, too.”
“All right. Break it up, you two,” Tanner said, sidling up beside his brother.
“Where’s Dad?” Porter asked.
“At home, probably digging cash out of his mattress for bail money.”
Porter’s eyebrows shot up. “For which one of us?”
Tanner straightened his ridiculous pink-and-white-striped tie, which only he could make look masculine. “If he’s smart? Both.”
Porter grinned. Tanner’s lips split to match.
Tanner leaned around his brother and aimed that megawatt moneymaker on me. “I owe you big time.”
“For what?”
“For that.” He jutted his chin down the hall.
I turned and found Rita clipping toward us in a fitted black dress and a red pair of stilettos.
“Don’t even pretend that you didn’t have something to do with her showing up at my door last night,” he said.
“Oh, I had everything to do with that, Sloth. And don’t worry. I’ll let you know when I think of some way for you to return the favor. But, in the meantime”—I lowered my voice to a whisper—“don’t show your ass in here today and make me regret it. I don’t care what Brady says. You keep your mouth shut.”
He lifted his hand to his temple in a salute and clicked out of the corner of his mouth. “Aye aye, captain.” His gaze heated as he slid it to Rita. “Hey there, my sexy lady,” he greeted in a sultry bedroom purr that I feared could impregnate her from across the room.
He frowned when my best friend came to me first.
“Hey, honey. You nervous?”
“Not really,” I answered. “I just want to get this over with so can we go back up to the hospital and be with Travis.”
“Good. Because it’s going to be great.” She reached into her black Fendi satchel and pulled a stack of papers out. “This is everything you asked for. Including a few more that I dug up on my own.” She winked. “You got this.”
I took the papers from her hand. “Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”
She gave my arm a squeeze and then clipped her way around to Tanner, muttering, “Okay. Okay. Hold your horses. I’m coming. Jeesh, you Reese men sure are needy.”
Tanner wrapped her into a bear hug, and she started giggling as he murmured something in her ear.
I smiled on the inside, enjoying the idea that people we loved were finally happy too.
“What’s that?” Porter asked, tilting his head to the papers in my hand.
“You’ll see in a little while.”
He smirked. “Naked pictures?”
I purposefully kept my face blank as I replied, “Yeah. Of Tanner.”
He narrowed his eyes. “For the record, I find you negative amounts of funny right now.”
“For the record, I find you negative amounts of funny most of the time. But I love you anyway.”
He chuckled and opened his mouth to reply, but he didn’t get the words out.
“Incoming,” Tanner whispered.
We all turned and saw Brady and his wife striding toward us, his angry, green gaze leveled on me.
Porter rolled his shoulders back and straightened so he stood a little taller, his muscles flexing under the confines of his suit.
“Ignore him,” I said, leaning into my man’s side.
Porter grunted in acknowledgment, but he tracked Brady all the way until he disappeared into the courtroom.
“You two ready?” Mark asked, Victoria smoothing her skirt out beside him.
I looked up at Porter. “Are we ready?”
His eyes blazed with determination as he stared down at me. “Let’s do this.”
Together, we walked into the courtroom, our attorneys leading the way. The last time we’d been in that room, Porter and I had been on opposite sides. Now, it was Brady who sat across the aisle.
Tension was thick in the air, but Porter kept his hand firmly in mine as we were seated. After a few moments of waiting, Judge Gratham came in, his scrutinizing gaze sweeping through the room.
“Please be seated,” he said, sinking into his chair. “Well, this is a different seating arrangement since the last time. Mr. Boyd, it seems you are at the wrong table.”
Brady’s attorney pushed to his feet. “No, your honor. My client has—”
“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Full custody. I read all the paperwork. I’m interested in hearing from Mr. Boyd about this sudden change though.”
Brady whispered something to his attorney and then rose to his feet. “I no longer feel that it is in Lucas’s best interest to remain in Charlotte’s care. She has continuously proven that she is unable to put her personal life aside and make objective decisions for his well-being. She knowingly put him in danger only a few days ago, which resulted in him collapsing into a pond, where he had to be resuscitated.”
I blinked. There was no fucking way I’d heard him correctly.
Shooting to my feet, I asked, “Are you blaming me for him having a heart attack?”
The judge motioned for me to sit with two fingers, and Mark and Victoria both tried to pull me down. Porter didn’t move. Not even an inch. His jaw was ticking and his eyes were aimed forward at the judge, an inferno brewing within.
“As I was saying,” Brady continued. “Her continuous involvement with Mr. Reese has not only gone against the order of protection issued by this court, but it has also impaired my ability to develop a relationship with my son.”
“And there it is.” I laughed sardonically. “The real reason why we’re here.”
“Ms. Mills,” the judge said, turning his icy glare on me. “Do not make me have you removed from this courtroom. You’ll have a chance to speak in a minute.”
I grumbled and lowered myself back into my chair.
Porter still hadn’t moved.
Brady grinned victoriously. “Furthermore, Charlotte has yet to secure any kind of housing for our son. She is currently living in a one-bedroom apartment that is not suitable for a young boy. I have a home where he could have his own bedroom and plenty of space to move around. It just makes sense that he be placed with me. And, honestly, the only reason I didn’t press this issue sooner is that Charlotte seemed unstable when we first got Lucas back and I feared for our son’s safety if I pushed her over the edge.”
My mouth fell open as I stared at him. Shock and surprise mingled in a heady combination with betrayal and anger. Brady and I weren’t close by any stretch of the imagination, but this was a new all-time low for him.
“How do you sleep at night?” I whispered, the hurt thick in my tone.
Porter’s hand dropped to my lap, but I was too wound up to play the hand holding game.
Brady’s gaze flicked to mine and bounced away just as quickly.
Lifting my hand in the air like a grade school student, I asked, “May I please speak now, your honor?”
He motioned for Brady to sit. Then he leaned back in his chair, intertwined his fingers, and rested them on his round stomach. “By all means, Ms. Mills.”
“My son, Travis”—I aimed a pointed scowl at Brady—“was born with a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy. In short, his heart is enlarged and cannot efficiently pump blood. Due to decreased heart function, this condition can affect other organs in the body. And, for our son, his lungs have struggled the most. Now, with that said, nothing I did or didn’t do caused my son to collapse the other day. However, as a medical professional, I’m willing to wager that the stress of the last few weeks has taken its toll on his already frail body. So, if anyone wants to point the finger at why he is laid up in a hospital bed right now, slowly fading away while waiting for a new heart to become available, it would be aimed at every single person in this room in one way or another.
“And as far as Brady calling me unstable? I honestly don’t know how to respond to that. It’s not only insulting and untrue, but it’s disgusting to me that he would even go there after the hell we’ve been through. The last few weeks have been an emotional hurricane for all of us, but Travis has always been my number-one priority. I’ve taken a leave of absence from work, and finding a new house is at the top of my list. Between these court dates, ensuring Travis is able to spend ample time with Brady, and my son’s numerous doctors’ appointments and, now, hospital visits, there hasn’t been a lot of time left in the day. We are all still adjusting. I am no exception.”
I swallowed hard and then sucked in a deep breath that did nothing to soothe the nerves tap-dancing in my stomach. “Now, I’m not here to discuss or defend my private relationship with Porter Reese. However, it is impossible to discuss my son without talking about him.”
I lifted the stack of papers Rita had delivered. “This is over one hundred signed statements from people who have interacted with Travis and Porter over the years. You will find letters from doctors, nurses, teachers, babysitters, employees, former employees, therapists, neighbors.” I paused to smile. “I think there might even be a grocery store clerk or two. But, regardless of who they are, they all say the exact same thing. Porter loves his children.” My voice cracked under the heavy weight of that truth.
“Jesus,” he breathed beside me, taking the papers from my hand and starting to flip through them.
“It took me less than two days to get all of those statements,” I told the judge. “I think I only made maybe five calls, and then those five people made five more calls, and so on and so forth. It was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. People came out of the woodwork wanting to support Porter.”
“Jesus,” he repeated.
I cleared my throat. “So, back to why I’m telling you this. My son is amazing. He’s happy. He’s received top-notch medical treatment. Private tutors. And he even went to Disney World with his family a few years back.” My chin quivered and I forced a grin to cover it. “I know this because he’s told me about it no less than twelve dozen times.” My nose stung as I admitted, “I wasn’t there for any of those things. But that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful they happened. It’s hard not to be jealous that someone else was there for your child when he grew up.” I turned to look at Brady, tears falling from my eyes. “I swear I get it. You want to be his dad. His only dad. But the reason you can’t build a relationship with your son has nothing to do with Porter and everything to do with the fact that you’re building it on a foundation of jealousy. Porter shouldn’t even be in your equation.”
Brady sheepishly looked away, so I turned my attention back to the judge.
“I guess what I’m saying is, of all the ways this horrible ordeal could have turned out, I’m just happy this is how it ended. Porter took exceptional care of our child when we were not there to do it. So, yeah, my relationship with him aside, he deserves to be in Travis’s life.” I sniffled and barely managed to choke out, “A child can never be loved by too many good people.”
Porter suddenly rose to his feet, curled his hand around the back of my neck, and dragged me into his chest. “Jesus Christ. Stop talking.”
The courtroom was silent as Porter held me tighter than ever before. His deep and raspy I-love-yous echoed in my ear. My body sagged in his arms, the comfort and warmth only he possessed quelling the storm inside me.
“Well, okay, then. Anything else from you, Mr. Boyd?” Judge Gratham asked at the same time my phone started vibrating in my pocket.
“Charlotte,” Brady called with urgency.
I didn’t have much else to say to the man. If he was ready for round two, I was going to have to sit it out.
Turning in Porter’s arm, I groaned, “Please, just stop. I can’t—”
“We got a heart,” he whispered, lifting his phone in the air as if I could read the message on the screen.
Chills exploded over my skin. “What?”
Porter echoed me. “What?”
Brady’s eyes bulged wide at the same time a giant smile split his face. “We got a heart!”
Time stopped.
I understood what he was saying, but it felt too incredible to be real. So I asked again, “What?”
Porter patted my pockets down before fishing my phone out. He let out a loud laugh that broke at the end as he announced, “They found him a heart.”
“We gotta go!” Brady exclaimed, rushing toward the door, only slowing long enough to take his wife’s hand and drag her after him.
But I didn’t move.
“Porter?” I whispered and tilted my head back to see him.
His pleading, blue gaze was locked at the judge. “Please, your honor. Let me see him before he goes into surgery. It could be the last time—”
“It’s not going to be the last time,” the judge said matter-of-factly. “But go ahead, son. Get out of here. All of you. Supervised visitation is granted. Your attorneys and I will work out the visitation details until I can make a final ruling on custody.”
My chest swelled.
Porter’s breath left him on a rush. “Oh God. Thank you so much.”
“I don’t want to hear one word about you and Mr. Boyd getting into any more hospital brawls.”
“No, sir. Of course not.”
He smiled and made a shooing motion with his hands. “Good luck today. I’ll be praying for your boy.”
“Thank you,” Porter and I called in unison as we raced from the room.
Hand in hand.
Together.