“Okay, so no divorce, but she’s pregnant, and I need to ensure that my rights are protected.”
There was a pause. “You know Dylan, for a guy who seems to have it all together, you don’t have it together. You want to divorce your wife while she’s pregnant? Jesus, if your ex got wind of that—”
“Well she won’t, right? Client-attorney privilege.” I did sound like a complete douche, but she was the one who tried to keep the pregnancy from me.
“Now isn’t the time for any of this. If you want Maisie, suck it up and make it work until this is done.”
I knew he was right. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for Maisie, so if I had to stay married to Tessa, I would. “Tessa is with her parents right now. I don’t know if she’ll be back for the court hearing coming next week.”
“I’ll take care of it. In the meantime, stay the course.”
The following Sunday, I felt like I could finally breathe again when Maisie returned home.
“Where’s Tessa?” she asked when I closed the door behind Veronica and Leo as they headed home.
“She’s visiting her mom and dad.”
“Still? She’s been there longer than me.”
I didn’t know how to explain Tessa being gone. We’d had a few texts, mostly her telling me she planned to stay at her parents longer. On Friday, she sent me the sonogram appointment information. But other than that, we hadn’t talked, and it was fucking killing me. How was it that I missed her as much as I missed Maisie? She’d hurt me, and yet somehow all I could remember was her sweet smile, generous heart, and the way she doted on Maisie. It was a lie, I told myself. But I didn’t want to believe it. In fact, one night, Tessa came to me in my dream. She started to suck my dick, which I didn’t want her to do because even in my dream I was pissed.
“You betrayed me,” I said trying to get away.
“You hurt me too, and yet I’m still here. Till death do us part.” She looked up at me from where she knelt before me.
“It’s not real. Our marriage isn’t real.”
“Yes, it was. For a few moments it was real. It still could be real.”
I shook my head, but then her lips were on me, and my anger was no match for my desire. I woke with a start, my cock throbbing with need.
The following week, I brought Maisie to work with me, paying the playroom staff extra to watch her while I worked. Fortunately, Corrine was able to watch her on my court date, as she had during the other court appearances.
I walked into court wondering how the judge would take it that Tessa wasn’t there. Being with her folks was a good reason, right? But as I approached my lawyer at the table, I saw that Tessa was here. She looked worse than before. Tired and worn out. Was she having a hard time with the pregnancy?
She gave me a tentative smile. “I said I’d help, so I’m here, but if you want me to go …”
“You need to stay,” the lawyer said, pulling out a chair for her.
I nodded my agreement and sat next to her. My lawyer started talking in a low voice, but I couldn’t hear him. I was distracted by her presence. Her scent. The warmth of her body next to mine. She was fucking wreaking havoc on my emotions and my senses.
“Are you feeling okay?” I asked, because I wasn’t a total asshole. She was carrying my child. I needed to take care of her.
“Yes.” But her tone didn’t make me a believer.
“All rise,” the bailiff’s voice filled the room.
We sat again when the judge entered and sat, and the first order of things was to check about Maisie’s visit.
“I have the social worker’s reports from two visits; one to Mr. and Mrs. Hyatt and one to Mr. and Mrs. Baskin. Overall, both visits seem to have gone well.”
“In that case, we’d like to push for a month-long visit before school starts in the fall,” Veronica’s lawyer said.
“In light of new information, we have concerns about any further visits with the Baskins,” my lawyer said.
Was this where he accused Leo of banging the nanny?
“What new information?” the judge asked.
“We have two concerns. The first is that we are questioning the stability of the Baskin marriage.”
“What’s he talking about?” Veronica blurted, looking over at our table.
“We have evidence that Mr. Baskin is having an affair with the child’s French nanny,” my attorney said.
“That’s absurd,” Leo sneered.
Veronica looked at Leo with such shock, that I felt sorry for her.
“Quiet,” the judge ordered. “What evidence?”
“I have it here.” My lawyer handed an envelope to the bailiff. “However, our biggest concern has to do with a plan for the Baskin’s to move to France, taking Maisie with them.”
“What?” I said. I looked at my lawyer. I hadn’t heard about that.
My lawyer put his hand on my shoulder, cueing me to be quiet.
“That’s outrageous,” the other attorney said. “Just because my client travels to France frequently doesn’t mean they plan to move there or take the child. They understand how important Mr. Hyatt is to the child.”
“This passport for Maisie suggests something different. Your honor, I believe that Mrs. Baskin wants sole custody, as opposed to joint, because she plans to leave the country with the child and can’t unless she has full legal rights. While you may decide she’s a better parent, it would be cruel for the state of New York to allow a child to be ripped from the only parent who’s been with her all her five years to live in another country where she can’t see him.”
My gaze shot to Veronica, who sat looking down as if she had something to hide. Fuck. Was she really going to do that? Of all the things I considered, taking Maisie out
