But I wanted my daughter.
If I had any chance of being a father to her, I had to fight.
There was only one lawyer better at this than I was. Zegas. I wouldn’t let him say no.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Marlow
“How did you not know about this?”
I’d worn a path in the rug that covered Andrew’s living room floor.
“According to that article, his family paid to bury it.”
“He never talked about it? Them?”
They’d been friends forever. Were like brothers. How did Andrew have no clue?
“I had no idea he came from that kind of money. He worked two jobs, applied for any kind of scholarship he could get, and still managed to graduate at the top of our class.” My brother stared into his whiskey glass.
“Will he be disbarred for this?”
“There is no statute of limitations in Maine for rape of a person under sixteen. He could be tried.”
“What about the settlement they made out of court?”
“Doesn’t matter if the prosecutor wants to reopen it.”
“Have you talked to him?”
“Won’t take my calls.” He plowed a hand through his hair. “Why aren’t you with him?”
“You don’t think he did it,” I concluded, avoiding the question I’d been asking myself since I’d had a moment to process.
“I’ve known him for over twenty years. He’s my best friend. It’s hard for me to believe. But the truth is, it looks bad.”
“If he did, how do I protect this baby from him?” As soon as I asked the question, I wanted to take it back.
Patrick loved Gummy. Loved Blake. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t guilty. Didn’t the people who knew someone like this frequently say they had no idea? That the person who committed the crime was a nice guy?
Andrew cut his gaze over to me. “Are you really going to do that now?”
“I have to think about it.” I paused walking. “Don’t I?”
“Yeah.” He stood and joined me in pacing.
“I hated it when all of you assumed the worst of me.” I despised that I’d in essence done the same to Patrick. Couldn’t stand knowing he was alone with this hanging over his head. My situation had been petty compared to this and that had hurt deeply. What was he feeling?
“But you did it to him.”
I sank down on the sofa. “I asked him if he did it. Wanted him to tell me it wasn’t true.”
“Did he?”
“He didn’t deny it.” I stretched out until my head hit the arm and rested my hands on my stomach.
“The whole situation looks worse because of the soliciting sex thing.”
“I don’t even care about that.” As I said it, I realized it was true.
“That was totally out of character for him,” he agreed.
“So is this.” The words came out without thought. I sat up straight as Andrew halted.
“It is,” he said carefully. “But Marlow, we don’t know for sure one way or the other.”
“We just have to decide if it matters.”
“If he raped a girl, of course it matters.” Andrew looked at me like I’d lost it.
“That came out wrong.” I lay back down and ignored the pain in my lower back. “Either we’re with him or against him.”
“What do you want to do?”
My head rolled to the side. “Wave a magic wand and make all this crap disappear.”
“I had no idea you believed in fairy tales,” he said with a wry upturn of his lips.
“I don’t. If they were real, I’d still have my husband and Blake would have his father.”
“So why are you with Patrick if all you want is Jack?”
This time the guilt that swirled wasn’t for my late husband, but for the man who had brought me back to the land of the living.
Stood by me when no one else could. Had given me my family back and added to it.
“I think I made a huge mistake.” I shot to my feet.
“Where are you going?”
“To fix it.” I dashed to his front door, ignoring the stabbing pain in my back, phone in hand. “Can you keep Blake?” I called over my shoulder.
“You don’t have to ask.” Andrew was on my heels.
I flung open the door and screeched to a stop.
“I’m glad to find you here instead of with that rapist.” My mother stood on the stoop, a dark trench coat dotted with rain drops wrapped around her. “You will not let my grandchild have anything to do with that pervert.” She gave my stomach a pointed look.
Automatically, I wrapped my arms around my middle to shield Gummy.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
She released an exasperated huff as she flicked her gaze to Andrew. “He couldn’t even teach you proper language.” The mutter was loud enough for both of us to hear.
“Haven’t you done enough?”
“Is your father still with that tramp?”
I recoiled when she referred to Mrs. Quinn that way. It had taken me a while to accept her in my dad’s life, but I could see now it was because of the woman in front of me. She had poisoned my mind against someone who had only ever been good and kind—and forgiving—to me and my family.
The rain began to fall steadily, yet we didn’t move from the doorway to let her in.
“What difference does it make to you? Trouble at home?” I hated this woman. She’d waited until I was most vulnerable to strike. Made me believe she cared, that she was sorry for ever leaving us. But she’d never said the words. Never really behaved with regret.
An agenda. That was what she had. I still hadn’t figured out what it was.
She pursed her lips. “Is he with her?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Yes.”
The lie was worth the rage that contorted her smooth features. “Does she know he spent the night with me?”
Andrew stiffened. “Our father would never do something so foolish. Don’t you ever speak ill of him again.”
“Or what?” She fixed a sinister smile on her face. “That wife of yours, her ex-sister-in-law, there’s
