Читать книгу Twins For Christmas - Amanda Renee - Страница 11

Chapter Three

“Thank you for seeing me so fast.” Hannah pulled her jacket tighter across her chest while she waited for Avery Griffin to unlock the front door of her law offices.

Avery gave Hannah one of the coffees she’d picked up on the way in and held the door open for her to enter. “I’m glad you called me, and don’t worry, I’ll take your case pro bono. I know this is difficult.” She adjusted the thermostat on the wall. “Have a seat.”

“I’m grateful for your help. I’m worried an attorney will cause Noah to move faster. You should have heard him yesterday.” Hannah sipped her coffee in an attempt to get warm. She didn’t know if she shook out of nervousness or if it was because the temperature had dropped twenty degrees overnight. “I can’t sit by and let him tear Charlotte and Cheyenne away from my family.”

“Don’t worry about upsetting Noah. I’m sure he assumes you have an attorney, since we had to handle the guardianship papers when Lauren died. And he may have already retained one, too. Let’s start with the facts.” Avery removed a legal pad from her top drawer and began to take notes. “Paternity hasn’t been established. Until it is, Noah can’t do anything. You have two choices. You can willingly submit the girls to be DNA tested, which would involve an inner mouth swab, or you can wait for a judge to issue a court order requiring testing. Personally, unless there is a valid reason to delay it, I strongly recommend complying with the request. If this case goes to court, it shows your willingness to cooperate.”

Hannah’s mouth went dry despite the coffee. “I didn’t have a problem with the paternity test until now. I knew Lauren better than anyone, and I—” Saying her name in the past tense made swallowing difficult. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry.”

Avery handed her a tissue and joined her on Hannah’s side of the desk. “It’s okay. I understand.”

“Lauren didn’t sleep around. She hadn’t been with anyone else for about a year before the twins were conceived.” Hannah began to shred the tissue. “Lauren had hoped to find Noah one day, but only because she thought her children deserved to know who their father was. Despite the connection she had felt with him that night, she wasn’t looking to spend the rest of her life with him. She wanted him to have a chance to coparent the children with her. I’m asking for the same courtesy.”

“A judge is interested in the facts and the best interest of the children,” Avery said. “You have a strong case, but it’s not cut-and-dried. Before the wrong judge, his paternity might carry more weight. This type of case is best settled out of court. Both of you have too much to lose. I’d like to call Noah in for a meeting to see if we can work out some sort of mediation.”

“Do you need me to be there?” She was still too angry with him. Her family had opened their home to him and he’d thanked them by threatening to take the twins away.

Avery shook her head. “I don’t want Noah to think we’re ganging up on him. If it’s just the two of us, he might be more willing to discuss a visitation schedule.”

“Visitation meaning he visits the children in my home, not the other way around,” Hannah clarified. “He made a comment yesterday that led me to believe he is financially well-off.”

Avery reached for her iPad and flipped the cover open. “Your brother emailed me a very detailed report on Noah this morning. Financially he’s sound. His skill set earns him a higher than average income, but he’s a long way from being a millionaire. Noah’s also very clean. He served eight years in the air force, owns his own home, has zero police violations and is one of the world’s best heli-logger pilots. He conducts seminars in the United States and around the world.”

“Wouldn’t that give me the advantage?” It was the first ounce of hope she’d felt all morning. “How can he be there for his children if he’s traveling?”

“Don’t you travel across the country barrel racing?”

“Yes, but it’s different. My parents can watch the girls. I’m never gone for very long. Many times my mom comes with me, so bringing the girls along wouldn’t be a problem. He said during dinner yesterday that he only has his mom, and if he travels out of the country—” Hannah’s stomach flipped. “He can’t take the girls to another country, can he?”

“There’s no denying you have a great support system.” Avery patted Hannah’s forearm. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Are you open to some form of a temporary arrangement granting him visitation while we attempt to hash out a resolution?”

“As long as it remains civil.” Hannah sighed. “I think Noah is as scared as I am about losing the girls, but for different reasons. I’m more than willing to give this another chance, if he is.”

“Then let’s get to work.” Avery walked behind her desk. “I’ll try to arrange a meeting with Noah today.”

Hannah didn’t want to be unreasonable. Lauren had seen something in Noah and she owed it to her friend to give him a chance.

* * *

NOAH WASN’T OVERLY surprised when Hannah’s attorney phoned and asked to meet with him later that afternoon. He parked his rental car in front of the law offices. He needed to steady his nerves before he went inside. He was still reeling from yesterday. He preferred to get his excitement on the job, not around a family Christmas tree. Granted, he could have handled himself better, but they could have, too. Between the barrage of questions and the obvious assumption he would be a casual father to Charlotte and Cheyenne, he’d about reached his breaking point on the way back from their Christmas tree trek in the woods. Halfway there he began to wonder if the whole cutting down a tree on Thanksgiving story hadn’t been a ruse to separate him from Hannah and the twins so they could break him down.

He got it. Clay was defending Lauren’s honor after Noah had gotten her pregnant. But he’d also hoped to see her again. Although he’d never been a fan of the whole long-distance thing, maybe they could have found a way to make it work. And then he wouldn’t have missed out on the first twenty-one months of his children’s lives.

Avery Griffin greeted him at the door. Tall, curvy and blonde, she looked more like a ’50s Hollywood starlet than an attorney. She couldn’t have been much over thirty, if that.

“Are you up for a walk?” Avery asked. “I know it’s unconventional, but I’ve been cooped up in my office all day and I could use the exercise after eating too much yesterday.”

“Sure.” He began to relax as they cut down a side street toward Ramblewood Park. Noah would take wide-open spaces over a stifling office any day. “I have to admit, I expected a call, but I’m surprised you wanted to meet so soon.”

“Under normal circumstances, we would’ve waited until Monday. Since you live out of state and we don’t know your travel schedule, we didn’t want to risk missing you.”

Noah laughed. “I guess that’s a nice way of telling me you’re putting me on notice.”

“Quite the opposite.” Avery pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her pocket. “If this goes to court, everybody loses, especially Charlotte and Cheyenne. I’m going to explain to you how the process works so you’re as informed as Hannah.”

Noah stopped walking. “The process needs to start with a paternity test, which I’ve already scheduled.”

“Hannah doesn’t have a problem establishing paternity.” Avery faced him. “She had a problem with the way you went about it. It’s my understanding you didn’t ask her for a paternity test. Instead, you told her you had already scheduled one. Technically she doesn’t have to comply without a court order, since she is their legal guardian. But she wants this settled just as much as you do.”

Noah agreed he had been a bit overzealous and could have handled the testing better. Off in the distance he watched an aerial fire truck raise its platform to the top of a light post so the firefighters could hang a large white snowflake.

“Do you realize what I have missed?” Noah began walking again. He had the urge to run the park’s track a few times to burn off his frustration. “Hannah told me Lauren had walked out the following morning because she’d been embarrassed about our night together.” Noah clenched his fists. “Think about that. Lauren’s shame over having sex with me robbed me of the entire pregnancy experience. I never saw their first ultrasounds or heard their first heartbeats. I have no idea what either of my daughters’ first words were or when they took their first steps. If she had actually talked to me before she left, all of this could have been avoided. I’m their father and I’m not going to miss another moment. The paternity test is only a formality.”

Avery smiled. “Honestly, I wish I heard that from more men. I applaud you for taking the initiative, but there is a legal procedure you need to be aware of. Once we confirm paternity, I’ll contact a caseworker. A guardian ad litem will then be assigned to the girls.”

“Is that another lawyer?” Noah asked.

“A guardian ad litem is an advocate who ensures Charlotte and Cheyenne’s best interests are always protected. I strongly advise you and Hannah to come to some form of a resolution before either one of your hands is forced.”

Noah wouldn’t mind having the opportunity to apologize to Hannah and her family for his behavior. He didn’t want to create tension between them, he just wanted to be with his baby girls. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

Avery clasped her hands together. “I know the perfect place.”

* * *

HANNAH FINISHED LOADING Restless into the horse trailer before running inside to grab her purse. She gave Charlotte and Cheyenne a quick kiss goodbye in their car seats, then waved to them as her mother drove away. She had two hours before she needed to be at the Christmas Dash-4-Cash barrel race. She was never this nervous before a race, but after the week from hell, she’d barely had a chance to practice. Clay had loaned her his quad cab pickup, but she’d been too anxious to let the twins ride with her. Her family would meet her at the arena.

As she locked the front door, she heard the sound of tires crunching against gravel. She’d expected to see anyone except Noah.

She ran down the front steps in the direction of her horse trailer. “I have a show to get to, Noah. I can’t do this with you now.”

“I know you do,” he called out behind her. “I wanted to ride with you or...at least...follow you there.” His words trailed off in an unexpected shyness.

Regardless of what she decided, she figured she’d regret her decision fifteen minutes down the road. Maybe he’d distract her enough to calm her nerves. “Come on.” She motioned for him to join her. “FYI, though...the twins have already gone ahead with my mom.”

“That’s all right.” He ran to catch up with her. “It will give us a chance to talk.”

Hannah slid behind the wheel. “Can you behave?” she asked through the open passenger window. “This is a big race for me and, as you so graciously pointed out the other day, I need the money.”

“About that.” Noah climbed in and fastened his seat belt. “I was completely out of line.”

“Who told you I was racing today? Not that it was a secret, but I’m surprised you know—it was Avery, wasn’t it?”

He nodded. Hannah eased the truck onto the main road. Avery had wanted them to talk... Now they had the time. Alone. Away from prying eyes and prying ears. Suddenly the interior of her brother’s truck seemed extremely small. She became acutely aware of every breath Noah took. Every movement involving the left side of his body sent an electric twinge pulsating through her veins.

Oh! This can’t be happening.

“Why barrel racing?”

His question broke her thoughts. “Believe it or not, my mom used to be a champion barrel racer. I guess you could say it’s in my blood. What little girl doesn’t want to be like her mother when she’s growing up? Mom became my instructor and I fell in love with the sport and the lifestyle. The rodeo isn’t just about competing. It’s about family, too. Besides, I was always on a horse helping my dad round up our sheep.” Hannah glanced over at Noah, surprised to see him listening intently. “I told you the other day they used to raise sheep for wool. It had been lucrative until the economy took a dive and he was forced to sell their herd and the majority of their land. They married young—like seventeen young. I can’t even imagine getting married at twenty-four, let alone—Never mind. Long story short, he raised sheep and she raced horses. I don’t just compete, though. I also teach at the local rodeo school and I’m turning part of my land into an organic farm. Barrel racers don’t ride forever.”

“Okay, I get that organic farming is the rage right now, but it seems like an odd choice for a rodeo girl.”

“Not really. A good portion of competitors are raised on farms. One in seven working Texans is in some form of agriculture, which isn’t too surprising when you consider we have almost 250,000 farms in the state. Granted, my decision was a little more personal. Growing up, the doctors thought I had food allergies. My parents constantly had to rush me to the hospital because of something I had eaten. After countless tests, it was determined I was having reactions to the pesticides used on most of our food. So I studied agricultural science in college. I eat organic because I have to, but my goal is to educate others on the danger of pesticides and genetically modified foods. It takes three years and a lot of preparation before land can be classified as USDA certified organic. I’m in the fertilization stage, but I’ll get there. It takes time and dedication.”

“That’s commendable.” She glanced over at him and found him studying her. “You said you wanted to educate people. Do you mean teaching at a school?”

“More like a community garden for the grade school kids.” Hannah had more ideas for her land than she had acreage. “I’m planning high rotation crops, which means they’ll mature in sixty days or less. I’d like to give the school an acre or two so their students can gain hands-on experience with organic farming. Providing someone doesn’t get certified before me, I’ll be the first USDA certified organic farm in Ramblewood.”

“And you can do all of that and barrel race?”

“Not exactly. Once my farm is fully operational, then I’ll retire from racing and possibly teaching at the rodeo school. I’ll continue to train horses to barrel race, though. Right now, I spend the majority of my time practicing for my own races and training many of the horses I board. At least that’s what I was doing until the twins moved back in. My mom is super supportive and always around to help out.”

“What’s it like when you’re competing?” Noah asked. “It seems like a lot of work for such a short race.”

People had asked Hannah almost every question under the sun, but she couldn’t recall anyone ever asking her that one. “It’s my version of flying, only at a slower pace of forty miles an hour. Depending on the size of the arena, it’s about thirteen to fifteen seconds of freedom with my horse. We both place our absolute trust in one another to make the right decisions and follow them through. I guess you could call it a marriage of sorts, only there’s no spouse talking back to you.”

When Noah didn’t respond, she stole another glance in his direction. He was leaning partially against the door, smiling at her.

“Say something. I’m nervous enough about today’s race—don’t make it worse.”

“I sincerely hope I don’t make you nervous.” His voice sounded deeper and richer than it had moments before.

“Considering the situation we’re in, I’d have to say yes, you definitely do.” He made her nervous for other reasons she refused to admit. She felt guilty enough for feeling the slightest attraction to Noah Knight. Of all the men in the world, he was definitely the most off-limits.

“I haven’t followed a lot of barrel racing, but I’ve seen it on television. The way they make the turns around the barrels, it almost looks as if the horse is about to topple over on the rider. It has to be dangerous.”

“It’s not the safest sport, but it’s a lot safer than heli-logging. Have you thought about that at all? I’m not trying to start a fight with you, but the other day you told my dad you have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t question how suitable a job it is for a single parent. They’ve already lost their mother. How fair would it be if they lost you, too?”

The cab instantly filled with tension. She would’ve been better off keeping her mouth shut until they both had a place to escape to.

“There are plenty of single parents with dangerous careers and the courts don’t take their children away.” Noah’s even tone surprised Hannah. She’d offended him and he was doing his damnedest to keep it together.

“I think you and I just came to our first mutual understanding. We’re actually concerned about each other’s safety—for the sake of the children.”

Her attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. She kept waiting for him to ask questions about Lauren or the girls, but he didn’t. If the situation had been reversed, he’d have to duct tape her mouth shut to get her to stop asking questions.

“What about you? What do you do when you’re not working?”