Page 58
Holt told me Chris’s lawyer had filed a motion yesterday afternoon, right after I found Russell. He asked if I wanted to talk about it then or meet in the morning. I quickly took the out, not wanting to discuss anything about Chris when I wasn’t mentally prepared. Plus, I want Gray to be part of the meetings instead of having to relay the information to him later.
“Thanks, Bev. I appreciate you coming in this morning.”
She waves me off. “I’m available to stay all day, sweetheart, so if you get done here and need the day to process, you take it.”
I have a feeling she knows what Chris has done. It’s going to land like dynamite, isn’t it?
“Gird your loins, Holty. We’re coming in.” Grayson’s exclamation diffuses the tension that had begun to simmer in my gut. I squeeze his hand in thanks as he leads me into Holt’s office and shuts the door behind us.
“They’re girded…I think.” Holt’s bemused smirk releases the rest of my nerves. I trust this man to take care of me to the best of his ability. Even knowing Chris is going to be an ass, Holt won’t let him get away with his bullshit.
His dark hair has been pushed back off his forehead, and his jeans and polo mean he’s not going to court today. My favorite part is that he always wears his cowboy boots and hat to work, even if he has to change his shoes before he goes into a courtroom.
Holt is sitting in one of the two occasional chairs that face a loveseat with a glass coffee table in the middle. I appreciate his efforts to make this meeting less formal since he’s our friend more than our lawyer.
“All right. Let’s rip the Band-Aid off right away, Holt,” Gray says after we sit on the couch together.
Holt nods. “Chris’s lawyer filed for a paternity test.”
My jaw drops while Gray curses.
“He’s claiming that because you’re now living with Grayson, he can’t be sure the baby is actually his,” Holt continues.
Gray scoffs. “What a crock of bullshit.”
“I’m already working on filing for Grayson to be listed as a legal parent once Peanut is born. We do not want Chris to be the default decision maker if something were to go wrong for either you or Peanut. I’m also going to ensure Gray is legally responsible for your care, Kylie, both before and after Peanut is born.
“Since Chris has questioned whether he’s the biological father, you’ve been separated for the last three months, and his communications with you have made it clear he’s not happy about the divorce, I believe we can prove that it’s in the baby’s and your best interest if Grayson is the legal decision maker.”
I press a hand to my mouth as nausea rises. “Oh god, I didn’t even think about that.”
“The baby can have multiple legal parents, so I’m hopeful we’ll be able to get both requests granted,” Holt adds to soften the fear.
“What impact does the paternity test have on the custody case?” Gray asks.
“Well, given that we all know what the results of the test will be, it’ll give Chris the ammunition he needs to fight tooth and nail over custody.”
Gray starts gently massaging the back of my neck. “And there’s no way we can get a judge to declare him unfit?”
“Not so far. Given the escalation in his texts, we can try, but he hasn’t actually done anything to prove he’s not fit to have custody, so it’s unlikely.”
I shrug. “Honestly, before he blew up like this, I figured we’d split custody, and then he’d bail on his days to be with Peanut.”
“I probably would’ve agreed with you,” Holt says. “Now, I’m prepared to go to battle for full custody.”
I feel the need to warn him. “He never backs down from a fight. Not once in our marriage did he admit to wrongdoing, so be prepared for his lawyer to throw everything at you just to see what sticks.”
“And to be a pain in the ass,” Gray grumbles.
A small smile quirks up the corner of my mouth. “That too.”
Holt grabs his tablet off the coffee table. “Then let’s get a plan of attack together.”
* * *
“This is highway robbery!” Grayson exclaims.
London giggles as she takes the fake bills from her dad and adds them to our rapidly growing bank.
