Liars (Licking Thicket 2)

“What the f-freak?” a woman’s voice said as the door opened.

It was a familiar voice. Ava walked into the ladies’ room with wide eyes. “Diesel?” She stepped back to check the sign on the door before crinkling her forehead at me. “I guess I never asked your pronouns, and I should have.”

God love that woman. “He and him. There’s just no changer in the men’s. Sorry.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Stupid fucking small-town bullshit,” she said with more vitriol than I would have expected. “Don’t worry. We’ll change that. The parent group already got one put in at the Tavern and in the bathroom at the rec center.”

“It’s okay, really,” I said. “All done. It was more a way to keep myself distracted than anything. What are you doing here?”

I assumed she had business at the courthouse. Maybe something to do with the Beautification Corps or something.

“We’re here for you, silly man.”

I blinked at her. “What do you mean?”

“Your custody hearing. You didn’t think we were going to let you come alone, did you?” She grinned at me. “Now, scoot. I need to pee.”

Her words repeated themselves in my head as I walked out in a daze to find the previously empty hallway overflowing with familiar faces. Brooks, Mal, Paul, Ginger, Wade, Maureen, Latonya, and even Brooks’s parents were there. Mrs. Johnson seemed to be handing out muffins or something from a cloth-lined basket. My aunt Dot sat on a bench crocheting calmly and gave me a happy wave when I looked at her, while Aunt Birdie looked ready to storm the courtroom herself if things didn’t go my way. Even Crow and several of the Devoted Dogs MC were there, chatting happily with Wade and flirting with Ginger.

“What’s going on?” I asked to the group in general.

Mal grinned wide. “It’s Daughter Day. We couldn’t let you celebrate on your own.”

The lump in my throat threatened to suffocate me. “I’m not going to get custody,” I croaked out. “She’s not going to be mine.”

Wade broke off from the little circle of people he was talking to and came over to squeeze my shoulder. “That’s not true. You’re a good father to her, and we’re all here to tell that to the judge.”

I gave some kind of combo head nod and grunt that was supposed to express gratitude. It must not have worked. Wade looked concerned.

“Where’s Parrish?” he asked.

I shook my head but couldn’t get the words out. Brooks and Mal noticed the interaction and stepped closer. “He’s not here?” Brooks asked. “Where is he?”

I shrugged and glanced over to the courtroom door. Even my attorneys weren’t here yet. I started to feel light-headed. “Can you call Stewie?” I said in a rough voice, handing Mal my phone. “The number’s in there.”

Marigold must have sensed my distress because she started trying to turn around in the carrier to face me. I unbuckled her and held her in a hug. “Shh, it’s okay, baby girl. Papa’s coming.” But he wouldn’t be Papa for long. What would I tell Parrish if I lost Marigold? That his dreams of becoming a parent had been dashed again?

I felt my face begin to tingle and my hands start to shake. Suddenly, cool fingers clasped my neck. I turned to see Ava with a concerned expression. “You okay?” she asked softly.

After shaking my head once again, I busied myself checking through the backpack for my folder. The least I could do was make sure I had all of the necessary items for the judge.

Ava brushed some lint off my jacket shoulder. “Oh, by the way, I saw a bunch of fancy lawyers at the coffee cart outside. They should be here any… oh look. There they are.”

I glanced up and saw four familiar attorneys approaching. Ian Merchant was carrying a drinks carrier with an extra cup. When they approached with all smiles, Ian offered it to me. “Diesel, we heard from the clerk that they’re running a few minutes behind. When we tried calling you, it went straight to voicemail.”

I checked my phone again and discovered the ringer volume was all the way down. Mari had been grabbing for it earlier, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. I desperately clicked through to see if I’d missed any calls from Parrish, but there was still nothing.

I tried him again. No answer.

“I don’t think he’s coming,” I said hoarsely. “Something must have happened.”

I heard a snicker from behind me and turned to see the Kensingtons’ attorney. The last time I’d seen him, he’d been a smarmy jackass, trying everything to make me look like a loser if not a criminal.

I tried ignoring him.

“C’mon,” the guy said. “We all knew this was going to happen. It’s exactly what he did with his previous—”

I stepped forward to get in his face before remembering I was holding Marigold. Thankfully, Ian stepped between us and held out his hand to the man. “Darren, nice to see you again. I heard about Moffie’s fall. I was sorry to hear about her hip. How’s she doing?”