Don't Promise (Don't 3)

“Spit it out.”

“Legal called me before I called you.” She sat on the small stool, gripping her coffee cup. “And it seems like a lot of people saw Hunter and Julie in your family box last night during the game.”

“So? There’s some kind of problem with that?” I didn’t get it. I hadn’t watched the playback of the game like I usually did. Instead I was making a paper chain out of construction paper.

I could tell Savi was selecting the words she wanted to use. She only did that when she had bad news to deliver. Like my contract was in jeopardy, or I had lost another sponsor.

“A woman saw Hunter at the game. She called the police and reported him as her son.”

“That’s impossible,” Julie blurted out. “Hunter’s mother died.”

Savannah looked at each of us. “The woman claims that Hunter was kidnapped from her and that the woman who died was not actually his birth mother.”

Julie staggered backward and I caught her before she hit the counter. “I’ve got you, baby.”

“That can’t be.” Her face was white.

“No, it can’t,” I growled. “She’s lying.”

“Legal is looking into it, but so far the woman’s story checks out. She had a son who matches Hunter’s description who was reported missing three years ago.”

“Oh my God.” Julie’s knees buckled and I scooped her to my chest. “No. No.”

Savannah looked as stricken as we felt. “I have a private investigator on it. And of course the police are now involved. But I wanted to tell you before the lawyers called. I know you two have your hearts in this.”

“He’s not going anywhere,” I barked. “He belongs here.” There was a fucking Christmas tree with his little cut out hands all over it. No one was taking Hunter out of this home.

Savannah grimaced. “He might have a birth mother out there who has been looking for him for three years. Kane, I don’t know what the right outcome is here. But Hunter doesn’t need to know anything until we have some proof. You don’t have to tell him.”

I felt the sob wrack through Julie’s body. I was helpless to do a damn thing about it.

“We aren’t telling him anything, because it’s not true. He has parents now. Parents who want him. Parents who will do whatever we have to do to keep him. Do you understand me?” I knew Savannah didn’t deserve the brunt of my anger, but she was the messenger and in this case I had to shoot someone.

She rose from the island. “I’m sorry. Really I am. And I hope we have answers in the next day or two. Just don’t give the police or the attorneys a hard time. It won’t make things any easier.”

Julie nodded with a sniffle. “We’ll cooperate. Of course we will.”

Savi touched Julie’s arm. “Call me if you need anything.”

She walked to the door and gazed up at the tree. “I like it. Not your usual beer can Christmas,

huh?” She smiled at me sadly.

I knew exactly what she was thinking. It was the same thing running through my soul. I finally opened my life to love and look what happened.

38

Julie

I didn’t know what was happening. I wished at moments like this that I could see into the future and see how things were going to play out. What was the right path to take? Were we doing the right thing? I wondered how many parents asked themselves these same questions every day. How many times a day do they ask them?

“Are you ready, sugar?” Kane asked and I nodded my head, letting him know I was.

I couldn’t bear to speak right now. Otherwise I was afraid I would start babbling and crying all at the same time, and honestly no one needed that.

“Hunter, do you have your backpack? Last week of school before Christmas break.” He grinned at the child.

Hunter nodded, sleepily. We let him stay up way too late last night working on the decorations for the tree.