Top Dog

Her head cocked slightly to the right as she studied me. Her eyes raked down my body, making no attempt to conceal what she was doing. I stood there and let her take in whatever it was she felt she needed to, then she nodded and gave me a slight grin.

“I will. Promise. We’ll be okay. You go on to your meeting,” she said.

“Thank you for watching her. I’ll let you know when I’m headed home.”

“I’ll text you soon,” she said.

I got into my truck and looked through the window one last time. Amanda was drinking her coffee at the table while Lanie ate her breakfast. The two were smiling and giggling, and I watched as Lanie moved her food so she could sit next to Amanda. The two snuggled up next to one another, and the scene unfolding before my eyes warmed the pit of my gut.

“Focus Brian,” I said, sighing. “Get it together.”

I rode on into town and stopped at a few places. I needed wipes and snacks from the grocery store, medicine from the pharmacy, and a few random things from the hardware store. Then, I rode into the middle of town to meet my PI for lunch. When I walked in, my lawyer, Luther, was there with him.

And the news was only slightly better than what I was dreading.

“Well, there’s good news and bad news,” my lawyer said.

“Give it to me straight. What can I expect?” I asked.

“If her father can prove he’s got a stable household, that he’s sober, and that he’s married, it’ll look better than you being single and attempting to raise her.”

“Wait. This bastard’s married?” I asked.

“In the official court documents, Lanie’s father’s states that he’s sober, married, and has a clean home for Lanie to come home to. There are drug tests proving he’s clean-—”

“That’s the biggest crock of bull I’ve ever heard. He appeared on my doorstep reeking of alcohol and high as a kite.”

“Just listen, okay?” Luther asked. “He has paperwork proving he’s clean. He has a marriage license proving he’s married. And he has pictures of his home that line up with the address he’s given on his official paperwork. Now, it’s possible most—if not, all—of this is forged. But it’s going to take some digging to figure it out. But even with your PI hot on his tail, we won’t be able to gather all that information before your paperwork is due in.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, trying not to swear.

“If you want custody of Lanie, you’ll have to counter-sue. Which means you have to have paperwork outlining why you’re the better guardian and caretaker for her. And, the burden of proof lies on your shoulders. You’ll also have to prove why Lanie’s father is unfit.”

“Damn,” I said.

“And right now, you look like the lesser parent on paper.”

“Is this asshole really married? And what does being single have to do with anything?” I asked.

“Courts in North Carolina, and around the rest of the world, like to see two parents in a home.”

“How the hell am I supposed to remedy that before the court date?”

“I’m giving it to you straight like you asked,” he said.

Our food was in front of us, but I felt sick to my stomach. I had been raising Lanie for the past year, and now this asshole was popping out of nowhere .

“We both know he’s not fit to be a parent. I have faith in your PIhere. He’ll get you the proof you need to prove he’s an unfit father. But you still have to prove that your home is a good place for Lanie. If you can prove her father is unfit, but you can’t prove that your home is stable for her, she goes to the state.”

I was ready to flip the fucking table we were both sitting at.

“What do I need to do?” I asked.

My lawyer sat back in his chair and laughed.

“Find a wife,” he said pointedly. “Brian, this looks bad. It’s a shit situation.”

“I’m her uncle,” I said.