An Unexpected Christmas Baby (The Daycare Chronicles 2)

He might not know a lot about family, but he wasn’t a stupid man. He held on to her hand.

“After giving this matter consideration, I feel it’s in the best interests of this particular child to honor her mother’s legal wishes by giving sole custody to her brother, Flint Collins...”

The man’s voice continued. Flint heard mention of the Reddings working out visitation times with Flint. He heard some technicalities. And a comment about hoping to see them back in his court again for the young lady to officially adopt Diamond.

He heard it, but couldn’t believe it. None of it.

“Court dismissed.” A gavel sounded.

It made no sense to him.

He was going to wake up. Find out that he was still in bed, it was Thursday morning and he had to face getting up, knowing he might lose Diamond that day.

Except that Tamara’s fingers were digging into his palm. People were gathering around him. Patting him on the shoulders. Dr. Owens came up to his side, opposite her daughter, put her arms around him and gave him a hug.

“Thank you,” was all she said. Which made no sense to him, either.

He nodded, though. Because it seemed appropriate.

And as soon as he could, he turned to Tamara, put his arms around her and hugged gently, feeling how hard she was trembling. With an arm still around her, he took his baby girl in his other arm and knew he was never going to let go. Of either of them.

He’d done what he’d had to do.

He’d just become somebody he’d never known he could be.

Chapter Twenty

The tree was lit, Diamond had been fed and was asleep in her swing, steaks were ready to grill, and Flint stood in the kitchen, opening a bottle of wine.

Christmas Eve, and he wasn’t working.

He’d put on the black jeans, the red sweater. He had gifts wrapped and under the first tree he’d had since he’d left for college, and he still couldn’t quite believe he was going to have a family Christmas celebration.

The Reddings had been over. Almost every day since their court appearance. They’d agreed that when Diamond got older, if she wanted to spend some weekends with them, she could, but for now, they were content to settle for babysitting. And visits.

When his attorney, Michael, had called Stella’s attorney and, with Flint’s permission, started dropping names of those on the support team who’d showed up for Flint in court, the Wainrights had dropped the charge against him. And then, when Flint’s attorney had pressed, they’d agreed to sign a settlement to stay away from Flint and any member of his family and never to speak ill of him. Even after he’d refused to sign a similar one for them.

Tamara was on her way over after going to an early service with her parents. And he and Diamond had been invited to Christmas dinner at their place the next day.

Not so sure about that, having dinner at the boss’s home, he figured he’d handle it like he did everything else. Standing up. Moving forward.

But for now, he had something more important to do.

As soon as Tamara got there.

He had a plan.

Because she was born to be someone, too.

* * *

Life had a funny way of working itself out, Tamara reminded herself as she climbed the steps to Flint’s door on Christmas Eve night.

She’d sat through church, hearing about a blessed birth and feeling sorry for herself because she hadn’t been blessed with the ability to give birth.

And then, ashamed, she stopped that train of thought. She was truly lucky. She’d been given a second chance with Flint, and she wasn’t going to blow it.

Her issues weren’t going away. She’d been unable to sleep for two nights after her day in court with Diamond Rose. But she was going to fight. Every moment of her life, if that was what it took. She was going to be in Flint’s life. And that meant finding a way to let herself love Diamond Rose without falling apart.