His First Choice

“Can you give me some parameters as to what the ‘go from there’ could look like?”

He was already thinking of ways to help minimize the damage for Tressa. To prevent a tornado from disrupting their lives. She didn’t have to see inside his head to know it. She’d seen it enough times to recognize it. Even just as a...person.

“She could be required to go through some kind of anger management course before she’s allowed to see him again. More likely she’ll be required to be assessed by a court-appointed psychiatrist. And will be allowed only supervised visits until the court determines that Levi is safe alone with her.”

“So they won’t arrest her or anything?”

“Not if she cooperates...” Lacey broke off, knowing she’d made a mistake. She’d just told an abused husband how to fall prey to his ex-wife’s manipulation. Jem was going to contact Tressa before Sydney had a chance to. She knew it as well as she knew she’d take her next breath.

Jem was a victim. She’d known that before she slept with him. Before she’d started to fall in love with him.

She just wasn’t sure how anyone could help him to see it if he was incapable of looking. He hadn’t been able to recognize that his own son was being victimized...

And if he didn’t see it, he was never going to be free to be in any kind of a committed, one-on-one relationship with anyone. It would always be about appeasing Tressa—hiding things from her, placating her, doing what he had to do to keep the storm at bay.

It didn’t matter what Jem wanted, what he promised Lacey or how much he might care about her. As long as Tressa had a hold of him, he wasn’t a free man, no matter how much he loved or needed someone else.

Her heart shriveled in her chest. She didn’t cry out. Or shed any tears at all. Not then. She just...knew.

“One other thing...” Jem broke into the silence that had fallen.

“What’s that?”

“Can you confirm who called in the first place, if I guess it right?”

“Of course not.”

“I figured it out.”

“That’s nice.” She was at work, having a conversation with a stranger. Not a woman lying in a sexy nightie talking to her new lover.

“I just... I want them to know how much I appreciate what they did,” he said. “I have to be able to thank them, Lacey. Or at least to stress that they did the right thing. So they’ll do it again. Anytime. Every time. For every child. If not for them, I still wouldn’t know, and Levi could have been paying for my ignorance for the rest of his life.”

She’d been about to tell him that his son would likely have told him eventually, when he got old enough that his anger outgrew his need for security. But, thinking of Jem, of the abuse he’d taken at his sister’s hands, and the fact that she was the only one in the world he’d ever told about that, she kept her mouth shut.

Levi was a lot like Jem.

At least she’d been able to help one of them in time.

* * *

NO CHARGES WERE being filed against Tressa. Jem was so relieved he wanted to call Lacey immediately and let her know the good news.

He accepted Tressa’s hug instead, holding her tight because he knew she needed it. He could feel how badly she was shaking. Knew how hard the hearing had been for her. And knew, too, that she was determined to be a mother who was safe for her son.

Their son.

It had been three days since he’d first called Sydney. As Lacey had predicted, the social worker had met with him first, at her office. And then she’d met with Tressa. He’d asked if he could be present, and when he’d been told that he could be, he’d called Tressa to let her know they were on their way to her place.

He’d told her that Levi had had some problems, and the truth had come out. There were no accusations because he knew she hadn’t meant to do any of the things she’d done.

He’d had an entire night to calm down between his talk with his son and his conversation with Sydney. Even more time before he’d spoken with his ex-wife. Time to assimilate. To get on top of the situation with his son’s best interests

forefront in his mind.

He’d reassured Tressa that everything was going to be fine. As long as she cooperated. He’d told her that he’d be there with her every step of the way. That they’d get through it together. And that he didn’t hate her.

But he had. For a few hours.