Dare to Play (Dare Nation 3)

Warily, Hannah’s heavily made-up eyes narrowed as she walked over and eased onto the bed. “Is this about you marrying that baseball player? Mom said you just want his money.”

Macy nearly choked on her own saliva. Talk about the proverbial pot calling the kettle black. “Yes, it’s about Jaxon. I know this is sudden, but when you get to know him, you’re really going to like him. And he has a big family and they can’t wait to meet you.”

Hannah picked up a ratty old teddy bear she’d had since she was little and set it on her lap, a sweetly amazing contradiction to the hard outer shell she liked to project. “I don’t need more family.”

“We’ll take it slow, okay? But here’s the thing.” Macy drew a deep breath for courage. “We’re going to move in with Jaxon.”

“What? No! I’m not leaving my house.”

“Hannah, it makes sense. Jaxon’s house has more room.” She thought about his selling points and, hating herself for stooping to Lilah’s level, decided to go for it. “He has a pool and you can invite your friends over to hang out and a movie theater in the basement.” She skipped mentioning the basketball hoop, knowing that wasn’t appealing to this particular teenage girl.

Hannah’s eyes lit up, but a few seconds later, a defiant expression crossed her face. “Mom said you’d try and buy me off.”

Macy frowned. “There’s no buying you off, Hannah. I have custody. You have to come with me. Which means,” she said, drawing a deep breath, “technically you have to switch school districts, but I’m going to work on keeping you where you are now.” She said it as fast as she could, before Hannah could have a full-blown fit.

Hannah’s light brown eyes shot angry sparks. “I’m not leaving my friends and you can’t make me.”

Actually Macy could force her to do just that, but she decided not to say so. She had faith she could convince Hannah’s current school district to let her remain there, which would allow her to avoid this entire conversation. “Let’s not worry about it until we have to. I’ll look into it first thing on Monday.” She pushed herself to her feet just as Hannah spoke.

“Mom said she wants me to come live with her and it’s going to be up to a judge to decide.” Hannah flung that barb, hitting Macy in the heart.

What kind of mother told her child she was the center of a custody battle?

Drawing a calming breath, Macy turned to face her sister. “I love you, Hannah. And I want what’s best for you. I believe that’s living with me. I’m sorry you have to go through this, but everything will work out.”

“I want to live with my mom.”

Macy gritted her teeth, knowing that sentiment would make her battle that much harder. She opted to ignore the comment and instead changed the subject. “How’s pizza for dinner?”

“Whatever.”

Yep, life was great. “Unpack and I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.” She stepped out of the room and shut the door behind her, leaning back against the frame.

How had her life gotten so out of control? An angry teenager who wanted to live with a woman with an agenda Macy hadn’t yet figured out, marriage to a man she barely knew on the horizon, and all her energy going into keeping Hannah away from her mother. Macy’s dad had been gone for almost a year, but she’d been so busy taking care of Hannah and home, she barely had time for herself. And it didn’t look like that would be changing any time soon.

Her cell phone, which she’d tucked into her back pocket, began to ring. She pulled it out, saw Jaxon’s name, and her stomach did an immediate flip, a jolt of awareness going through her.

Memories of their joined bodies flickered through her as she answered. “Hello?” She stepped away from the door so she had more privacy.

“Hey. How’d it go with your sister?” he asked, and she found herself touched that he’d bother to ask.

She glanced at the closed door and sighed. “About as well as you’d expect.”

“Shit. I’m sorry. But I do have good news. I spoke to my cousin Alex Dare and his wife, Madison. They had a family situation a few years ago, and they recommended a lawyer named Jonathan Ridgeway. I have his name and number and you can call first thing Monday. I’ll text you his information, and we can go to the appointment together.”

He stunned her, not just with how quickly he’d gotten the information but by the fact that he was acting the part of the husband she needed. True, they’d agreed to help each other, but she never thought he’d step up so much.

“Thank you! I’m really grateful, and to be honest, I’m going to need the support. Lilah told Hannah she’s fighting me for custody. I was hoping to keep it quiet somehow. I don’t think Hannah needs any more disruption in her life. Between losing Dad, her mother’s sudden appearance–”