Dare to Play (Dare Nation 3)

As they followed a secretary to a conference room with a dark wood table and comfortable-looking chairs, Jaxon slipped his hand into hers, and she squeezed tight, needing the reassurance.

A good-looking man greeted them. With dark brown hair and green eyes, wearing a European-cut suit, he looked the epitome of a high-powered attorney.

“Ms. Walker?” he asked.

“Call me Macy, please.” She held out her hand and he shook it. “And this is–”

“Jaxon Prescott,” he said, obviously recognizing him, not to mention he’d been the main referral. “It’s a pleasure!” The men exchanged handshakes as well. “Alex and Madison are good friends. I already read the papers you forwarded to me, but I want to hear it from you. What can I do for you?” he asked.

Jaxon tipped his head, deferring to Macy. “She’ll explain.”

“Let’s sit.” Gesturing to the chairs, Jonathan pulled out one for Macy, and Jaxon made sure to settle in beside her.

When they were all seated, she began, explaining how her father had married Lilah and they’d had Hannah. How Lilah had found being a parent a nuisance and that she’d ultimately left with a wealthy single guy she’d been cheating on her father with, leaving her daughter behind.

“Five years passed with maybe one email and a birthday card, and then she shows up driving a sports car and taking Hannah shopping for all sorts of things she doesn’t need to buy her love and affection. And because I’m the person who gives her rules and guidance, she’s always mad at me.”

Jonathan remained silent for long enough to make Macy anxious. “It’s bad news, right?”

He rolled a pen between his palms. “Taking away parental rights is tough.”

“Even though she signed her rights away to my dad and he named me as Hannah’s guardian in his will?” She gripped the arms of the chair and nearly leapt out of her seat, but Jaxon grabbed her hand, and she knew he was trying to calm her down.

Pulling in a deep breath, she tried to relax in the seat. “Okay, I’m listening.”

“I think we can use all of your stepmother’s past actions as proof of her inability to give Hannah a stable home. That’s the premise of our argument. I understand you two are getting married?”

“In two days. And then they’re moving in with me,” Jaxon said. “We’ll be a family and give Hannah the stability she needs. We’re bonding,” he said proudly.

Actually they were. After Jaxon had left the other night, all Hannah could talk about was how cool Jaxon was and how she couldn’t wait to see his house and bring her friends over. Which bothered Macy on one level, because she didn’t want to buy her sister any more than she liked Lilah attempting to do it.

“We’re going to have to fight the perception of a quickie marriage after you were served custody papers.”

“It’s a real marriage,” Jaxon said. “If you ask Hannah after living with us, she’ll tell you the same thing. We’ll be sharing a room. We’re a couple.” He squeezed her hand tighter.

And though she didn’t want to lie to her lawyer, she realized everything Jaxon had told him was the truth.

Jonathan nodded. “Okay, look. I’d like to meet with Hannah, too, though it can wait until after the wedding. I’m sure the judge is going to want to ask her who she would prefer to live with, and at fifteen, that could hold sway.”

Macy hadn’t seen that coming. “Oh, my God. She’s going to say she wants to live with her mother. I’m going to lose my sister!” Jumping up, Macy began to pace in a full-blown panic, and Jaxon stood and wrapped an arm around her.

“You don’t know that. Give Hannah time to adjust to your new living arrangements, and she’s going to love it. She’ll want to stay with us.”

“He’s right,” the lawyer said. “We have plenty of time before the custody hearing in three weeks. Use it wisely. In the meantime, would you agree to hiring an investigator to look into Lilah and see if we can uncover more to back up our claim that she’s an unfit parent?”

God, Macy thought. Between the lawyer fees and private investigator cost, this could eat up everything she had. “Do it,” she said. Keeping Hannah was worth anything she had to spend.

Jonathan smiled. “Good. As for the prenup agreement you had sent over earlier in the week, you’re good to sign. I’m sure you’ve read it, too, and it’s more than fair to you.”

“Thank you.”

He rose to his feet and shook her hand. Beside her, she felt Jaxon’s steady presence and support. No matter what happened, she would be eternally grateful to him.

As they started for the door, Jaxon turned to Jonathan and whispered something Macy couldn’t hear, and together she and Jaxon walked out of the office.