For the Children
She owed him everything.
She’d chewed the nails of both hands by midmorning that last Tuesday in October. She’d left the message for Valerie at eight, hoping the judge would call before her morning session started. And now it was ten-thirty.
The baby had been up, eaten, had his bath, occupying her for several hours. But now he was asleep again, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Far too alone…
The phone rang and she jumped, knocking it off its cradle. With a glance at herself in the mirror, she grabbed the mobile receiver from the floor.
She looked fine. Her shoulder-length dark hair was perfectly styled, her makeup exquisite, her slacks and sweater the epitome of fashion on a body that was model-slim just a month after her baby’s birth. If one overlooked the bleeding cuticle on her right index finger, she could easily pass for the rich socialite she’d always wanted to be.
“Hello?” She caught it on the fifth ring.
“Susan?”
“Valerie, hi!” Susan lifted her middle finger to her teeth. “Thanks for calling back so soon.”
“Of course! I’m always here for you, you know that.”
Tears filled Susan’s eyes. It happened a lot.
“I need your opinion.” If she hoped to get through this, she’d have to make it quick. She could read the warning signs.
“Sure, what about?”
How did Valerie always manage to sound cheerful? She’d suffered a hell of a lot, too. In some ways more than Susan had. Yet, try as she might, Susan couldn’t find the pure goodwill that infused Valerie Simms’s voice.
“It’s complicated.”
“Okay, shoot.”
“I just had a baby.”
“I know! Congratulations! Did you get the outfit I sent?”
“Yes.” Susan paced the kitchen floor, stepping only on the diamond-shaped markings in the pattern. “I’m late with thank-you notes and I’m really sorry. Alex mailed the last of them this morning.”
“Then you’re way ahead of where I was!” Valerie laughed. “The twins were six months old before I got around to even thinking about thank-you notes.”
Susan didn’t feel “ahead.” As a matter of fact, she was sliding back so fast she was terrified. Everything confused her.
Except that she had to protect Alex. And baby Colton.
“My ex-husband is trying to challenge Colton’s paternity.”
“What!”
“He says the baby is his and not Alex’s.”
“Is the man insane?” Valerie asked, and then continued, “No, wait, we know he’s insane. But he can’t be that insane! You’ve been divorced for three years!”
“I know.” She was blowing it. Wasn’t putting enough indignation into her voice. Valerie was her only hope of winning this.
“Is there some reason for him to think the child is his?”
“Colton is Alex’s son.”
“But is there some reason your ex might think otherwise?”
“No, of course not,” Susan said, trying to collect herself. “We slept together once, after the divorce, and he’s claiming that as the reason he’s doing this, but the timing’s all wrong.” God, she wished that was so. Still… “He doesn’t want Colton, Valerie. Think about it. Think about him. He’s just doing this to get back at me. It’s a control thing, you know that.”