Page 80 of The Seal's Promise
“Yes, I’ve already completed the paperwork. I just wanted to make sure I had all the facts.”
“There’s something else. Max said he’d like to tell the judge how he feels about his father.”
“Good. He’s almost eight and more than able to express his feelings. It’s an important factor for the judge. Worst case, I believe Miles will agree to act as supervisor for any follow-on visits and that he really is motivated to ensure Max is not only safe but loved.”
All this time she’d kept her ex-in-laws at arm’s length, afraid they were hiding their tendency to be as bad as Tyler, but it was clear now that they really loved Max. She was starting to suspect Mile’s and his grandmother were the ones who had told Declan about the trust.
“Alright, rest up and don’t worry, we have a strong case and a fair judge. I’ll call you on Monday once the judge hears my emergency appeal.”
“Thank you, Declan.”
“Oh, can you tell Dalton thank you for me? His grandmother not only convinced my cousin to sell her art at the Summer Solstice, but she sold out, made ten thousand dollars, and has had multiple pieces commissioned.”
“Wow, that’s fantastic. Congrats.”
When she walked back into Max’s room, she found Dalton and Max asleep with their book resting on Dalton’s chest as it rose and fell. She was overwhelmed with gratitude to see them together. After taking a shower, she thought she’d try to take a nap too, but when she opened the bathroom door she found Dalton sitting on the edge of her bed, and she knew neither of them were thinking about sleeping.
Stepping in front of him, she let her towel fall away, and when he reached out to touch her, she could feel the love between them like the warmth of the sun on a summer day. His hands skimmed up her thighs to hold her hips as he pulled her closer. His mouth was on her breasts and his hands moved to the small of her back, encouraging her to straddle his lap.
“I love you, and just in case you don’t believe me, I’m going to show you,” Dalton said.
“I like your dedication. Maybe I could use a little convincing, I mean, you did make me wait fifteen years to tell me you like me.”
She pulled at the hem of his shirt to help him remove it then pushed him to lie back. But he pulled her down with him and rolled her over so he was on top, being careful not to put all his weight on her.
“I guess I’ll have to think of fifteen ways to prove my love,” Dalton said, right before his mouth captured hers in the kind of kiss that told her exactly how much he wanted her.
The feel of letting go and no longer holding back was like a free fall. After years of being lonely it was a little scary, but she knew Dalton was as solid as a rock and that he would never let her or Max down. A glimpse of what their future could look like made her smile as his scruff along her skin sent shivers over her chest and abdomen. His rough hands traced an invisible path over her curves that only he knew the destination to—and then his mouth stopped to hover over the apex of her legs.
They spent the rest of the weekend in a blissful bubble. They took Max to the beach and shared every meal. On Monday Dr. Tommy greeted her with a resignation letter. He planned to stay through the rest of the summer and to make sure the Pattersons were settled before he moved to Atlanta. All day Brooke waited for a call from Declan about his petition but she didn’t expect him to show up at the hospital.
“Are you here to deliver bad news in person?” Brooke asked when Declan appeared in their makeshift doctors’ lounge, where she was making coffee.
“No, I only deliver good news in person,” Declan said.
Dalton must have also spotted Declan arrive because he walked in behind him.
“Well, the judge was not happy to hear about what happened during Tyler’s first visitation or his incompetence in not having Max’s allergy medicine on hand.”
“But?”
“But before he could change the visitation order, Tyler’s lawyer notified the court that they were no longer interested in pursuing custody. Tyler agreed to give you one hundred percent custody, and the monthly child support order will stay in place until Max is eighteen. Max will also be added to the family trust as an heir.” Declan handed over a stack of paperwork with fresh signatures from the judge.
Brooke was shocked. It was sad that Tyler was so self-absorbed that he couldn’t be bothered to get to know his own son, but it was his loss. And Max was better off not having to spend time with such a bad example of a man.
“This might be the only time Tyler has made the right decision,” Dalton said, putting his arm around Brooke to comfort her.
“I’m not sure it was exactly Tyler’s decision to be so accommodating. I may have also had another visit from a concerned family member who requested to provide a written statement to the judge.”
“Let me guess, Max’s grandmother?” Dalton asked.
“She explained she planned to talk some sense into Tyler but she wanted to have a back-up plan to go on record about why she believes her grandson was unfit to parent Max.”
“Wow, I don’t know how I’m going to thank her,” Brooke said.
“Well, I’ll leave that for you to decide. Once the court files the documents you’ll probably hear from the Banks attorney who handles the trust, so just let me know if you need me to look anything over.”
Dalton shook Declan’s hand and saw him out.
