We had officially lost our only lead.
28
Jensen
I sweptthe broom ever so slowly across the floor of the Kettle. It probably looked like a zombie was doing clean-up. But this time, it wasn’t because nightmares were keeping me up at night, those had started to come more infrequently once again.
Kennedy straightened from where she was wiping down tables. “Uh, Jensen, are you okay?”
I paused in my sweeping. “I’m fine. I got up early this morning to go and visit the foal again.” I had been visiting her before work a few days a week and was paying the price, but my girl was worth it. She was a fighter, and the vet had given me every hope that I’d be able to take her home in a few weeks. But she’d need special care and rehabilitation for the next six months or so.
A smile tipped Kennedy’s lips. “How’s she doing? You name her yet?”
I leaned against the broom, using the handle to hold myself up. Kennedy was as bad as my mom, giving me a hard time about picking out names. “She’s doing great. And, as a matter of fact, I have.”
“Well, give it to me already.”
I laughed. “Ember. She’s kept the fire within herself burning through all she’s been through, so it seemed fitting.”
“Oh, Jensen. It’s perfect.”
I started sweeping again. “I think so. I can’t wait to get her home.” Ember had already begun to acclimate to having people around her, but it would be a good while before anyone fully had her trust again.
The bell over the front door tinkled, and I turned. My stomach twisted. Cody. Gone was his attempt at a charming smile. In its place was cold calculation.
“Jensen. We need to talk.”
Kennedy took the broom from my hands. “I can finish this.” She eyed Cody. “If you’re okay.”
I gave her arm a squeeze. “I’m fine.” I crossed to Cody. “Yes?”
“I want to cut a deal.”
My stomach roiled.A deal?“What do you mean?”
Cody eyed Kennedy and then dropped his voice to a whisper. “You give me five hundred grand or I’m taking your ass to court and filing for full custody.”
I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it. “What in the world makes you think I have five hundred grand just lying around?”
Cody’s eyes narrowed. “I know you’ve got it. Just collecting dust in that nice fat trust of yours.”
My blood turned cold. I did my best to hide my family’s wealth. Mostly because I viewed it as exactly that. My family’s, and not mine. I’d used some of the money to start my business and to pay for the costs of supporting my rescued horses, but other than that, I didn’t touch it. I supported myself and Noah with what I made at the tea shop. It wasn’t diamonds and caviar, but it was a good life, and I was proud of it.
The fact that Cody knew anything about my trust meant he’d been looking into me. I took a slow, steadying breath. “I’m not going to pay you anything. My lawyer has already informed me that no judge would award custody to a father who abandoned his child for nine years.”
A sneer stretched across Cody’s face. “But what would a judge say if I made the case that you never told me I had a son?”
My heart began beating faster. “But I did tell you.”
“You got any proof of that?”
My mind circled back to those dark days when I had felt so alone. As soon as I had told Cody that I was pregnant and wanted to keep the baby, he’d taken off like a shot. He’d already had enough credits to graduate, so he’d left college a semester early. I’d called and emailed, but his phone had been disconnected, and the emails bounced back. “Th-there’s a record of me trying to contact you.” I hated that my voice shook.
“But what if I make a case that you knew I was changing my contact information. You know, real world, new number and email. That’s what lots of kids do.”
My mouth opened, but no words came out.
Cody chuckled. “And imagine what the judge will think when he learns you brought a serial killer into my son’s life.”
