I nodded.
“He might not like what I have to say. It may hurt his feelings.”
“Just speak honestly and from the heart, Gabs,” Rosie told her. “You’re not here to please your dad or even me. You’re here to do what’s right for you.”
Gabby’s eyes slid toward me, and she bit her lip nervously. “Will you be there, too, Donovan?”
“Yeah, sweetheart,” I confirmed. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good,” she said, almost to herself. “I’ll feel safer if you’re there.”
Warmth slid through me, and I knew in that moment that I’d do anything for Rosie andmykids, and yes, I said that with my whole fucking chest.
Evan was their father; I couldn’t take that away from him, but Gabby and DJ were mine too. I’d work my fingers to the bone and fight any battle to make sure they had everything they needed.
—————
The minutewe walked back into the courtroom, Evan’s eyes locked on the kids, and he did an elaborate show of waving at them.
The asshole made me want to puke.
Evan was so damned fake. He didn’t give a single shit that DJ and Gabby were about to be humiliated in front of a judge and the peanut gallery, all because he wanted some imaginary upper hand.
My stare fell on Evan’s parents, who were sitting behind their fucknut son and his attorney. Interestingly, though, Rachel was absent, which was weird. I assumed she’d have been here tosupport her man. I’d be damned if I let Rosie go through any of this without me.
DJ gave Evan’s folks a chin lift while Gabby sent them a low wave, but both the kids ignored their dad completely.
Evan’s face fell.
I walked with Kennedy and Rosie to the table with the kids and got them settled before I went back to my seat beside Atlas and sat my ass behind them. Sitting forward, I scratched at my arms that were itching like I had ants crawling under my skin.
The clerk introduced the judge, who emerged from the door of his chambers at the back of the courtroom and took his seat while the clerk swore Gabby and DJ in.
Silence fell over the room while the judge regarded DJ and Gabby thoughtfully.
“Daniel,” he began.
DJ got to his feet and returned, “Your Honor.”
The judge studied him for a beat and then asked, “How do you feel about all this, son?”
DJ returned the judge’s level stare and asked, “Can I speak plainly, please, Sir?”
The judge dipped his chin.
“Thanks,” DJ murmured. “I feel that my dad is a narcissistic dick.”
Murmurs and stifled laughter filtered through the courtroom, and the judge held his hand up for silence. “Why do you feel that way, Daniel?”
DJ squared his shoulders and let it rip. “My mom’s tried for years to keep things good for us with our dad, but he took it for granted. Do you know, Sir, that before I got my driver’s license, my mom used to drive us to Dad’s house? He moved to Idaho, and we lived in Oregon, but he was too busy to come to us, so my mom packed us in the car and drove us hundreds of miles and then came back and picked us up again on Sunday afternoon. Mygrandma got cancer, and my mom nursed her, but she still drove us to my dad's, even though Grandma needed her. How is that right, Sir? How is that fair?”
Evan did his usual bristling trick and leaned across to say something to his lawyer, who stood up and interrupted, “My client would like to answer that, Your Honor.”
The judge turned his disdainful stare on Evan and said, “He’ll get his turn in due course.”
Evan threw his pen on the desk like a schoolboy throwing a tantrum.
The judge ignored it and turned back to DJ. “Tell me about life at home with your mom, Daniel.”
