I squat down so I’m eye level with him. “Mrs. Cantrell was appointed by a judge to look out for you.”
He grabs me. “But I don’t want to leave here.”
I hold him to me. “Eli, you’re not going anywhere. Mrs. Cantrell is here to find out what you want and what’s in your best interest.”
He looks confused, and I try to explain. “She’s going to talk to you, talk to your aunt, talk to me and”—I look at Mrs. Cantrell—“your doctor, your teacher, maybe even your coach. She’s going to tell the judge what she thinks is best for you.”
Eli sucks in a breath and takes my words to heart. He steps toward Mrs. Cantrell. “I want to stay here with Lindsey and Miller.”
Mrs. Cantrell sets her briefcase down. “That’s good to know, Eli. Do you think you and I can sit here on the couch and talk for a minute? Your Aunt Lindsey and Miller will be standing right there in the kitchen.”
He looks at Lindsey and me, and I give him a nod. Lindsey is frozen next to me, and I’m worried she’s about to freak out, so I grab her hand in mine to reassure her.
Eli nods. “Yeah, that would be okay with me.”
Eli walks over to the couch and jumps up to sit down. Mrs. Cantrell smiles at us and then goes to sit next to Eli.
I pull Lindsey into the kitchen and stop at the entrance so we can still see Eli. “I’m so sorry, Lindsey. I shouldn’t have sprung this on you.”
She grits her teeth. “No, you shouldn’t have.”
“I’m sorry. I called a judge I know during Eli’s game, and I thought we would have time to talk about it before the guardian ad litemshowed up.”
Her eyes widen. “What did the judge say?”
I run a hand through my hair. “He issued a temporary restraining order against the Davenports. He appointed a guardian ad litem and wants a report on his desk in three days.”
Her mouth drops. “He issued a restraining order? Against the Davenports?”
I nod. “Yeah, I told him about the scene at the ball field. I had to do something.”
Without any warning, she throws her arms around me. I hold her to me, pulling her flush against my body. She leans her head back and looks up at me. “Thank you, Miller. Thank you so much.”
She goes to her tiptoes and kisses me. It’s probably meant to be a thank you, but it quickly morphs into something else.
Her hand curls into my shirt, and when I kiss her back, it’s slower this time… deliberate.
I pull back before it gets to be too much or before I can’t stop.
I search her eyes, looking for any sign of regret, but I don’t see any.
We hold each other and look into the living room. From where we’re standing, we can hear them talking.
“Eli, do you feel safe?”
My stomach drops when he shrugs his shoulders. It’s like a punch to the gut. I thought I’d made him feel safe here but not safe enough obviously.
“So you don’t feel safe here?” Mrs. Cantrell implores.
Eli looks down at his hands. “I don’t want my grandfather and grandmother to take me from Miller and Lindsey.”
She leans toward him. “Is that why you don’t feel safe?”
He nods.
“Why do you want to stay with your Aunt Lindsey and Miller?”
He doesn’t even hesitate. “Because I love them.”
