Rush (Eligible Receivers #3)

Chapter Twenty-one

“You okay?”

Leaning over the counter balanced by his arms, Linc pulled his concentration from the depths of his coffee to see Nora had entered the kitchen. She stood, hip against the counter, cup of coffee cradled in her hands.

He hadn’t even heard her come in.

They had mediation that morning and his head was lost in the clouds. Having only met the Parkers one time, he wasn’t sure what to expect and not knowing their game plan had him on edge.

He forced a smile even though he wasn’t feeling it. “I’m good.”

She set her cup on the counter and stepped close enough to place her hand on his arm. “I can’t tell you not to worry but try to remember, this won’t be a ruling. If the mediator can’t get them to back down, we’ll take them to court.”

He turned, pulling her into his arms, needing her comfort. “And if we need to go to court?” He kissed the top of her head, closing his eyes as he breathed in the scent of her shampoo.

Arms wrapped around his waist and head resting against his chest, she vowed, “Then we’ll fight for her and never give up. No matter what.”

“No matter what,” he affirmed.

***

Located in downtown Portland, the mediator’s office was in the family services building just down the block from the Multnomah County Courthouse. With Nora’s hand in his, giving him comfort, Linc stepped into the glass and chrome building and went straight for the directory. Howard Flint’s office was on the fourth floor.

Stepping off the elevator, they went right down the hall and Linc opened the door to suite 4B, holding it wide for Nora and Sophie to walk through. A desk was the only piece of furniture in the small room with a receptionist sitting behind it.

She gave them a broad smile. “May I help you?”

Linc was too on edge to smile back. “We’re here for a nine o’clock appointment with Mr. Flint.”

The woman tapped a few keys on her computer. “Mr. Scott?”

“Yes.”

The woman looked up from the screen. “The Parkers have yet to arrive. If your party could please step through that door and take a seat, Mr. Flint will be with you shortly.” She indicated a door to the right of the room. There was also an identical one to the left.

“Thank you.”

The waiting room they walked into was twice the size of the reception area and furnished with chocolate brown accent chairs and a long, brown leather sofa. A TV hung on the opposite wall from the couch with the rest of the walls filled with framed prints depicting various forest scenes. Linc had a feeling they were trying to make the place feel homey, and if he had been there for any other reason, they may have succeeded.

Nora sat down on the couch and reached for the Highlights for Children sitting on the large coffee table that held an assortment of magazines. “I remember reading this when I was younger. They were in my doctor’s office.” She flipped open the magazine, patting the sofa for Sophie to sit next to her.

“I remember those too. I think they’re in every doctor’s office in America.” Linc sat down on Sophie’s other side.

“These were always fun.” She’d stopped on the look-and-find puzzle page. “Do you want to do this with me, Sophie?” Nora pointed to the first object. “We have to find this kite somewhere in the picture. Point to it when you find it, okay?”

Linc’s thoughts wandered while the girls worked on the puzzle until a door on the far wall opened and a woman poked her head in. “Mr. Scott?”

Linc stood.“Yes.”

The woman smiled. “We’re ready for you now.”

He felt Nora’s hand slip into his, giving it a squeeze. He looked down and she mouthed, “You got this.”

He jerked his head in a nod, squeezing her hand in return before releasing it and walking toward the woman.

He was shown to a large, glass-walled conference room. His lawyer was already sitting at the table along with one other man dressed in a gray suit.

“Mr. Scott, welcome. I’m Howard Flint.” The man in the suit introduced himself. “Please take a seat.”

Linc pulled out the empty chair next to Jefferies and was in the process of sitting when the Parkers were shown into the room.

They’d cleaned up since the last time Linc had seen them. Gone were the casual clothes replaced by suits—Mr. Parker in brown tweed and Mrs. Parker in peach silk. Mrs. Parker had also done something to her hair. No longer slicked back into a tight bun, it was now cut into a sleek bob which ended just under her chin. Only Mr. Parker looked at Linc when the couple entered the room. The glance was fleeting, yet full of hostility.

Ditto, mother fucker , Linc thought as he watched the man take a seat, Mrs. Parker sitting next to him, while Flint introduced himself to the newcomers and then introduced everyone in the room. At that point Linc couldn’t help but notice the Parkers lack of lawyer and wondered if that fact would change if they indeed needed to go to court.

“I want to remind everyone that this is not a legal proceeding but the first step in the process to resolve the custody dispute of Sophie Elizabeth Parker between Mr. Lincoln Scott, the maternal uncle, and Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Parker, the paternal grandparents. I don’t have the authority to grant anyone here custody of the minor child. I’m here as a buffer to determine if both parties can come to a mutual understanding.” Flint paused for a moment to let that sink in before continuing, “I also want to remind you that disruptive behavior won’t be tolerated.” He looked pointedly at Linc and then the Parkers. “I will hear arguments from both sides before helping you try to reach an agreement. Shall we start with you Mr. Scott?”

Jefferies spoke for Linc by ticking off all the key points of their case, starting with how the Parkers are strangers to Sophie and ending with their biggest selling point, the document which stated that Natalie and Jake wanted Linc to be Sophie’s guardian in the event of anything happening to them.

“I object!”

Flint gave Parker a pointed look. “This isn’t a courtroom, Mr. Parker, no need to object. You’ll get a chance to respond when it’s your turn.” Flint turned back to Linc’s side. “Anything you’d like to add, Mr. Scott?”

Linc cleared his throat. “Yes. I’d like to add that Natalie and I were extremely close growing up, and when she married Jake, he quickly became part of our close-knit family. I was thrilled for them when they found out they were expecting, and unlike the Parkers, I had the privilege of watching Sophie grow up in a loving environment. If she’s allowed to remain in my custody, she will continue to grow up in a loving environment.”

Flint nodded, giving his attention back to the Parkers. “You now have the floor.”

Sidney Parker leaned sideways in his chair pulling a thick stack of news clippings from a briefcase. He spread the articles across the table and it wasn’t hard to notice from the sensational headlines that they were all from tabloid publications.

“Right here is a full accounting of why Mr. Scott would be an unfit parent. News article after news article of his philandering and partying. He uses women and tosses them away. Is that a proper role model for a young girl?” Parker’s self-righteous stare and smug smile landed on Linc. “What’ve you got to say to that?”

Linc leaned back in his seat, presenting a board expression. “I’m going to ignore you as I ignore them.” He swiped a hand to indicate the littered tabletop. “I let my actions and character speak for me and hope the public is smart enough to recognize false news when they read it.”

Parker sputtered and that’s when Linc realized the man thought the tabloid news would be his ace in his pocket. For the first time since this whole drama started, Linc felt good about the outcome.

“Anything else, Mr. Parker?” Flint asked when the man didn’t continue.

“Yes. The girl doesn’t speak.”

“And she hasn’t since the tragic death of her parents with no fault to my client,” was Jefferies swift reply. “Sophie attends weekly therapy sessions at the expense of Mr. Scott, I might add, to help her through her grief.”

“Yes, I’m well informed on that matter which is the key factor of why I won’t be speaking to her today.”

Linc felt something unknot in his gut at Flint’s statement, relieved Sophie wouldn’t need to be questioned. Even though she seemed okay with the idea when he’d talked to her about it, Linc wasn’t. He’d hated the idea of her being interrogated by a stranger.

Parker cleared his throat. “I have one more thing to say. As Jake’s parents, we’re the closest thing that girl has—”

“Sophie,” Linc interrupted, his voice flat with anger and landing like a slap.

Parker's face was confused and he verbally fumbled his response until all anyone could decipher was one flustered word, “Pardon?”

“My niece is not that girl , her name is Sophi e and as I remember it, this is the second time you've forgotten that.”

Parker turned to Flint, but he wouldn't find comfort there. The man looked almost as annoyed as Linc felt. “Of course, I know that! I'm just trying to make a point about us being her...” Trailing off, Parker remained silent. Which was probably in his best interest.

“Will you be finishing your point, Mr. Parker, or are you done?” Flint asked in a direct yet polite tone.

Parker shook his head and Mrs. Parker spoke for the first time. “We’ll love and care for that child,” she winced and corrected herself, “Sophie, as if she were our own.”

Linc gritted his teeth to keep from shouting, Like you did with Jake who left home at his first opportunity and never looked back? Jake had never shared the circumstances of his childhood with Linc and he always figured his brother-in-law’s silence spoke louder than words.

“Well, if that’s all, I’d like to address you first, Mr. and Mrs. Parker,” Flint began. “I've been doing this a long time and though nothing I say here today is admissible in court, I do believe, even with your supplied evidence, that you should withdraw your case for full custody. Mr. Scott is an upstanding citizen with the means both financially and fundamentally to care for a child, and with the backing of documentation from the minor child’s parents, I don’t see the court ruling in your favor at this time. I hate to be so blunt but a trial would be a waste of both your time and the court’s resources.”

Mr. Parker abruptly stood from his seat looking outraged. “I don’t care what you think. This was a waste of my time.” he shouted at Flint with actual spittle flying from his lips.

“Sit down Mr. Parker! I’m not finished.” He waited for the man to take his seat, which Parker did, mumbling something under his breath that Linc couldn’t make out.

Once the room was once again composed, Flint resumed, directing his dialogue to the Parkers, “What I was going to suggest, is instead of petitioning for full custody, I think we should try to come to terms on a visitation schedule, supervised at first until Sophie comes to know you. Twice a year. Maybe once in the summer and once during the winter holidays.” Flint cleared his throat and sat a little straighter. “But after witnessing your hostile display, I will admit to some concern.”

Across the table, Linc watched Sid Parker carefully. He was concerned too and didn’t want the man anywhere near Sophie. He would drag this shit out in the courts for years if need be.

Flint continued, “I get the impression the child’s well-being isn’t your main focus as it should be. I may not have the authority to make any decisions here, but believe me, what I say to the family court judge will influence them.” Flint waited and when Parker remained silent, he continued, “Now, if you’re interested, we can work on a visitation plan that will suit both parties.”

“No. Thank you,” Parker gritted through clenched teeth. “I am, indeed, not interested.” He grabbed his wife’s hand and pulled her from her seat. “Come on, Meg, we’re getting out of here.” Linc could feel the malice in the man’s gaze as it landed on him when he sneered, “This isn’t over.”

Mrs. Parker sent him pleading eyes as her husband pulled her from the room.

Neither look—Mr. Parker’s hostility or Mrs. Parker’s earnest appeal—sat well with Linc and a sick feeling landed in the pit of his stomach.

“Well, that went well.”

Linc looked over at Jefferies but couldn’t tell if the man was being facetious or sincere.

“Mr. Scott?” The same woman from earlier, stood in the doorway. “I’ll take you back to the waiting room.”

After saying goodbye to his lawyer with a promise that he’d call Linc as soon as he heard about a court date, Linc followed the woman back to the waiting room. With the straight shot down the hall and the impossibility of getting lost, he assumed the escort was more from protocol than out of necessity.

“How’d it go?” Nora hurled the question at him as he stepped through the door.

He sat beside her on the couch. “The mediator won’t need to speak with Sophie.”

“That’s a relief.”

“He also told the Parkers to drop their suit, that in his opinion, they didn’t have a chance of winning custody.”

Nora’s shoulders visibly sagged. “Oh, thank god. We won’t need to go to court.”

“Not quite.”

“What do you mean? You just said they can’t win.”

“Yes, but we still haven’t come to any kind of agreement.” He left it at that not sharing Sid Parker’s parting words and the foreboding they left in his gut not wanting to worry her more than she already was.

Nora dropped her face into her hands. “I was hoping this would all be over.”

Linc rubbed her back. “I know, me too.” Linc stood. “Let’s get out of here.” He scooped Sophie up off the couch.

“Shall we go out to eat? It’s your last night to splurge before training camp tomorrow.”

“I’m not really in the mood. Let’s just pick something up on the way home.”

“Everything okay?” He caught her forehead pucker and was quick to distract her by kissing away her frown. His girl was sharp.

“Just want to make it an early night. I have a long day tomorrow,” he said by way of explanation to waylay any probing questions he didn’t want to answer.

That seemed to appease her as she didn’t ask any more questions as she stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the lobby.

He kept Sophie in his arms, wanting her close as they made their way out to the parking lot, all with Linc keeping a watchful eye out for Jake’s parents. He didn’t trust them. And although they made it to the car without Linc spotting them, he wouldn’t breathe easy until they reached the safety of home.