the phone, but he agreed to meet him at a local restaurant. Sliding into the booth, he noticed Beau’s worried expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“I wanted to tell you in person. A couple has filed a petition for temporary custody pending adoption of Brady.”
A waitress arrived and they ordered coffee.
“Opal mentioned that, but she didn’t give a name.”
“Lisa and Keith Templeton,” Beau said.
The waitress brought coffee. “Thank you,” Tuck said to the waitress as she left.
“With a couple in the picture, it makes our case that much harder to win. They both have spotless backgrounds, good jobs and are respected members of the community. They don’t have other children and the woman plans to quit her job to stay at home with Brady.”
Tuck’s stomach clenched. “It sounds too good to be true.”
Beau took a sip of his coffee. “Mmm. The Templeton’s want Brady badly and they’ve hired a very good attorney to make that happen.”
“Who is it?” Tuck asked.
“Have you talked to Eli or Caroline lately?”
“No. I’ve been spending all my free time at the hospital and with the boys I mentor. Why? Do they know this attorney?”
Beau shifted nervously. “Yes. The Templeton’s attorney is Grace Whitten.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“N INA !”
Grace’s door flew open and Nina rushed in. “What? Did you see another spider?”
Grace sighed heavily. “No.” A grown woman and she was still frightened of spiders. But that was so far at the back of her mind that it didn’t even register. She held up the document in her hand. “When did this arrive?”
“Uh…about an hour ago when you were in a meeting with Mr. Coffey.” Nina frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” Grace sank into her chair. “Thank you. I’m sorry I yelled.”
“Sure.” Nina hesitated for a moment then walked out.
Grace stared down at the document. Everything was wrong. Jeremiah Tucker had filed for temporary custody pending adoption of a minor child, Brady Harper. How could this be?
She grabbed the phone and called Caroline. She answered immediately.
“Caroline, did you know that Jeremiah filed for custody of a little boy named Brady Harper?”
“Well, hello, Grace.”
“I’m sorry. I’m a bit stressed at the moment.”
“You’re always stressed,” her sister replied rather bluntly. “But you should see Jesse. He’d destress you quickly. He’s chewing on the phone cord and he’s absolutely the cutest baby in the whole world. Oh, now he’s looking at me with those big blue eyes, just like Eli’s.”
“Caroline, please. I need to talk about this.”
“Okay. Okay. Give me a minute to put Jesse in his Pack ’n Play.”
Grace drummed her fingers on her spotless silver-and-glass desk. The phone was to her right with a pad and pen beside it, Jeremiah’s petition lay in front of her and to her left sat a crystal Whitten paperweight her father had given her when she’d graduated at the top of her class. Suddenly it all seemed so sterile, so unemotional. Was that how people saw her?
“Now, what’s bothering you?” Caroline’s voice brought her back to her present situation.
“Did you know about Jeremiah adopting this child?”
“Yes. Eli told me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wasn’t aware you were interested in Tuck’s life.”
Grace took a breath. “Caroline, this is important.”
“Yes. I can hear, but I don’t know what you’re so upset about. Everyone who knows Tuck is aware of his plans. He’s a member of Big Brothers and he’s always been involved with helping kids. That’s Tuck. He’s very dedicated to the plight of abandoned and neglected children. It’s important to him.”
“I know, but why this little boy?”
“Tuck was one of the officers who found him in a trailer living like an animal. His mother and father are both dead and no one in the family wants him. Tuck has formed a connection to the boy, probably because of the circumstances of his own
“What’s wrong?”
“I wanted to tell you in person. A couple has filed a petition for temporary custody pending adoption of Brady.”
A waitress arrived and they ordered coffee.
“Opal mentioned that, but she didn’t give a name.”
“Lisa and Keith Templeton,” Beau said.
The waitress brought coffee. “Thank you,” Tuck said to the waitress as she left.
“With a couple in the picture, it makes our case that much harder to win. They both have spotless backgrounds, good jobs and are respected members of the community. They don’t have other children and the woman plans to quit her job to stay at home with Brady.”
Tuck’s stomach clenched. “It sounds too good to be true.”
Beau took a sip of his coffee. “Mmm. The Templeton’s want Brady badly and they’ve hired a very good attorney to make that happen.”
“Who is it?” Tuck asked.
“Have you talked to Eli or Caroline lately?”
“No. I’ve been spending all my free time at the hospital and with the boys I mentor. Why? Do they know this attorney?”
Beau shifted nervously. “Yes. The Templeton’s attorney is Grace Whitten.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“N INA !”
Grace’s door flew open and Nina rushed in. “What? Did you see another spider?”
Grace sighed heavily. “No.” A grown woman and she was still frightened of spiders. But that was so far at the back of her mind that it didn’t even register. She held up the document in her hand. “When did this arrive?”
“Uh…about an hour ago when you were in a meeting with Mr. Coffey.” Nina frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” Grace sank into her chair. “Thank you. I’m sorry I yelled.”
“Sure.” Nina hesitated for a moment then walked out.
Grace stared down at the document. Everything was wrong. Jeremiah Tucker had filed for temporary custody pending adoption of a minor child, Brady Harper. How could this be?
She grabbed the phone and called Caroline. She answered immediately.
“Caroline, did you know that Jeremiah filed for custody of a little boy named Brady Harper?”
“Well, hello, Grace.”
“I’m sorry. I’m a bit stressed at the moment.”
“You’re always stressed,” her sister replied rather bluntly. “But you should see Jesse. He’d destress you quickly. He’s chewing on the phone cord and he’s absolutely the cutest baby in the whole world. Oh, now he’s looking at me with those big blue eyes, just like Eli’s.”
“Caroline, please. I need to talk about this.”
“Okay. Okay. Give me a minute to put Jesse in his Pack ’n Play.”
Grace drummed her fingers on her spotless silver-and-glass desk. The phone was to her right with a pad and pen beside it, Jeremiah’s petition lay in front of her and to her left sat a crystal Whitten paperweight her father had given her when she’d graduated at the top of her class. Suddenly it all seemed so sterile, so unemotional. Was that how people saw her?
“Now, what’s bothering you?” Caroline’s voice brought her back to her present situation.
“Did you know about Jeremiah adopting this child?”
“Yes. Eli told me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wasn’t aware you were interested in Tuck’s life.”
Grace took a breath. “Caroline, this is important.”
“Yes. I can hear, but I don’t know what you’re so upset about. Everyone who knows Tuck is aware of his plans. He’s a member of Big Brothers and he’s always been involved with helping kids. That’s Tuck. He’s very dedicated to the plight of abandoned and neglected children. It’s important to him.”
“I know, but why this little boy?”
“Tuck was one of the officers who found him in a trailer living like an animal. His mother and father are both dead and no one in the family wants him. Tuck has formed a connection to the boy, probably because of the circumstances of his own
Similar Books
