replied in
harmony.
Gabe sat down by Amy and Lou sat across from
them.
“ You don’t have a test today.” Lou
threw a crayon at Gabe.
Gabe picked up the crayon and started to
throw it back, but then he looked at Angel and dropped it on a side
table. “It just so happens, I went to the same judge you went to,
and I told him Angel was mine. So we both have a test today. You’re
not the only one with friends.”
“ So what? You two never even slept
together. She was a virgin until I…” His gaze dropped to Angel.
“Well, there’s no possible way she’s your kid.”
Gabe smiled. “Maybe so, but we, my brother,
are identical twins. Therefore, we have the same DNA. There’s no
way possible to tell which one of us is the true father.” He raised
his eyebrows and chuckled.
“ Are you serious?” Could it be true?
Amy wished with everything it was. If Lou couldn’t prove he was the
father, then he couldn’t take Angel from her. She wouldn’t have to
be scared of him taking her away, and she could be with
Gabe.
“ I’m serious, shortcake.” He leaned
down and kissed her.
Opening for his tongue, she deepened the
kiss. She didn’t care Lou sat across from them staring in shock.
Nor did she care about Angel sitting on her lap. Gabe treated her
child better than Lou ever had. Finally, her dreams were coming
true.
* * * *
Amy trembled as she read the court order
again.
“ It’s a minor setback. Like I said,
it’s just a temporary order until the tests come back.” Ms. Cox
tried to reassure her.
Tears trickled down her cheek. “This can’t
be happening. How can the judge order temporary custody to Lou when
he can’t prove he’s her father?”
“ Look Amy, I know this is hard for
you, but if she doesn’t stay with Lou for the time being, she’ll be
put in foster care until the judge can make a final decision.” Ms.
Cox sat down in the chair beside her.
“ Why does he have to take her
away?”
“ The judge granted temporary custody
because he felt that she would be safer not living in the apartment
you’re in now. And frankly, even though we know why he granted it,
I can’t make a good argument against his reasoning. The two of you
could have been killed. When do you think you’ll be able to move
into the new apartment?”
She sniffed and wiped her nose with a
tissue. “The new place isn’t going to happen. It seems that the
landlord has rented it to someone else.” Or it could be that it
turns out the owner is a new client of Lou’s.
“ I see. That doesn’t bode well for
us.” Ms. Cox heaved a sigh. “You need to keep looking for a place.
In the meantime I’m working on a few angles. Plus, I have a friend
in the real-estate business. I’ll give her a call and see if she
knows of anything open.”
“ Okay.” She doubted anything would be
open. Lou had probably contacted every rental property within fifty
miles. Defeated, she gathered her purse and left.
The whole situation sucked. No one would
rent to her and she couldn’t move in with Gabe. It would look like
she’d dumped her child to shack up with a man. I’m sure that would
sit well in court.
She just had to keep telling herself the
test would come back negative. Then Angel would be hers and they’d
be free to move in with Gabe. But until then, she had no clue how
she would survive without her angel.
Chapter 13
Rage boiled in Gabe and threatened to
explode like a steam stack. His vision blurred as he tried to
control his anger. Gripping his parents’ back-porch railing, he
turned to his father. “I feel so helpless. I talked with Judge
Mathis, but that was useless. He said that since Lou had dragged
this into the court systems he couldn’t turn his back on it. Amy’s
place was too dangerous for him to leave a child in. He was
obligated to do what was in the best interest of the child, and he
felt that it was better for her to live with Lou than be placed in
foster care.” He punched the wooden rail.
“
harmony.
Gabe sat down by Amy and Lou sat across from
them.
“ You don’t have a test today.” Lou
threw a crayon at Gabe.
Gabe picked up the crayon and started to
throw it back, but then he looked at Angel and dropped it on a side
table. “It just so happens, I went to the same judge you went to,
and I told him Angel was mine. So we both have a test today. You’re
not the only one with friends.”
“ So what? You two never even slept
together. She was a virgin until I…” His gaze dropped to Angel.
“Well, there’s no possible way she’s your kid.”
Gabe smiled. “Maybe so, but we, my brother,
are identical twins. Therefore, we have the same DNA. There’s no
way possible to tell which one of us is the true father.” He raised
his eyebrows and chuckled.
“ Are you serious?” Could it be true?
Amy wished with everything it was. If Lou couldn’t prove he was the
father, then he couldn’t take Angel from her. She wouldn’t have to
be scared of him taking her away, and she could be with
Gabe.
“ I’m serious, shortcake.” He leaned
down and kissed her.
Opening for his tongue, she deepened the
kiss. She didn’t care Lou sat across from them staring in shock.
Nor did she care about Angel sitting on her lap. Gabe treated her
child better than Lou ever had. Finally, her dreams were coming
true.
* * * *
Amy trembled as she read the court order
again.
“ It’s a minor setback. Like I said,
it’s just a temporary order until the tests come back.” Ms. Cox
tried to reassure her.
Tears trickled down her cheek. “This can’t
be happening. How can the judge order temporary custody to Lou when
he can’t prove he’s her father?”
“ Look Amy, I know this is hard for
you, but if she doesn’t stay with Lou for the time being, she’ll be
put in foster care until the judge can make a final decision.” Ms.
Cox sat down in the chair beside her.
“ Why does he have to take her
away?”
“ The judge granted temporary custody
because he felt that she would be safer not living in the apartment
you’re in now. And frankly, even though we know why he granted it,
I can’t make a good argument against his reasoning. The two of you
could have been killed. When do you think you’ll be able to move
into the new apartment?”
She sniffed and wiped her nose with a
tissue. “The new place isn’t going to happen. It seems that the
landlord has rented it to someone else.” Or it could be that it
turns out the owner is a new client of Lou’s.
“ I see. That doesn’t bode well for
us.” Ms. Cox heaved a sigh. “You need to keep looking for a place.
In the meantime I’m working on a few angles. Plus, I have a friend
in the real-estate business. I’ll give her a call and see if she
knows of anything open.”
“ Okay.” She doubted anything would be
open. Lou had probably contacted every rental property within fifty
miles. Defeated, she gathered her purse and left.
The whole situation sucked. No one would
rent to her and she couldn’t move in with Gabe. It would look like
she’d dumped her child to shack up with a man. I’m sure that would
sit well in court.
She just had to keep telling herself the
test would come back negative. Then Angel would be hers and they’d
be free to move in with Gabe. But until then, she had no clue how
she would survive without her angel.
Chapter 13
Rage boiled in Gabe and threatened to
explode like a steam stack. His vision blurred as he tried to
control his anger. Gripping his parents’ back-porch railing, he
turned to his father. “I feel so helpless. I talked with Judge
Mathis, but that was useless. He said that since Lou had dragged
this into the court systems he couldn’t turn his back on it. Amy’s
place was too dangerous for him to leave a child in. He was
obligated to do what was in the best interest of the child, and he
felt that it was better for her to live with Lou than be placed in
foster care.” He punched the wooden rail.
“
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