Family Counsel (The Samuel Collins Series Book 2) by Debra Trueman Page A

even
in the worst of circumstances.
    “If your mom can’t do it, they can hang out with me at the
office.  Penny would love it.” 
    Maddie smiled.  “Are you sure?”
    “Positive.”
    I was just about to go sentimental on her, when Max killed the
mood by dumping an entire big-gulp cup of water onto my crotch. 
    “Ahhhhhh!” I yelled out and jumped up, soaked from the waist
down.
    Oliver and Max were howling. “Max dumped water on Dad’s
wiener!” Oliver exclaimed.
    Maddie and I looked at each other, and I could see she was
fighting laughter as much as I was.   “On Dad’s what?” Maddie asked.
    “His wiener,” Oliver repeated.  “That’s penis in Spanish.”
    Now she did laugh. “No, it’s not; wiener’s German.”
    Oliver looked confused.  “Then what’s penis in Spanish?”
    “I don’t know,” Maddie said.  She looked at me, but I shrugged
my shoulders. 
    “I don’t know either,” I told him. “My Spanish isn’t very
good.”
    “What’s bum in Spanish?” he asked.
    “I don’t know,” Maddie said, and Oliver looked at me. 
    “Me neither.”
    “It’s bumholio,” Oliver said knowingly
    Maddie gave me look. “I told you not to watch that in front of
him.”
    “Yeah, well, when you’re right, you’re right.”

Chapter 6
    Maddie and Felicia set out first thing in the morning for
Harmony.  I dropped off Oliver and Max at pre-school and took Morgan to the
office with me.  Maddie’s mom would pick up the boys at noon then swing by to
get Morgan and babysit them for the rest of the day.  It was late morning when
I heard from Maddie.
     “They won’t let us see him,” she informed me.
    “Why not?  What’s the problem?”
    “They say he’s sick and can’t have visitors.  They don’t
believe Felicia is his sister.”
    “Why should that matter?”
    “I have no idea.”
    “Where are you?”
    “We’re in my car, sitting in the parking lot.  They practically
threw us out, Samuel.  Something’s going on here. ”
    I didn’t like the sound of it.  I could just picture my wife
and her cousin doing something very stupid that could turn out to be
dangerous.  “What’s the place like?”
    “The outside’s real nice.  Lots of trees and pretty
landscaping.  There’s a pond out here in front with swans and ducks swimming in
it.  I’m sure it costs a fortune to be admitted.”
    “What about inside?”
    “Whale, we didn’t get very far before they made us leave; but
let me tell you, the place gives me the creeps.”
    Maddie gets the creeps fairly easily, so I had to discount the
statement proportionately, but even so, I didn’t want her anywhere near there. 
I certainly didn’t like the idea of my wife nosing around an exclusive private
institution out in the middle of nowhere. 
    “I think you should come home, Maddie.  From what I’ve heard of
the town, it’s not a place where you want to make a scene.  We can get a court
order if we have to, but I’d rather handle it through proper channels.  How’s
Felicia?”
    “Not good.”
    I could imagine what an understatement that must be.  “Don’t
let her do anything that’s going to get you thrown in jail.”
    “I know,” she said, and what worried me was that my statement
didn’t even piss her off.  She covered the phone and said something to
Felicia.  “Something’s rotten here, Samuel.  Or else, why wouldn’t they let us
see him?”
    “I have no idea, but we’ll find out.   I’m going to call Niki
and get the names of the principals of the place.  Who did you talk to?”
    “The Administrator.  He’s the one who kicked us out.”
    “You’ve got to come back home, Maddie.  We’ll get a court order
and I’ll go there personally with you and Felicia, but please, don’t mess with
it anymore today.  Please.”
    She thought about it long enough before answering to make me
very nervous.  “Okay, Samuel,” she finally said.
    I didn’t realize that I’d been holding my breath