Inherited: Instant Family by Judy Christenberry Page B

Creek.”
    She didn’t say anything.
    He opened the car door for her. “Come on. We don’t want to miss the tour.”
    She sat quietly as he drove. When he parked the car, they both got out and walked to the entrance for the tour.
    When they came out two hours later, Brad joked about the amount of money they’d seen.
    “It’s amazing, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe how difficult it is to get money when you see so much of it in there.”
    Brad smiled at Sarah. “It’s us who put so much value on the paper money. After all, it’s just paper.”
    With a big sigh, Sarah nodded.
    “Now what do you want to do?”
    She grinned at him. “Want to guess?”
    “The mountain?”
    “Yes, it makes my problems seem small.”
    “One mountain coming up.”
    All the benefits the mountain afforded Sarah the night before were washed away in a flood of tension the next morning. Brad could see it on her face and in the set of hershoulders as they made their way to the courthouse.
    Knowing she had to testify against her stepfather with him in the courtroom ate at his gut. Sarah had already been through enough; he hated to see her endure more. But with any luck, she’d only have to lay eyes on the animal two more times. At the custody hearing later that day and at the trial, where her testimony would put him away for life.
    As they walked into the courtroom, he reached for her hand. “Just relax, Sarah. You’ll do fine.”
    She took a deep breath and let it out as she pushed open the door and entered.
    The hearing seemed to take forever, probably because he wasn’t permitted entrance. Pacing outside the door made him feel like a caged animal. When he finally saw Sarah emerge, he ran toward her.
    Her smile through the tears told him she’d been successful.
    “They’ve charged him and we’re going to trial.”
    That was all he needed to hear. “Let’s get out of here.”
    He took her hand and led her out into the sunshine. He knew exactly where to take her to celebrate.
    They were back in the courthouse at one o’clock. The custody hearing started promptly, presided over by a venerable old judge. Luckily Brad was allowed in.
    When Sarah was asked to testify, she could barely speak. Her voice quavered and broke. At one point she finally looked up at Ellis Ashton, seated at the table with his attorney, and stopped. Brad could almost see her demeanor change, strengthen, and when she resumed her testimony, she spoke with courage and conviction. He was so proud of her.
    Then Ellis took the stand. Brad knew any judge worth his robes would see through the garbage he hurled at the court. Under no law could a man like him deserve Anna and Davy.
    Apparently the judge felt the same way. He named Sarah the guardian of the twochildren and promised they would send the official papers to her in a few days.
    When they exited the courtroom, Brad lifted Sarah up and whirled her around. When he brought her back to the ground, she hugged his neck.
    “Brad, we did it!”
    “You did it, sweetheart. You and your stepfather,” Brad said to her.
    “Yes, he was my best witness, wasn’t he?”
    “Definitely.”
    She hugged him again. “Let’s get out of here. I want to get on the road.”
    “Not yet. There’s something we’ve got to do first.” He handed her his cell phone. “Call the kids.”
    He told her the number and she dialed, nearly bouncing on her feet with excitement until someone answered.
    “Kate? It’s Sarah. We’re finished and we’re coming home.” Her lips broke into a wide smile then and she blurted, “I did it, Kate. The kids are mine!”

CHAPTER SIX
    “Y OU realize the kids will be yours for life?”
    After traveling quietly for almost an hour, Brad suddenly realized that. He didn’t stop himself from voicing his thought.
    With their mother dead and their father hopefully in jail for the rest of his life, she was all they had.
    “Of course I realize that. That’s why I had to win. I have to take care of them.