don’t have a case,” Ms. Foster began. “The minor child—”
“ Ivy,” Summer corrected.
Ms. Foster smiled. “Ivy has been visited by DSS over the years, and they’ve found no evidence of neglect or abuse. In fact, the—Ivy is very-well taken care of, but I suppose this isn’t news to you.”
“ No, it’s not.” Summer shook her head. “I wouldn’t have asked Rose for help if I’d thought otherwise. But I was desperate and most likely suffering from post-partum depression.” At least, that was what Gabriel had told her. He had also given her the name of a therapist, but she’d torn that card into pieces. Why should she go talk to someone when she was perfectly able to solve her own problem?
“ Be that as it may, you have limited resources, no place to stay, and you’re unmarried. Three very big strikes against you.” Ms. Foster wasn’t unkind as she said this. She was to the point, which was exactly what Summer had wanted. “You also swore you weren’t under duress when you signed away your parental rights to Ivy.”
She’d lied. Oh God, she had lied. She had been under so much duress that she was about to crack, but at the time, it was the right thing to do for Ivy and for herself.
“ I realize that, but you can see for yourself that I’ve never been fired from a job, and I only quit when I had to move.” Summer brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. “My references are all there, and they’re really good. Finding a permanent place to stay shouldn’t be a problem, and it’s not like I want to take my daughter away from here. I plan to live in Holland Springs, but as Ivy’s mother, not her aunt.”
Ms. Foster said nothing.
“ Please, just give me the best case scenario of getting Ivy back. What would I have to do on my end?”
“ Find a permanent residence, one that you don’t mind being inspected by DSS, the Fire Chief, and a whole host of people who will work in the best interest of Ivy. You already have a job, but do you think Mrs. Holland will allow you to keep working there once she finds out what you’re planning?”
“ Rose made me co-owner.” Ms. Foster blinked, and Summer had the grace to blush. “I helped start the company.”
“ Interesting,” the woman said, and then continued. “Even with all of those taken care of, there is still the matter of your relationship status.”
“ Single women raise children all the time.”
“ The court isn’t concerned with other single women. They will be concerned with you. Short of finding a man who walks on water to be your husband, I’m afraid your odds of getting custody of Ivy are slim to none. Honestly, your odds are practically non-existent, no matter what you do.”
A man who walked on water? Summer smiled. There was only one man who fit the bill—Gabriel Edwards. And she didn’t care about practically non-existent odds , because practically mean there was still a chance she could prevail. “That shouldn’t be difficult at all.”
Without missing a beat, Ms. Foster said, “Can’t wait to meet him.”
Summer shook the woman’s hand and headed outside, her mind full of plots to get Gabriel to help her.
She could trick him into marrying her. No, that was too 1800s.
She could pay him to marry her. With what money? Besides, he wouldn’t take it anyway.
So deep in thought, that she almost walked past the man she was plotting against.
“ Summer,” he said, in that deep voice of his that sounded like a caress.
Unfortunately, he’d caught her off-guard, and she had no time to put on her mental armor. “Gabriel.”
“ Join me for lunch?” He gestured to the empty spot on the park bench. “I packed extra.”
Wary, she sat down, but as far away from him as possible. “I am hungry. My meeting took longer than expected.”
A dark brow rose. “Meeting?”
Crap, she should’ve kept her mouth shut. “Yeah, my monthly home-wreckers not so anonymous meeting. Though can one call it a meeting when
“ Ivy,” Summer corrected.
Ms. Foster smiled. “Ivy has been visited by DSS over the years, and they’ve found no evidence of neglect or abuse. In fact, the—Ivy is very-well taken care of, but I suppose this isn’t news to you.”
“ No, it’s not.” Summer shook her head. “I wouldn’t have asked Rose for help if I’d thought otherwise. But I was desperate and most likely suffering from post-partum depression.” At least, that was what Gabriel had told her. He had also given her the name of a therapist, but she’d torn that card into pieces. Why should she go talk to someone when she was perfectly able to solve her own problem?
“ Be that as it may, you have limited resources, no place to stay, and you’re unmarried. Three very big strikes against you.” Ms. Foster wasn’t unkind as she said this. She was to the point, which was exactly what Summer had wanted. “You also swore you weren’t under duress when you signed away your parental rights to Ivy.”
She’d lied. Oh God, she had lied. She had been under so much duress that she was about to crack, but at the time, it was the right thing to do for Ivy and for herself.
“ I realize that, but you can see for yourself that I’ve never been fired from a job, and I only quit when I had to move.” Summer brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. “My references are all there, and they’re really good. Finding a permanent place to stay shouldn’t be a problem, and it’s not like I want to take my daughter away from here. I plan to live in Holland Springs, but as Ivy’s mother, not her aunt.”
Ms. Foster said nothing.
“ Please, just give me the best case scenario of getting Ivy back. What would I have to do on my end?”
“ Find a permanent residence, one that you don’t mind being inspected by DSS, the Fire Chief, and a whole host of people who will work in the best interest of Ivy. You already have a job, but do you think Mrs. Holland will allow you to keep working there once she finds out what you’re planning?”
“ Rose made me co-owner.” Ms. Foster blinked, and Summer had the grace to blush. “I helped start the company.”
“ Interesting,” the woman said, and then continued. “Even with all of those taken care of, there is still the matter of your relationship status.”
“ Single women raise children all the time.”
“ The court isn’t concerned with other single women. They will be concerned with you. Short of finding a man who walks on water to be your husband, I’m afraid your odds of getting custody of Ivy are slim to none. Honestly, your odds are practically non-existent, no matter what you do.”
A man who walked on water? Summer smiled. There was only one man who fit the bill—Gabriel Edwards. And she didn’t care about practically non-existent odds , because practically mean there was still a chance she could prevail. “That shouldn’t be difficult at all.”
Without missing a beat, Ms. Foster said, “Can’t wait to meet him.”
Summer shook the woman’s hand and headed outside, her mind full of plots to get Gabriel to help her.
She could trick him into marrying her. No, that was too 1800s.
She could pay him to marry her. With what money? Besides, he wouldn’t take it anyway.
So deep in thought, that she almost walked past the man she was plotting against.
“ Summer,” he said, in that deep voice of his that sounded like a caress.
Unfortunately, he’d caught her off-guard, and she had no time to put on her mental armor. “Gabriel.”
“ Join me for lunch?” He gestured to the empty spot on the park bench. “I packed extra.”
Wary, she sat down, but as far away from him as possible. “I am hungry. My meeting took longer than expected.”
A dark brow rose. “Meeting?”
Crap, she should’ve kept her mouth shut. “Yeah, my monthly home-wreckers not so anonymous meeting. Though can one call it a meeting when
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