Beyond 4/20 (12 page)

“I was given a second chance at a life I don’t deserve. Who am I to say she doesn’t deserve one too?”

“You can have these back.” He handed the checks to John. “I’ve done nothing to deserve them.”

Plus, he knew John would soon discover that Lindsey had no desire to be a mom. It had always been about the money. He wouldn’t be in the room with her for more than five minutes before it became obvious.

John took the checks from Dean and sat them back on the desk.

Shaking Dean’s hand, he said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Dean nodded. “Let me know where.”

Lindsey entered the large conference room and immediately regretted coming alone. Joey had said he would come but at the last minute bailed on her. This whole thing was his idea, and now he was acting as if it had nothing to do with him. The room was filled with men in suits and the only one she recognized was Mr. Kennedy. He was sitting on one side of the large conference table, and across from him were six men, all looking rather severe. At the end of the table was an older man. He was smiling at her.

John stood and extended his hand toward Lindsey. “Hi, Lindsey. I’m John. I’ll be mediating your custody settlement today.”

As much as he tried not to, he could hardly help but stare at Lindsey. Lucy was her spitting image, allowing John to get a glimpse of Lucy as a young woman. The thought of Lucy’s future caused John an even greater level of determination to protect her. Lindsey appeared much older than her years, proving what John already knew: she was living a turbulent life, one he didn’t want for Lucy.

“Settlement? Won’t we be going to court?”

Smiling still, John said, “I sure hope not. That’s the point of mediation. Courts get backlogged with cases that can be settled at a negotiating table instead. We are here to see if we can come to an agreement.”

“I’m not settling for anything less than sole custody.”

Her attorney had told her all along that she would likely never get anything more than joint custody, if even that, but Joey was hoping that if Tuck was scared enough, he would offer her a settlement instead. Looks like he was right, based on the fact that they were willing to negotiate.

John prayed silently for a spirit of mercy toward Lindsey. Already he didn’t like her.

“Full custody? Interesting.”

Pointing to the chair next to Dean, John said, “Please sit.”

John turned to Dean and asked, “Have you led your client to believe that sole custody is likely?”

Dean looked at Lindsey, and then back at John. “She has a right to let a judge decide that.”

“That’s not what I asked. I appreciate that you’re looking after your client’s interests by avoiding answering the question, but I must ask again. Have you given her the impression that it is possible to get sole custody?”

Dean stood firm. If he said no, then Lindsey’s hand was played and they had nothing left to negotiate with.

“As I said, she has a right for a judge to decide.”

John addressed Lindsey. “Is that what you want? For a judge to decide?”

Lindsey knew full well that a judge would not give her sole custody after being out of Lucy’s life for so long. Mr. Kennedy was very clear about that. Trying to present a bold front, though, she bluffed, “If that’s what it takes.”

John closed the file that was sitting open before him. “Okay. Fair enough. We’ll let the judge decide.”

He began to stand and when he did, he could see the look of panic on Lindsey’s face as she leaned over and whispered to Dean.

Dean spoke up and said, “We are open to discussion here today. As you said, the courts are backlogged with unnecessary cases.”

John sat down again. “Lindsey, we have some of the best legal minds in Tulsa represented in this room. By popular consensus, they agree that you don’t stand a chance of sole custody. At best, and this is fairly unlikely with your history of abandoning your child, you will get joint custody, or perhaps, only visitation.”

Dean spoke up. “That’s not necessarily true. If Lindsey can demonstrate to the court that she would now like to be a stable influence in the child’s life, it is possible that she will be granted joint custody.”

As much as Dean disliked Lindsey and Joey, he did have a duty to represent her to the best of his ability. He deposited a hundred thousand dollars’ worth of payment just that morning ensuring he would.

John shrugged. “If that happens, will she be prepared to pay child support to Mr. Bradshaw while Lucy is in his custody?”

“I can’t pay him child support!” Lindsey spat. “He’s the one with all the money.”

“Mr. Bradshaw is a farmer whose farm is barely afloat. There is no money. As a matter of fact, if you were to get joint custody, you could expect little in the way of child support from him. Based on both of your incomes, I think it would be a wash. No one would pay.”

“I’ve seen the house and the land. It’s worth a fortune.”

“That’s not liquid assets. Child support is based on income.”

John had no idea if that was true, but it made sense to him, so when no one corrected him, he continued. “My point is this: If you are hoping for any financial advantage through custody of Lucy, you are barking up the wrong tree.”

Lindsey looked at Mr. Kennedy and then back at John. “Can we talk a minute alone?”

“Sure.”

He waited while Lindsey and Dean spoke in the lobby. Lindsey was clearly not happy by the way she waved her arms around in the air. Dean simply looked disgusted.

When they returned, John dismissed his team of attorneys. Once alone, he pulled a document from his file and slid it over to Dean.

“Since neither is in the position to pay child support, I’m proposing that sole custody remains with Mr. Bradshaw, and no child support will be asked of Ms. Aldridge.”

Lindsey thought about what the guy said about the farm not being liquid assets.

“He could sell off some land.”

“For child support?”

The longer the girl was in his presence, the more John was convinced that her truest intention was money and not having Lucy with her.

“Sure. Why can’t he sell off some of the acreage?”

“For one thing, that could take months or even more than a year. Are you prepared to have custody of Lucy and have no child support in all that time? Can you afford to raise a child, provide health care for her, and keep a roof over her head while you wait for land to sell?”

Lindsey glared at Mr. Kennedy, hoping he would step in and say something. He said nothing. In the lobby he had already assured her there would be no permanent income from Tuck. He had seen his financials. Tuck really did have no money.

“So basically, you’re saying that if I get Lucy, even part time, he doesn’t have to pay me child support?”

“Exactly.”

John was winging it and really didn’t know how the courts would set child support. Since Tuck made as little as Lindsey once all expenses for the farm were calculated, from what John researched online, it seemed as if Tuck wouldn’t have to pay her anything. Once again, Dean was quiet, so John presumed he was on target or close to it.

“Ms. Aldridge, if your goal is to be with Lucy, surely money doesn’t matter.”

“I can’t afford to take care of that kid alone.”

That kid?
Her minimizing who Lucy was so infuriated John that he nearly jumped from his seat and shouted that she didn’t deserve her in the first place. For a moment he remained quiet as Dean looked at him, clearly watching to see if he was going to blow. John looked down as if he were studying the file before him, when in actuality he was praying.

Finally, he looked back at her, saying, “If this is about you wanting to be a mother to your little girl, we can see that that happens.”

Suspicious, she asked, “How?”

“We can find you a place in town near Mr. Bradshaw’s farm. Lucy can visit you there.”

Lindsey jumped to her feet, saying, “I’m not going back to that hick-town. That place nearly sucked the life out of me. I have a life here. I’ll never go back.”

John studied Lindsey. He had her in such a position that she would likely walk away. Since her motive for the custody petition was obviously not Lucy, when money was removed from the equation, she had no motive to press on. The problem with her walking away was, what if she changed her mind? What if she started the entire mess again next year or the year after? Lucy was only seven. This could be an ongoing battle for years to come, and John wasn’t willing to see Chelsea or Lucy go through that.

His next thought was to pay her off, but with Dean there, he might be obligated to report him for bribery. He had been clear with Dean that he wanted him to represent her well.

Deciding to take the risk, John offered, “Ms. Aldridge, I understand that your fiancée is planning on opening a body shop here in Tulsa.”

Wondering how he knew that, she said, “Uh huh.”

“Does he need an investor?”

“You mean like someone to help pay to get the business started?”

“Yes, just like that.” John looked over at Dean.

Dean interrupted. “Lindsey, this obviously has nothing to do with the custody case. I’ve got a busy schedule. What would you like to do?”

Barely looking at him, more interested in what the other guy was offering, she waved him off, saying, “I’ll drop the case.”

Dean had had enough of her. She was one of those clients who made him regret going into law.

“I’ll file the necessary papers.”

With that, Dean stood, shook John’s hand, and left the room. Whatever was about to happen in that room, he wanted no part of it.

As soon as they were alone, Lindsey asked, “What did you mean about an investor?”

By the time Lindsey stood to go, she had signed the document John had drawn up in case it came to this. She signed away her legal rights to Lucy in exchange for a two-hundred-thousand dollar investment in Joey’s business. John actually felt sorry for the girl and saw what was coming with the boyfriend, so he gave her some paperwork about forming a partnership with Joey rather than handing the money over to him outright. He had no way of knowing if she would be strong enough to do that or if Joey would talk her out of the money without the partnership agreement. That wasn’t his concern, though. He had given her as much help as he could on the matter.

As a last reminder, John told Lindsey, “Remember, this agreement doesn’t take away your right to visit her someday. It just prevents you from trying to take her. Lucy’s a great kid. You might want to get to know her someday.”

Anxious to call Joey, Lindsey hardly heard what the man was saying. “Yeah, I know. Thanks.”

Turning quickly, she moved toward the door, already dialing Joey’s number.

John watched her go, feeling heavy hearted. It didn’t take much to get her to agree to give Lucy up. If she only knew her, she would think better of it. Leaning back in his chair, he sighed, wondering if what he had just done was illegal. He honestly didn’t know. Intentionally, he never asked his legal counsel or Dean about the legality of it. Maybe he had just broken a dozen laws. If there were ever legal ramifications over it, it would all come back to him. Tuck wasn’t part of it. Dean had removed himself from the conversation. If trouble followed, he would take the fall. Lucy was worth it.

What he did know was that he had done exactly what God led him to do. He acted justly toward Lindsey and offered her mercy. She didn’t deserve a place in Lucy’s life, but he had offered her one anyway. As easily as she signed away her legal rights, he still added a failsafe for her. He protected her rights as Lucy’s mother even if she didn’t want them. If she ever did come to her senses and want to see Lucy, he made the way for her.

Reflecting on his past few days in Tulsa, John laid each and every decision and action before the Lord. Every step of the way he had sensed God’s approval, and now, he sensed the same. Lindsey was a mixed up young woman, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit of compassion for her, but ultimately, he wouldn’t allow her to influence Lucy and would have paid any amount to prevent that.

As he drove home, John called Chelsea and assured her that he had settled the matter and that he would be home in time to pick Lucy up from school. She cried for a minute, which made him a bit misty-eyed. Her heart was so tender, even more so while she was pregnant. Just as she was on the pain medication after her accident, she was weepy over most anything. Thankfully, he didn’t have to tell her she would lose her daughter. When he told Tuck it would kill her, he wasn’t exaggerating. Chelsea loved Lucy with such depth and selflessness. She was truly a mother to her. As many times as Lucy said that Chelsea was
like
a mother, they all were coming to recognize, Chelsea was indeed her mother.

That thought led John to wonder if there was any reason she couldn’t be, legally speaking. With Lindsey having signed over her legal rights, it would only take Tuck to give his approval. Certainly, Chelsea would never ask him, but John sure wouldn’t hesitate. As long as he had been in the picture, John could see that Tuck’s one and only priority was Lucy. If it was what was best for her, Tuck would likely consider it.

Once in town, rather than going straight home, he drove instead to Tuck’s house. With Lucy in school, it would be a perfect time to feel Tuck out, to see if he might be open to Chelsea adopting Lucy. In that case, considering he would allow it, it would settle the matter of Lucy’s custody if anything ever happened to Tuck. Since Tuck had no other close relatives, what might happen to Lucy in the case of Tuck’s death had crossed John’s mind on several occasions. He had envisioned some long court battle, but settling Lucy’s long-term care would be a non-issue if she legally belonged to Chelsea and him.

Since John didn’t anticipate finding Tuck at the house, he drove instead down toward the barn. Even as he turned and drove down the long white fence row, he could see Tuck outside the barn, watching him. No doubt, Chelsea had called him to let him know the good news, so Tuck was likely wondering why he was coming to see him.