Never Say Never (38 page)

“We’re so glad you’re going to stay the night with us, Jill.” Lana smiled at her daughter and started putting cookies on a tray. Marsh and China had departed for Lassiter, leaving Jill feeling strangely out of sorts. A big part of her felt like she should have been in that truck, heading north with them.

The practical side of her nature knew she’d made the right choice, though it hurt. “Thank you for letting me store my things here for a while, Mother. It shouldn’t be for long. I’m planning on getting an apartment I can afford, and then I can get my stuff out of your way.”

Bob cleared his throat. Lana’s hands stilled as she looked at Jill. “There’s no need for you to put yourself through that right now. For heaven’s sake, Jill, it’s only a few more days until Christmas. Can’t you stay here until then, and wait until after the holidays to find something? Your father and I think you need some time before you go jumping into anything else.”

Jill started to shake her head. Then she thought about how devoid of love and warmth the place she’d rented with Carl had been. She wasn’t going to find anything that measured up to what she’d had at the Reeds’ house; everything she looked at was going to seem stark in comparison.

Maybe her parents were right. Maybe a little time would distance the way she felt about the household where she could not be. After Christmas, she could start all over. Again.

Dustin stopped in the middle of poking a needle through a piece of popcorn. This wasn’t working. He was all thumbs at stringing, and his finger was getting sore from being pricked. This was a project for Jill. Leaving the needle and string on the kitchen counter, he carried the bowl out to the parlor, smiling for Joey’s sake. His mother reclined on the antique divan, snoozing lightly while the fire kept her warm. Joey’s eyes were huge when he saw the bowl of fluffy popcorn.

“What do you say we just eat this stuff, son?” Dustin sat cross-legged next to Joey and put the popcorn in front of them.

Joey looked a bit sorrowful for a moment, then he shrugged. “Maybe…maybe you call Jill and ask her how.”

“Uh…” Dustin was trying to think of how to get himself of that trap as the doorbell rang. “Just a second, son.”

Opening the door brought a chill in from the outdoors. The expressions on China’s and Marsh’s faces didn’t warm Dustin’s spirits too much, either.

“Well, look what the weatherman brought us, Joey,” he called, pointing China and Marsh into the parlor. “Two human popsicles.”

“You did it,” Marsh said when he saw Joey. “You brought him home.”

“Said I was,” Dustin said gruffly.

“Maxine didn’t…”

“No.” Dustin didn’t want Marsh to say anything more. No sense in Joey knowing that his father and grandmother had been locked in an emotional struggle over him. “It went just fine.”

“I’m not going to have to arrest you?”

Dustin sat down on the floor next to Joey again, shrugging. He couldn’t really have cared less what might have happened if his plan had gone awry. He’d been too desperate to worry about the consequences, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to go over the what-ifs now.

“Hi, Sheriff,” Joey said. Dustin patted his son’s little shoulders. It felt like heaven having him and Eunice back.

It would have felt even better if Jill could have rounded out their family circle, but that wasn’t to be. The ornery woman had packed herself off, just when the going had gotten rough. He had asked her in the beginning if she was the type who fled when things got tough and Jill had given him that sassy smile and said he should just put combat pay in her stocking.

Well, she hadn’t even hung around long enough to collect.

Eunice’s eyes flew open. “Goodness me,” she said, sitting up. “Please pardon my manners. Sleeping in front of company. My mother would have sent me to my room for such behavior.”

China laughed as she sat down in the queen’s chair next to the pie table. Marsh took the king’s chair next to it. “Don’t worry about us, Eunice. We’re not really company. At least, Tommy thinks he’s part of the family.”

“Yes, I know.” Eunice’s eyes gleamed brightly as she peered into the hallway. “Did you bring me anything, my handsome, good-hearted, extra son?”

Dustin grunted at this exchange. He wondered what his mother thought Marsh might have brought her.

Marsh sighed, sticking the leg he favored slightly out in front of him. “I’m afraid it’s just you and Joey and your ugly boy, Dustin, for supper tonight.”

“Oh.”

At Dustin’s puzzled expression, Marsh said to him, “She invited me to eat today but I can’t make it. I’ve got some paperwork to do to wrap up the Lynch case.”

Dustin was surprised by his mother’s downcast expression. For heaven’s sake, there was no reason to be sad just because Marsh was finally going to miss eating a meal at the Reed Ranch.

“Well,” China said brightly. “I’m certainly glad to see you feeling better, Eunice. Joey, what is Santa going to bring you for Christmas?”

His son looked down. Dustin pressed his lips together. China was trying hard to dispel the sudden gloomy air in the room, but he knew what Joey was thinking when it came to Christmas presents. Seemed like he’d had only one wish—and that had been Jill.

When Joey didn’t answer, China looked at Dustin. “You still up for that hearing on Thursday?” At his nod, she said, “Good. I know you’re ready to get this thing over with.”

“You can say that again.”

“I’m ready to get home, China,” Marsh said suddenly.

“Is your leg bothering you?”

“No. I’m just ready to get home, if you don’t mind taking me.” He got up slowly, and made his way to kiss Eunice’s cheek. “Sorry,” he murmured. “Mind like a mule, you know.”

“It’s okay. I know you did what you could.” Eunice laid her head back against the pillows. “China, you come out here any time, all right? You’re always welcome.”

“Thank you, Eunice.” She went to pat her hand. The shrug she made for Eunice’s benefit confused Dustin. It seemed they were all talking a conversation he wasn’t part of. Unfortunately, he had too much on his mind to give it much thought.

“Good night,” he called as China and Marsh walked to the truck.

They waved. A few moments later they were gone. Dustin stamped his boots on the porch, already feeling the cold stealing into his body. Telling himself that Monday night football would be a good thing to watch tonight, he went inside to join Joey and Eunice.

He wondered briefly if Jill liked football, then decided he wouldn’t have cared if she hadn’t. The woman was enough to make a man turn the television set off for good.

Unfortunately, he’d be looking at a twenty-seven-inch glass screen tonight, watching grown men chase a pigskin. He sighed, wondering how long it would take before he started enjoying the things again he’d always loved before.

Maybe after the custody hearing Thursday, his good mood would return.

The sun dawned bright Thursday morning, almost as if it were trying to warm the icy air blowing into people’s coats as they walked into the courthouse. Dustin walked slowly, letting Eunice set the pace.

His mother was feeling better but still taking it easy.

He hoped that a ruling in his favor today would cheer Eunice up. He wasn’t sure her health could continue improving if the stress didn’t let up.

Joey was being looked after by a friend of Eunice’s from church. With all the wonderful innocence of a child, Joey’d had no idea his fate was being decided for him today. Dustin’s heart had nearly broken as he’d said goodbye. All he could do was pray that everything would turn out for the best.

Inside the courthouse, Dustin sat down heavily on a wooden bench. His stomach felt tight, the muscles cramped until it was painful. He took a deep breath, trying to relax. Across the room, Maxine eyed him. He could feel her stare on him, as well as David’s. He sat in his wheelchair in the aisle, looking like he didn’t feel any better than Dustin did. Jeez. This bitterness of Maxine’s had torn everybody apart—and practically obliterated the chance of anybody having a chance to mourn Nina.

Dustin’s mouth twisted. Maxine had been right when she accused him of not thinking of Nina. He hadn’t had half a chance to remember the good times before Maxine filed her lawsuit. The months after Nina’s death had been spent worrying about Joey; Dustin hadn’t possessed spare emotional energy to mourn his wife the way he might have if his mind had been free from the trap Maxine had sprung on him.

The judge entered, wearing black robes and an austere expression. Dustin saw his gaze flick briefly toward Maxine and David. Again, the fear pressed him that the judge might rule in favor of his friends. Certainly, nothing much had gone Dustin’s way where Maxine was concerned.

The bailiff called the room to order. Out of the corner of his eye, Dustin saw Marsh enter the courtroom and take a seat, with China sitting beside him. People shuffled expectantly, waiting their turns for the judge to hear their cases; somewhere a baby wailed briefly. Dustin scanned the courtroom, his gaze instantly halting when he saw Vera Benchley and Sadie sitting on the far side. Sadie cradled Holly to her, feeding her a bottle. Dustin poked his mother to get her attention. She smiled when she saw them. Vera gave a small wave, which Eunice returned with a thumbs-up sign.

There were a few cases heard before theirs and Dustin let his mind wander as he pondered the fact that the Copelands didn’t appear to have any friends who had come to sit with them in the courtroom. The two of them seemed very lonely as they sat listening. Dustin steeled himself not to feel sorry for their situation. If they could have their way, he would lose his son today—and it was nobody’s fault but Maxine’s if, over the years, she’d run off anybody who’d ever wanted to be their friend.

Their case was announced, and Dustin snapped to razor-sharp attention. At the same moment, the courtroom doors opened. Why that got his attention, Dustin didn’t know, but he turned his head and instantly recognized the sweetly beautiful blonde walking in. She was wearing a white fuzzy sweater with seed pearls scattered in flower shapes, and a white skirt. His immediate thought was, that Jill looked like an angel. His heart hammered as he watched her take the seat beside Vera and Sadie, gently easing Holly into her arms. He saw Sadie smile gratefully at Jill, and that was the last thing Dustin’s astonished brain registered before his mother prodded him toward the private hearing room.

He couldn’t believe Jill had come back.

His lawyer took a spot next to him; his mother sat on the other side. Dustin barely listened as they went through the obligatory motions. Without realizing he did it, Dustin met Maxine’s gaze. The judge asked her a question, but she didn’t seem to hear him. Her lawyer touched her arm, but Maxine shook her head. Dustin’s heart sank. It would be just his luck if Maxine took ill and they had to continue this another time. Dustin was afraid he’d explode if his fate wasn’t decided one way or the other.

“We wish to drop the case, Your Honor,” Maxine said softly.

Dustin’s eyes stayed riveted to hers. Her lawyer began frantically whispering in her ear. David reached out to lay a hand on Maxine’s. She briefly squeezed his hand.

“We wish to apologize to the court for any undue trouble we have caused.” She turned her gaze from Dustin’s to Eunice’s. The two women watched each other across the table. There was regret and sadness in Maxine’s eyes, but Dustin couldn’t help wondering what had caused this new twist and where it was leading. He ignored the surprised acceleration of his heart.

“Although we love our grandson and hope we will be allowed to see him often, David and I have decided he belongs at the Reed Ranch with his father. There were many reasons I was convinced that I should have Joey myself, but the truth is”—Maxine stopped, her voice breaking and her eyes filling with, tears—“the fact is, Nina is gone and nothing can replace her. I can’t replace her. I didn’t want to lose her, every bit of her.” She lowered her gaze to stare at her hand in David’s. “We just ask that you take good care of Joey and appreciate him and remember how swiftly you can lose your child, Dustin. We shouldn’t have lost Nina so soon, but we did. Now we wish we’d spent more time loving her instead of trying to…protect her, I guess.”

Eunice moved quickly, going around the table to put her arms around the sobbing woman. “Thank you, Maxine. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“I do.” Maxine nodded, her eyes streaming as she blew her nose into a tissue. “Believe me, I do. I’d give anything to have Nina back. It’s terrible to lose a child. It feels so empty.”

The judge looked at both the lawyers. He cleared his throat. “Are there any further matters to resolve? It sounds like this case is going to wrap itself up, if Maxine is certain this is what she and David want.”

“It is, Your Honor.” Maxine’s shoulders shook with the effort not to cry. A tear sparkled in David’s eye, but he met the judge’s questioning look bravely.

“Yes.” David nodded his agreement.

The judge granted the case dropped. Dustin stood to make his way around the table.

“I expect you to be a big part of Joey’s life,” Dustin said simply. “You let me or Mother know and we can accommodate you.”

“Thank you, Dustin.” Maxine’s eyes were huge with tears, making her skin look sunken and aged. “That’s very generous, considering what I’ve put you through.”