Way to Her Heart

chapter 16

By the time she got home, Sherri was exhausted. She’d stopped by the church daycare center to pick up Sydney, and they decided to pick up a rotisserie chicken and a salad for dinner, with ice cream for dessert. Sydney was in her usual bubbly mood and Sherri was glad to see her that way. She was still angry about the scene with her mother, although a part of her felt sorry for the woman. No wonder she’d been such a cold, empty shell of a mother, Sherri thought.

Sydney went off to hang up her backpack and wash her hands so she could help with dinner and Sherri went to the kitchen to put away the few groceries she’d bought. Her mind was still racing when her cell phone rang. It was Lucas, which made her smile.

“What are you ladies doing for dinner?” he wanted to know.

“We picked up a rotisserie chicken and some salad,” she replied. “Want to join us?”

“I’d love to,” he said. “But why don’t you hold the chicken until tomorrow and I’ll bring dinner? I’ll see you in about fifteen minutes, okay?”

After the call ended, Sherri let Sydney know about their change in plans, and she was thrilled to be seeing Lucas, as usual. They went out on the deck to water their flowering plants and the small plot of strawberries they were carefully growing. When Lucas arrived, Sydney was so excited that she ran through the condo leaving muddy footprints all the way. Sherri laughed as she got out the mop to clean it up.

“Lucas, make her take those shoes off and leave them on the mat,” she called when she heard his voice.

She was finishing the mopping when he entered the kitchen and he grabbed her around the waist for a kiss. Everything felt so warm and homey that she was touched to her heart. This was normal; this was like being in a family, with or without “legitimization” or whatever strange word her mother had used. Despite the afternoon’s ordeal, she felt happy just being with Sydney and Lucas.

Dinner was fun and festive, even on such short notice. She and Sydney set the table while Lucas got the food into serving dishes. Colorful napkins set off the white plates, and fat candles lent the room a nice glow. Lucas had brought them a caprese salad with mozzarella he’d made at the restaurant, plus broccoli rabe and the most astounding ravioli she’d ever eaten. It was handmade pasta stuffed with well-seasoned roast chicken and covered with a brown-butter and sage sauce that made her want to lick her plate. Sydney ate every bite, impressing Lucas once again with her appetite. He commented on it to Sherri, who nodded her head with a smile.

“She’s always been a very good eater. She was never terribly interested in baby food actually. Whatever I was eating, that’s what she wanted. I used to have to make her food myself because I basically had to grind up regular food for her. Once she got enough teeth, though, it was on and poppin’,” she said with a laugh. “If you want to insult her, show her a kiddie menu. She wouldn’t eat a chicken nugget if you paid her. She likes really good food—always has.”

While Lucas cleaned up the kitchen, Sherri went upstairs to give Sydney her bath. Sydney was very happy about the evening’s impromptu meal with Lucas. She splashed around in the bathtub and talked about it while Sherri washed her back.

“Mommy, this was so much fun, wasn’t it? I love Uncle Lucas.”

“Yes, it was a lot of fun, sweetie. Uncle Lucas loves you, too.”

“We could do this every night if you married him,” Sydney said guilelessly.

“Hmm” was all Sherri would say. They finished the bath and Sherri wrapped her up in a big towel.

“Go put on your pajamas and you can come downstairs for some dessert. How’s that?”

“Okay, Mommy!”

Sherri tidied the bathroom and went down to the kitchen to find Lucas making a salad from the chicken. It looked delicious, full of celery, red grapes and toasted pecans.

“Wow, that’s pretty. I love chicken salad. If I wasn’t so full from that spectacular meal I’d eat some now. You’re so good to me, Lucas.”

She stood behind him and put her arms around his waist. He turned around and draped his arms over her shoulder for a kiss, which was how Sydney discovered them when she skipped into the room.

Sherri pulled away from him but he was reluctant to let her go. Sydney reacted with her usual aplomb. “Everybody kisses, Mommy. Uncle Jared and Auntie Alexis kiss a whole lot. You should kiss Uncle Lucas more. It’ll make you happy. What’s for dessert?”

Lucas laughed heartily while Sherri mumbled, “Out of the mouths of babes,” as she went to the refrigerator to get the ice cream and sliced strawberries.

* * *

Later, after Sydney was tucked in bed by both of them, Sherri told Lucas about the scene with her mother. He was lying on the sofa with a pile of throw pillows behind him and she was on top of him, her legs between his. She was so relaxed and comfortable she could have drifted off to sleep in his arms, but she had to tell him what she’d discovered about her mother. It didn’t take her very long to relate the whole story.

“Wow,” he said when she finished. “That’s some story.”

“The sad thing is, it’s not that unusual,” she said. “How many women have found themselves in that situation? And how many of them have just kept on pushing to get what they wanted in life? Part of me feels bad for her because it’s obvious that she still feels a lot of hurt for what happened and the way it happened. But part of me wants to tell her to suck it up,” she admitted.

“She had a choice. Maybe not in what happened—her getting kicked out of school and losing her scholarship. I mean, things were very different then. But she had a choice in what happened afterward. If she wanted to go back to school, she could have found a way. If she wanted this other life, she could have figured out a way to make it happen. Instead she went through life in a marriage she didn’t want with a child she blamed for everything. It’s really sad.”

Lucas held her and kissed the top of her head as his fingers played in the soft hair at the nape of her neck. “So she really doesn’t know why Trevor suddenly shows up to claim you and Sydney, does she?”

“Nope, and she couldn’t care less. It never occurred to her to ask. She’s so happy that someone is offering to dip me in the pool of holy matrimony and make me pure again she’s not asking any questions. But I want to know what he’s up to, Lucas. I don’t trust him any further than I can throw an elephant, and I don’t want him anywhere around Sydney until I know what his endgame is.”

“What did the lawyer say to do about it?”

“I didn’t get to talk to him today. He was in a deposition or something, so I’ll see him tomorrow. It’s just as well,” she said with a delicate yawn. “I’ve had all the info I could handle today.”

“You’re getting sleepy,” Lucas observed.

“Yes, but you feel so good,” she murmured.

“I’m going to let you go to bed,” he said. “I might have some news for you tomorrow. I have a friend who’s an investigator and I had him start digging into Trevor’s life. There’s bound to be something out there that he can find out about the timing of his sudden desire to have you and Sydney back in his life.”

“That would be really helpful, Lucas. You’re way too good to me.”

He put his hand under her chin and tilted her face up to his. He kissed her with great tenderness. “You’re going to have to get used to it, sweetheart. You deserve all the TLC in the world and I plan to give it to you and Sydney as often as I can, so relax. I got this, babe.”

“Anything you say,” she said sleepily. “Anything at all.”

* * *

Sherri didn’t know what to expect when she went to the law office of Royce Griffin. She’d never met him; he was recommended by Alexis’s mother, Aretha Sharp. Aretha had worked with him on many committees and had turned to him countless times on behalf of people in the community who needed top-notch legal services but had very little money. Royce was a legal legend in South Carolina, and he never turned anyone away, regardless of their ability to pay. The office was in a part of town that had seen better days. It was the exact opposite of luxurious, but the building was clean and cared for.

She opened his office door and found the reception area immaculately clean, although the furnishings weren’t new. There were large plants, two sofas and several chairs, none of which matched, but all of them were in good repair and looked comfortable. A birdcage containing a large parrot was on a stand in the corner. As soon as the bird laid eyes on her it squawked and then said, “Client! Client! Get out here—client!”

Sherri’s eyes widened and she laughed as a door opened and a tall, broad-shouldered man came to greet her.

“Sorry about that,” he said in a pleasant voice. “My secretary is at lunch and Thelonius is better than an intercom, so we put up with him.”

Thelonius squawked again. “Damned right you do.”

Royce chuckled and escorted Sherri into his office. “He was payment for a case I did a few years ago. Unfortunately, he has a vocabulary of profanity like a drunken sailor on port day, so let’s go in here and get a little privacy.” He offered her a seat and extended his hand to shake. “I’m Royce Griffin, and I’m guessing you’re Dr. Stratton.”

She shook his hand, saying, “Call me Sherri, please.” If the matter hadn’t been so serious, she’d have taken a minute or sixty just to stare at him. Royce Griffin was seriously handsome in an exotic way. He had it all—height, broad shoulders, beautiful bronze skin, thick and slightly wavy black hair in a long ponytail and high cheekbones with an aquiline nose. His thick brows slashed over eyes that had a slight upward slant and his lips looked chiseled out of copper. He was obviously a mix of several races and the blend yielded a perfect specimen of man. He was nattily attired in a pair of dress slacks and a pale blue oxford-cloth shirt that strained a little over those big shoulders. His neat appearance was at odds with his office; it was the only presentable area of the office.

The walls were lined with books, as expected in an attorney’s office. The usual diplomas and honors were displayed on one wall. The rest was chaos as far as she could see. Files were stacked on every flat surface, even the floor. They were neat stacks, but they were everywhere. The remains of his lunch were on a computer desk near the window, and the wastepaper basket was overflowing. She was trying to take everything in when he offered an explanation.

“I’m sure this isn’t what you were expecting in a law office, but in my defense, I can find everything I need at a moment’s notice. I have a photographic memory and it serves me well, but it drives everyone else around me crazy, especially my secretary. So don’t pay all this any attention. I can assure you that you’ll get the best legal advice in the state from me. I’m not bragging—it’s a fact. And if you’re not satisfied, there’s no charge. Aretha asked me to give you my best and there’s no way I’d ever disappoint her. She’s a wonderful woman,” he said, “and someone I hold in very high esteem, so I’m all yours. Tell me about your situation.”

Sherri felt compelled to trust him, unorthodox as his approach might be. She gave it to him as concisely as possible without leaving anything out. She explained how she’d found herself pregnant after dating Sydney’s father for two years, how he decamped for California as soon as she revealed her condition and how she’d never heard from him again until the day she’d encountered him at her parents’ house.

“What I don’t understand is why he’s decided to come here and try to get me to marry him out of the blue. He’s never shown the least bit of concern over his child. To be honest I don’t think he knew whether he fathered a son or a daughter. Now he wants to not only make amends, but he also wants to marry me and he wants us to be a family,” she said with a frown.

“I have no reason whatsoever to trust him or his motives. I don’t want him anywhere around my daughter until I know what he’s up to. My primary concern is Sydney. I can take care of myself, but her welfare is my biggest concern. He’s being really subtle about it, but he did say something along the lines of ‘I’d hate to take you to court.’ And because he’s an attorney, there’s no telling what he could do in court. Do I have to allow him to meet her? Is there a way that I can keep him out of her life, or will doing so backfire on me when or if we end up going to court for some kind of custody arrangement?”

She finally stopped talking and apologized. “I’m sorry that I just ran off at the mouth like that, but it all came up out of nowhere and it’s not going to go away just because I want it to.” She took a deep breath and accepted the glass of icy-cold water he poured her from a carafe on his windowsill.

Royce’s voice was soft and comforting and his words were even more so. “Look, at this point I really don’t think you have anything to worry about as far as him being able to get custody, not even visitation. Has he ever tried to establish paternity?”

“No. He left Columbia as soon as I told him the test was positive, and as far as I know, he never looked back. He was my only sexual partner and he has to know that Sydney is his child, even though I didn’t put his name on her birth certificate.”

“Did you ever try to contact him regarding child support?”

“I was too angry and too proud. I never asked him for a dime, even though it would’ve made our lives easier, at least when I was doing my internship and residency. If he didn’t want us, we didn’t want him,” she said with a touch of defiance.

“Man, he was a big fool,” Royce said with admiration in his voice. “Do you have a man in your life right now?”

She blushed becomingly at the sudden turn in his questions. “Yes, I do.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” he said with a self-deprecating grin. “I’m human—what can I say? Back to business. First of all, unless he’s willing and able to come up with seven years of child support in one lump sum, you don’t have to worry about visitation at this point. The fact that he’s been so cavalier about the existence of his child for all this time doesn’t make him a candidate for father of the year. Very few judges would be willing to entertain the idea of allowing him into her life until he shows the willingness and ability to act as a responsible parent—something you’ve done all by yourself for all these years.”

Sherri was immediately comforted by his assessment of the situation.

“In fact, I’d keep them as far apart as possible until we determine what he has to gain by claiming her. There has to be something in it for him and we have to uncover his motive. Beautiful and brilliant as you are, the notion that he suddenly woke from a deep sleep to decide that you’re his soul mate is more than a little shaky. So let’s find out what his real motivation is, shall we?”

He cleared a space on his crowded desk and whipped out a legal pad and a pen. “Okay, let’s start with the basics. What’s his name?”

“Trevor Barnes,” she answered.

Royce’s eyes went from the legal pad to lock onto hers with a look of disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding. Trevor Barnes? Did he go to law school at University of South Carolina?”

“Yes, he did,” Sherri said with confusion on her face. “We met when he was in school.”

“Is he tall, brown-skinned with curly black hair, used to drive a silver Mercedes?”

“Yes, he did. I’d forgotten about that car, but he really loved it.”

“We were in the same year at USC. May I say that you had a very narrow escape, Sherri? If he’d stepped up and done the right thing by staying with you, your life would be hell right about now. Did he ever pass the bar exam?”

“Of course he did. He passed it before he left Columbia. That’s one of the reasons he bailed because he’d just gotten a job with this...” Her voice trailed off because Royce was shaking his head back and forth with his eyes shut.

“Trevor Barnes was in the bottom tenth of our class. He was nowhere near passing the bar exam when he was here, and he had no job offers whatsoever, unless some firm needed a janitor. As a matter of fact, word around the campfire is that he still hasn’t managed to pass the bar. I stay in touch with a lot of the people I went to school with, especially my frat brothers. It’s like a running joke among us that he still hasn’t made it. The last I heard, he has a job selling high-end used cars in Pomona or someplace like that.”

Sherri’s mouth dropped open and her eyes were like saucers, but Royce wasn’t finished.

“This is all making more sense now that I know that the man in question is my old classmate. I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but Trevor’s family is loaded. His grandfather is a self-made millionaire, maybe a billionaire. He made his money the old-fashioned way—he earned it. He was a pharmacist who developed a lot of medicines that he patented and ended up owning a huge pharmaceutical company. His son, Trevor’s father, didn’t have the gene for scientific research, but he has a brilliant legal mind, so he helped keep the company in the family’s hands. They’ve staved off every takeover attempt and kept it private, even though they’ve had all kinds of offers to go public,” Royce explained.

Fascinated by what she was hearing, Sherri asked how Royce knew all of the family history.

“Because Trevor couldn’t stop bragging about it—that’s how. He was my fraternity brother and we shared a house with some other guys for a while. Didn’t he talk to you about his brilliant future as the scion of Barnes Pharmaceuticals? Didn’t you notice how much money he had? He wasn’t the typical starving law student, not by a long shot.”

“Are you serious? I know I sound really stupid here, but I don’t remember Trevor flashing any money around me. The only thing he had of value was his car, and he said it was a gift for graduating at the top of his class when he got his bachelor’s. He never seemed to have any money, not that I really paid any attention. Med school is pretty all-consuming. It’s a miracle that I had any time to spend with him,” she said.

She was deep in thought for a moment, trying to remember details of their dating life. “He talked about his family from time to time, but I honestly don’t remember him talking about money per se,” she admitted. “I had the impression that they were well-to-do, I guess, but frankly, that’s not a big interest of mine. I was really naive, wasn’t I?”

Royce assured her that she wasn’t. “You were a hardworking, serious student. Trevor was used to the flashy chicks who were after a rich guy, so you were probably a whole new world for him. But be that as it may, I’ve got the feeling that his sudden epiphany about you being the love of his life has something to do with his family’s money. Let me make a few phone calls and I’ll see what I can find out. It won’t be too hard because, as I said, I’ve stayed in touch with our line brothers and I’ve got a kind of pipeline of chatter that I can tap.

“In the meantime, just keep to the status quo. If he contacts you again, and he will, let me know immediately. If he threatens you with any legal action, refer him to your attorney—that’s me. And by all means, keep him away from Sydney. He hasn’t earned the right to be around her and I agree that it’s only going to cause turmoil if he gets near her.”

They talked about a few other details, and as Sherri got ready to leave his office she was feeling much better. Of all the lawyers in Columbia, she’d been steered to the right one, thanks to Aretha Sharp. What were the odds of her going to see someone who actually knew Trevor from law school? There was a light at the end of the tunnel after all, and its name was Royce Griffin. She couldn’t wait to share her news with Lucas. As Royce escorted her to the door, Thelonius ruffled his feathers and said, “See you soon, pretty lady,” which made her burst out laughing. It was the perfect note on which to end her first conference. Everything was going to be fine. She knew it now.