Emme almost trips over a pair of shoes on the way down the hall. Shit. They’re my llama-print Toms.

“You’re wearing those to work?” Emme’s nose crinkles.

Obviously there’s more than one flaw in our half-assed plan. “I have heels at my office.”

“Oh. Okay.” She shrugs and slips her feet into her purple Chucks—I have the same ones—and shoulders her backpack.

“We can take my car,” I offer.

Emme bounces down the driveway and puts her hand on the hood of my car. “What time did you get here this morning?”

“Just before you came downstairs.”

“Huh.”

“What?” I ask, suddenly nervous she’s onto us, which is ridiculous.

“Oh, nothing. Let’s go! Don’t want to be late,” she says with a big smile plastered on her face.

I meet Dax’s WTF gaze over the hood before we get in. Emme sings along to the radio for a few minutes before she says, “Does this mean you two are back together?”

“What?” Dax and I ask in unison.

I catch her eye roll in the rearview mirror. “Oh, come on. I’m not dumb. I know you guys are, like, a thing, and then you wouldn’t talk to Kailyn and now you are again. So that means you guys are back together, right?”

“Um . . .” I glance at Dax, because I have no idea what to say to that.

“Yeah. Kailyn and I are back together.”

“So my plan worked.” She has the same smirky smile as her brother.

“And what plan was that?” Dax asks, fighting his own grin.

“I invited Kailyn last night so you two would sit together and talk, and it worked. You’re welcome.”

I laugh as I pull into the student drop-off zone.

“Thanks for looking out for us, Em,” Dax says.

Her head pops between the seats, and she gives us both a peck on the cheek. “Oh, and I totally heard Kailyn come over last night, so next time you don’t like have to pretend like you didn’t sleep over, ’cause it’s totally okay. Oh! There’s Marnie! See you after school.”

The door slams, and Dax and I stare at each other slack jawed until the car behind us honks.

“Well, I guess we’re not nearly as sly as we think we are, huh?” Dax laughs.

“Apparently not.”

After we drop Emme off at school, we go back to Dax’s to collect all the evidence pointing to Linda’s less-than-altruistic motives for wanting custody of Emme. Once we have it organized, we log into his mother’s email account and filter through the ones between her and Linda—something we didn’t think to do last night—and discover an endless stream back and forth between her and her sister asking for financial support. All fingers point to a gambling addiction that she battled on and off over the years and seems to have lost. It also seems to have been a significant part of the reason her most recent marriage failed.

We can only guess as to how much debt she’s amassed, but it certainly explains why she’s been so intent on discrediting Dax and seeking custody of Emme.

“Are you ready to take Linda down?” I ask once we’re back in my car.

Dax drums on the armrest, surprisingly composed considering everything he’s found out in less than twenty-four hours. “Sure am. Want to make the call?”

I pull out my phone, dial the school number, and wait for them to patch me through to reception. “Hi, Linda, it’s Kailyn Flowers. Do you have a minute?”

I have her on speaker, so Dax is able to hear both sides of the conversation.

“Oh, hi, Kailyn, what can I do for you?”

“I have some new information that could impact the state of the trust and change how the custody hearing is managed.”

“Oh?” I’m not sure if I imagine the nervousness in her voice or not.

“I know it’s incredibly short notice, but I was hoping I could meet with you to discuss this in person. It’s rather urgent.”

Dax drums his fingers on his thigh, and we hold eye contact while we wait for her response.

“Isn’t this something we can talk about over the phone?”

“I’m sorry, but it’s rather time sensitive and would be best discussed in a private meeting.”

There’s silence for a few moments before she finally responds. “My lunch break is in half an hour. I could meet you at your office at eleven thirty?”

“That’s perfect. Thank you so much, Linda. I’ll see you then.” I end the call, and Dax’s smile mirrors mine. “She’s never going to see this coming.”

chapter twenty-seven

JUST DESSERTS

Daxton

Half an hour later—after a quick stop at Kailyn’s so she can change and fix her hair—we’re seated inside the same conference room where I first met Kailyn, the folders of evidence lined up on the table. Kailyn and I are both sipping coffee, although I feel like a scotch might be warranted once this meeting is over considering what we’re about to do.

“She’s going to drop the lawsuit, Dax. Everything will be fine.” Kailyn squeezes my bouncing knee.

“I won’t be able to relax until it’s over.”

A minute later there’s a knock on Kailyn’s door and her assistant appears. “Miss Flowers, Linda Thrasher is here to see you.” She gives us both a conspiratorial smile.

“You can send her in.” Neither Kailyn nor I stand to greet her as she enters the room and Cara closes the door behind her. Linda stumbles a bit when she sees me.

“I thought this was a private meeting.”

“It is,” Kailyn says evenly. “Private between the people who have a vested interest in Emme’s future.” She motions to the empty chair across from Kailyn and me. “Have a seat, Linda.”

She pulls out her phone. “I’m calling my lawyer.”

“I would reconsider that.” Kailyn flips open the folder in front of her and reveals the email chain between Linda and the principal from the private school, and the pile of loan documents. “I feel it’s in your best interest to hear us out first, Linda.”

Face ashen, she sinks down in the booth. She looks between us. “What is this?”

“It’s your come-to-Jesus moment. This is where you admit the only person’s well-being you were concerned about was your own.” Kailyn taps the pile of loan documents. “It seems you owed Evelyn and Craig a lot of money.”

“I-I-I—”

“No need to qualify that with a response.” Kailyn presents another set of emails between Linda and Evelyn chronicling her consistent requests for financial support over the years and Evelyn’s pleas that she seek help.

“I ran into a bit of financial trouble—”

I cut her off. “A bit? You’ve been borrowing money from my parents for more than a decade, Linda. You know, it would’ve been one thing if you came to me asking for help, but to sue for custody so you could access money that isn’t yours is morally reprehensible.”

“Emme is better off with me. I’ve already raised children,” she sputters meekly.

“Enough with the bullshit, Linda. Two days after you filed the custody lawsuit, you were already trying to find a way to get rid of her by sending her to boarding school. You planted the alcohol in her locker to build a case against me, for fuck’s sake.”

“T-that’s absurd,” Linda stammers.

“Is it? Kailyn overheard you talking about it yesterday.”

She looks from me to Kailyn with wide-eyed panic. “Your plans to visit Vegas, how Dax would want Emme on weekends and you’d look good by giving him what he asked for.”

Beads of sweat dot her brow and her upper lip. “You can’t do this.”

“Now would be a good time to drop the custody lawsuit against Daxton,” Kailyn says flatly as she pushes her phone across the table and cues up the recording.

“You can’t prove anything. So I’ve had some financial trouble. It’s not like everyone has millions of dollars to play with—”

“It’s all here. Documented proof that you’re self-centered and opportunistic and, worse, you were going to use a grieving thirteen-year-old to your financial advantage.” Kailyn hits Play, and Linda’s voice filters through the office.

Linda’s horror grows as her words are thrown back in her face. She raises a shaky hand. “I don’t need to hear any more. I’ll drop the lawsuit.”

Kailyn stops the recording and smiles icily. “We thought you might say that.”

We file away the documents while Linda wrings her hands and gives me an imploring look. “Daxton, you have to understand—”

“Don’t,” I snap. “Don’t try and justify any part of this to me. We’ll be waiting for a call to let us know the lawsuit has been officially dropped.”

Kailyn and I wait silently while Linda gathers her things and leaves the office in a rush. As soon as we’re alone, I exhale a long breath.

Kailyn squeezes my hand. “Are you okay?”

“I think so?” I run my free hand through my hair. “It’s just been months of uncertainty and chaos, so the possibility that this could be over is sort of . . . jarring.”

“I can understand that.”

“I’ll feel a lot better when I get the call from Trish.”

“I don’t see her stalling. She knows if she doesn’t, there’s far more at stake than not having access to Emme’s money. She planted alcohol in a student’s locker—her own niece. She would lose her job if that comes out.”

“She should lose her job,” I agree.