“No, Your Honor,” Steven said mulishly, fiddling with the knot of his tie.
“Did your grandparents ever take care of you for a day or a weekend when you were younger?” the judge continued.
Steven flinched, sitting back in his chair. “Not often, Your Honor.”
“That’s a shame.” Judge McKee made a note. “Because experiences on a ranch or with grandparents, who tend to provide a child with a bit more independence, can be character building. I know this from personal experience.”
Hayden cradled Eve’s hand in his and whispered, “Don’t worry,” into her ear.
This time, she was fully inclined to believe him.
“I’ve seen and heard far too much of you, Mr. Atkinson.” The judge set his pen down. “I’m not granting you primary custody of your daughter—”
Eve gasped.
“—and I’m ordering you and Mrs. Bennett to attend co-parenting therapy.”
“But Your Honor—”
The gavel cracked once more, silencing Steven.
Eve held her breath.
The judge leaned forward. “Mrs. Bennett has provided documents from her grandmother-in-law’s doctor, the sheriff’s rescue team report as to your daughter’s condition when found, plus an affidavit from her husband regarding the changes that have been made on the property for safety reasons. And all you’ve provided me with are bitter, bitter words.”
Steven stared at the wall.
“I will agree to see you again, Mr. Atkinson, after you’ve completed court ordered therapy and six months have passed.” Judge McKee picked up his gavel and pounded it, gently this time. “Next case.”
Hayden’s arms came around Eve, and he drew her to her feet, kissing her soundly.
“Bailiff, please ask the Bennetts to contain their reaction until they are outside the courtroom.”
The bailiff didn’t have to say a word. Eve and Hayden ran out of the courtroom and all the way to the parking lot. Eve had never realized she could both laugh and cry at the same time, much less run while doing it. In heels, no less.
Violet would be proud.
Epilogue
One year and several months later…
Eve’s shift was over.
Having changed out of her scrubs into a pink sundress, she walked out of the hospital into the hot summer sun, feeling the stress of the day in the emergency room melt away. But the exhaustion… The exhaustion remained.
“Mama!” Katie leaned out the back window of Hayden’s truck and waved madly. “We’re here!”
Eve ran to the truck, smiling joyfully. She was staying with a friend in Missoula this summer while she completed her nursing internship requirement. Hayden and Katie came out every weekend to visit, although Katie split those weekends between staying with them and staying with Steven.
Slowly, Steven was coming to accept the situation on the ranch. It probably helped that they’d gone to co-parenting counseling at the judge’s request and that Steven was dating a family law attorney. Whatever the reason, Eve was grateful for his growing empathy toward her marriage to Hayden, the way they were raising Katie, and Eve’s desire to become a registered nurse.
Eve opened the passenger door and climbed in.
“Look what I got.” Katie cradled a yellow baby chick in her lap in the back seat. She wore a long, red sequined skirt and a bright blue tank top. “Her name is Bo Peep. Wait until I show Daddy. He and I are going to have so much fun with her this weekend.”
“Your father is going to love that.” And if there was a bit of sarcasm in Eve’s voice, it didn’t seem that Katie picked up on it. Eve fixed Hayden with a questioning look. “Did you forget one of the rules of parenting?”
“She picked up the chick while my back was turned,” Hayden admitted with a smile. He’d learned a lot in the past year about being a good parent and husband. He collected Eve’s hand and pressed a kiss on her palm. And then he reached into the center console and gave her a pink kitty cat cake pop.