Maybe he hadn’t read the situation with her and Pat throughout the years as accurately as he thought he had.
“I can’t leave. It’s my home.”
“You can leave. We can keep you safe—”
Pat stormed into the living room, ripping the door out of Tracey’s hand and pushing her out of the way to step on to the porch.
“Get out of here. Emma’s staying, and that’s that. We’re done screwing around with you and your bullshit.”
Behind him, Tracey’s tears still flowed, a silent plea on her face.
Glancing around, Brandon realized he didn’t see Jeff, but now a marked sheriff’s cruiser was approaching.
“Move your car, Pat. That car is in my name. If you don’t, I’m going to have you arrested for grand theft auto.”
When Pat shoved his keys at Tracey, Brandon wanted to grab them and make Pat eat them, but the uniformed deputy pulling up along the curb would make that an ill-chosen option. Brandon stepped down and off the porch while Tracey got Pat’s car moved, and Brandon handed his keys to Stuart to move Emma’s car out of their driveway and to the street.
Another sheriff’s cruiser rolled up, followed by a third. As the deputies were trying to get the story, Pat screaming and ranting and jabbing his fingers at Brandon, Brandon struggled to keep his calm while talking to the deputy.
That’s when he realized the call with Emma had ended.
Shit.
“So that’s your car, sir?” the deputy asked, pointing to where it was now parked at the curb.
“It’s in my name, yes. It’s my daughter’s. She’s sixteen, and she’s inside, and her stepfather won’t let her leave.”
“But you have primary custody of your daughter?”
“Yes. She lives with me and was here for a voluntary visit. She didn’t have to come visit, it’s not court-mandated. And now they won’t let her leave.”
The deputy pointed to Pat and Tracey, who’d returned to the porch after moving Pat’s car. “Ma’am, sir, I need you to please step down here and talk to me for a moment.”
They did, the deputy pulling them off to the side.
That gave Brandon another chance to look around for Jeff.
Nowhere to be seen.
What the hell?
* * * *
Jeff slowly retreated down the driveway while Tracey’s attention was focused on Brandon. Walking down the sidewalk and past where they’d parked, he saw there wasn’t a fence or gate around the backyard.
Ignoring the ripple of pain in his back, he ducked down behind the cars and skirted up the driveway, along the side of the house, and around the back. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out which room was Emma’s from the sound of Pat screaming and Emma yelling back at him.
In the distance, he heard sirens and knew this was cutting it close. Lightly tapping on the window, he wasn’t sure she’d heard him at first when the blinds jerked open, and she grinned at him from the other side. He held a finger to his lips and she nodded as she opened the window, yanking on the two tabs on the bottom of the screen to pull it out of the frame, dropping it outside.
“Bags,” he whispered, motioning for them.
She grabbed her stuff and passed it through, then he helped her climb out. Pat had stopped yelling at her door, but now Jeff could hear him ranting from the front of the house.
She threw her arms around him in a crushing hug. “Oh, my god! I’m so glad to see you!”
“Me, too, kiddo, but let’s get you out of here first. Then we can celebrate.”
With her safely out, he had her pull the window down before telling her how to replace the screen, so he could keep his prints off of it.
No use opening a door for Pat to try to claim he broke into their house.
“You okay?” he whispered. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“I’m fine. Sooo much better now that you guys are here. Where’s Dad?”
“He’s up front. He doesn’t know I did this. I snuck away. Come on.” He winced as he shouldered her overnight bag while she grabbed the backpack she used as a purse.
Jeff followed his original path, and, at the edge of the house, peeked around to see that the deputies were in fact there. He motioned for her to follow him. The way everyone was standing, Pat, Tracey, Stuart, and Brandon’s backs were to them.
“Ma’am,” one deputy was saying, “I’m sorry, but she’s sixteen, this is her father, and she lives with him. Unless you have a court order saying she’s required to be here today, you cannot prevent her from leaving, daughter or not. You will have to contact your attorney to file for a modified custody agreement if you want to change that.”
“Ahem,” Jeff said.
Brandon turned around, and if it hadn’t been for the shitty situation, the smile Brandon gave Jeff would have made Jeff’s cock hard right there.
“Em!”
She ran over to hug Brandon while Pat let out an enraged roar and started toward her.
As Tracey yelled for Pat to stop, two of the deputies stepped in and immediately took him down, handcuffing him.
“If you don’t settle down right now, sir, we’re going to arrest you.”
“They broke into my house and took her! That’s kidnapping!”
“Actually,” Jeff said, “she climbed out her bedroom window. She broke out. I didn’t break in. I only helped her climb out so she didn’t break her neck or a leg in the process.”
“Pat, please, let her go!” Tracey begged.
“No! I told my mom and dad she’d be here tonight for dinner! Let me up!”
“Sir,” the second deputy said, “either you calm down right now, or we’re going to arrest you. Final warning.”
Tracey was being held back by the third deputy. “Pat, just stop it. Let her go. She doesn’t want to be here. We can’t afford a lawyer or bail money. Please calm down!”
Whether it was the real threat of jail, or a reminder of their financial situation, Pat finally did stop struggling against the officers.
The third deputy finally released Tracey. She waved her hand toward the cars. “Just go. Just take her and go. This is not how this weekend was supposed to happen, and I’m sorry.”
Brandon, who after hugging Emma had refused to take his arm from around her shoulders, sent a death glare toward Tracey. “I’ll be calling my attorney immediately and asking for an injunction against you. This shit’s inexcusable. She came here in good faith. You promised her Corey wouldn’t be here, and you lied to her and tried to hold her hostage.”
Tracey hugged herself. “I’m sorry. Em, I love you, and I’m so, so sorry. I—”
“Don’t you dare fucking apologize to her!” Pat screamed.
“I love you. Please, go.”
The third deputy seemed to be taking in the situation. “Did you want to press charges, sir?” he asked Brandon.
Brandon deferred to Emma. “It’s your call, sweetheart.”
She glared at Pat. “No, but only because if he loses his job, it means Mom can’t pay her bills. And I don’t want Mom to suffer because he’s an idiot. She’s suffering enough being married to him. I hate you, you jerk. I wish my mother had never met you.”
Then, in a move that made Jeff prouder than he could have ever told her, Emma walked over to her mom and hugged her before she rejoined Brandon.
Brandon led Emma to her car, holding the passenger door open for her before walking around to the driver’s side, where Jeff handed him her overnight bag. Then Jeff joined Stuart, who drove Brandon’s car, and they pulled out.
Chapter Fourteen
Emma wasn’t crying.
Brandon hated that he’d basically set Emma up for this while thinking he was being a “responsible” parent and doing the “right” thing, even though it’d gone against his better instincts.
Never again would he second-guess himself when it came to Emma.
Plus, he now simultaneously hated and pitied Tracey, but it didn’t change the fact that Tracey had, in
fact, put her husband over her daughter’s well-being.
Again.
That also pissed him off, because even though Tracey hadn’t meant to, she’d used his guilt against him and it had backfired to hit Emma square on.
“Start from the top, sweetheart.”
He wasn’t sure if Emma’s lack of tears was a good thing or not.
He mentally reminded himself to make sure he and Stuart gave Jeff a well-deserved blow job later that night for his quick and sneaky thinking to rescue her.
It was still a couple of minutes before she spoke. “I know I shouldn’t hate Mom, but I sooo hate her right now.”
“I don’t blame you. That’s a very valid feeling.”
“Last night, I thought I’d be here through dinner, that Corey wouldn’t be here until late tonight. I was going to text you about that today once I knew for sure. This morning, Mom started off kind of being vague about things. Then Pat comes in—which was weird that he had the day off today, but whatever—and asks her what time his parents and the Goober were supposed to get there this afternoon.
“That’s when she got that ‘oh, crap’ look she gets and her face turned red, like it always does. Especially when it’s something I know is Pat’s idea and she doesn’t really want to go along with it, but she gives in anyway.”
He nodded but didn’t interrupt.
“I stared at her and said well, I guess one less for dinner would mean more leftovers for them, and I turned around and went back to my room to pack. When I came out, I saw through the living room windows he’d moved his car behind mine. Then Pat got in my way and asked where I thought I was going. I told him I was going home, and to move his car. He told me no, I wasn’t, and I said watch me. Get this—I guess his parents wanted to talk to me about sending me and Corey to some special summer camp or something. One their church puts on. They wanted to ‘invest in my spiritual future.’”
“Okay.” Brandon had to interject. “Besides the fact that you have no interest in their religion, you’re in summer AP classes, and have swim practice?”
“Thank you! That’s exactly what I told him. He said I should forget about college because I would never make it. That the AP classes I was taking were a waste of time. And that as far as swimming went, that was stupid, and a waste of money, and I’d never get a scholarship from doing it, anyway. That he was tired of them having to spend money on me being on swim team.”
“He did, did he?” Brandon growled, struggling not to turn the car around and go beat the crap out of the guy. Pat and Tracey hadn’t contributed anything to Emma’s swim expenses and coaches’ fees in the whole time she’d been living with him full-time.
But he hadn’t told Emma that, because he’d easily been able to absorb the cost with Jeff and Stuart contributing to household expenses every month.
“Yeah. I told him he had until the count of three to go move his car before I called you, and he dared me to call you. I was already filming with Grace’s old phone. He started to reach for my phone, and I told him if he laid a hand on me I’d tell the cops all about how he molested me. Which made him freeze long enough for me to go lock myself in my room. And that’s when I called you.”
He winced. “So you have yourself on tape threatening to make a false allegation against him?”
“Yeeeaaah, see, that part I didn’t think through. I wanted to buy myself a couple of seconds to get away from him.”
“Well, that was quick thinking on your part.”
“Yeah.” She fell quiet for a moment. “Is it weird that I both feel sorry for Mom and hate her at the same time?”
“No, it’s human.”
“I could tell this wasn’t her idea, that Pat was pushing it. But she didn’t fight him, either, and she should have. After this morning, I’m pretty sure she’s scared of him.”
“I’m sorry I talked you into going, sweetheart.”
“Are you really calling your attorney?”
“When we get home, yes. I want to know what to do next.”
“As long as she’s with Pat, I’m not going to go visit her. She can come see me at my swim meets, or she can come visit me at our house—without Pat—when you or one of the guys are home.”
“That’s probably wise.” He’d tried to be a neutral parental ally for Tracey before this bullshit.
Not anymore.
No amount of guilt he felt could tip the scales back toward Tracey after today’s stunt. Not as long as she chose to stay with Pat.
Emma stared out the windshield. “I just…I still cannot understand how she can let him push her around like that! Why isn’t she putting me first when Pat’s obviously an idiot? Why does she stay with him?”
“Sometimes,” he said, “people don’t feel they have any worth. Then they hitch their wagon to someone else so they can fill that void within them.”
She stared at him, jaw gaping. “So she chooses Pat? I mean, come on, Dad. I could have found her a better guy by randomly right-swiping in a dating app or something.”
He held a hand out for a fist bump.
“Use this as a lesson when you decide to start dating,” he said. “Never go for a guy who doesn’t value you and lift you up.”
She turned back to the window. “Yeah,” she muttered. “Sure.”
* * * *
Brandon imagined, from the sound of Ed’s exasperated sigh, that the lawyer was probably pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re kidding. Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“I wish I was,” Brandon said. “I watched the video Emma shot, and it’s all there.”
“Oh, boy. Well, we can file an emergency motion terminating Tracey’s visitation at their house, terminating any unsupervised visitation, and a contempt order for refusing to let Emma leave.”
“Do you think it’ll be granted?”
“Very likely, under the circumstances. Judges don’t like it when one parent has a pattern of behavior like Tracey’s exhibited. And we’ll tell the court about Emma’s concerns about the step-brother’s behavior. Even more reason for a finding in your favor. We can strong-arm Tracey into giving in by threatening to put her paying you child support back on the table, as well.”
This pissed Brandon off for a number of reasons, including the fact it meant money he could be putting into working on the house, or into savings for covering Emma’s future college costs, would have to be paid to Ed.
“Do it. And go for child support. If she agrees to sign the modified agreement without forcing us to a hearing, take child support off.”
“Atta boy. Now that’s what I’m talking about. On Monday, I’ll e-mail you the preliminary text of the order to look over before I file it.”
“Thanks. I’m tempted to call her and chew her out.”
“Who, your ex?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah? Well, fight the temptation, and Dom or not, that’s a friggin’ order to you from the guy you pay for his professional opinion on things like this. From this point on, you let me handle all communications with her. At least until we get the signed court order.”
When Brandon ended the call, he emerged from his bedroom. Emma, Jeff, and Stuart stood in the kitchen, discussing dinner preparations.
It never failed to strike him how much like a “normal” family it felt having everyone home. Far more “normal” than he’d felt growing up, or even while he was married to Tracey.
Emma never had clashes with Jeff and Stuart.
They all looked up at his return. “Ed will get the ball rolling Monday,” he told them.
“Thanks, Dad,” Emma said.
He draped an arm around her shoulder. “I’m sorry I made you go visit her.”
“Don’t you dare apologize for them. And you didn’t make me go.”
“I’m just telling you how I feel.”
“Well, I don’t ever plan on setting eyes on Pat again, so don’t feel guilty. He doesn’t get any more chances with me. Maybe this will be enough to wake Mom up.”<
br />
“Your mom’s doing the best she knows how.”
“Stop making excuses for her. You’re fine. You didn’t turn me against her. She did that all on her own. She didn’t need any help from you—she had Pat to do that for her.”
* * * *
Stuart kept his mouth shut. After the afternoon’s events, he had nothing nice to say about Tracey.
No way could he even attempt to be the slightest bit impartial. Not after what he’d seen and heard.
As far as he was concerned, Brandon was showing remarkable restraint. Had Brandon taken a swing at Pat earlier, Stuart would have been jumping in right behind him.
Jeff would have been bailing them both out of jail, but totes worth it to wipe the smarmy look off Pat’s face.
On the other hand, he didn’t feel he should jump in and mouth off about Tracey and Pat in front of Emma. Alone with Jeff and Brandon? Sure, but technically, Emma wasn’t his daughter, even though he was growing more every day to love her as one.
If it were up to him, Tracey would never see Emma again, unless Emma made the decision to see her.
And Pat would be under a jail somewhere, not in it, for trying to keep Emma there against her will.
Brandon hugged Emma. “So did we decide what’s for dinner tonight?”
Jeff ran a hand through his short blond hair. “We’re thinking about calling in a pizza instead of grilling burgers.”
“That works for me,” Brandon said. “Don’t forget the cheesy bread.”
Emma yawned. “I’m going to grab a shower and call Grace. I’ve got some homework I can do.”
“You all right?” Brandon asked her.
“I will be.” She pulled away from Brandon and hugged Jeff, then Stuart, then back to Jeff once more. “Thanks again, guys. I know I can always count on you to have my back.”
Stuart stared after her as she walked out. He kept his voice low. “I know what happened sucked, but hearing that was worth it.”
Jeff fist-bumped with him.
A handsome smirk curled Brandon’s lips. “Just remember this moment when I need you two to have my back when she acts out or starts dating. United front.”