“Shit, I didn’t even think of that.” Hands on hips, he frowned at Grace. “Really? I should do that?”
“Yeah. You know, it’s sort of like bringing flowers to a first date.” He must have made a face, because she said, “Zach, you have brought a woman flowers, haven’t you?”
He ran a hand through his damp hair. “Not in a damn long time. Maybe never. I don’t remember.”
“Oh my God. Boy, you need some lessons.” Laughing, Grace turned him toward the parking lot. “I’ll meet Josh at the restaurant. You and I are going shopping.”
Tessa scrolled through the various emails she’d received from contacts at a dozen different special interest groups and took notes on their requests. She was tired from stress and fear and lack of sleep. “I swear this is like herding cats.”
“You ought to be good at that by now.” Abby stood in the doorway to the balcony.
“You’d think.” When Tessa looked up, she saw the shadows beneath Abby’s eyes, attesting to the lousy sleep she’d gotten the night before. But she was still dressed to go out for the evening wearing one of the cute Hawaiian-print sundresses she’d picked up on the trip and sparkly flip-flops.
Tessa glance at the time on her computer screen. Zach would be there soon, but he’d said he’d text when he was on his way, and hadn’t yet. “Are you okay?”
“No. And I won’t be until this is over and Sophia is all yours again.”
Tessa closed her laptop with a rock weighting her heart. “I’d love to believe that’s a possibility, but we both know it’s not. Holding on to that belief is only going to hurt everyone in the end.”
Abby glanced behind her where Sophia was playing with Legos and watching Frozen in the living room, then stepped onto the deck and sat on the edge of a chair facing Tessa. “He’ll never be able to handle her on his own.”
Abby mirrored every one of Tessa’s fears. This struggle was incredibly in-your-face real, and Tessa had the war of the century battling inside her.
“We need to give him a chance, Abby. He’s not a bad guy.”
“You don’t know that.”
Tessa sighed. Abby was taking this almost worse than Tessa. “He’s her father, and he has legal rights whether we approve of that or not. Besides, it’s in Sophia’s best interest to get to know him.”
“Fine. Let him see her a couple of times a year. But he’s not fit to share custody, and there’s nothing about uprooting her that’s in anyone’s best interest but his.”
“Mommy.” Sophia appeared in the doorway. “I builded a house for Frankie. Come see.”
“Wow.” Tessa set her laptop aside. “I didn’t realize we brought enough Legos for that.”
“Come see, come see.” Sophia bounced back into the living room.
“I’m not giving her up.” Tessa stood and put a hand on her nanny’s arm on her way past. “I’ll never give her up.”
Abby met her gaze with a pout. “Well, you don’t have to go out of your way to make it easy for him.”
Her statement wasn’t as much an accusation as a suggestion. Either way, Tessa understood where it was coming from. She also knew Abby was right. Tessa’s nature revolved around pleasing others. That made her good at what she did—pulling everyone together for a common cause. She was still struggling over whether or not she should use it to smooth the path between Sophia and her father.
“This isn’t going to be an easy transition on any of us.” Tessa squeezed Abby’s arm before she headed inside.
She was still oohing and ahhing over the haphazard little Lego building when a knock sounded on the front door.
Tessa’s heart jumped to her throat. It could only be one person.
Sophia turned that direction, and Tessa met Abby’s gaze.
This is it.
“Who’s at the door?” Sophia wanted to know. “Are you going on a date, Abby?”
Her nanny turned toward Sophia, crouched, and pulled her close. “No, princess. Just out with some friends. Be good for your mum, okay?”