Chapter 42

“Is she always like that?” Derek asks, amused. I feel absolutely whiplashed but know I can’t just sit here with my mouth wide open.

I swallow, hesitant. “Yes?”

“Well, she seems quite old-school.”

I snort. “You genuinely do not know the half of it.”

“Go, Daddy!” one of the girl’s yells, and we each look to see them. Bea claps her hands. “You showed her!”

Derek stifles a laugh. “Thank you, honey. Remember what I say. There’s no need to be rude to the ones you love.”

I look at his face again. “That’s a sweet sentiment.”

He smiles, shrugging at me. “It’s the truth. I try to teach my girls what’s right and wrong.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” I admit, hands in the air.

It’s strange. Having him stand up for me with a work issue comes across as nothing but a genuine and kind boss who wants the best for me—but coming to my rescue against Angie like it’s nothing more than a neighborly deed?

“Your mother does seem to worry a bit,” he replies, shrugging his shoulders.

“She worries more for a full family of ten,” I snort back.

He smiles and then opens his mouth. But then, he says nothing. It’s seemingly like pressing the pause button on a movie.

His mouth opens.

But no words come out.

“Thank you, though,” I break the silence, nodding to my phone sitting between us. “Sometimes it’s like fighting with the wind.”

“You have been through enough lately,” Derek assures me. His eyes dart over to the girls, and I take this second to do the same, wondering if something is missing.

But Bea and Tris are just watching us, the older daughter trying to hide a smile behind her hair. When we give them our attention, Tris is busying herself with her dolls.

I move a piece of hair behind my ear, coughing a bit to try to change the subject. But his gaze finds mine again, and those brown eyes make my heart skip in my chest.

He opens his mouth again, but as before, closes it.

“What?” I ask, self-conscious.

“Nothing,” he waves it off. “Just trying to deduce if you’re cut from the same cloth as your mother or your father.”

He’s fast. “Oh, you couldn’t tell?”

“Seems too close to call.”

I give him my genuine, heartfelt smile and the tiniest laugh. The compliment aside, I see him deflecting. What does he want to say to me that’s so difficult?

“Things will improve over time,” he says.

“Are you sure?” I half-joke.

“I know the sacrifices, the money, and the situation aren’t ideal, Esme. But as someone who knows the strife as well as anyone, I can tell you that when things calm down, the rainstorm will clear to show the rainbow.”

“Sweet sentiment. But the way things are going, it seems almost selfish to believe in any sort of happy ending.”

“You should probably have your lawyer up to speed it seems,” Derek blurts.

“My lawyer?”

“If your mother is demanding you stay married? Maybe let them know about the possible issue?”

I shake my head, still not fully understanding. “I’m not following.”

“Who did you say is representing you again?”

Derek’s face seems to have shifted, but something in my head won’t question it. His eyes look to my phone on the counter, then return to me.

“Your lawyer?” He tries again.

“Oh, Daniel Banner. Wait, why?”

“Like I said. I’ve been through all of this bullshit before, just like you. The best of the best should be representing you and making sure the fight is worth it.”

I nod. “Oh, Daniel and his firm are doing everything they can. I’ve seen first-hand how kind Daniel is and everything he’s put together.”

“As long as they’re taking care of all your needs and legalities, that’s what’s the most important.”

“It seems so.”

“Maybe you should consider a restraining order as well, then.”

My eyebrows go up. “What?”

Derek sighs, closing his eyes for a moment as he puts all his thoughts together. “This entire craze is looking more and more dangerous. Esme, I worry about what might happen if you’re not careful enough.”

“I’m being as careful as I can.”

As if I’m not pregnant right this moment and still haven’t told basically a soul, which could impact my entire case in a matter of seconds.

“Do you trust that I have your best interest in mind?”

“That’s a rather silly question, isn’t it?” I lean my head in, not wanting the girls to hear.

He responds with the same. “I am not just here to rescue you from phone calls with your mother or be a shoulder to lean on. At the end of the day, I protect those who are important to my life.”

Derek nods to the girls, who have gone back to playing together.

“Those little girls ask me to see you nearly every day. They want to know is ‘Miss Esme is okay.’”

I feel warmth spread in my face. “And I want them to be okay, too.”

He leans in even closer. “And I want you to be okay. No more scandals, no more drama, no more garbage people who think they can just take advantage of your kindness, your compassion, and altogether, you.”

“I appreciate that,” I autopilot. “And I can see you are on my side.”

“For anything you need, Esme. I promise.”

I want to tease him. I want to ask if he truly means anything. A lump forms in my throat, however, and the truth stays buried inside my chest.

“And I’m here for you, too,” I end up telling him.

“Well, good. Then you won’t mind me making sure this Daniel fellow and his firm are working at providing a safe, solid life for you.”

I don’t mind, honestly. I don’t need him to save the day in every aspect, but knowing someone is determined to keep me happy with securing my safety?

That alone is gentle and kind.

And goddammit, it makes me want to kiss the man.

It’s not much longer until I finally head back to my place. I thank Derek again; I give each little girl a huge squeeze of a hug and promise I’ll see them soon.

“You give good hugs, Miss Esme,” Tris giggles once I pull away from her.

“Oh?” I ask.

“Daddy gives good hugs, too,” his youngest continues, her cheeks pulling red.

“He seems like a good hugger,” I wink.

Derek’s own face becomes sheepish, and I thank them for a good day.

Once I’m back in my own apartment, however, I let myself take a few deep breaths. While I don’t mind Derek’s investigation into Daniel and the firm, I have to wonder to myself if we’ll win this case.

The truth of the matter is, they’re still new with these cases. For all I know, we’ll lose horribly, and I have quite literally nothing left.

I don’t even know if I’ll have somewhere to live if I lose this case.

Feeling the anxiety creeping in and jitters, I pull up my text messages with Daniel to settle myself.

“Still sailing smoothly?” I text him.

It’s not more than two minutes until he’s responded to me. “Sailing ever smoothly.”

“Court soon?”

“Well, getting on the docket isn’t hard. The waiting usually is. But we’ll get there, I promise.”

I process my thoughts for a second, and then I heed Derek’s words.

“Do you think a restraining order is a good idea?”