Twins For Christmas. Amanda Renee

Чтение книги онлайн.

       Chapter Three

      “Thank you for seeing me so fast.” Hannah pulled her jacket tighter across her chest while she waited for Avery Griffin to unlock the front door of her law offices.

      Avery gave Hannah one of the coffees she’d picked up on the way in and held the door open for her to enter. “I’m glad you called me, and don’t worry, I’ll take your case pro bono. I know this is difficult.” She adjusted the thermostat on the wall. “Have a seat.”

      “I’m grateful for your help. I’m worried an attorney will cause Noah to move faster. You should have heard him yesterday.” Hannah sipped her coffee in an attempt to get warm. She didn’t know if she shook out of nervousness or if it was because the temperature had dropped twenty degrees overnight. “I can’t sit by and let him tear Charlotte and Cheyenne away from my family.”

      “Don’t worry about upsetting Noah. I’m sure he assumes you have an attorney, since we had to handle the guardianship papers when Lauren died. And he may have already retained one, too. Let’s start with the facts.” Avery removed a legal pad from her top drawer and began to take notes. “Paternity hasn’t been established. Until it is, Noah can’t do anything. You have two choices. You can willingly submit the girls to be DNA tested, which would involve an inner mouth swab, or you can wait for a judge to issue a court order requiring testing. Personally, unless there is a valid reason to delay it, I strongly recommend complying with the request. If this case goes to court, it shows your willingness to cooperate.”

      Hannah’s mouth went dry despite the coffee. “I didn’t have a problem with the paternity test until now. I knew Lauren better than anyone, and I—” Saying her name in the past tense made swallowing difficult. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry.”

      Avery handed her a tissue and joined her on Hannah’s side of the desk. “It’s okay. I understand.”

      “Lauren didn’t sleep around. She hadn’t been with anyone else for about a year before the twins were conceived.” Hannah began to shred the tissue. “Lauren had hoped to find Noah one day, but only because she thought her children deserved to know who their father was. Despite the connection she had felt with him that night, she wasn’t looking to spend the rest of her life with him. She wanted him to have a chance to coparent the children with her. I’m asking for the same courtesy.”

      “A judge is interested in the facts and the best interest of the children,” Avery said. “You have a strong case, but it’s not cut-and-dried. Before the wrong judge, his paternity might carry more weight. This type of case is best settled out of court. Both of you have too much to lose. I’d like to call Noah in for a meeting to see if we can work out some sort of mediation.”

      “Do you need me to be there?” She was still too angry with him. Her family had opened their home to him and he’d thanked them by threatening to take the twins away.

      Avery shook her head. “I don’t want Noah to think we’re ganging up on him. If it’s just the two of us, he might be more willing to discuss a visitation schedule.”

      “Visitation meaning he visits the children in my home, not the other way around,” Hannah clarified. “He made a comment yesterday that led me to believe he is financially well-off.”

      Avery reached for her iPad and flipped the cover open. “Your brother emailed me a very detailed report on Noah this morning. Financially he’s sound. His skill set earns him a higher than average income, but he’s a long way from being a millionaire. Noah’s also very clean. He served eight years in the air force, owns his own home, has zero police violations and is one of the world’s best heli-logger pilots. He conducts seminars in the United States and around the world.”

      “Wouldn’t that give me the advantage?” It was the first ounce of hope she’d felt all morning. “How can he be there for his children if he’s traveling?”

      “Don’t you travel across the country barrel racing?”

      “Yes, but it’s different. My parents can watch the girls. I’m never gone for very long. Many times my mom comes with me, so bringing the girls along wouldn’t be a problem. He said during dinner yesterday that he only has his mom, and if he travels out of the country—” Hannah’s stomach flipped. “He can’t take the girls to another country, can he?”

      “There’s no denying you have a great support system.” Avery patted Hannah’s forearm. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Are you open to some form of a temporary arrangement granting him visitation while we attempt to hash out a resolution?”

      “As long as it remains civil.” Hannah sighed. “I think Noah is as scared as I am about losing the girls, but for different reasons. I’m more than willing to give this another chance, if he is.”