Against the Odds (23 page)

“
Oh, that sly son of a
gun,” Dad says.  

“
Good job, Bobby,” Gus
says. "Is this what you were working on last
night?” 

“
It was. Today, I
confirmed it. Kennedy was preoccupied with something else and he
must have forgotten he had a limp, or that he was supposed to have
a limp.” 

Everyone laughs and Dad asks, “What’s going
on with Kennedy at the press conference?” 

“
I have no idea.”
That’s my story and I’m sticking to
it
. 

“
He could be in serious
trouble if anything she said is the truth. He’ll be disqualified
and they’ll find you someone else to fight.” 

“
Well, let’s hope there
isn’t any truth to that.”
Because I really
want to kick his ass.
“I’m going to the
gym before the Blackjack Tournament tonight.” 

After a serious workout and a hot shower, I
call Leah. We fly home tomorrow and it can’t come soon enough. Gus,
Tim, Dad, and I have dinner at the Jasmin Restaurant inside of the
Bellagio. It’s upscale with some of the best food I have ever
had.  

I see that Kennedy is here
with his team. I look around to see if he has a date and he
doesn’t. Drake Sinclair is also here sitting at the table with Mr.
Pelayo and several other men.
Does that
man ever wear anything other than a suit?
 

Dad, Gus, Tim, and I have dinner and we all
watch as Kennedy and his team leave. Kennedy’s limp has
miraculously reappeared. They all look at me and nod. Yeah, if
Kennedy thinks he is going to trick me into thinking he has a
handicap during our fight, he has another thing
coming.  

I call Leah and check in on her and Gracie
before the tournament starts. The baby is screaming in the
background when Leah answers. “Hold on, Robert, she's starving,”
Leah says, laughing. When the baby quiets, which is almost
immediately, Leah returns to the phone. "I’m sorry, I couldn’t get
my boob out fast enough." 

“
She is one lucky
baby.”  

“
Robert.” Leah tries to
speak sternly, but she giggles. 

“
If I cry, maybe I’ll get
lucky, too.” 

“
You’re all talk when
you’re away. But when you’re home, it’s all about waiting for six
weeks. So, which is it?” 

Damn it. I forgot again
about waiting six weeks. I think about it and my dick gets hard.
“There’s other forms of sex. We don’t need penetration to have an
organism.”
Why didn’t I think of this
sooner? Probably, because I always want to be buried deep inside
her. 
 

“
Really? You’re willing to
—” 

I interrupt and say, “— do whatever it takes
to get my girl off? You bet.”  

I swear I can hear her moan. “When are you
coming home? I don’t think I can wait.” 

“
Not soon
enough.” 

We have to walk through the slot machines to
get to the card tables. Although I am wearing a suit and tie, I
feel underdressed. Some people are here in tuxedos and evening
gowns. I’m suddenly grateful Leah packed two suits for me. This is
definitely an event for high rollers.  

My team and I enter the Blackjack Tournament
after we show our passes to security. Every doorway is being
monitored by cameras and security. They have a specific room
reserved for the tournament and it’s by invitation only. 

We walk around, order a few drinks, and
observe the players. The games are interesting to watch and the
players have their game faces on. It’s almost impossible for me to
tell who is bluffing and who isn’t.  

I am going to teach Gracie how to play poker
when she is young, so I can learn the “tells” that reveal when she
is bluffing, aka lying. That way, when she begins dating, I'll know
when she is lying about going to study at the library when she
really plans to meet a boy. 

I stay for most of the tournament, not
because I have to, but because I find it interesting to watch.
Professional card players. Now that’s a job I want. Dad, Tim, and
Gus left a long time ago. I watch Kennedy from the corner of my eye
and his limp is more prevalent than it was. I smile and try hard
not to laugh.  

I leave when they announce the winner. When I
get to the elevator, Kennedy is standing there waiting for it. We
both get on together not speaking or acknowledging the other. We
exit the elevator together and just before I open the door to my
suite, I say, “If you’re going to fake a limp, you really need to
remember which leg is injured.” I don’t wait for a response when I
hear him chuckle. I walk into my suite and close the door behind
me. 

Before we leave for the airport the next
morning, I collect the unused money from everyone that the hotel
gave us. I know from experience that they won’t expect it back.
It’s our payment for being here this weekend. I place the money in
a large manila envelope and call the American Red Cross and tell
them there is a donation waiting for them at the front desk of the
Bellagio Hotel and Casino.   

Leah

Mom, Margie, Gracie, and I wait patiently for
the guys to get home. We are such things as potato salad and are
planning on a small cookout for the guys. Robert has been gone
since Friday and I have missed him.  

There is a knock at the door and when I go to
answer it, an attractive woman in her thirties  is standing
there. Her short black hair is cut almost identical to
mine.  

“
Hi, may I help you?” I
don’t know her, but she looks vaguely
familiar.  

“
I’m sorry, it appears
that I may have the wrong house. I was looking for the Evans
residents,” she says, looking at the address on the
house.  

“
Yes, you do. There are no
Evanses in this house.” 

“
Thank you, I’m sorry to
bother you,” she says and walks away.  

“
No problem.” I close the
door and tend to the potato salad I was making. When the guys get
back, we have a relaxing time by the pool. Gracie is starting to
stay up longer and she is also starting to make eye contact with
us. Robert talks softly to her and she just watches him as I watch
her. She is amazing and I can’t get enough of
her.  

Later that night Robert tells me that Drake
was in Las Vegas at the hotel. He also tells me that he is a major
sponsor for the championship fight. I’m shocked to hear this. I
tell him about Chelsea, Madison, and Caden being at the book store
when I went in to get some things. I also tell him how sad she was
about possibly losing custody of Madison. “You know she compared
the pain of losing Madison to the pain of losing Jamie,” I
say.  

Robert looks at me and says, “I hate to hear
that. I don’t think I considered that.” 

“
I didn’t either. She said
she’ll be mourning two children: Madison and Jamie.” I put my hand
over my heart to try to ease the pain. “Just the thought of Jamie’s
death is almost too much to bare.  

The next week we get a
letter from the courts with the custody date on it. October
8
^th
at
9:15 a.m. “It’s on Jamie's and Madison’s birthday.” I take several
deep breaths and try to calm my racing heart. “Why would they do
this on their birthday?” 

“
I don’t know, Sweets.”
Robert holds me tightly.  

“
I’ve been waiting for
this for so long, but now I’m not sure I’m ready.” 

"Leah, it has to happen sometime. She’s our
daughter and although this is so messed up, she’s still ours. It’s
time we get to know her. It’s time she gets to know us.” 

I nob, “I know, I want that. But what about
the Sinclairs?” 

“
They’ll deal with it,
Leah. They won’t have a choice.” 

Later that night we talk to our parents about
the court date. They all offer to go with us to court, but we
decline. Someone has to watch Gracie and we don’t want anyone there
with us. I’m not sure how this will all work out.  

Today we meet with Bruce and discuss the
hearing. Mom and Dad are watching Gracie at their house. When we
get to Bruce’s offices, we don’t need to wait. We meet Bruce in his
office instead of the conference room. I decided to wear a plain
black dress with black stilettos. Robert is wearing a black suit
and black tie.  

We sit in the sitting area in his office. It
appears to be a casual meeting but it’s anything but. Bruce sits
across from us and says, “The court date is fast approaching. How
do you feel?” 

“
Scared,” I blurt
out.  

“
That’s
understandable.” 

I sadly say, “I wish there was another
way.” 

“
I’m sorry,
Leah.” 

Bruce explains what we should expect in
court. He tells us that the court will probably order us to family
counseling. He tells us we won’t be ordered full custody on the day
of the hearing. We’ll be ordered visitation first. It’ll begin
slowly at first and then progress from there: “It’ll be a slow
process, but it’ll be well worth it.” 

“
How long do you think the
whole process will take?” Robert asks. 

“
The first priority will
be to make the transition go smoothly for Madison. Then it’ll be to
unite her to her biological family.” He looks from me then to
Robert. “It may take six months, maybe longer.” 

Robert asks, “In case the courts rule against
us getting Madison, did you find anything on Drake that we might be
able to use against him in court?” 

“
I thought for sure he was
hiding something, but we couldn’t find anything. I wouldn’t worry
too much that the courts will rule against you. Everything is in
your favor.” 

Bruce explains to us that there is a gag
order on this case. That means there will be no reporters or
camera’s allowed in the courtroom.  

On the drive home we stop by the cemetery to
visit with Jamie. A single white rose is on her grave and I know
it’s from Chelsea and Drake. “It looks like she had another visit
from her biological parents.” 

I move the dead leaves out
of the way and say, “Since the news of the baby swap, Jamie’s
gravesite has been filling up. I think Chelsea and Drake visit
often.” Robert and I would always leave flowers once a week unless
it was a holiday, then we would leave other sentimental
items.
 
 

“
I’m glad they know they
are welcome here,” Robert says.   

We don’t stay long before we head home to get
Gracie.   

Robert

On Thursday, Leah had a girls’ day with her
friends. While the girls had lunch, the guys took the kids to the
park. Brice, Mason, and Alec were all there with their children. I
stayed and spent some time talking to the guys, but we didn’t stay
long. I soon realized that Gracie doesn’t like the Florida heat,
even if she was in the shade.  

When Leah returned, she had an S.U.V. full of
stuff. She and the girls decided that Madison would need some
things. Maybe she’s right. She came home in a better mood and for
that, I am grateful. We are all stressed and worried about the
upcoming court date. She smiles as she holds up several outfits,
pajamas, and shoes. She also bought books, lamps, and curtains. We
went online and ordered her a bedroom suite and it will be
delivered next week.  

The baby turned six weeks old on Friday. I
celebrated her birthday by burying myself deep inside of my wife,
more than once. It feels good to be with her again. When we weren’t
making love, we were getting a spare bedroom ready for Madison. Not
that we think she’ll be using it right away, but because we want
her to have a room of her own when she comes. We want her to feel
loved and welcomed.  

We left Jamie’s room just the way it is. That
will always be Jamie’s room. I can’t imagine it as anything
else.  

We have our court date scheduled for Tuesday.
I’ve been working out mostly at home. Partly, because I don’t trust
Drake Sinclair to do something stupid, but another reason is I
worry about Leah and her depression. I’m not confident it won’t
return. And the magnitude of this court hearing may be enough for
the dark cloud to claim her. 

On Monday, Leah takes Gracie to the shop with
her. She said she has an appointment with Brooke to talk about her
books, and she wants to talk to Dove about keeping her on
full-time. Dove was just filling in while Leah was on maternity
leave. Dove is a reporter at heart and I’m not sure the bookstore
will be enough to fulfill her investigative instincts. I offered to
keep Gracie, but she wants to take her to show her
off.  

While the girls are the
shop, I go on my morning run. The court date isn’t upsetting
only to Leah, it’s a lot to deal with for me. I meet Dad, Gus,
and Tim for lunch and we go over my training schedule. It
looks like we are all waiting for the court date to conclude. I
guess they were taking it easy on me. Gus also informs me that the
boxing commission didn’t find that Kennedy was involved in that
assault with the girl.
I have no idea how
Kennedy and she settled that, but they did.
 

“
Good, I guess that means
the fight will go on as scheduled.” 

“
It will and I want you
ready. After tomorrow, no more playing around. “I get you for eight
hours a day, every day, training and I want you to focus only on
the fight. The other sixteen hours in the day, you focus on the
fight and do family stuff. Got it.” 

“
I got
it.”