Impact (Suncoast Society #32)(17)

And her child.

If she couldn’t handle doing laundry, there’s no way Tilly would entrust an infant to her care.

Katie finally gave up a huge burp that made Tilly smile. She stood and got her phone and called Leigh back. “Hey, I need your pediatrician’s name and number, too, and can you see if they can get me in first thing in the morning as an emergency new patient?”

“You want me to move the Hollywood sign for you while I’m at it?” Leigh teased.

“Yeah, that’d be great. I can’t see it from here anyway.”

“How old’s the baby?”

“Two weeks.”

“Holy…oh holy hell. This is bad, isn’t it?”

“It has the potential to be, yes.”

“I’ll get that done for you and text you the info.”

“Thanks. I promise, I’ll call you later and tell you everything. But I don’t know how late we’ll be at the attorney’s office. Lan’s flying out, too.”

“I understand. Just be safe.”

“What’s the fun in that?” Tilly ended the call to the sound of Leigh giggling on the other end.

By the time Sofia had a load of clothes going in the washer, Tilly had settled the baby in the carrier, packed the new diaper bag with supplies—including several bottles of water ready to go and a can of powdered formula—and was waiting for the woman in the living room. Tilly had left the old baby carrier sitting in the cart at the store. Maybe someone else could clean it up and use it, but she didn’t want it.

Tilly had also grabbed the baby’s paperwork and tucked it into her purse.

“Ready?” Tilly asked.

“Yeah.” Sofia looked close to collapse. “I guess. I’m sorry I’m causing this trouble.”

“Hey, stop that. You’re family. Again, I’m not putting my best foot forward right now. After we get the hectic stuff handled and settle in, I swear I’ve actually been told I have the ability to be nice.”

Sofia managed a smile. “You’re a lifesaver. Literally.”

Down in the car, Tilly buckled the baby in and then slid behind the wheel.

“Why do you carry a can of wasp spray in your car?” Sofia asked.

“Same reason I have a lighter in my pocket even though I don’t smoke,” Tilly said as she started the engine. “Insurance.”





Chapter Six


Tilly didn’t know how he’d managed it, but Cris was standing outside the attorney’s office when she pulled into the parking lot next to it.

He hurried over, practically yanking Sofia from the car as she got out, hugging her.

The woman burst into tears. “I’m sorry, Cris,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t let you take me away years ago. I should have listened to you.”

Tilly exchanged a look with him over the car’s roof before she opened the back door to get Katie out.

“It’s okay, Fi,” he said. “The important thing is you two are safe.” He cradled her face in his hands. “You absolutely will not go back to him. Understand?”

She nodded. “Tilly already laid down the law.” She tearfully laughed. “In the good way.”

“Yeah, well, she’s good at that kind of stuff.”

When Tilly’s phone buzzed with a text, she glanced at it.

It was from Landry, giving her his flight info and telling her he was already at Tampa International and preparing to board.

“Okay, add that to the list,” Tilly said. “One of us will need to pick him up at LAX. I’m thinking me.”

“Why you?” Cris asked.

She smiled. “Because he’s my damn human shield, that’s why.”

Cris laughed. He grabbed the diaper bag and followed Tilly and Sofia into the building, where a receptionist didn’t even keep them cooling in the waiting room before leading them back to an office.

The attorney was an older, short man, shorter than Tilly, with red hair and freckles, but he wore a determined air that Tilly liked even before he opened his mouth.

“Dale Waters,” he said, shaking hands and indicating for them to take a seat. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re the one they’re here for,” he said to Sofia.

She nodded.

“Leigh didn’t go into details,” he continued, “so let’s start from the beginning.”

He took notes while Tilly led the charge, telling everything that had happened since she’d stepped into the scene after receiving Sofia’s call. Then he asked Sofia some very pointed and uncomfortable questions before sitting back in his chair.

“Okay. So today we’re going to draft an emergency guardianship order, at the very least, correct?”

Sofia nodded. “Please.”

“We should draw up a simple will for you as well, designating who gets custody of Sofia in case anything happens to you.”

Sofia looked to Tilly, who nodded.

“That’s fine,” Cris said. “We’re paying for it. Do all of that. Durable power of attorney, living will, whatever we need to put in place. She has no property, just Katie.”

The attorney studied Sofia for a moment. “You do realize we need to take you to the hospital, right?”