Impact (Suncoast Society #32)(27)

“When we get back to Florida?”

“Yep.” Tilly settled the baby into the carrier. “Bye-bye home dungeon.”

“Well, not like you aren’t good friends with the owner of a dungeon.”

“True.”

“You know, of all the crazy stuff that’s happened in our little circle, this was never on my radar of possibilities.”

“Ditto.” Tilly stared down at the baby, already deeply in love with her.

“How’s Sir Fussypants handling it?”

“Far better than I imagined.” Tilly showed Leigh the picture she’d taken of Landry holding the baby that morning. “He’s a natural.”

“Oh. My. God. That’s like the second most adorable thing I’ve seen today, after her. Text me that, please? I want to show the guys.”

Tilly did. “I never thought ‘parental’ was a word I’d ever use to describe Lan. I mean, I know he’s good with kids. Hell, he’s like a big kid himself. But he’s amazed me. Both of them have.”

“Well, she’s Cris’ cousin. I would imagine him to jump in to help.”

“Yeah, but not like this. This is…more.” She shrugged. “What might have been, right?”

“Oh, sweetie.” Tilly hadn’t even realized she was crying until Leigh pulled her in for a long, strong hug. “It’ll be okay.”

“No baby should grow up in a shithole like that. What if we give her back to Sofia and she turns around and goes right back to one of those scumwads?”

“Then she’s a f*cking idiot, and you retain custody of the baby, that’s what.”

Tilly grabbed a couple of tissues from a box on Leigh’s desk and blew her nose. “Cris said he’s in agreement that we won’t give her back unless we’re sure.”

“Then that’s something, right?”

“But is that the right thing? What if I never feel sure, and that’s because of me and not her?”

“You have two level-headed guys to help you figure that out,” Leigh reminded her. “I’m sure if they thought you were being unreasonable that they would speak their minds. Anyway, shopping. Give me five minutes to wrap some stuff up and change the peanut, and I’ll be ready to boogie.”

It was more like ten, because they had to swap the car seat base from Tilly’s car to the SUV. Once they were ready to roll, with Leigh driving, she turned to Tilly. “Where to first?”

“Baby store. The same place we went shopping for Lily that time.”

“Which one?”

“The big place.”

“Oh. That one.”

Tilly grinned. “Yeah, that one.”

Leigh backed out of the parking space. “Does Landry know how much you’re about to spend?”

Tilly snorted. “Are you kidding? He okayed it.”





Landry and Sofia’s next stop was the probation office. Dale had called ahead to Sofia’s probation officer. They would likely have to wait for a while, but she would be in the office that morning and could see them.

Landry glanced at the back seat, where Sofia sat on the driver’s side and stared out the window at the passing landscape.

Besides her obvious injuries, worry seemed to weigh heavy on her shoulders.

He didn’t try to tell her things would be okay. Not when he didn’t even know if they would be. For all he knew, it might be him and Dale departing and having to leave her there to work her way through the legal system once more.

They had to wait over an hour to get in to see the probation officer. Carnie Nerzino was a middle-aged woman with liberal amounts of grey in her short hair. Wearing a pair of slacks and a slightly rumpled long-sleeved blouse, she looked harried and worn-out.

Landry adjusted his expectations far lower than he’d started.

Ms. Nerzino pulled up Sofia’s case file as Dale started going over what happened and produced copies of the hospital records, police incident report, and custody order.

The woman removed her glasses and glared at Sofia. “So you’re currently two payments behind on your probation fees, and you now have an attorney? Where did you get the money for that?”

Dale started to speak, but the woman held a hand up to quiet him. “I asked her, counsellor.”

Sofia stared at her hands, which lay clasped in her lap. “I called my cousin, Cris, yesterday. He hired him for me.”

The officer pointed at Landry. “You’re the cousin?”

“No, Cris is a partner of mine. Friend and business partner. We’re very close. Consider each other family.”

“And exactly where is your baby?”

“She’s with Tilly. Landry’s wife. Tilly took her to the pediatrician this morning.”

The woman put her glasses back on and stared at her computer monitor. “You gave birth to her two weeks ago?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And the guy you were living with is now in jail?”

“I…” She looked at Dale, pointed to him.

Nerzino stared at him. “Well?”

“He hadn’t bonded out yet as of this morning when I checked.”

She tapped on her keyboard for a moment. “Well, he certainly is a real winner. Did you know about his criminal record, Ms. Guerrero?”