RECLAIM MY HEART(10)

“That was posturing,” Lucas countered. “I’m sure he was doing that for the benefit of the other boys. You were fifteen once. Don’t you remember—”
“I never back-talked a police officer, Counselor.”
Lucas laced his fingers and rested his hands on the table top. “Sir, I have no idea what kind of parenting Zach has had up to this point. And I’ll admit that three unsupervised weekends a month would leave any teenager with way too much time on his hands.”
He remembered his own youth. Those long lists of never ending chores his uncle always had at the ready. Like any adolescent, Lucas had felt he was being treated with unfair harshness. But now he realized there must have been good motives behind his uncle’s madness.
“Good!” the judge said. “I’m glad we agree that Zach needs supervision. What we need now is a plan. A plan that will assure that Zach doesn’t show up in front of me again.”
Lucas placed his palms firmly on the table. “That’s not going to happen, is it, Zach?”
The teen adamantly shook his head. “No, sir.”
“Promises are all well and good.” Taylor looked from Lucas to Zach. “But I can tell you, son, that eight out of every ten minors who sit where you’re sitting come in here to pay me a second visit. And of those, an even higher percentage pay me a third visit.” His stern stare remained steady. “And the punishment is stiffer for each offense.” He picked up his gavel, slid his fingers down the length of it, his gaze raking over everyone sitting in front of him. “Like I said, we need a plan for this young man. Or I’m going to have to come up with one of my own.”
No one said a word for several long seconds.
Tyne leaned forward, twisting to face Lucas. “I could try to get someone to cover my weekends for a while.”
“Ms. Whitlock,” the judge said, “I understand your dilemma. You’re a single, working parent trying to raise a teenager on your own. I empathize. But I would be derelict in my duties if I didn’t stress that there’ll be no trying in whatever strategy we make here today. We will do something solid. Something concrete.”
Lucas spent most of his weekends reading briefs. But he couldn’t see why the kid couldn’t hang out at his place while he read.
“I don’t think I’ve made you understand the importance of what’s happening here today,” Judge Taylor told Tyne. “If your son shows up in my courtroom again, you won’t be seeing him for a while. Unless, of course, you go to Juvenile Hall for a visit. Do I make myself clear?” He narrowed his gaze at Zach. “Don’t let the name fool you, son. It’s a prison. With bars on the windows and guards who carry weapons.”
Eight out of every ten minors.
Bad odds. Very bad odds.
Lucas stole a glance at Zach. Fear hummed from the teen like low-voltage current, but he was doing his damnedest to hide it behind a tight, you-can’t-hurt-me smirk that would only get him into deeper trouble. The kid’s badass attitude churned up startling emotions in Lucas; dread, frustration, guilt.
He could be sitting here staring at himself at that age.
“Your Honor, what if I were to take him out of town for a time?” The question surprised Lucas just as much as it seemed to surprise everyone else in the courtroom. All eyes turned to him.
“Some litigation I’somigationve been working on was recently settled.”
Judge Taylor nodded. “I read about that in this morning’s paper. Congratulations, Counselor.”
Lucas nodded his appreciation, but his mind fixed on the almost impossible logistics of making his suggestion happen. “I only have a couple other cases I’m working on at the moment. I could pass them on to colleagues. Clear my desk. Zach and I could go to Wikweko. The town where I grew up.” He glanced down the table, noted Tyne’s stunned expression, but didn’t let it deter him from asking, “Zach is out of school for the summer, right?”
Tyne’s fiancé casually examined his cuticles, and an odd irritation flared in Lucas.
When Tyne didn’t answer, Lucas looked at Zach. “You must have several weeks of vacation left, right?” Suspicion clouded his son’s dark gaze.
Lucas turned to the judge. “Wikweko is a Lenape community near Lancaster. A month or so there and Zach’s life would change forever. I’m sure of it, Judge. There’s plenty of open space. Hiking. Fishing. And community events—tribal gatherings. Zach could learn about his heritage.” His heart started to race. The more he thought about this idea, the more it excited him. “You know, Your Honor, I haven’t taken a vacation in…” His short bark of laughter held an odd note. Vacation? What the hell was that? “I’m sure I could get away from the office for a month. They owe me that. I’d only need a couple of days to sort things out. Then we could head off to—”
“You’re not taking Zach anywhere.” Tyne’s shrill voice sliced through his enthusiasm.
“You have a problem with your son getting to know his father, Ms. Whitlock?” the judge asked.
“I haven’t seen this man for…?for…?years. Many years. I don’t know what kind of person he is.” Panic edged her words. “I refuse to allow—”
“Mr. Hawk is a well-respected attorney,” Taylor pointed out. “An attorney with a plan. A plan that’s sounding really good to me, actually. Healthy, outdoor activity, and father-son bonding time. What more could we ask for?”
Lucas leaned forward and looked down the table. “Tyne, you’re welcome to come along. I’m only thinking of Zach.”