Boomerangers: A second chance romantic comedy (Cajun Girls Book 1)
Boomerangers: Chapter 22

I’m on the phone with the PI when Spencer comes barreling through the door with a stack of papers in her hand. “I came straight over after I got them, just like you said.”

I hold the finger of one hand to my lips while tucking the phone under my chin to wave her inside with the other. “That all sounds great. Call me the minute you find anything of use.” I glance at the date on the papers Spence just placed in my hand. “Our court date is set for March 1^st. That’s in just two weeks. Work fast.”

“Who was that?” Spencer asks before I’ve even returned the phone to its cradle.

“That was the best damned private investigator New Orleans has to offer.”

“You think we have a shot?” she asks with nervous excitement. It was a huge blow when I told her that without having him sign papers relinquishing his paternal rights she doesn’t have a valid reason to prevent Alex from being in Kyle’s life. The text messages won’t do more than possibly taint the judge’s opinion of him. They may go hard on him, limiting his visitation to supervised, especially at first. But, the courts are always in favor of a child having both parents in their life whenever possible.

“We always have a shot, Princess. We’ve just got to be smart and maybe a little creative.”

“Where do we start?” She’s full of fire and ready to fight. In full Momma Bear mode this morning. It’s fucking sexy as hell. I vow to myself that one day soon, when this is all over, I’m going to make love to this beautiful woman right here on this desk.

“Coop?”

Shit. “Sorry, I was lost in thought for a minute there. What was the question?”

“The plan . . . What’s the plan?”

Right. “I’m going to type up a response to this petition, refusing immediate visitation due to the fact that he has willingly never been involved in Kyle’s life, and file a counterclaim for full legal and physical custody. That will hold us over ’til we get to court. In the meantime, we hire a PI, which I’ve just done. If there is any dirt to be dug up on Alex, he will find it. If he finds it, we use it. If there’s none . . .”

“We make it up?”

“Cute . . .” I shake my head and smile. “If there’s none, then we have the peace of mind knowing that Kyle is not going to be with anyone dangerous. Due to his lack of involvement in Kyle’s life, we can request and should be granted brief, supervised visitations at first where you will be present. By the time Kyle is left alone with him, he will already have a relationship with Alex and we will have had time to feel him out.”

Her eyes rim with tears. “We?”

“I will be with you through every step of this, Spencer. I won’t let you go through it alone.”

“We have to find something,” she whispers, unable to come to grips with the idea of having to share Kyle with that piece of shit. I can’t pretend to understand what she’s going through, but I get it on some level. The thought of another man coming into Kyle’s life has me sick with jealousy. I’m his man. I don’t care that he doesn’t share my fucking DNA. That kid laid claim to my heart and there’s no getting it back.

“I promise, Spencer, that I will do everything in my power to make this go away.”

She nods, sucking her lips between her teeth and widening her eyes to fight back tears. “Thanks, Coop.”

The next few days are spent with my head buried in various law books and on the phone consulting colleagues. I’ve completely devoted myself to Spencer’s case, letting the rest of our workload fall on Dad’s shoulders. He’s been more than supportive, happily taking on the extra load so I can be there for Spencer.

All we’ve managed to dig up on Mr. Alex Hernandez are a couple of old drug charges and one recent simple assault charge for a barroom fight. Neither is enough.

A week has passed, and each day that I have to report that the PI has not found anything that will stick sets Spencer a little more on edge. So, today when she walks in, I’m happy to throw her a little bone.

“How was work?” I ask when she comes trudging into my office and collapses into the chair in front of my desk. “That good, huh?”

“Please tell me he found something?”

“It’s not much . . .”

She perks up, sitting a little straighter. “Tell me.”

“Stephen has been hanging out at the club he frequents, and apparently, Alex is engaged to some rich oilfield princess. The night he ran in to Gina, Alex got stupid drunk and spilled the beans about Kyle to his new fiancée. They got into a huge argument over his keeping it from her. Apparently his future wife is unable to bear children and sees Kyle as her shot at motherhood.”

Spencer’s eyes narrow. “That bitch.”

“According to Stephen, she’s good people.”

Spencer glares at me. “Don’t . . . She wants my baby. Fuck her.”

I bite my lip and laugh.

“What else?” she asks eagerly.

“That’s it for now.”

Spencer huffs. “That’s nothing we can use, Cooper. How does this help us?”

“It gives us motive, Princess. She’s his kryptonite.”

“Court is in five days and we have shit, Cooper,” Spencer cries when she shows up after work. Her hair is a wreck and she looks like she hasn’t slept in days. “Do we have anything else. Is there any other way to keep him out of Kyle’s life?”

“It’s a long shot.” She is never going to go for this.

“Lay it on me.”

Reaching across the table, I take both of her hands into mine and look her straight in the eyes. “Marry me.” No two words have ever felt better or more right than the two I’ve just spoken. My heart races and bile rises in my throat as the nerves consume me.

Spencer stares, mouth gaping, like I’ve grown two heads. It’s as if she’s waiting for the punch line. When it finally becomes clear to her that this isn’t a joke, her eyes begin to dart around the room, looking anywhere but at me. Finally, she laughs it off, attempting to pull her hands from mine, but I just hold them tighter. “Cooper, stop messing around.” Her voice shakes.

“I’m completely serious.”

Spencer’s cheeks flush crimson and she crosses and uncrosses her legs . . . twice. “Why?” she sputters. “Why are you doing this?”

“The fact that you’re engaged to be married will show the judge that you have a stable home for Kyle with two parents who love him. If there is a father figure in the picture, a judge is more likely to terminate rights. We’ll still need something substantial on Alex, but it will strengthen your case drastically.”

“You would do that for me?” Silent tears drip from endless blue oceans. She’s shaking.

God, this girl really is clueless. “Spencer, I’ve already told you that I would do whatever it takes to help you. Yes, I would do this for you and for your boys.” And for myself, I add silently. I can’t let her see this as more than a strategic move. The mere thought of a real date had her running for the hills.

She’s quiet for a long moment. I can see the wheels turning in that gorgeous head of hers. Finally, she pulls her hands away, shaking her head at me. “I can’t ask this of you, Cooper. It’s too much.”

My heart plummets to my toes and my mouth goes dry. “You didn’t ask, I offered, and the offer stands.”

“Can I have some time to think about it?”

“You have four days, Princess.”

She rises from her chair, backing toward the door. Her head bobs, and she thanks me again as she disappears the way she entered only minutes ago.