The Daddy Dilemma

POISED to present her case, Mackie stood in the center of the courtroom. Surreptitiously, she glanced at her adversaries seated at a table a few feet away. Gordon Galloway and his pack of attorneys from Alexander, Mott and Percy were awesome to behold. Talk about overkill. You’d think Galloway was taking on Microsoft.

“Your Honor,” Mackie began, directing her remarks to the judge, “as our petition affirms, my client’s ultimate goal is shared custody of her daughter. However, she wants to be the first to acknowledge past mistakes and seeks to redeem herself. That’s why I’m submitting a new motion.

“Rather than addressing the custody issue, all we ask from the court today is that Beth Galloway be allowed visitations every other weekend for the next six months, that she be given an opportunity to bond with her child and to establish herself as a fit mother.”

The stunned silence emanating from the opposing attorneys told Mackie that reactions were precisely as she’d anticipated. By admitting weakness and asking for less than expected, she had robbed the Galloway team of its chance to beat up on her client.

From Judge Fillmore, Mackie saw a spark of interest in her request. It was already midmorning and an overloaded docket lay ahead of him. The possibility of quickly dispensing with one matter had to be tempting.

“Give me a moment to read the motion,” the judge said.

Mackie used the opportunity to study Beth’s ex-husband. Earlier she’d spared him scant attention, noting little about his appearance beyond the fact that his medium brown hair was modishly cut. Now she had her chance for a better look.

One wouldn’t call him handsome in the conventional sense—his longish face rather angular, no-nonsense wire-rim glasses framing his eyes, his cropped hair ruffled from repeated hand raking. At the same time, something about Galloway made her want to step closer and take stock. Maybe the earnest gaze or the vivid blue eyes that even glasses and distance couldn’t hide. There was something understatedly sexy about the man. It was easy to see how an innocent like Beth could have been taken in.

The second the judge laid down Mackie’s documents, Sonia Mott, one of Galloway’s attorneys, rose to object, only to be cut off in mid-diatribe.

“Have you got some current evidence that shows this mother to be a danger to the child?” the judge interrupted.

“Well...”

“What do you call deserting a newborn?” Gordon Galloway barked in a voice that went all the way to the bench.

“Counselor, control your client,” the judge instructed sternly, sending Galloway and his team a stare strong enough to peel paint off the walls. “Petitioner’s request is granted. Alternate weekend visitation is temporarily established and further consideration of this matter is postponed for six months. At such time professional assessments will be made.” With that, he pounded his gavel, announced a brief recess and left the courtroom.

“We won!” Beth squeezed Mackie’s forearms in celebration, then her eyes shot past Mackie’s, her lips easing into a sly grin as she zeroed in on her former husband.

Mackie could appreciate her client wanting to gloat a little. But it wasn’t wise to toss gasoline on an already-combustible situation. She nudged Beth toward the door. “Get on to that job of yours and I’ll negotiate the logistics for Ashley.”

After listening stonily to arrangements for relinquishing his child the coming weekend, Gordon walked out with his lawyers as far as the elevators, then pointed at the water fountain, indicating they were to continue on without him. He took a couple of gulps to wash down the bile in his throat. Had his outburst caused the judge to rule in Beth’s favor? If it were physically possible, Gordon would kick himself from here to the end of the hall for losing his composure like that.

Normally he displayed the calm, thoughtful demeanor befitting the college professor he was. For a few moments in there, however, he’d been like a child in the throes of the terrible twos—unable to restrain his emotions. But dammit, this was about Ashley. It was torture having her welfare, her future, resting in the hands of others.

I can’t leave it like this! Charging back toward the courtroom where Mackie Smith remained behind, Gordon pushed open the door. She was just coming out and he almost collided with her, felt her hand pressing against his chest to avoid bodily contact.

Determined to get himself in control, Gordon retreated a step, bracing himself against one of the courtroom pews. “I tried offering Beth a settlement but she refused,” he began, breathlessness from anger and the too-close encounter vibrating in his voice. “Obviously my offer wasn’t enough. So please tell me how much she’s holding out for and we can move to end this charade.”

Mackie was taken aback, not sure what bothered her more—Galloway’s reappearance or the physical contact between them. That brief touch was as electrifying as those incredible blue eyes...eyes she could now see were framed by lush sable lashes. Her equilibrium wasn’t helped, either, by this revelation about a settlement offer. News to her—Beth hadn’t said a word. But that wasn’t what mattered at the moment. What mattered was putting some distance between herself and Gordon Galloway. “Really, Mr. Galloway, this isn’t appropriate.”

He gave her an irritated roll of the eyes. “Neither is your farce of a lawsuit. I repeat, how much?”

“Beth isn’t after your money.”

“The hell she isn’t. Aren’t you a tad suspicious that Beth’s interest in her daughter comes to life immediately after my inheritance from a rich aunt? Quite a coincidence, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Coincidences do happen,” Mackie said, trying to stifle her own irritation. “And even if everything you’re saying is true, the fact remains that we’re not supposed to speak without one of your attorneys being present. Goodbye.”

She brushed past him and made for the bank of elevators, stepping inside an empty car. The doors were closing when he reached a hand in and forced them apart, then leaped aboard.

“Our conversation is over, Mr. Galloway.”

“Oh, no, it isn’t.”

Mackie didn’t respond. She punched at the lobby floor button and glowered malevolently at him.

Gordon could easily read in her scowl what she was thinking. The man is pure gall. Well, yes he was—with no apologies. He could be as pushy and obstinate as a salesman on commission when it came to Ashley.

Prissy thing this Mackie Smith was, all puffed up with righteous indignation. If it weren’t for that frown and those lips pressed tightly together, she could be quite a knockout. Her figure was stylishly slender, and those green eyes brought emeralds to mind. All in all, though, a bit too flawless for his taste—every hair in place, makeup expertly applied, nails neatly manicured and polished a soft pink. A Neiman-Marcus mannequin come to life. That, or a well-dressed robot.

Galloway, are you crazy? The woman is your enemy Under the circumstances, her looks rank a zero in importance. Focus man. “Beth’s conniving and materialistic,” he declared, back on track with Mackie. “She’s pretending to want custody in the hope I’ll pay her off to drop the suit and go away. Turning down my first offer was simply part of her game.”

Mackie maintained her silence and rigid posture, making him even madder. If this stance was meant to discourage, then she’d sorely underestimated the level of his determination. Gordon snatched open the elevator’s control box and pushed a button. The car lurched to a halt.

Her frown deepened into a full-fledged glare. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Trying to make you see how it is!”

“Again, this isn’t appropriate, Mr. Galloway.”

“Appropriate be damned. We’re not talking Ms. Manners here. This is about a father fighting like all get-out for his daughter.”

Mackie reached for the release button, but he held the panel shut, preventing access.

“Mr. Galloway! You’re wasting your time with me. I’m not going to argue the merits of this case with you in an elevator. I’ll give you just five seconds to get us moving again before I start screaming my lungs out for a guard.”

“OK, OK,” he said, throwing up his hands. “I should have known you were too stubborn to reason with. I was hoping to save myself a heap of frustration and spare you some embarrassment. But if you want to play the fool, fine.” He ran a hand across the back of his neck.

Mackie opened her mouth to yell just as Galloway released the emergency stop button. “Save your vocal cords, lady. You’ll need them for court when you start attempting to defend the indefensible. You may have prevailed in round one, but the battle is just starting. And,” he added, “be aware that I’ll do whatever it takes to hang on to my child.”

“That sounds like a threat.”

“No, just a friendly warning.”

At that moment the doors opened on the ground floor and Galloway stormed off the elevator, leaving Mackie to gape after him. Friendly? If that was a friendly warning, she’d hate to be on the receiving end of an unfriendly one.

This guy was unbelievable—a real loose cannon. Sounding off to the judge, waylaying her in the courtroom, holding her captive in an elevator...speaking of which... People getting on made Mackie aware she’d better exit unless she planned to spend the day riding up and down. She walked to her car in the parking lot, still fixated on Galloway.

Loose cannon or not, he seemed so sure of his position, so adamant that Beth was not what she made herself out to be. Could he even be half right? Could money possibly be on Beth’s agenda? If so, why had Beth never so much as hinted that she sought part of her ex-husband’s recent financial windfall? If it was important, why hadn’t she revealed that she’d already been offered a share?

No, Galloway was simply shooting off his mouth, talking when he should have kept silent. What Mackie had just witnessed was the bruised pride of a wounded Texas male. His ego, battered by the desertion of his wife, had overridden his ability to think clearly and created a need to strike back. She must concentrate on that and not let him undermine her relationship with her client.

After all, Beth hadn’t tried to sugarcoat her role in her predicament. She claimed her actions had been triggered by postpartum depression, yet she hadn’t let herself off the hook. From day one, she’d owned up to irresponsible behavior. But simply because she’d misbehaved—even grievously—in those early weeks of motherhood was no excuse for Gordon Galloway’s punishing her by forever withholding her child. Beth had a right to be with her daughter and Ashley had a right to know her mother. As for Galloway’s rights—well, let Alexander, Mott, et cetera worry about them. Mackie had her own problems.

“What if he doesn’t bring her?” It was five minutes until six on Friday and Beth was planted in front of the window of the conference room adjacent to Mackie’s office, monitoring the parking lot for incoming cars.

“He will.” Mackie spoke more with bravado than conviction. During the proceedings and afterward, Galloway had acted mad enough to take the law into his own hands and defy a court order. Or to keep the opposition waiting till the last minute simply for the devilment of it. She glanced at her watch. Five fifty-nine now.

A knock sounded at exactly six. He must have been parked on the street. “You’re here,” Mackie said, her throat catching at the sight of the picture before her—Galloway carrying a precious little girl.