The Road to Rose Bend, Naima Simone [jenna bush book club .TXT] 📗

actually,” he said. A pause followed his reply, and a thousand questions crowded into that space. But she sank her teeth into her bottom lip, trapping them. He’d reached out to her; she wasn’t going to prod him to speak. “I told him that I changed my mind about suing for full custody. I’m dropping the suit.”

Shock assaulted her, and she grasped for the stair railing, steadying herself. She couldn’t speak. Could barely squeeze a breath past her constricted lungs.

Surely, he hadn’t said... No, he couldn’t have...

“What?”

“Yes, Sydney,” he repeated, voice softer. “I’m not suing for full custody.” And because she still couldn’t shove anything out beyond that tortured one word, he continued, “My attorney will be contacting yours shortly, but I’ve told him you will have primary physical custody, and I would still like to share joint custody that would go into effect once our daughter is old enough to travel out of state. A time that would fall under your discretion. Until she’s old enough, though, I would also like the freedom to travel to Massachusetts to visit her at least monthly on agreed-upon times. We’ll still have to work out other decisions such as child support, but...” Silence beat between them for several seconds. The pounding of it as loud as her heart. “But I won’t try and take the baby away from you.”

Though joy, relief and disbelief screamed in her head like a howling gale, she didn’t speak. Not yet. A part of her didn’t trust this sudden turnaround. Daniel had hurt her. To the core. Yes, he’d believed he was only doing what was best for their child. But his idea of best—stealing her daughter from her and installing another woman as her child’s mother—made it difficult for her to forgive him for his treatment of her.

“Why the sudden change of heart?” she challenged, her voice harsh. She didn’t care. “Is it my new marital status? You realized this fight wouldn’t be as easy as you assumed?”

His sigh reached her ears, and she braced herself for his lecture on being “too emotional.” But he shocked her by murmuring, “I deserve that. I do. And I would be lying if I said that had nothing to do with me considering this situation more carefully. But I have to be honest, Sydney...” He hesitated, and a frown creased her brow. Daniel didn’t do uncertain, and something about this pause smacked of it. “When I came to see you, I didn’t expect you to push back. I thought you would see the validity of my arguments and decide to return to Charlotte.”

“You didn’t expect me to stand up to you and not cave to your bullying,” she corrected, anger kindling inside her. “You expected me to be that young twenty-year-old who always bent to your ‘wisdom,’ your wants and demands. But I’m not that girl anymore, Daniel. I haven’t been for a long time.”

“I see that...now,” he conceded. “After returning home, and then finding out you’d moved on, too, I had to take a hard look at myself. And... And I wasn’t happy with who I saw. You called me a bully who was penalizing you for not falling into line. For leaving me. You were right. I hadn’t forgiven you, and though I did—and part of me still does—believe you and the baby would have a better life in Charlotte, that doesn’t excuse me using my connections and the law to threaten you into compliance. I’m sorry for that, Sydney.”

She couldn’t say it was okay. Yes, he’d realized he’d been wrong, but that didn’t make his actions anywhere near “okay.” So instead she said, “Thank you for the apology, Daniel. I appreciate it.”

“Maybe I didn’t want to acknowledge that we were growing apart. Or that you were growing into your own person, your own woman, and I didn’t want to accept it. But you are that woman, and I have to respect your decisions. I have to respect you, Sydney. That said,” he huffed a breath, and she could easily imagine him squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin in that confident way she’d always admired, “I also have to accept that as our baby’s mother, you would always place her welfare and safety first. And if it’s your choice to live in Rose Bend, I’ll work with you as long as you work with me. I want my daughter to know me as her father,” he whispered.

“She will, Daniel,” Sydney replied just as softly. “I’ve never had any intention of cutting you out of her life or to have someone else fill that role. She will be loved by her parents and be blessed to have more people in her life to protect and adore her like Cole and your fiancée. Who,” she added, firming her voice, “I really need to meet in the near future.”

“And I need to do the same with Cole—and not as your attorney.”

She chuckled. “Deal.” Inhaling a breath, she slowly let it go—determined to do the same with the resentment. “Thank you, Daniel. You’re going to make a wonderful father.”

“You’re already a wonderful mother,” he praised.

They ended the call, and Sydney stood in front of city hall, clasping her cell to her chest. Holy hell, that happened. An effervescent joy bubbled inside her and, not caring if it made her appear crazy, she laughed. She’d come here to tell Cole about completing the grant, and now she could add to that news that this custody battle was over.

Opening her eyes, she swept her gaze over the building before her with its town and state flags, then surveyed the tree-lined street behind her with its scattering of benches. Took in the people who called out to one another or stopped to chat. She waved back to one who noted her gaze and held up a hand in greeting.

And for the first time since crossing the town limits weeks ago, she felt like she belonged. Here. In this town. In this community. With