Page 46 of This Christmas

Chapter Twelve

Joe carried the stack of papers to the kitchen counter and pulled out his phone. While the popcorn popped in the microwave and Ally hunted through the streaming menu for the movie Elf, he scrolled to his lawyer’s number and hit call.

“Grant Meyer,” came the voice on the other end.

“Hey, Grant. It’s Joe Dalton.”

“Joe, it’s been a while,” Grant said, his tone already shifting into business mode. “What’s going on?”

“I just got served by Ted Garrison.”

“The DA?” Grant whistled. “What for?”

“I was doing a job for him. He signed the standard contract you created for me. I dropped him when I found out he wasn’t acting in good faith. I’ll shoot a copy of all the conversations I had with him to your email. He’s trying to get me for breach of contract, slander, and interfering with his family visitations. He’s also going after Ally Wilson, his ex, who I’m currently seeing, for defamation. He has several other outstanding lawsuits out against her that she’s been dealing with for a few years.”

Grant let out a sharp breath. “Sounds like a harassment tactic. He’s known for this shit.” He sighed.

“Exactly. The man’s been using his power in the courts to keep her under his thumb since the divorce five years ago. He’s got his dirty laundry closed up tight and sealed away from the public light. I want to hit this hard and fast.”

“Send me copies of the paperwork,” Grant said. “I’ll get the motion to dismiss filed by morning. He’s wasted the court’s time on a few other cases recently, so the judge will see right through him. Unless you get Judge Brampton. That man is in Garrison’s pocket.” He could hear Grant clicking. “I pulled up the cases since they’re already in the system.” He was quiet for a moment. “Good news, you have Judge Lewis for now. If he requests a change, I’ll keep you posted.”

“Good.” Joe glanced toward the living room. Ally was sitting on the sofa, helping Charlotte untangle a blanket. “She doesn’t have the money for another fight, Grant. If there are any additional fees, I’ll cover them.”

“Understood,” Grant said. “I’ll handle it.”

“Thanks,” Joe said quietly, then he ended the call and emailed photos of the documents. He took a deep breath, forcing the anger down before he rejoined them.

By the time he walked back into the living room, Elf was already playing. Charlotte was giggling at the screen with her mouth full of popcorn. Ally glanced up at him, searching his expression.

“It’s taken care of,” he said softly, sitting beside her and taking her hand. “Let’s enjoy the movie.”

“Thank you.” The relief in her voice nearly undid him.

He took a handful of popcorn and sat back to enjoy his evening.

As the movie rolled on, the storm outside deepened. The windows fogged, and the fire crackled, filling the house with warmth. He kept adding more logs as the night went on.

Charlotte slowly inched closer to him and then ended up between them, with her head resting on his shoulder.

Before the movie was through, she was fast asleep with the half-empty popcorn bowl in her lap.

“I’ll take her up,” he whispered.

“Are you sure?” Ally asked. She was tucked under a blanket and looked comfortable.

He nodded and smiled. “Why don’t you make us some coffee?”

She nodded and shifted as he stood up.

He slid his arms beneath Charlotte, lifting her easily. She stirred once, mumbling something about Santa, then settled again. He carried her upstairs and tucked her beneath her blanket, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Night, kiddo,” he murmured before turning off the light.

When he came back down, Ally was curled up on the sofa, the firelight dancing over her features. She looked up at him, eyes warm but tired. Two cups of hot coffee sat on the coffee table.

“You didn’t have to take care of everything,” she said softly.

“Yeah,” he murmured, sitting beside her and pulling her close. “I did. I like taking care of you and Charlotte.”

She leaned into him, her head resting against his chest. For a long time, they didn’t speak. They just listened to the wind howling outside, the soft pop of the fire.