Page 5 of Landon

“I’d have to agree, ma’am.” Tad was on the cusp of manhood, with blond hair and blue eyes. His sister’s hair was also blond but darker. He’d seen a photograph of Pamela, and while shewas beautiful, he had no idea what she would have looked like at Penny’s age.

“They’re not only physically beautiful, Landon, but they have managed to come out of this mess of a divorce as well-adjusted and sweet kids. Their mother is a snake in the grass, but considering she’s had little to do with them since they were born, her influence has thankfully been limited.” She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t want them upset. I don’t want them afraid.”

He turned to face her fully. “Margaret, it’s my job to ensure their safe return. I’ll do everything possible to take care of them during the exchange.”

The tension in her face eased slightly. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his arm. “Thank you?—”

The housekeeper entered, keeping her voice low. “Ms. Lennox is here.”

All eyes turned as a woman stepped into the room. Dressed in khaki pants and a deep green blouse, she exuded quiet confidence. Her brown hair, streaked with hints of red and gold, was pulled back with a simple headband, the soft waves falling past her shoulders. He couldn’t help but stare. He had expected the social worker to be older, perhaps with seniority status, for the judge to have personally recommended her.

Ms. Lennox smiled as she moved first to Margaret, who had slid to her husband's side. The smile was professionally reserved, and Landon wondered if it was due to the situation. A flash of desire to see her smile brighten enough to reach her eyes filled him. He jerked slightly at the unbidden idea.

“I’m Noel Lennox.” She shook hands with Thurston and Margaret, then moved to Stan. “You must be Tad and Penny’s father. It’s nice to meet you, but I’m sorry for the circumstances.”

After the Fugates welcomed her, she turned her gaze to Landon. She hesitated, her eyes widening slightly as thoughsurprised. He liked that she was caught off guard and no longer reserved. He had no idea of her age, but upon closer observation, she was older than he’d initially thought if the little crinkles around her eyes were any indication.

As he walked straight to her and offered his hand, her cool professionalism slid back into place. The word brown for her eyes was too limiting. Like her hair, her eyes were multicolored… brown and hazel with gold flecks.

Blinking away the ridiculous musing, he managed to find his voice. “I’m Landon Sommers with Lighthouse Security Investigations.”

“Of course.” She nodded. “I was told that someone from a security company would be traveling with us. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Sommers.”

“Please, call me Landon.”

“And I’m Noel.” Her lips quirked upward ever so slightly. “My mother’s favorite holiday will explain my name.”

He inclined his head and then realized he was still holding her hand. He let it go just as Thurston said, “Let’s sit and get down to business. Stan wants to make sure you have all the information you need to deal with Pamela when you get down there.”

Thurston waited until his wife was seated on one of the sofas and Noel on the other before he took his place sitting next to Margaret. Stan perched on the end of the armchair, and Landon moved to sit beside Noel. Thurston then nodded toward Stan.

Stan leaned forward, the tension from his body palpable. “Pamela and I met at an event in Billings about fifteen years ago. She was beautiful, seemed sweet, and everything I thought I wanted in a girlfriend. She never asked how much the family was worth nor indicated she was a gold digger.”

Thurston huffed, but Margaret shushed him. “None of us thought that at the beginning.”

Stan sighed, then continued, “Looking back, I realize there were subtle signs, such as hinting for specific pieces of jewelry or gifts, especially when we had a disagreement. I hadn’t proposed, and to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t ready to be engaged. And then she became pregnant.”

“In case you’re wondering,” Thurston interrupted, “we told Stan that he needed to insist on a paternity test. My wife and I were unconvinced that her nature wasn’t mercenary by that time.”

“She agreed, and yes, I was the father,” Stan admitted. “I was thrilled with impending fatherhood. All Pamela seemed to care about was our wedding, marred by the prenup agreement we insisted on. She wanted to hold the fact that she was pregnant over my head to keep from signing. Our attorney explained that without it and no marriage, she would be entitled to child support but no alimony. She signed, but not without a lot of headaches on all our parts. She wanted to get married quickly after finding out she was having twins since her figure would change faster. She wanted big and lavish, and since her parents were deceased, we handled the costs. After the wedding, Pamela quickly became more frustrated when her body changed so much due to having twins. I assumed her maternal instinct would kick in when Tad and Penny were born, but it never did. She wanted to hire a nanny immediately.”

Margaret’s voice hardened with resolve. “There was no way I’d let a stranger raise my grandchildren. So we brought in someone we trusted, a woman we’d known for years. Plus, we were always around to help.”

Noel leaned forward, her expression thoughtful. “There wasn’t any mention of neglect or abuse in the documents. Did Pamela ever mistreat the children?”

Stan exhaled heavily, rubbing a hand over his face. “No, not in the traditional sense. Pamela wasn’t neglectful, exactly. Sheloved the kids... in her way. As they grew older, she enjoyed the social aspects of motherhood—taking Penny shopping and attending Tad’s soccer games. But it felt more about appearances than genuine support.”

Thurston’s face darkened, his voice a low growl. “She cared more about being seen than actually being there for them.”

Noel nodded, absorbing the weight of his words. “And the divorce? How did that impact Tad and Penny?”

Stan’s shoulders sagged slightly, the weight of past decisions pressing down on him. “By the time they were nine, the kids had already turned to my mom for the nurturing they craved. They knew Pamela wasn’t that kind of mother. Around that time, I found out she was having an affair—not her first. I confronted her, and when it was clear she wasn’t going to change, I filed for divorce. Despite the custody arrangement, I had enough evidence to ensure physical custody of the kids.”

Landon, who had been silently observing, raised an eyebrow. “And the prenup?”

Stan’s lips thinned into a grim line. “Because of her infidelity, her alimony was minimal. In court, I laid everything bare. Even with joint custody, I got physical custody. She sees them every other weekend and during specific holidays and summer weeks. But every visit comes with her asking for more money. She claims she spends it on the kids—restaurants, shopping—but the kids tell me otherwise. I’ve stopped giving her anything extra.”

Margaret’s voice cracked, raw emotion bleeding through her composed exterior. “Her financial lifeline is drying up, and now she’s stooped to holding her own children hostage. I knew she was greedy, but this... this is beyond anything I could have imagined.”

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