Page 34 of Bagging the Blueliner
“Everyone’s at the courthouse. Except you. Please tell me you are on your way.”
The courthouse. Shit.
Today was the day Jaxon was adopting Natalie’s kids. It was a big deal.
Pulling the phone away from my face, I noted the time. No wonder Amy was pissed. The adoption finalization hearing was in ten minutes.
“I overslept. I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I promised.
“This is a big day for our best friend. Hurry up!”
Hanging up, I sprang into action. Rushing into the bathroom, I ran a brush through my hair and splashed water on my face. Staring at my face in the mirror, I mentally berated myself.
Of course I overslept. I’d stayed up all night listening to that damn voicemail.
I couldn’t stop. I was obsessing over it.
Something in his voice captivated me, even if it was meant for someone else. He was angry, but there was an undertone of longing. He was hurt. Unrequited love would do that.
Well, maybe not love in Cal’s case. Probably lust. He wanted someone who’d turned him down and didn’t know how to handle it.
Why couldn’t I let this go?
Throwing a dress over my head, I dropped to my hands and knees inside my closet, searching for the only pair of closed-toe heels I owned.
“Gotcha!” I yelled in triumph when I found them.
Not wasting any more time, I stepped into them, grabbed my coat, and ran out of my apartment.
Reaching ground level, I weighed my options. Calling a car would take time. The courthouse was three blocks away. I could probably make it there faster on foot.
Hustling my ass down the streets of downtown Hartford, I burst through the main doors to the courthouse. Frantically searching for the right room, I found it with the help of a security guard and pulled open the door.
No less than fifty heads swiveled in my direction.
So much for sneaking in without notice. The judge raised an eyebrow, and I felt like I was on trial.
Walking down the short aisle, I dropped into an open seat next to Lucy and her husband, Preston—they’d gotten married last month.
The judge resumed speaking, and I heard the voice that had kept me up all night scoff, “Typical.”
Whipping my head around, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind but was cognizant that I’d interrupted the proceedings once already. Throwing a finger to my lips, I gave him an exaggerated “Shh.”
Cal rolled his eyes at me, and I resisted the urge to punch him in the face.
I changed my mind. I no longer felt sorry for him. I hoped he got close to the girl of his dreams and she left him with anirreversible case of blue balls, so bad that doctors were forced to amputate.
He was a total dick. That girl was smart for staying away.
Lucy’s soft sniffles drew my attention away from the asshole behind me. Today was an emotional day, and I grasped her hand in a show of silent support. She squeezed back as she rested her head on Preston’s shoulder.
The judge spoke, asking each of Natalie’s three older children why they wanted Jaxon as their father. Amelia spoke about his care for her mother and younger siblings. Jameson boasted about how much fun they had with him, citing baking and playing in their treehouse. Beau simply told the judge that Jaxon was already his dad.
That earned a collective “Aw” from the crowd. Beau was six, and Jaxon was the only father he’d ever known.
The judge chuckled. “Hard to argue with that. By the power vested in me, I approve the adoption of Amelia, Jameson, and Beau by Jaxon Slate. Congratulations, Slate family.”
Everyone present cheered. Natalie shed happy tears while Jaxon gathered the kids in a celebratory hug.
