Page 86 of Fourth Heartwarmers Trilogy
She shook hands, saying, “It’s storming out there again. You must be frozen. Here, let me take your coat.” Once she hung the coat in the closet, she excused herself to go look after their breakfast. “I want to know everything so wait until we’re sitting before you get into a discussion.”
Colin nodded. “Cord do you have time?”
“Sure. And I’d like that coffee, and a muffin sounds wonderful. I rushed off this morning without getting any breakfast.” He looked at Colin. “Sorry I couldn’t get back to you last night. It was too late to call by the time I’d given up.”
“No worries. Look give me a moment to wash my face and brush my teeth and then I’ll meet you both in the kitchen.”
A few minutes later, having squashed his worries for the time being, Colin rushed into the kitchen to help Jaq. “I can take over.”
Thankfulness showed in her expression. “Thanks. I want to tidy up a bit too. I’ll shower and change later, just a quick brush-up for now. I won’t be a minute. Promise to wait for me before you discuss anything.”
“Of course. Cord, the coffee is ready. And here’s the muffins all nice and warm.” Colin brought out the tray from the microwave and added a dish of butter and jam on the table. Then he set out three steaming, fragrant mugs. “Do you take sugar and cream?”
Wondering how he could be so calm when his insides were burning with questions, Colin let out a puff of relief when true to her word, Jaq all but skidded back into the room to take her seat.
“I’m ready. Tell us the news. When can we pick the kids up?”
The muffin Cord had lifted to bite into dropped back to the plate. His face paled. He cleared his throat and looked first at her and then at Colin. “You can’t. Pick them up I mean.” Before they could react, he held up his hand and added, “Not yet anyway. They won’t go along with your request because you have no family attachment. As far as the court is concerned, you’rea stranger who just met them the day their mother died. They can’t release the kids into your custody without proof that it was her wish that you be their guardian.”
“But that’s exactly what she did want. And it would have happened if she hadn’t passed on before we could get the paperwork in place. I swear to you, she asked me to look after them. Cord, I promised her I would.” Colin stood, unable to stay seated when his body thrummed with agitation. Stalking around the room, he stopped to stare at the man who’d just ripped apart his new reality. “So what happens now? I told Charlie I’d have them with us for Christmas. What are those kids going to think when I break my word?”
Jaq reached out her hand to take his, forcing him to return to the table. Then she gently pulled on him to sit. Turning to the distraught fellow who had brought the terrible news, she asked, “What now? Is there any way we can get around this? Can we apply for fostering them ourselves?”
“I have to ask. Are either of you married?”
“No.”
“Have you been in a relationship with each other for any length of time… live together, or a long-term friendship?”
“No. We actually met the day Gisele went to the hospital.”
“Then, no. You wouldn’t be considered as a foster couple. But possibly one or the other of you could apply on your own.” He turned to Colin. “Do you have a private residence where the children could live with you?”
“Not here in Quebec, but I do own my home in Vancouver.” Colin answered first.
Cord’s expression darkened. “You’d want to take them out of the province? That’s a tough one. What about you, Jaqueline? Do you live in Quebec?”
“No. I’m here on holidays. I live with my mother in Vancouver.”
Perplexed, Cord scratched his forehead. “Is there anyone who can vouch for you that Gisele wanted you to take her children. Did she call anyone or tell someone at the hospital?”
Jaqueline spoke up. “Would that make a difference? Because the nurse was with her the whole time she talked with Colin. She could have overheard their conversation.”
“That’s right.” Colin pointed his finger at Cord. “In fact, at one point, she broke into the conversation, suggesting that Gisele rest. But Gisele argued and told the nurse that she didn’t have time to rest. It was imperative to settle Maisie and Charlie’s future. That she must tell the lawyer that she wanted me to be the children’s protector.”
“What did the nurse say?”
“Hmmm. If I remember correctly, she patted Gisele’s shoulder and made her lie back down. I believe she said something like she needed to conserve her strength then, and her body needed to rest so she would be strong enough to speak with the lawyer.”
“Bingo.” Cord pulled his phone out and began to dial. “I’m checking with the hospital administration to see which nurse was on duty and assigned to the case. If we can get her to write a letter saying that she could verify what you’ve just said, then we might have means to get them to let the children stay here with you for now. While they’re under your care, I’ll try every way I can to get a legal paper drawn up for you to be their guardian.”
“Is that the same as adopting them?”
“No. It will just give you the legal right to make decisions on their behalf until they’re of age.”
“And that would include bringing them to B.C. with me?”
“Unless they have other family members who might disagree. If so, then you would need their permission and give them 60 days written notice.”
