Christmas Secrets. Barbara Dunlop

let out an inarticulate exclamation.

      Cole ignored him. “Ask yourself this. Before the inspectors identify the problem, would you risk putting Zachary on a Boonsome 300?”

      Amber shook her head.

      “We ground the planes,” said Max.

      “Have you lost your minds?” asked Julius.

      Amber squared her shoulders and gave Max a sharp nod of agreement.

      Pride swelled up inside Cole’s chest.

      “This is amateur hour,” Roth spat. “Believe me, you haven’t heard the last of it.”

      “We’ll request an expedited investigation,” said Max. “But for now the decision is final.”

      Amber focused in on Cole, moving closer to speak in an undertone. “I have to go to the office.”

      “I know.” He realized their conversation about Samuel would have to wait.

      “Can you stay with Zachary until Isabel gets here? She thought maybe noon.”

      “Don’t worry, I’ll stay.”

      Relief flooded her eyes. “Thank you.”

      “No problem. Talk to you later?”

      “I’ll call you.”

      “Good luck.”

      “Everyone’s safe. That’s a whole lot of luck already.”

      The group moved toward the door, Amber grabbing her purse and throwing a coat over her slacks and sweater. When the last of them left and the door latched shut, Cole turned his attention to Zachary.

      The baby was sucking on the sleeve of his stretchy one-piece suit.

      “You like bagels?” Cole asked.

      “Gak baw,” said Zachary, grabbing at Cole’s nose.

      Amber’s day went from frightening to stressful to downright infuriating. At six o’clock, Destiny was sitting across from her at her compact office meeting table.

      “That’s how Roth spent his day?” she asked Destiny.

      Destiny pushed a sheaf of papers across the table. “I don’t know how they did it, but they got an emergency court date. The custody hearing starts at nine tomorrow morning.”

      “I thought we’d have weeks to get ready.” Amber gave the paperwork a passing glance, but she trusted Destiny’s assessment.

      “We have hours to get ready.”

      “Can we do it?”

      “Not as well as I’d like. But we can work hard tonight. And Roth’s side is under the same deadline.”

      Amber’s cell phone rang.

      “Remember,” said Destiny, “the fundamentals remain the same. Coco’s codicil is legal and valid. They have to prove you’re not a fit guardian.”

      Amber didn’t recognize the calling number. “Hello?”

      “Amber, it’s Cole.”

      She glanced to Destiny, feeling a small spike of guilt about last night. “Hi, Cole.”

      Destiny’s interest obviously perked up.

      “I need to talk to you about something.”

      “Is it Zachary?”

      “No, no. He’s fine. At least, he was fine when I left him with Isabel this afternoon. Can you meet me for dinner?”

      She wished she could. “I’m afraid not. Destiny and I are going to be busy.”

      There was silence on his end. “It’s kind of important.”

      “I’m sorry.”

      “Maybe later?”

      “Tonight’s not going to be good. We’ll be working really late.”

      “Is everything okay?”

      “Yes.” She hesitated. “No.” She knew she shouldn’t share, since she barely knew him. But she felt like she owed him an explanation. “It’s actually not okay. Roth’s convinced the judge to hold an emergency hearing tomorrow morning. He’s going after custody.”

      “Tomorrow morning?”

      “He’s going to use my decision on the Boonsome 300s as proof I’m unfit to control Coast Eagle.”

      “He’ll lose, Amber.”

      “I hope so.” Her stomach was already beginning to cramp up.

      “Is there anything I can do?”

      “Ask me out again in a few days?”

      Destiny’s brows went up.

      “Happy to,” he answered. Then his tone changed. “I really wish I could see you now. Even for a short time.”

      “That would be nice. But we’re pretty much pulling an all-nighter here. I’m about to call Isabel and arrange for her to stay over.”

      “I could stay at your place, wait for you there.”

      “Not necessary.” She wasn’t going to let herself presume any more on Cole’s good graces. He didn’t come to Atlanta to be a babysitter.

      He was quiet again. Then he blew out a breath. “Okay. A couple of days, then.”

      “Thanks.”

      “Nothing to thank me for. Good luck.”

      “Thanks for that.” She’d take every scrap of luck she could get. “Bye, Cole.”

      “Bye.”

      She pressed the end button and set down the phone.

      Destiny spoke. “We’re going to take thirty seconds of our valuable time here, and you’re going to tell me what’s going on with Cole. Then I’m putting it completely out of my mind until after the hearing.” She glanced at her watch. “Go.”

      “I like him. He likes me. We went skating last night, then we drank killer hot chocolate. We went back to my place, slept together, which was pretty killer, too. Then he stayed over, went out for bagels and then all hell broke loose. He wanted to see me again tonight, but…” She spread her arms.

      “Holy cow,” said Destiny in obvious awe. “We are definitely going to talk more about this. But right now we’ve got a whole lot of work to do.”

       Seven

      Cole and Luca slipped into the back of the courtroom. Word had obviously gotten out about the hearing, because the room was packed with reporters and onlookers. He couldn’t help but feel bad for Amber. It was stressful enough to have Zachary’s custody on the line without an audience of one hundred.

      Predictably, Roth’s side attacked Coco. They started by disparaging her motivations in marrying an older, wealthy man, then they called witness after witness, painting an unflattering picture of her intellect. Cole knew from conversations with Amber that Coco was emotional and sometimes erratic, but the witnesses made her sound unstable, unprincipled, even dishonest.

      Luca tipped his head closer to Cole. “How much do you think is true?”

      “She did marry a billionaire nearly three times her age. And I don’t think she was a rocket scientist.”

      Cole imagined a lot of what was being said about Coco’s temper