Troll Tunnels by Erin M. Hartshorn

Author:Erin M. Hartshorn [Hartshorn, Erin M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hartshorn Publishing, a division of Eimarra Press
Published: 2018-07-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

The next day, late afternoon, thoroughly rested and relaxed, I sat on the couch reading one of Clay’s journals, looking for mentions of other witches by name, though I hadn’t seen any so far, when I felt the twins’ magic below, but distant — home, but stopping in to see their cousins, most likely — not their grandparents, who would be busy in the restaurant. Plenty of warning to put dinner on to heat and make sure there weren’t any journals lying around that I didn’t want the kids to read.

While Tina and Gavin were still downstairs, a familiar knock came at the door. I glared at it. There was no reason for Matt to be up here without the twins. At least he couldn’t just walk in any more.

Regretting that there was no chain on the door, I opened it a crack, bracing the door against my foot. “What?”

He gave me that wide-eyed stare, all innocence and disbelief that I didn’t trust his motives. If he’d used that on me while we were dating, I would have left him before I fell in love. On the other hand, the fact that he used it now instead of then just underscored how much it was simply a manipulative trick, designed to prey upon my sympathies — and those of anyone else who might be around to see. I wasn’t sure whether or not to be thankful that much of the time there was no audience. No audience meant these tricks were useless, but no audience also meant that it was his word against mine.

“I wanted to talk to you again, without our lawyers or any of the middlemen who’ve had to be dragged into this. No social workers, no counselors, no parents — just two adults who want the best for their children.”

“If you don’t trust the state to provide what’s best, perhaps you shouldn’t have gotten them involved.”

The innocent look vanished into narrowed eyes and thinned lips. He held out a folded bundle of papers, stapled in one corner. “Look, Pepper, you’re not going to win this one. You know it, and I know it. I’m trying to let you save face here by bowing out before the judge eliminates all of your rights. I brought over some papers. Sign these, and we’ll have a custody agreement in place that the judge has to defer to when ruling.”

I tilted my head to look at him but didn’t move to take the papers from his hand. “You left the kids with Vanessa so you could come up here and try to browbeat me into taking this agreement?”

He huffed in exasperation and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m not trying to browbeat you. God, Pepper! I’m trying to do what’s best for Gavin and Tina.”

“Have you listened to them when they’ve told the counselors what they would like best?”

Matt turned away and paced the length of the landing, away and back, away and back, three times before standing in

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