Rick: She’s busy.

“Let it go. Hopefully, your dad can pull through,” Benji said, his voice stern as Lucy felt like she was completely losing it. “Come on, let’s go get some brunch and then we’ll go have dessert with Autumn and River.”

“I want to go home,” she said, looking up at him. He was blurry because of her tears.

“Which is why we’ll go out.”

“Benji, you don’t understand!” she yelled, shaking her phone at him. “I don’t know what is going on with my daughter because her dad is a jackass.” Sucking in a breath, she shook her head as she met his gaze. “I’m worried.”

“So am I,” he admitted. “But you’ve done everything you can. You dad will pull through, but I won’t let you sit at home and stew in your worry. You’ll drive yourself crazy.”

“So I’m supposed to act like it’s no big deal?”

“No. Not at all. I didn’t imply that either. I’m just saying that sitting at home stewing and thinking of everything that could go wrong is going to make it worse.” He paused as he looked at her with a serious expression. “Do you think he’d hurt her? If so, Lucy, I’ll drive you over there, bust in that house, get her, and go to jail. I don’t care.”

Her stomach hurt, but she was pretty sure Rick would never physically hurt her. He had never laid a hand on her before, only Lucy, but it scared her to the core that he could do it. He had never done that before, though. He always let her talk to Angie or let Angie call her. What if she was calling for Lucy? What if she needed her? Her heart hurt. Should she drive over there?

When her phone rang, she fumbled with it, not checking who it was before answering, “Hello?”

“Honey, it’s me,” her dad said, and her body went rigid.

“Yeah, what did you find out?”

“He doesn’t have to let you talk to her, and his lawyer pointed that out. I already knew this, though, and I said I’d send the cops over for a well-being check. The lawyer didn’t want that, so he put me on with Rick over conference. I told him to call you. He said he wouldn’t, that he was spending time with his daughter. I asked to speak with Angie. The lawyer said Rick didn’t have to do that, but he did. She got on the line, and I asked if she was okay. She said yes. I told her you were thinking about her and missing her a lot. She said she missed you and loved you, that she missed me, and that she hoped I could come to one of her games. I asked if she wanted to leave Rick’s house. But before she could answer, the lawyer hung up. So I don’t know. It’s a fucking mess, and I’m gonna go ahead and get a court date, I think. Some things need to change.”

Lucy’s heart was in her stomach, and she was pretty sure she was about to throw up. She didn’t hear a lot of what he had said, except that Angie was okay. “So, she’s okay?”

“She sounded upset, but she wasn’t crying. I don’t know.”

“What do you think I should do? Should I go over there?”

“There is no point. He’ll call the cops, and then someone will get arrested, more likely you since you’d be on his property.”

Lucy looked down at the ground, sucking in a breath. “So just wait till tomorrow?”

“Yeah, talk to her tomorrow, and if you want to proceed, I’ll arrange for a date.”

“Okay,” she said, nodding slowly and feeling a little better. Not much, but at least she wasn’t about to lose her shit anymore. Clearing her throat, she said, “Thanks, Dad.”

“Anytime. Keep documenting, Lucy. Everything. We’ll get this fixed.”

“Okay.”

“And maybe you can get me that hockey schedule so I can come,” he said and Lucy froze. She could tell him to fuck off, tell him to go to hell, but it wasn’t in her. He didn’t have to help her, especially with how hateful she had been since the divorce, but he was helping. He was there for her.

“Let me think about that.”

“Of course,” he said, and that surprised Lucy. She expected a fight. “Call me tomorrow.”

“I will.”

“Oh, are you dating someone?”

Lucy paused. “Why?”

“Lawyer says that Rick wants there to be a no-contact clause between the guy and Angie. That he is a pedophile. Since I know you haven’t brought anyone around Angie since you left Rick, I’m sure this guy is decent. So I told him again to take a flying leap. I wanted you to know that, though.”

Digging her nails into her palms, she shook her head. “He’s not a pedophile, and that won’t work, not only for me, but because Angie loves Benji.”

“I figured. Call me tomorrow after you speak with her. We’ll go from there.”

“Okay. Thanks, Dad.”

“Anytime,” he said and then she hung up, looking over at Benji.

“What did he say?” he asked, tucking his hands into his pockets.

As she explained what was said, what her dad wanted to do, Benji listened and nodded. Throwing her hands up, she shook her head. “This is a fucking mess.”

He nodded, pulling her into his arms. “It is.”

“I don’t want to go into a custody battle, Benji. He says you’re a pedophile, and I swear he is doing this to hurt me. He knows I’m finally happy and that Angie is happy. It’s such bullshit.”

Looking up, she found anger in his eyes. “He can say what he wants, but we know the truth. Angie knows the truth.”