Free Mister Fixit (Love in New York #3) by Elle Casey Page B

head. “No. You’re out. You’re out for good. I wish you’d just accept that and move on.”
    “But why?” His voice is full of anguish. “What did I do that’s so unforgivable? And don’t say that I took Cassie from you, because I didn’t.”
    “I can’t believe you really think that.” I shake my head, so confused about how a man so smart can be so incredibly dense.
    “You need to let me tell you what really happened.”
    “I know what really happened. I was there. Believe me, I’ll never forget.”
    “No, you weren’t there. You were in here.” He points to my head. “And in here.” He points to my heart.
    I want to smack his finger away, but I don’t. I just listen, a ringing in my ears making it difficult to hear too well.
    “The law says that the court must do what’s in the best interest of the child…”
    I open my mouth to argue about how putting a child with a drug addict could never be in her best interests, but he holds up his hand to shush me.
    “…Just let me finish.” He takes a deep breath and continues. “As I said, it’s the best interests of the child they look at. And almost without exception, unless the parent is truly incapacitated, the best interest of a child is to be with a birth parent who is willing and able to care for her.”
    I open my mouth again, but he just keeps on talking right over me.
    “Jeremy got his shit together. He was and is still going to AA meetings. With Sarah there to support him, he was turning his life around. It was only a matter of time before he hired someone you don’t know and got Cassie back. It would have been a stranger who didn’t care about you, and I couldn’t stomach the idea of that happening. I knew you were going to be crushed. I knew how much you loved her.”
    “Don’t say it in the past tense, as if I don’t still love her like my own daughter,” I say, nearly choking on my tears.
    “I didn’t mean it that way and you know it.” He takes my arms and shakes me a tiny bit. “Jana, I know you. I know you so well. I’ve been in your life for what seems like forever. You’re family to me. I’d never do anything to you with malice or negligence. You have to believe me. I had your best interests at heart.”
    I pull myself out of his grip and take a step back. “How can you say that? You took my daughter from me.”
    “No.” He frowns, taking a step toward me and holding my arms firmly. “She is not your daughter. She’s Jeremy’s daughter. You cared for her when he was lost, but that didn’t change the fact that he has the right to raise her.” His voice softens. “Just as you have the right to raise your own children one day.” He pulls me against him and talks over my head. I’m too weak to fight him as his words slice through me and cut me to the bone. “Imagine if you had a daughter one day and then something terrible happened to your health and you couldn’t care for her for a year. And your brother took her in. Wouldn’t you want her back after you were healthy again? Would you ever agree to let him keep her, as much as he loved her and took care of her when you couldn’t?”
    He’s painting a picture I don’t want to see. I try to fight him, but he holds me tighter.
    “Please, Jana. Please…”
    “No!” I shout, finally succeeding in pushing him away. “I don’t want to hear anything else from you!” I point to the door, breathing like I just ran a mile. “Get out! Just get out!”
    “You know I’m right!” he shouts back, his face dark red.
    “Get out!” I screech, no longer sounding human.
    He strides to the door, grabbing his toolbox from the ground. “You’re hurting everyone with your attitude,” he growls as he yanks the door open. His glare carries an anger I’ve never seen from him before. I think he’s finally starting to hate me back, and it should make me happy but it breaks my heart all over again.
    “Shut up! I don’t want to hear anything else from you!” I feel