Free Her Forever Family by Mae Nunn

compliment her on a thorough investigation of the facts or escort her out of his house for insulting his integrity?
    And either way, what if she was right?

Chapter Nine
    B en would take this up with God later, but right now the woman across the table had made some comments that had to be addressed.
    Randy Mason had arranged their initial meeting with the reps for Parents First Alliance. Trusting Randy with his life, Ben naturally assumed these folks who’d given generously to autism research were completely on the up and up. Yes, there’d been some negative press during their court battles to keep kids out of the system and under the guardianship of their parents, but wasn’t that what parental rights were all about?
    Had he been naive to trust Randy’s judgment without question? Probably, since Ben was now questioning himself while the lady at his kitchen table waited, staring, expecting a rebuttal.
    “I’d like to answer your concerns, but you have me at a disadvantage. I need to do more research on the PFA and their legal battles with Child Protective Services.”
    “With all due respect, you should have done due diligence on that subject before you decided to associate with the PFA.”
    Fed up with the attack, Ben mirrored her actions, laying down his fork and pushing back from his plate.
    “You know what, Doctor Stone? Until further notice I’m still a private citizen. Who I associate with is really none of your business. However, you’ve scored some points and given me plenty to think about. For that I thank you. Once I’ve declared myself a political candidate you’re welcome to get in line with the opposition and have at me. But I’ll also thank you to keep your thoughts on my personal affiliations to yourself, at least in my home and certainly with my son.”
    Ben’s defensive words rebounded in the vaulted ceiling above the kitchen and then the room fell silent. If there’d been a cricket in the house, they’d have heard it chirping. At this moment he’d even welcome the tapping of the dog’s nails on the floor nearby as an excuse to break eye contact with Alison Stone. She blinked first, pushed her chair back from his table and placed the folded napkin beside her plate.
    “I’ll see myself out,” she said quietly.
    “You don’t have to leave.” His mama would be horrified. His unkind words were about to run this woman out the door.
    “It’s getting late anyway, so I think it would be best.” She crossed to the built-in desk where she’d set her bag, fished inside it and pulled out a ring of keys.
    “Would you at least take your dinner with you?” Benoffered, knowing he had too much food and no appetite to continue the meal or the conversation.
    “No thanks. I have leftover pizza.”
    If he wanted this to be the last he saw of Doctor Alison Stone here was the perfect opportunity to say so.
    But in spite of her spitfire personality, he really liked the lady.
    And what about Ethan?
    “Should we expect a visit from you tomorrow?” Ben probed.
    “My Sundays are reserved for worship and personal time with some of those young people I was telling you about.”
    “Let me rephrase. Should we expect a visit from you ever again?”
    Her shoulders drooped for a moment as if the weight of the question were too great. Then, she looked him right in the eye. “Mr. Lamar, I’ve never run from a problem or a challenge. I know I had my doubts about working with Ethan, but as of today I consider him one of my kids. I try never to let them down because everybody deserves to have at least one person they can count on to accept them unconditionally.”
    She turned about face, not giving Ben the opportunity to remind her that Ethan had plenty of people he could count on. The heels of her boots thunked loudly across the tile floor and then more quietly on the wood of the entry hall. The alarm system chirped as the door opened and closed behind the very opinionated woman.
    Ben stared at her plate and the