As he tried to concentrate on the stats, and as the rolling banner across the bottom of the screen announced a snowstorm was on its way late in the day tomorrow, his conversation with Linda distracted him. She’d said she wanted to talk with him tomorrow. She’d made a big mistake. She could move back into their condo with him while he rehabbed his knee, and they could work on repairing their relationship. Then she added the zinger about how if they could work things out, it’d save him the child support he owed her for the past five years.
All a load of BS.
And nothing about how she’d missed Ryan.
Her new boyfriend must’ve figured out what she was really like and kicked her out. She probably needed a place to live temporarily until she found her next rich victim. Or it could be some plan to make another guy jealous. If it weren’t for Ryan, he’d tell Linda to stay out of his life for good. She wasn’t getting child support for a child she’d hidden from him. He’d happily be sure Ryan had anything he needed going forward, though.
But if he turned her down flat, would she use Ryan as a pawn in her many games? The poor kid was better off without his calculating mother. Chad needed a way to get her to sign over full custody to him, with the provision that Linda could visit Ryan anytime she liked. That way Ryan would have a stable home.
If they went to court, would the judge side with Linda because she was the mother and he’d only known Ryan for a few months? Hell, if they asked what Ryan wanted, he’d for sure side with Linda, because she let him do whatever he liked. What if she took Ryan to Europe as punishment for refusing her the back child support money? He wouldn’t lose a second child. It was only money. He had more than he could spend anyway.
All the noise in his head made him give up trying to pay attention to football, so he turned off the TV. As he lay on his back with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling, a thought of how to thwart Linda’s plan hit him.
He grabbed his cell to text his lawyer and ask him to send a custody agreement right away. Then he dialed Jo. She answered with, “I was having the best dream of my life, so this better be important.”
“It is. Did the dream include me?” He was pretty sure his dreams were going to include her after their hot kiss. She’d been the subject of many of his again lately.
“Nope, he was faceless. But he had a really hot body.” She yawned loudly into the phone. “They never have faces when I haven’t had sex in a while. Why am I even telling you this?”
“Because you were asleep. You used to say the cutest things before you were all the way awake in the mornings.” It was one of his favorite things about her. “But you’re in good company. I’ve been living like a monk too.” He really should do something about that. But when would he between rehab and Ryan?
She snorted. “A few weeks is nothing compared to two years. You’ll live.”
“Two years?” He settled farther under the covers and plumped up his pillow. “Why would you choose to go two years without sex? You could have any guy you want, Jo.”
“I’ve been busy with my café the last year.” She sighed. “And before that, I didn’t want a man in my life after the last one.”
Shelby had told him about her bad breakup with the doctor. He wanted to punch the guy for using Jo to get ahead at her father’s practice. “Tell your matchmaking team they need to step up their game. Scott was a lapdog. You need a Rottweiler.”
She chuckled. “I’ll let them know you said so. Why are you keeping me from my sex dream?”
He wanted to offer to take care of the sex for her, but he’d better not. “Linda wants me to take her back.”
“Are you kidding me? After running off with another man and then hiding your kid from you? If you take her back, I’ll call three strikes and quit rehabbing you.”
“I’m not taking her back.” Jo was always a straight shooter. He liked that about her. “But if I tell her to take a hike, I’m afraid she’ll use Ryan as a weapon, so I need for you to show up tomorrow wearing your ring. If she thinks I’m engaged, maybe she’ll back off on whatever scheme she’s cooking up.” He wouldn’t mention the money Linda was asking for, or Jo might completely lose it.
There was nothing but dead air for a full ten seconds. “Jo? If you’re not going to talk to me, then hand the phone to the faceless guy. Maybe he’s got a sister.”
She chuckled. “Stop making me laugh. This could be a very bad idea, Chad.” She blew out a long breath. “Won’t she know that you were just living with that other woman, so our engagement would be awfully fast?”