“Exactly, but my dad told them to take a flying leap, that they can take us to court. But he doesn’t think they will. Should I call Rick? Try to talk to him about this? Maybe we can work something out? I don’t know, I just don’t want to go to court. I don’t want to do that to Angie.”

He didn’t say anything at first, and she’d almost thought she lost him when he said, “Yeah, Angie doesn’t need to go through that. But do you think calling him would work?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure it would end in a screaming match.”

“Yeah, then what’s the point, you know?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to make sure I was making the right choice. Ignore it.”

“You know him better than I do. As a man, I would want to sit down and discuss it with you, figure out how to make it better for both sides. But he isn’t a man, he’s a disgusting waste of space, or at least, from what I’ve seen, he is. You don’t really tell me much about him.”

Biting the inside of her cheek, her stomach dropped. She didn’t talk about it because she hated Rick. Still, she could understand his interest in it. “Do you want to know?”

“Well, considering it deals with you and Angie, I would like to know. Maybe I can better understand his idiocy.”

Lucy sighed. “No, there’s no understanding Rick Hart.”

“Well, we can talk about that later. Angie is coming. I’ll be at the house in a bit.”

“Okay. Thanks, babe.”

“Anytime,” he said before hanging up. She dropped her phone to her lips, tapping them in deep thought. Surely, Rick wouldn’t do more. Letting out a long breath because she just wasn’t sure, she went to return inside. But when she turned, she ran right into her mother.

“Good Lord, Mom! How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.”

She looked hurt and Lucy’s lip curled. “I was coming inside.”

“I know. But this bastard has contacted a lawyer and he thinks he’s gonna get the parenting plan changed?”

Anxiety eating her from within, she nodded. “Apparently. From what Dad said.”

“But your father has this? He feels good about it?”

“From what he said,” she said simply and her mother nodded.

“He’s a shitty person, but he’s a good lawyer and he loves Angie. I think it will be okay. I don’t think anything will come of it.”

Lucy shrugged, hoping her mom was right, that Benji was right. “I hope so.” Her mother’s eyes met hers, searching them before taking Lucy’s hands in hers. Lucy held her mother’s gaze and then shook her head. “What, Mom?”

“You trust him?”

“Dad? I mean he’s a law—”

“No, Benji.”

Lucy looked down, her heart beating fast in her chest. For so long, she had been closed off from everything. She shared things with her mom, but it was mostly details about Angie—never deep, dark feelings because she wasn’t really a sharing kind of girl. It sure as hell was never about a guy because no guy ever came along. But now one had, and while she was giddy about Benji, she didn’t want anyone judging her. Because, yeah, it was moving fast. He was picking her kid up and giving her advice about an ex he didn’t really even know anything about, but it worked for her.

They just clicked.

But would her mom get that? Lucy had rushed into marriage with Rick, and that had ended in a fiery heap of shit. Was she making the same mistake? As soon as she thought that, she knew she wasn’t. First, she wasn’t marrying Benji; they were dating and he was nothing like the sort of man Rick was. Things were just so much different with Benji. Still, it made her so damn nervous.

Meeting her mom’s gaze, she shrugged. “Yeah. I do.”

Aged from years of raising four hellions and going through a nasty divorce, her mother’s face lit up as her lips curved, her fingers lacing with Lucy’s. “How long have you been seeing him? I mean, how did I not know?”

Lucy bit her lip and looked away. “Because it’s only been like two weeks. I know it’s crazy and stupid and so new, but—”

“Lucy Lane, does he make you happy?”

She looked up, her eyes wide as her mother gazed at her, love shining in her eyes. Clearing her throat, she nodded. “Yeah, he does.”

“Is he good to Angie?”

Lucy grinned and her heart skipped a beat thinking about how great he really was with her. Angie hadn’t wanted to stay home the day before, and even though the apartment wasn’t safe, Benji promised to keep an eye out so she could come. So she would feel included. “He is.”

“Good, then it doesn’t matter how much time it’s been. It matters how you feel,” she said.

“But I made mistakes before. Rick—”

“And you learned from them, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

She nodded, her eyes pleading with Lucy’s. “You know, I’ve always been able to read people. I know a good person when I see them. I knew that Jude was going to marry Claire. That Jayden would marry Baylor, that Jace would marry Avery,” she said, her eyes darkening with each word. “I knew when I looked at River, after I decided I wanted to move on, that he was the man for me. Lucy, honey, I loved him after our third date.”

Lucy smiled, holding her hands. “Whoa, no love here, Mom. I really like him and I trust him, but whoa.”