22. Susannah

S usannah stood stone still, except, yeah. This was even better than she'd hoped. Everything had fallen into place, starting with one phone call to the number Adam had given her. Yes, it belonged to Olivia "Ivy" Button—the real one.

Susannah had suspected Ivy was an imposter when she didn't answer to her full name, which told her she didn't even know it. That meant Susannah had to find out who did, so she called the woman named Olivia Button Beattie—known to friends and family as Ivy—who was married and living in Minnesota. She confirmed that her ill and elderly mother, Felicity Parrish Button, was a resident of a private assisted-living facility called Sunrise Vista Home.

After one long conversation that offered more answers than questions, Olivia instantly arranged for a flight, arriving this morning. With her, she brought…

Well, the court was about to find out what she'd brought.

As everyone took a seat, her gaze stayed on Olivia Beattie, who, she'd learned in the car this morning on the ride back from the airport, utterly despised the sharp-tongued volunteer—who she knew as Alice—who was always up in her mother's business.

Olivia wasn't at all surprised that Alice was a scammer who stole her name for nefarious purposes. When she'd found out, she'd been willing to do anything to help the family—including fly right into Jacksonville and do whatever necessary to send this con artist to jail.

Until that happened, Susannah couldn't actually wallow in the utter delight that her daughters had arranged the adoption she'd long ago let go. But if the imposter won? Then it would cast a pall over everything.

Olivia joined her and gave a soft smile as they took the last few steps to stand in front of the judge next to Fake Ivy.

Susannah slipped into the row next to Rex, whose expression was a mix of baffled and relieved. Before they could talk, the gavel hit again.

"What is going on?" Judge Strayton asked without preamble. "Which one of you is Ivy Button? Is that a real name?"

"I am," Olivia said. "My name is Olivia Button Beattie and I'm frequently called Ivy. This woman is impersonating me. I know her as Alice Quimble, a volunteer at the assisted-living home where my mother, Felicity Button, is currently living."

"Is Alice Quimble your real name?" the judge asked.

"It'll do," Ivy—Alice—fired back.

All of Judge Strayton's homespun benevolence evaporated as he scowled at her. "May I remind you that you are in a court of law, and I have full authority to fine you for contempt if you don't show the proper respect I demand in this room."

Alice took a step backwards, her dirty sneakers squeaking on the linoleum. "I can, uh, just…" She thumbed over her shoulder. "Leave now."

"Not on your life," the judge said. "You made some extremely serious allegations, and I want details."

Susannah didn't want details, but she bit her lip, hoping the judge would give Olivia a chance to speak first.

"I, um…" Alice shuffled again. "I might have…misspoke."

The judge's furry brows lifted. "Misspoke? You accused a pillar of our local community of a despicable crime, made a similar allegation of a woman who is clearly adored by everyone who knows her, and dragged the entire family—and the local media—to your circus. So now, Ms. Alice Quimble, you will speak."

She took a slow and shuddering breath, and shot a look at Olivia. "You want to go first?"

"Ms. Quimble," the judge boomed. "Speak or pay a fine that you won't like."

"I, um, read some letters that were sent to a woman I was helping at an assisted-living facility," she said, her words halting and so soft, Susannah had to lean closer to hear her. "And I thought it seemed like she'd been…mistreated. Yeah, like she'd worked for this family forever and this guy"— she pointed to Rex—"took advantage of her, and she never really got compensated. So I sort of used this woman's name to gain access and…and…"

"And blackmail them for that compensation?" the judge guessed, intelligent enough to put two and two together and come up with the con.

She looked down at the ground.

"Do you have those letters?" he asked.

"I have them," Olivia said, sliding a file folder from her bag, the contents of which she'd read to Susannah on the way up I-95 from the airport. "The letters I have—which are originals, I might add—don't say anything about an assault or being mistreated." She put the folder on his desk. "They were sent by Doreen Parrish, my aunt, to my mother over a period of about thirty years. You'll see they are mostly the ramblings of a woman who suffered from a mild disability and read a lot of love stories. She readily admits that as a teenager, she had a crush on Mr. Wingate, and threw herself at a man she heard a college friend refer to as Sexy Rexy."

The judge slid a look at Rex, who he'd known for years, but neither reacted.

"My mother left this area long ago," Olivia explained. "She married, and married well, I will say. She became active in her community and lived a full life, but now she's suffering from dementia. She had a distant relationship with her sister. Despite many offers by my mother to move Doreen to Minnesota and support her, her sister insisted she wanted to stay at Wingate House. Change terrified her and she felt comfortable with the family, although she admitted to being awkward around Rex for having pressured him when they were young."

As she spoke, the judge sifted through the contents of the folder.

"As you can tell from what she writes," Olivia continued, "she was treated fairly, well-compensated, but could have a caustic tone. She once heard one of the girls, who was ten at the time, call her Dor-mean. I think it was Victoria."

The judge looked out into the group and Tori let out a little grunt when she raised her hand like a shy schoolgirl. "I'm probably guilty of that."

"She also said the little girl apologized," Olivia added.

Judge Strayton nodded, his body language saying he'd heard enough, then he looked at Alice. "And you have letters that say something different?"

"Not on me—"

"I have them right here."

Every head turned to the back of the room as Adam's voice boomed over the heads of the others. He strode into the room, a phone in one hand, the familiar manila envelope in the other. He moved with the confidence that bespoke his years as an FBI agent, and a man certain he was about to close a case.

"And I have proof that they were all forgeries, handwritten by this woman"—he pointed to Alice—"who has made quite a criminal career out of conning vulnerable and wealthy residents of nursing homes. That was exactly what she did when she read those letters and rewrote them in a way that she could use against the Wingate family. Then she dyed her hair and showed up here as Ivy Button, demanding a house she knew she'd never get, and would eventually push for a financial settlement to make her go away."

"She already has," Susannah said as a soft gasp and rumble rolled through the courtroom.

"She uses multiple aliases," Adam continued, "and is wanted in the state of Minnesota for…" He glanced at his phone. "Intent to defraud, falsifying documents, altering a prescription, signature forgery, financial exploitation of seniors for personal gain…it goes on. Do you need specifics, Your Honor, or can I just turn her over to the federal agents waiting downstairs?"

"You may take her and add perjury to her list." He looked at Olivia. "Will you go with them and supply a statement? I have very important adoptions to take care of."

She smiled at him and nodded, pausing at the row where Susannah was perched next to Rex. Ever the gentleman, he stood and took the hands she held out to him.

"Mrs. Beattie, I'm sorry for any inconvenience—"

"No inconvenience at all," she said quickly. "When Susannah called me and told me what was happening, I couldn't get on a plane fast enough. Mr. Wingate, I want you to know that my aunt was not unhappy with her life at Wingate House. Doreen was born with a disability due to, they thought at the time, a lack of oxygen during birth. But if you read those letters, and I hope you do, you'll see that she always appreciated your whole family. She acknowledged her very aggressive behavior toward you, too. She never mentioned having a baby, or I assure you, my mother would have stepped in to raise it."

"Thank you," Rex said simply. "I appreciate you telling me that."

"You're quite welcome and I thank you for giving her a purpose for so many years." She smiled and glanced around. "But I believe I have a long-lost cousin named Blake whom I've never met. Is he here?"

"I'm right here!" Blake popped up and they met in the aisle, sliding arms around each other as they followed Adam out.

For a moment, Rex stood frozen, watching them. Then suddenly, he exhaled on a whoosh and threw his arms around Susannah. "Thank you, darling. Thank you."

"It's over, Rex." She leaned back and smiled at him. "It's all over."

"Not quite," the judge interjected. "Mrs. Wingate, can you approach the bench? I'd like to close one more matter during this most eventful day."

Madeline, Tori, Raina, and Rose practically sprinted to the front, group-hugging, high-fiving, and doing a terrible job of being very somber.

Susannah couldn't blame them. She was three seconds—and four daughters—away from doing a jig on the judge's bench herself.

"Adult adoptions are usually done for specific legal reasons," Judge Strayton said when they settled down. "To establish inheritance rights, to formalize a stepparent relationship, or to ensure legal access in a crisis or hospitalization."

They all just looked at him, finally silent and serious.

"My guess is that this one is for sentimental reasons."

Susannah stepped forward, her arms around as many of her daughters as she could hold.

"Yes, sir. You are correct. But I also want the world to know that these four women are…mine." She gave a laugh that caught in her throat. "They always have been. Ever since Raina and Rose were toddlers, Tori was a little girl, and Madeline just wanted to be my helper, I have loved them, cared for them, and actually learned from them every single day."

She took a slow breath, looking from one to the other, swamped with gratitude.

"And if I might say a word, Your Honor?"

He nodded, giving her a chance to find composure and say what was on her heart.

"There is one woman who isn't here today but should be recognized, and that is their biological mother, Charlotte. At the time of her death, this small family was rocked, and Rex was…lost." She glanced at him, not surprised to see the tears pouring. "But from that deep sadness and grief, this family emerged. I'm so grateful and humbled and hope I've…I've honored her by being their stepmother."

For a long moment, the room stayed silent while Susannah caught her breath to finish.

"But if you can help us make it official in the eyes of the law and God, then I will sleep better knowing I've been blessed with seven of the most amazing daughters a mother could have."

He nodded slowly, his intentional gaze moving over all of them with warmth and approval. "It is done. You are now their mother."

The sound of his ubiquitous gavel was drowned out by the loudest squeal of happy Wingates that Susannah had ever heard. She was smashed in their arms, kissed by their lips, and thrilled when one after another called her Mom.

On a cloud of love and laughter, they all floated together, picking up sisters and husbands and babies on the way, happy to see that Chloe and Sadie had joined and witnessed the adoption, with Scout standing just a few feet away.

They spilled into the hall and everyone talked at once, with opinions and jokes and replays ricocheting through the small hallway. There, Chloe turned and looked around.

"Travis!" she called. "Come and join us."

He walked toward the group, with little Judah on his hip, the child looking overwhelmed by the mass of noisy people, but quite comfortable on his uncle's shoulder. "We stayed outside but it sounds like everything went well in there," he said.

"You have no idea," Susannah said breathlessly, sliding her arm around Rex as he stayed right beside her. "This family is…" She shook her head, not even trying to fight the tears.

"I don't know how to thank you all for everything," Rex said. "I've spent fifty years being proud of my daughters, and that last hour was the highlight of all those years."

As they cooed and hugged, Susannah held up her hand.

"Well, I know how to thank you," she said. "We can start with a party this coming weekend—the best double-ring ceremony you can imagine."

"Um, Mom. About that." Chloe came closer, one hand on Travis's shoulder. "You should know why we were late and not there for the first part of the hearing."

The chatter died down as Chloe moved into the center of the whole group, tugging Travis's arm so that he and Judah joined her.

"Where were you?" Raina asked. "I couldn't believe you and Sadie didn't make it."

"We had something very important to do, and Sadie was a witness," Chloe said.

"To what?" Rex asked, looking from one to the other.

Travis slid into a grin and put his free arm around Chloe, the three of them a picture of…a family!

"You're keeping him!" Susannah exclaimed.

Travis hugged them both. "We sure are."

Chloe practically danced with excitement, reaching for Judah's hand. "Travis McCall and I just became the legal guardians and future parents of Judah McCall, so please welcome him to the family."

Raina whooped the loudest. "We did it!" she exclaimed. "Seven adoptions in one family in one day! It's gotta be an Amelia Island record!"

They joined her in the celebration, with Chloe beaming in a way Susannah had never seen before. She'd never had that expression on her face when she looked at Hunter Landry, that was for sure. This was…this was… Oh, goodness.

She knew what Chloe was going to say next.

"Is there any chance we could make that a triple-ring ceremony?" she asked.

Travis tugged her closer. "We'd like this unit to be legal and official as soon as possible."

One more time, the Wingate family cheered, hugged, and hooted so loud that two babies cried and Judah put his hands over his ears.

"I'd say the answer is yes," Susannah assured Chloe as she hugged them both and gave a kiss to Judah.

They started to walk toward the stairs in a pack, pairing up, laughing, talking, reliving the emotionally-charged morning.

All but Sadie, who took Susannah's arm and eased her back before they got to the top of the stairs, with Scout doing the same to Rex.

"Could we talk for a second?" Sadie asked, as all the others disappeared around the landing, laughter and talking floating up through the open stairs.

"Of course," Rex said, slowing his step as they stood and formed a small circle of four. "Is everything okay?"

Scout and Sadie shared a secret, warm look that…that…

"Another one?" Rex asked on a laugh, echoing exactly what Susannah was thinking.

The couple slid their arms around each other, unified and clearly very much in love.

"This day could only be better, sir," Scout said, "if you give me your blessing to marry Sadie. I love her with all my heart and I will make her very happy."

Rex drew back, his jaw loose. "Well, at least you asked," he said on a chuckle. "That last one just told me."

"I'm asking with humility and high hopes," Scout said. "And I realize we're a different faith, but—"

Rex held up his hand. "You're of one mind," he said. "I've noticed that from the beginning. Yes, you most certainly have my blessing."

"Thank you, Dad!" Sadie reached up and hugged him, then turned to Susannah. "And a question for you, Mom."

"You could ask me anything today, Sadie," Susannah replied. "I'm pretty sure the answer will be yes."

"Wait until you hear it."

Susannah lifted both brows. "Okay."

Sadie glanced in the general direction of the noise still coming from the group that had made it down to the lobby but couldn't be quieted.

"We'd like to get married quickly and, as a matter of fact, after Chloe and Travis finished the guardianship, Scout and I slipped down to the marriage license office. Do you think we could make it…a four-ring ceremony?"

Susannah's laugh morphed into a gasp, then nearly a sob of joy. "Of course!"

"What's the hurry?" Rex asked.

Sadie bit her lip and put her hand on her stomach. "Well, we…we just want…no fuss and—"

"Sadie's having a baby," Scout said, his whole face lit with pride. "But even if she weren't, I cannot wait to marry this woman."

Rex and Susannah exchanged a quick look, then folded the other two in their arms, no more words needed to show their love and approval of this decision. After more hugs and kisses and congrats, Susannah let out a sigh of ecstasy.

"Join the others," she said, gesturing for Scout and Sadie to go downstairs. "Dad and I need a moment."

"Of course." Sadie kissed them both and walked out arm in arm with one of the nicest men Susannah had ever met.

"Well." Susannah sighed, almost dizzy from the day. "You wanted more grandchildren."

Rex just smiled at her, his eyes misty from all the tears. "You did this, Susannah Wingate. I just worked and doled out advice, but you made these beautiful women who love the same way they breathe—without thinking. Thank you for giving me this life. Thank you."

She slid into his arms just as the door they were next to popped open. Judge Strayton stepped out, then stopped and did a double-take when he saw them.

"Don't move, you two," he said.

He pivoted and went right back inside, leaving them perplexed.

"I hope he doesn't change his mind," Susannah said, only half joking.

"Maybe you were supposed to sign something."

The door opened again, and the judge held out his gavel to Rex. "It occurred to me you'd like to keep this."

"A wonderful memento of a spectacular day," Rex said, taking it. "Thank you."

"And…" The judge's wry smile grew. "You might need it with that crew."

They heard him chuckling as he walked down the hall.