Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“Son of a bitch. I don’t suppose you could tell her I’m not here?”
“I’d be more than happy to tangle with her if that’s what you want,” the ever-loyal Lara says. “But she’s determined. I already told her you were busy, and she said she would wait.”
“Fine,” I mutter. “Is the conference room cleared out?”
Lara nods. “I’ll bring her in there to wait.”
“Everything okay?” Jared asks.
I slam a frustrated hand against the counter. “The bitch showed up at my house demanding money or else she threatened to go after custody.”
Jared lets out a low whistle. “What’d you do?”
“Threw her out and called my attorney. My lawyer says we have a strong case based on Kayla’s history, but we both know I have no proof of what a shitty mother she was. Aside from me and my parents, and we’re all biased.”
“Fuck.”
I run a hand through my hair. “You can say that again. I don’t want to go through a legal battle or put Bailey through one, either. I don’t trust Kayla not to bring my little girl into court just to push me against the wall. And there’s no way in hell I’m paying her to go away. She’ll just come back next time she runs out of cash again,” I say, listing all the problems that keep me up nights. “I’ve been waiting for her next move. Guess this is it.”
“Want backup when you face her?” Jared offers.
“Thanks but I can handle her.” I hope.
I leave my coffee in the kitchen and head to the conference room, where my ex is pacing back and forth behind the large table. She is dressed similarly to the last time I saw her, a tight dress, high heels, overdone makeup, and hair teased full. Compared to Mia’s natural beauty, Kayla is plastic and fake, inside and out.
What did I see in her the first time? It is too late to wonder now.
“Kayla,” I say, stepping inside the room but leaving the door behind me open. “What are you doing here?” I ask, remaining on the far side of the conference table, away from my ex.
She meets my gaze with a cool stare of her own. “I haven’t heard from you, and I’ve given you plenty of time to consider my offer.”
I frown at that. “It wasn’t an offer, it was blackmail using your child as leverage. I told you I’m not paying you again. You received your settlement.”
She lets out a prolonged sigh. “Leave it to you to make this difficult.” She pulls out a folded piece of paper from her purse. “This is notice of a hearing. I warned you I’d go for custody, and I meant it.”
“You bitch.” I stare at the offending paper without touching it, rage filling me at the thought of Kayla getting anywhere near my daughter.
“Fine, don’t take it.” She slams the sheet down onto the table. “It doesn’t change the fact that you have to show up in court… or you can pay me, and this entire problem goes away. Poof. Just like that.” She snaps her fingers in the air in a dismissive action.
The irony is that she doesn’t want custody. She is counting on me caving into her demands out of fear she might win.
I curl my fingers into fists at my sides, breathing hard, trying to find a way to harness my anger. “In your eyes, Bailey’s either a pawn in your bid for cash or a problem you don’t want to deal with. That’s how you see her, isn’t it? Well, let me tell you something. You’ll get my money or my daughter over my dead body.”
“Promises, promises.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder and treats me to a cool smile and walks out the door, leaving me… and the hearing notice behind.
* * *
Mia
I push the shopping cart through the grocery store, filling up the wagon with all Bailey’s and Austin’s favorite foods, my mind occupied, as it often is, with thoughts of Austin.
In the days since I kissed him and he made me come apart beneath his hands, I’ve fought the hard fight to put both things out of my mind. I try not to pay attention to his finer qualities, either, but I can’t help but notice his patience with his daughter, his dedication to his job, and his continued kindness toward me myself.
He’s never mentioned that night, and if I didn’t catch him staring at me when he thinks I’m not looking, I’d think he has forgotten the incident completely. But the fact is, the sexual tension between us is thick, broken up only by the little girl I care for.
I finish up my list, pay with the credit card Austin provides for house-related things, and head to the SUV. I am engrossed with loading the bags into the trunk when someone pushes their cart into mine, shoving the metal end into the back bumper.