Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
I marched forward and surprised Mitchell, who seemed to be in deep thought, leaning on the fence surrounding an empty paddock.
“You,” I said and stabbed a finger in his chest when he turned to face me. “You think you’re just going to waltz in my daughter’s life after all this time and steal her with your pretty things, the house, the pony, the everything?” I slapped hard at his chest, wanting to hate him.
Mitchell narrowed his eyes but remained calm as he caught my wrist. “I wouldn’t have had to waltz in if I’d known she existed. And if your mother hadn’t dropped her off on my doorstep, I might have never found out.”
“What?”
His expression changed. “Your mother showed up and said that Agan only paid her to watch Zoe for two weeks. She told my brother it was time for us to take care of our own.”
Keeping my fury under wraps was award winning. I would deal with my mother later. I snatched back my hands, tossed my head back, and let loose a bitter laugh. “Don’t feed me that crap about you not knowing. I saw some of your friends back then and they saw my enormous belly. You can’t say you didn’t have an idea that maybe I was pregnant with your child.”
He blew out a breath. “I heard, sure. But I was young and stupid, and I believed that if it were mine, you’d come and tell me. It wasn’t like you didn’t know who I was.”
Oh, the ego on this man. “I knew exactly who you were. And you're damn right I came. I told your dad, and he bribed poor, young, stupid me with twenty-five hundred dollars to keep my mouth shut so I didn’t spoil your reputation around town. How was I to know he wasn’t going to tell you?”
“And how is it my fault he didn’t?” Mitchell snapped back. I ran a hand through my hair because he had a point. “Look, I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but Dad was just trying to protect me. And trust me when I say I gave him hell for keeping the secret. But now I get it. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for our daughter.” He practically yelled the word “our.”
Though I wanted to rage, once again he had a point. Hadn’t I contemplated swimming the entire ocean to get back to Zoe? “You may have a point, but how dare you move my daughter to a new school for your convenience?”
“Convenience?” he shouted. “There was nothing convenient about it. Last thing I wanted to do was upset our daughter’s life. She was worried enough about you. But damn if I’d let her continue to be bullied at that school.”
I stepped back, feeling my face contort with condemnation. “How dare you? Zoe was fine at that school. I know it isn’t as pretty as the school here, but it’s a good school.” Okay, that was a stretch, but I wouldn’t let him talk bad about Mountainside.
“Zoe wasn’t fine.” Each word was an accusation off his tongue. “Every time I took her to that school she’d change, withdraw into herself.”
“She never said a thing to me.”
“Me either. But I heard it firsthand—this little asshole and his followers calling you a whore.”
I jerked back as if he’d slapped me. “They didn’t.”
“They did. I threatened the little jerk that I’d sue him and his whole family with slander if they couldn’t prove that statement.”
An inappropriate giggle burst from my throat. “You didn’t?” I asked.
He chuckled. “I did. Scared the pants off of them. But I couldn’t leave her there. She had enough to deal with without being bullied.”
I closed my eyes and dropped my head before facing him again. “Fine. Thank you. You did the right thing. But I’m back and you can’t make unilateral decisions about”—the word clawed in my throat before I forced it out—“our daughter.”
“Agreed,” he said.
“I should get home, but don’t think I’m okay with Zoe living with you forever.”
His face changed. I didn’t know him well enough to read his expression. “Have you talked to Avery?”
“Not much. Why?”
“You should talk to her before you go.”
I was smart enough to notice he hadn’t said “go home,” and I didn’t like it. I called Avery. “Can you come outside and tell me what’s going on with my place? I don’t want to wake up Zoe.”
FOURTEEN
When Avery came out, I immediately felt bad. She had terrible bed head, and I’d likely woken her up. “Sorry, I fell asleep. I do that a lot lately,” she said.
“Tell me about it,” I said. When she glanced down at her belly, I got it. “Oh, my God. You’re pregnant.”
“Yeah,” she said. “It’s Nate’s.”
I wasn’t surprised, but she looked worried. “I’m so happy for you both.”