Was he stalking her? He hadn’t seemed stalkerish the other night. In fact, he’d left her alone when she told him she wasn’t interested. She’d met plenty of men who would have pursued her regardless, unable to resist a challenge.
Abby was willing to bet Hunt had helped her with her car yesterday too. One minute the valet at Club Tahoe was harassing her about moving the thing, and the next minute he was helping her get it towed. After he’d spoken to Hunt.
Hunt continued to watch her and Noah, and he didn’t look happy. What was that about?
“I work here,” he said. What areyoudoing here?”
“Picking up my son from his daycare. But it seems he had a rough day.” Understatement, but she didn’t want to get upset in front of Noah. And if Hunt really worked here, he’d receive an earful from her soon enough.
She’d assumed that by sending Noah to Club Tahoe—one of the most respected establishments in the area, with a daycare center parents raved about—her child would be safe while she worked to keep them sheltered, with food on the table. Apparently not.
She took a deep breath and shifted gears. No need to jump to conclusions. “Was Noah getting pushed today an accident?”
Hunt grabbed the back of his neck without meeting her eyes. “Not exactly,” he said, at the same time Noah shook his head.
Abby saw red. Kids sometimes played rough. That didn’t mean they acted in malice. But apparently, this kid had intentionally hurt her child.
This washer son, and she paid a pretty penny—one she couldn’t afford—for him to attend Club Kids. She expected a hell of a lot better than her child being shoved off a dock. Her son could have hit his head and drowned.
She sent a harsh look at Hunt then glanced at her son. “What happened?”
Noah’s eyes darted away. “Sometimes the bigger kids pick on the little ones, and I’m the smallest. Except for the babies. But they don’t play with us.”
That was it. She didn’t care how good of a reputation Club Tahoe had; it wasn’t the place for her child. “Come on. Let’s grab your things. We’re leaving.”
* * *
After announcing they were leaving,Abby looked at Hunt and shot darts from her eyes. Or would have, if darts could shoot from eyes.
Hunt couldn’t blame her for being upset about the kid pushing Noah.Huntwas upset. But why would this woman show up late if she cared so much about her kid? No matter how heartwarming the greeting, anyone who didn’t pick up their child on time after a traumatizing event was suspect, in Hunt’s book.
Brin had talked to all the kids that afternoon and gave them the whole “gentle bodies” speech, as Kaylee called it when she went into child psychologist mode. Meaning, keep your hands to yourself and don’t hurt others. But Hunt was upset it had happened at all. He never wanted to see Noah hurt, or any kid for that matter. Which was ironic.
Hunt and his brothers grew up picking on each other and getting into daily physical fights. It was how he’d been raised. Basically, like animals in polo shirts and khakis without a mother or attentive father to teach them right from wrong. They’d eventually grown out of the physical fighting—for the most part—but Hunt didn’t want that for Noah. Noah was a gentle soul, and kids picking on him could crush the little guy.
Before the boy ran off, he smiled at Hunt. “That’s my mom,” he said proudly, and darted toward Club Kids.
Clearly, Noah loved his mom. And regardless of whether or not she showed up on time—which still irked Hunt—she appeared to love her boy too.
Hunt sent her the same smile thathadn’tworked on her the other night, eager to smooth things over.
Except Abby’s scowl deepened.
What the hell? His smile hadn’t worked on this woman. Twice now. That was a record, and not one he wished to triplicate.
“How could you allow some bully to push Noah into the water?” she said. “What kind of place are you running?”
Hunt glanced around. “A pretty nice one, considering the reviews.” His comment hadn’t helped. Her plush lips pursed. Still kissable, though. “Rest assured,” he said, “we’ve talked to the child who pushed Noah. Nothing’s more important than water safety around here.”
“Hunt took me on a walk after it happened,” Noah said, darting in front of Hunt and wrapping his arms around his mother’s waist, apparently catching the tail end of their conversation.
“I didn’t know you had a son,” Hunt said, finally pointing out the elephant in the room. “You didn’t mention it the other night.”
“You saw me here yesterday. I’m sure you didn’t forget my car breaking down.”
He remembered. He just hadn’t believed she, of all women, could be his favorite kid’s mother. “Did Jeffery’s fix the car?”
Her shoulders sank in a deep sigh. “They did. Thank you for helping me. But this?” She waved her hands at the lake and Noah. “It’s not okay. I’m sorry, but this won’t work out anymore for Noah.”
