Chapter Thirteen
Nolan
Katie ends up staying through to the end of her next regularly scheduled visit. I won’t deny I’m feeling a little emotional when I drop her off at school that Friday morning, which will start the beginning of her week with Jerilyn. It’s been nice having both kids home with us, and we’ve definitely formed new daily routines. I end up picking Katie up from school only one day that week, and I count the days until I get her the next Friday and she’s home with us again.
Caine has become a regular fixture around our house. He still hasn’t come out to his parents, but he knows he can rely on us for backup when he finally decides to.
The boys have become co-conspirators with us in helping keep our secret from Katie. Luckily for us, she goes to bed before we do and we have to wake her up every morning for school, so it’s not a problem.
And we’re extremely vigilant about locking our bedroom door.
I try not to grill Katie about Jerilyn, but I have noticed the number of last-minute pick-up requests on Jer’s weeks dramatically dropped ever since that night Katie told me and Arlo about what she’d said to her mom.
Today is Monday, we’re six weeks into our new living arrangement, and I’m still kicking myself I didn’t do this sooner. Katie is happier than I can ever remember her being. Lucas is once again the smiling, happy kid we all know and love.
I guess I was lulled into a false sense of security. It’s a Katie week this week, and I take today off from work. Lucas has the day off from school because it’s a teacher planning day, and I want to go walk the Nokomis property again before we meet with the builder next week to start discussing what we need to do. Caine has a dentist appointment and can’t go with us. Katie, however, has school today, because her school has a different schedule than the high school. So after Lucas and I drop her off, we head to Nokomis, do our thing, and return to the house after grabbing lunch.
We’re home maybe twenty minutes when the doorbell rings, and I look to see it’s Jerilyn standing there.
Fuck.
I open the door. “Yeah?”
“I called your office and they said you took the day off.” Her gaze travels up and down me in a dismissive way that also makes me vaguely uncomfortable. Like she’s evaluating me.
I step outside and pull the door shut behind me. “Yeah? So? I had things to do. What do you want? Katie’s at school today.”
“We need to talk.”
I know that tone of voice. What does it say that my stomach sinks because of the trained response I have to it? How many times did one of our fights start just like this?
I step away from the front door, leading her into the shade of the large oak tree on that side of the yard. I don’t want Lucas to hear this conversation. He’s been through enough with his father. “Talk about what?”
She examines what looks like a fresh manicure. “I’m giving you an FYI that I’m moving. So if you want to keep Katie over the weekend and next week, you can, before we leave.”
I’m still not sure what she’s saying. “What do you mean, you’re moving?”
“Just what I said, Nolan. I’m transferring to California. An opening became available out there, so I’m taking it.” She finally looks at me and I recognize that evil gleam in her eyes.
Look at that. I think I’vejusthit my fuck-it point with her. “Katie’snotgoing to California with you.”
She actually scoffs. “You can’t stop me. This is too big an opportunity for me to pass up. Whole new set of clients.”
“Oh, actually, Icanstop you. We have a divorce decree in place that states Katie won’t be moved from her school district if one parent’s living here.”
“And we can change it. That’s what people do, Nolan.”
I struggle to hold back my rage. “I’mnotchanging it. I’mnotletting you take Katie to California. She’ll move in withmefull-time, and you can have visitations during the summer and over school holidays.”
Jerilyn gets in my face. “If you don’t agree to her moving, I’ll make your life a livingfuckinghell, Nolan. I’ll file a police report saying you molested her.”
Rage fills me. I know I shouldn’t let her bait me but I’ve had it with her. “I’ve never touched her and youdamnwell know it!”
She smiles, but it looks cold, reptilian.
NowI get why Arlo and Zoey hate her guts. Why didn’t I see this aspect of her before I got her pregnant?
Even more importantly, why didn’t I listen to Arlo and Zoey about her way back then?
