Fuck. I should’ve thought of that. Of course he’s tracking her every move. Why wouldn’t he?
“Okay.” I kiss her forehead. “Stay here and warm up. I’ll take care of everything. I’ll be back for more in a minute.”
“I—”
I land my lips on hers. “You’re mine now and I take care of what’s mine.” I tug my jeans on, hand her my flannel from behind the bathroom door, head down the hall, and grab my gun off the rack by the door before bending down toward Jasper. My intention is to send him to the playroom with the cat while I take care of his sad fucking excuse of a father, but as I bend closer to him, I realize that’s not the best option.
As much as I hate Pete for hurting Sara, he’s still Jasper’s father.Not me.
“It’s okay,” Sara says, her hand on my back as she steps into the mudroom, my flannel hitting below her knees. Fuck… she looks good. “I’ll talk to him.”
“No, you’re soaking wet and you’re barely dressed. You’ll freeze out there.”
She bends down to her son and takes his tiny hands in hers. “Why don’t you and Wade go write Mommy a list of all the fun foods you love. I need to talk to Daddy for a second, okay?” She stands up straighter and stares up at me. “I know you want to do this, but if you go out there, it’s going to turn into a fight. I won’t be long.”
“Your legs.” I slide my barn boots toward her and take my jacket off the hook by the door. “Cover up at least.”
She nods and steps into the tall boots as I wrap the jacket around her soft body as she steps out into the cold.
This isn’t what I’m wired to do. I don’t sit and wait. I don’t watch a sweet, caring woman go out into the cold to fight a man that claims to love her. No, I’m supposed to protect her from all that.
I nod toward Jasper. “Why don’t you go draw pictures of that list your mom wanted while you watch cartoons with the cat. I’ll be right in.”
He offers me a tip of the oversized cowboy hat he’s moved into and runs off into the living room like nothing else in the world matters.
I, on the other hand, stand next to the glass with my hand on my pistol, watching every move the asshole makes. If he tries anything, I’m not giving second chances.
Chapter Seven
Sara
Pete stares at me in the cold morning light. He’s still in sweats and a T-shirt from the night before. I’m getting the feeling he didn’t even notice we left last night. I think that might be a new low.
“I saw your text when I woke up this morning. What the hell? You just break up with me via message and take off in the middle of the night with our kid to stay at some random fucking dude’s house? How do you know this guy? Is he why you never wanted to have sex?”
I drag in a heavy breath and immediately wish I’d let Wade come out waving around his gun. For some reason I always give Pete more credit than he deserves and right now is a shining moment of that.
“I’ve known him for years. He’s a client from work. He happened to be driving by last night when I was getting in the car and I needed a place to stay.”
“You had a place to stay!” Pete barks. “In our house. Where we live.”
The wind whips sideways and I tuck Wade’s big coat up around my face. “I don’t live there anymore. I told you, we’re through. So… I don’t know why you’re here.”
“I’m here to get our son!” Pete’s gaze widens as though he’s about to start some shit. “You don’t get to drag him off in the night to some asshole’s house! He’s half mine!”
I roll my head to the side and stare at the guy I once loved enough to have a baby with. “I told you I’d contact a lawyer on Monday and set up a visitation schedule. I’m sorry if this is a shock to you but it’s been a long time coming.”
“So if I take off with him to some other woman’s house in the middle of the night, you wouldn’t show up there too?”
I drag in a deep breath as more pieces of reality drop into place. The part where there will be another woman in Jasper’s life someday, possibly multiple women. The part where even without Pete, I’m still going to be dealing with him.
“I expect that you’ll make good decisions with our son. You’re a smart man,” I lie.
He laughs and shakes his head. “Get Jasper and get your ass in the car. We’re going home. We’ll sort this out like we have everything else.”
“No,” I say, my nerves swelling as I know what comes next. “I’m not going back with you, and I think you’re too upset right now to take Jasper. You should go home, calm down, and—”
“And you’re the fucking police on what fucking mood I’m in?” He snarls out the words as he pulls his phone from his back pocket, but it’s no more than reached before I hear the front door open.
