“I would never offend you like that,” I said, feeling like I owed her a little something.
She smiled. “I would hope not. Always remember I’m the one that orders your food and makes your coffee. You really don’t want to bite the hand that feeds you.”
I chuckled, not missing her threat at all. “Duly noted.”
“Why do you think they only want your money?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Experience.”
She nodded, her blue eyes holding mine. “You’ve been used and abused?”
I smirked. “I don’t think it got that far, but I figured out what was going on soon enough.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, and I believed she really meant the words.
“It’s okay. I don’t think I’m any worse for wear. It happened a long time ago.”
“Have you ever had a serious relationship?” she pressed.
Normally, I would balk at the invasive questions, but with her, I knew she was genuinely curious. She wouldn’t use the information against me or find a way to burn me with it. “Not really. You?”
She smiled. “Yes. A very long time ago.”
“Once?”
“It was all it took for me to learn my lesson,” she said.
“Ah, I guess we have something in common.”
“What about family?” she asked. “You’re not getting any younger. Have you thought about settling down and starting a family?”
The very thought had me cringing. “No. Definitely not. I don’t want any of that.”
“Any of that? You make it sound like a disease.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want a family. I don’t want kids. I don’t want the white picket fence. I like being who I am with no ties to anyone.”
She visibly shrank away. I knew my words were harsh. I didn’t necessarily mean them to sound quite so harsh, but it was the way I felt. I didn’t want a family. I didn’t want people to depend on me. I didn’t want to depend on anyone else. The thought terrified me. I didn’t want to give anyone, not even my own children, the power to hurt me.
“Wow, you are really adamant about that,” she said.
I shrugged. “It’s just who I am.”
She nodded, but I could see my words bothered her. I hadn’t meant to offend her or sound harsh, but I was who I was. I never tried to pretend otherwise. That took way too much energy to try and be someone I wasn’t.
“I guess we all have our quirks,” she said with a forced smile.
“I guess we do.”
Thankfully, I was saved by the ringing phone. I almost hooted with joy at being saved from what was becoming a very awkward conversation. We had never gotten personal. We didn’t talk about feelings and dreams and the stuff that could get a guy in trouble.
“I better get that,” she said. “That’s my cell.”
“Your cell?”
“Yes, I do have one. I’m not that out of fashion.”
She got up and left the office, closing the door behind her. She never closed my door. I got the distinct feeling I had offended her or pissed her off. I didn’t see how she could be upset by the fact I didn’t want a family.
A frightening thought occurred to me. Had I been wrong about what she wanted? Was she actually thinking we could have a relationship that included a wedding and a few kids? I shuddered at the thought. I liked Willow. I really liked her, and she was probably the first woman I had ever really enjoyed spending time with, but I was not the marrying type.
I didn’t want kids out of wedlock or in wedlock. I didn’t want someone calling me daddy and expecting me to love them. I didn’t know how to love. I wouldn’t know how to love a child. I would be a horrible father, and I would never put a kid through that. I didn’t know the first thing about being a loving father. I didn’t know how to hold a child or how to encourage it when there was a struggle of some sort. I was stoic. I was an asshole on a good day. I was not born to be a family man. I knew that as sure as I knew the sky was blue.
My door opened and Willow appeared once again. She wasn’t smiling. She looked worried. “I need to go.”
“It’s just after lunch,” I said.
“I know, and I’m sorry, but I really need to go.”
That irritated me more than it should have. “I need you to come back. I’ve got a meeting at three and I need someone here to handle the calls.”
She grimaced, then nodded. “Fine, I’ll come back.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Fine,” she murmured, but it was clearly not fine.
Before I could press her for more information, she was out the door. I had no idea what that was about. I hoped it wasn’t what I had said about not wanting a family. She really couldn’t be upset about me not wanting a family. I was going to have to rethink our little thing we had going.
The phone rang and I quickly remembered I was the man of the hour. I needed to answer the phone, or it was going to voicemail. I was expecting an important call from a diamond jeweler and I didn’t want to miss it. After the disastrous meeting on Monday, I was upping my game. I wanted to get to the top. Those assholes thought I was in a position to be bought out. I wasn’t selling until I was old and cranky and physically incapable of running my company. Until then, they would all just have to sit back and watch me climb to the top.
I answered the phone, only to discover it was someone asking about a suit they had ordered. I had no idea how they got to my line and I wasn’t really all that sure how to send them back. I gave them the number for the guy that handled the orders.
“Hurry your ass up, Willow,” I groaned when the phone rang again. I hated answering the phone. I hated talking to people in general. I especially hated annoying questions. I wondered just how many of these calls Willow took in a day. I never really noticed the phone ringing. I sure as hell did now.
Chapter 26
Willow
I was shaking by the time I got to the school. There was the initial shock, anger, and then fear. I prayed my baby was okay. I didn’t know the whole story, but I was told Jake had been in a fight and had sustained minor injuries. I would decide what was minor and what warranted a trip to the urgent care.
I walked in on legs that felt like they would give out from under me at any moment. “I’m Willow Patting,” I blurted out to the young woman sitting behind the front desk.
“Oh, yes, they’re expecting you. Do you know where Mrs. Shields’ office is?”
“Yes,” I answered and moved down the hall, knowing exactly where the office was. Lord knew I had visited it often enough.
I knocked on the door and was told to come in. I practically threw the door open. “Where is he?” I asked, expecting him to be in her office.
“He’s at the nurse’s office,” she answered.
My eyes widened. “What?”
“He’s fine,” she assured me. She got to her feet and gestured for me to take a seat. “It’s a bruise, but obviously, it’s up to you to decide what to do.”
I swallowed the lump of fear that had been lodged in my throat. I sat down, the fear for his safety fading and anger creeping back in. “Pardon my French, but what the hell happened?”
She sighed, taking her seat once again. “I’m sorry. We’ve talked about this so many times, I just don’t know what to say.”
“Same boys?” I asked.
She nodded. “I understand you’ve gotten him into another school for next year?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t resolve this year. What happened?”
“There was an incident involving Jake and the same three boys we’ve been dealing with this whole year.”
“Incident. I don’t like that word. It was a fight, right? What happened? Did Jake start it?”
She shook her head. “No, not this time. Those three boys jumped him.” She held up her hand when my hands grabbed the armrests on the chair. I was going to kick some little shits’ ass. “It wasn’t bad. It was stopped almost as soon as it started.”
“Almost is a really big word when you’re talking about my son being jumped by three boys, one of which I know is much bigger than he is. Isn’t the little monster in the fifth grade? I want their names, and I want the names of their parents. If there is even one little scratch on my child, I am going to make them wish they would have done a better job disciplining their children.”
“Willow, I can’t do that, but I can assure you it has been dealt with,” she said in a soft voice.
“Just like it’s been dealt with every other time?” I snapped.
She looked properly ashamed. I immediately felt bad for lashing out. It wasn’t her fault. She had been very kind to Jake and understanding of our situation.
“I’m truly sorry,” she said. “I wish we could stop all bullying, but it feels like we’re going against a rising tide. We are constantly holding assemblies and encouraging students to be nice. It’s exhausting.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m not angry with you. I’m angry with the situation. I hate that they can’t just get along. I hate that they feel like their only option is to beat the hell out of each other. I’m sorry. I’m frazzled.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“Is Jake suspended?” I asked, ready to go to battle for him. If he had been jumped, I didn’t see why he should have to be punished.
She offered a smile. “No. He truly was an innocent party in this. He told me he promised you he wouldn’t get in any more trouble. He also told me you had a new job. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. He did promise me, but this is the second time that I know about that he’s been taken advantage of because he isn’t fighting back. I can’t tell you how much that angers me. He’s trying to let it go and these kids just won’t leave it alone. What is their beef with him?”
She shrugged. “Who knows? It’s always something about he said this, or he looked at me funny. There is no rhyme or reason for it.”
“And Jake is all right?” I asked again.
“Yes. He didn’t want me to call you, but I told him I had to. I think it would probably be best if he went home for the day. A nice long weekend will help him cool down, and hopefully, he can start fresh on Monday. We only have a couple more months of school and I would really like to get through the year without any more incidents.”
“You and me both.”
“I’m sorry he’s having such a hard time,” she said. “I think he’s a great kid.”
I nodded. “He is a good kid, and please don’t take it personally, but I can’t wait until he gets to go to a new school.”
“I don’t take it personally at all. I know one of the administrators at the school. It’s a great school, and from what she tells me, the bullying is minimal.”
“Hallelujah!”
She laughed. “Come on. I’ll walk with you to see Jake.”
We strolled down the hall, just a few doors down. Jake was sitting on one of the couches, watching the small television that was on a table in the corner. He looked so defeated. It broke my heart to see him like that. My eyes searched his face for any bruising or scratches.
“Hi, buddy,” I said.
He looked up at me. “I didn’t mean to do it.”
I couldn’t hold back. I knew he was a big boy, and he would probably die of embarrassment, but I had to hug him. I pulled him in close. “I know. It’s okay. I’m going to take you out of school for the rest of the day, okay?”
“Am I in big trouble?”
Mrs. Shields stepped forward. “Not at all, Jake. We’ll see you back on Monday. Go home and take care of yourself.”
I took Jake’s hand, and much to my surprise, he didn’t pull away. I picked up his backpack, and together, we walked out of the school. I hated sending him to a place I felt like was slowly destroying who he was. I was going to give it one more shot, and if there was another situation, I would pull him out of school. I would not allow him to be subjected to what could only be described as a slow torture.
I got him in the car before I had to tell him we had to go to my work for a couple of hours before we could go home. “Do you want to tell me what happened?” I asked him from the front seat. I put the key in the ignition but didn’t turn it.
“I didn’t start it, Mom,” he said right away.
“I know. Why were they mad at you?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. They say stupid things all the time. I wanted to yell back at them, but I don’t want you to get in trouble at your new job. Are you going to get fired?”
I smiled. “No, I’m not going to get fired. I do have to go back to the office for a little bit. You’ll have to come with me and sit quietly.”
“Okay.”
“What were they saying to you?” I asked, wanting an answer that I could fix.
“I don’t know, dumb stuff. They called me a crybaby and stuff.”
I nodded, not surprised. It was the typical kid behavior, but I didn’t like that it seemed to be so constant for him. “And you didn’t say anything back?”
“No.”
“Did they hit you?”
“One of them knocked me on the ground,” he said, holding up his hands that were red, but it didn’t look bad.
“Did you hit back?”
“No,” he quickly said. “You told me not to. I didn’t. I promise I didn’t.”
“I believe you. Did anyone kick or punch you, or did you just get knocked to the ground?” I was almost afraid of the answer. I was barely controlling the rage I felt.
“Billy tried to punch me but he’s weak,” Jake mumbled.
I saw red. It was a flash of heat through my body that made my ears warm. “Did he hit you?” I repeated.
“He hit my shoulder.”
I turned around to look at him again, studying his face. “Not your face?”
“No. Mr. Reynolds got there really fast.”
I sighed with relief. I could not imagine how bad it would have gotten had the teacher not been right there to stop it. I would have absolutely found the families of the brats and raised hell. The school had to be diplomatic and fair—I didn’t.
“Thank you for being a good boy,” I told him. “But if anything like this happens again, I don’t expect you to lay down and take it. Try and get to a teacher, but you don’t have to get hurt. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I know. Are you mad?”
“No. I am not mad. I’m proud of you. You are a very good kid, and one day, all those other kids are going to know it. I know it sounds like forever, but one day, it does end, and it does get better.”
“Did you get beat up when you were my age?” he asked with wide eyes.
I shrugged. “It was a little different when I was in school, and the girls were more about saying mean things rather than trying to hurt me. I don’t even think about those girls anymore. One day, you’ll forget all about this stuff.”
He groaned. “I hope so. I really don’t like it.”
His words tugged at my heart. “I know, buddy. Just hang in there. The new school should be much better.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“All right, we better get to work. My boss is going to be missing me.”
“I’m excited to see your work,” he said with a big smile.
“I’m excited to show you,” I told him.
I wasn’t excited for Ashton to see Jake, especially after the conversation we had just had. It wasn’t like I was looking for a daddy for Jake, but I had a feeling Ashton would balk at the idea of me being a mom. A lot of men I had tried to date in the early years of just me and Jake had run the other way when they found out I was a mother. I often wondered where they had been finding their dates. It seemed like a lot of single women had kids. I wasn’t exactly a freak of nature.
Ashton didn’t have to like it. I was a mom and my role as a mother was my top priority. If my parental status made me unattractive to Ashton, so be it. I didn’t care. We could go on working together and never do
anything again.
I hated the idea of that, but I knew whatever it was that was happening between us wasn’t anything real. It was a fling. An office romance, light on the romance and heavy on the sex. I expected nothing from him and I wanted nothing from him.
“Here we are,” I said, parking in my usual spot in the garage. “Take your backpack and you can work on homework. You’ll have to be really quiet because it is an office and I have to talk on the phone a lot.”
“I will,” he promised.
I walked in, nodding at the receptionist who looked surprised to see me with my son. I didn’t realize the fact I was a parent could be so shocking.
“Go ahead and sit right there while I let my boss know I’m back,” I told him.
He sat down in the chair opposite my desk. He was looking around, taking it all in. I took a deep breath and prepared to go into Ashton’s office. As it turned out, I didn’t have to go in.
“I’m glad you’re back,” I heard Ashton say as he opened the door. He froze in the doorway, his eyes immediately going to Jake. He looked at me with a flash of irritation. I wasn’t sure if he was pissed I’d brought my kid or the fact that I had a kid. It didn’t look good for me. I had been fired enough times to know what it looked like in the moments before it happened.
There was always a look of anger, irritation, and disgust, which was generally followed by the request for me to get my things and go. I never blamed Jake for getting fired. He was just being a kid, doing what kids do. If he had a normal household with two parents or a mother that could afford a nanny or an extended family to lean on when he was sick or needing to leave school, it wouldn’t be an issue. It was just me and Jake, and that meant I had to leave, and I usually ended up losing a job.
“Hi,” I said for lack of anything better to say.
Chapter 27
Ashton
There was a kid. In my office. I didn’t know what to think. Or do. I looked at Willow, then back at the kid that was staring at me with big brown eyes. The resemblance between him and Willow was obvious. She had a kid. Not a baby but a kid. I couldn’t even get my head around the idea. I did a mental rewind, trying to think if she had ever mentioned the fact she had a son.
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