“How about you two guys go out for dinner and I’ll stay home, knitting or something?” I suggested.
That was when Merry’s hand slid along my back, his fingers curling around my side and pulling me into his side.
“You start knitting, you totally lose cool mom status,” Ethan warned.
“What?” I asked him. “You mean your friends coming over and me using them to try on sweaters with penguins and crap on the front won’t go over good?”
Ethan made a face.
Merry emitted a chuckle.
Vaguely, I heard a car door slam but felt Merry’s movements, so I looked from my kid to him to see him looking over his shoulder through the storm door to see what had made that sound.
I also felt his body instantly get tight beside mine.
At his reaction, I looked beyond him and saw Peggy’s minivan at the curb behind Merry’s Excursion, Peggy clearly visible in the passenger seat and Trent was making his way around the hood.
Shit, I’d forgotten he’d said he was going to be here Friday at five thirty to pick up Ethan.
Of course, I’d told him Ethan wouldn’t be here so he shouldn’t bother.
But now Ethan was here, so was I, and so was Merry.
Damn.
Merry started to disengage from me as the room started to get heavy with his pissed off, badass vibe.
Shit and damn.
“Ethan, go to your room,” I ordered swiftly.
“What’s Dad doin’ here?” he asked.
I looked to my son to see him staring confused out the storm door.
“Ethan, kid, go to your room. Please.”
“I told him I didn’t wanna come this weekend.” His voice was pitching higher, almost whiny in a way I never heard anymore unless he was really tired or not feeling good.
He really didn’t want to be with his dad.
And he really wanted to spend time with Merry and me.
“Ethan—”
“Man,” Merry spoke over me, “help your mom out by doin’ what she says, yeah?”
Ethan’s eyes jerked to Merry, he nodded, then looked at me before he dashed toward the hall.
Another boon. Ethan looked up to Merry, so when Merry spoke, he didn’t talk back.
On this thought, I heard the storm door let out its opening whisper and I looked that way to see Merry stalking out of it.
Badass unleashed.
Shit!
I moved to follow him, watching as Trent, nearly halfway up the walk, eyes to feet it weirdly seemed he was dragging, sensed another presence and looked up.
He got one look at Merry and jolted to a stop in a way that would have been funny if I wasn’t worried Merry was about to go apeshit.
I dashed out the door and down the walk, listening to Merry order, “Turn around and go home.”
“Who are you?” Trent asked.
“I’m the man tellin’ you to turn around and go home,” Merry answered.
Trent stared up at him, but when I hit Merry’s side, he tore his eyes away and looked to me.
“Who’s this guy?” he asked, jerking a thumb at Merry.
“Answered that,” Merry bit out, and Trent’s gaze shot back to him. “Now, get in your car and go home.”
“Trent!” Peggy shouted from the car, not opening her window, opening her door. “What’s goin’ on?”
“Ma’am, remain in the car,” Merry ordered loudly.
I watched Peggy register an order that went against what she wanted to do and I saw what she hid barely under the surface.
Apparently, no man but God told Peggy Schott what to do, that “God” being in her head, which meant no man told Peggy Schott what to do.
Instantly, she was visibly ticked.
“Where’s my kid?” Trent asked.
I decided to try to take over. “I told you, Trent, he needs a break from you. And Ethan told you he wasn’t comin’ this weekend. I also confirmed that with you.”
“And Trent told you he was.” Peggy had decided to wade in. She was out of the minivan and hoofing it our way.
I looked to the back to the two car seats her kids were in.
“Mrs. Schott, your children are in your vehicle,” Merry told her, and Peggy’s eyes snapped to him at him using her name.
Hold On
Kristen Ashley's books
- Holding the Dream
- Dance Upon the Air
- High Noon
- Moon Island(Vampire Destiny Book 7)
- Illusion(The Vampire Destiny Book 2)
- Upon A Midnight Clear
- Son Of The Morning
- MacKenzie's mission(MacKenzie Family Saga #2)
- Loving Evangeline(Patterson-Cannon Family series #1)
- A Billionaire's Redemption
- A Convenient Proposal
- A Dishonorable Knight
- A Headstrong Woman
- A Passion for Pleasure
- Atonement
- Beyond a Doubt
- Beyond Control
- Cavanaugh on Duty
- Colton's Dilemma (Shadow Breeds)
- Conceal, Protect
- Conflict of Interest
- Confessing to the Cowboy
- Dreams Don't Wait
- Explosive Attraction
- Find Wonder in All Things
- Forbidden Fires (Bondage & Breakfast)
- Galveston Between Wind and Water
- Game On
- Gone with the Wolf
- Honor's Players
- Illusions of Love
- Intaglio Dragons All The Way Down
- Just One Song
- Living London
- Lone Wolf (Shifters Unbound)
- Love Resolution
- Lyon's Crew
- Mountain Moonlight
- Need A Want Companion Novel
- Of One Heart
- Once a Bad Girl
- Once a Thief
- Once Again a Bride
- Once and Again
- Once Touched, Never Forgotten
- Once Upon a Kiss
- Once Upon a Prince
- One Desert Night
- One More Kiss
- One More Sleepless Night
- One Night of Misbehavior
- One Night Standoff
- One Texas Night
- Only Love (The Atonement Series)
- Operation Endurance
- Primal Bonds
- Questions of Trust A Medical Romance
- Reflection Point
- Retribution
- Savage Redemption
- Second Chance
- Secure Location
- Someone I Used to Know
- Son of a Preacher Man
- Soul Bonded
- Sunset Seduction
- Sweet as Honey (The Seven Sisters)
- Sweet On You
- Tempting Cameron
- That Carrington Magic
- The Bridgertons Happily Ever After
- The Demon's Song
- The Dragon and the Pearl
- The Lone Rancher
- The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret
- Translation of Love
- Twisted Perfection
- Vision In White
- When Love's Gone Country
- The Lost Tycoon
- Down on Her Knees
- Love, Your Concierge
- A Demon Made Me Do It
- Campbell_Book One
- The Lady of Bolton Hill
- Born to Ride_A Clubhouse Collection
- A Question of Honor
- Blood on Copperhead Trail
- Passion and the Prince
- Top Secret Twenty-One
- Dungeon Royale
- Make Me Bad(Private Lessons)
- My Fair Billionaire
- Writing Our Song:A Billionaire Romance
- Kissed by Moonlight
- Redemption in Love
- The Masterful Mr. Montague
- Diamonds are Forever
- Every Second with You
- If You Only Knew