Luke turned to B. “When does she have tutoring? What days?”
“Uh, John comes Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from ten to twelve.” Luke opened his mouth, but Bryan wasn’t finished. “Then Dr. Mark, the counselor, comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from two to three. And Landry asked if she could take swim lessons, so those are on Wednesdays from three to four.”
Holy hell, my kid was busy. Was that okay? For kids to be so busy like that? I mean she needed the tutoring and the counselor, but the swim and drums? Was it too much? Bryan didn’t seem to think so, and Dylan wasn’t bitching at the other end of the table. So I assumed it was okay….
Luke chuckled. “All right, looks like you and me can hang out evenings and mornings.”
Hmmm…Luke was usually hung over every morning, and ready to go out every night… I looked around the table. Lexi wore a satisfied smile and Bryan winked at me. These girls ran this place and everyone in it, and most of the time we were oblivious. My soft laughter was cut off when I heard the doorbell ring. I was instantly terrified. Diane wouldn’t come here so late at night and everyone I knew was seated around this table. It had to be Landry’s mom. “I’ll get it.” I stood and looked around the table, making sure everyone understood that Landry was to stay away. I took a deep breath and opened the door. Once again I was faced with a wisp of a woman. She was so thin, so damn empty. It was clear to see that neglect wasn’t her only problem. “You shouldn’t be here.” I knew without a doubt that child protective services had told her not to come to the house, that they would set up supervised visits when the time was right.
“I need to see her. I need to make sure she is okay.” She tried to look over my shoulder into the house.
I shook my head, standing taller. “You should have thought of that before you abandoned her for over a week. You’ll only upset her. She doesn’t want to see you.”
“She’s my daughter!”
I took a step toward her, my hands clenched at my sides. “She is our daughter. And I won’t let you hurt her, ever again. Now, leave.”
I stepped back, about to shut the door in her face, when I heard Landry behind me. “Mom?”
My heart hit the floor. The fear in her voice was undeniable.
Bryan rushed into the entryway, scooping Landry into her arms. But it was too late, the damage was done. My daughter was in tears, sobbing in fear that she would have to go back with her mom.
Amelia took a step forward. “Landry, baby?” Seemingly confused as to why Landry would be upset at seeing her. This lady was crazier than I thought.
Bryan headed up the stairs with Landry, and I stepped onto the porch, pulling the door closed behind me. “Are you happy now? Does it make you happy to see her like that? To see her cry? What the fuck is wrong with you?! Why are you doing this to her? You left! Do you even understand that? She’s just a child. That damn house could have burned down with her inside it!”
It was barely visible, but a sliver of sadness passed across her face. She spoke quietly, the harshness from earlier gone. “She’s all I have.”
I ran a shaking hand through my hair. “You need to leave. I’m filing a complaint with CPS and I’m reporting this to my lawyers. If you come here again, I’ll get a restraining order issued.”
“A girl’s place is with her mother. The courts are going to see that.” She took in the house behind me. “Money doesn’t matter.”
I nodded. “You’re right, money doesn’t matter. Love, family, safety, stability. That’s what matters. And that’s what she has here.” Some of the fight was leaving me. If Landry wasn’t upstairs crying, I might have even felt some empathy for this woman.
“Who was that girl? The one who came and picked Landry up?”
I put my hands on my hips. “That’s my girlfriend, Bryan.”
She let out a humorless laugh. “You think the judge will like that? The current chick you’re screwing being in our daughter’s life?” Her eyes hardened again. “I’ll see you in court.”
Chapter Twenty-four
Bryan
I was sitting in our bed, wearing nothing but one of Jacks’s vintage band tees, waiting for him to tuck Landry into bed. It had taken us over an hour to calm her down after she saw her mom at the front door. Her sanctuary had been breached. And there was nothing any of us could do to give her back that feeling of safety. At least not right now. It was just becoming more and more evident that her mom had no idea what it took to be a parent, to put your child’s needs and feelings above your own. I’d only been with Landry for a week, and I had already figured that out. How her mom had nine years with her and was still clueless was beyond me. Jacks came into the room, shut the door, and launched himself on the bed—landing expertly between my legs. “Nice.”
He chuckled. “Your * is like a magnet for my dick.”