“Doggie doesn’t swim yet, but he has a life vest, too,” Asher answered, scrubbing the top of Tank’s tiny head. He shot a glare at Jordan and Emily as he stood. “I know Hawk’s had lessons. Not like the kid isn’t accustomed to water. I’ll be with him the whole time.”
Glo stood beside him. It felt right standing there shoulder to shoulder with him. If there was one thing she could be on his side about, it was his right to be with his child.
“And what qualifies her to watch my grandson?” Emily clipped.
Gloria blinked a few times. This woman had a lot of nerve, and she guessed Emily wasn’t used to things not going exactly as she planned.
“I have nephews,” Gloria said, rather than let Asher answer. She could speak for herself, thank you very much.
“Nephews,” Emily repeated.
“Yeah.” A half-truth. Her best friend Kimber’s son Caleb was turning four this year and Glo had known the kid since birth. Plus Lyon referred to her as Aunt Glo. Totally counted.
“She doesn’t have to qualify to you, Em,” Ash said. “I trust her and that’s what matters.”
Much as she didn’t want to go with him today, and as much as she wanted to give him a hard time for puffing his chest out last night, right about now, Gloria was glad for his interference. She wasn’t easily intimidated, but Emily was almost…mean.
Emily slid her a cold gaze and Gloria stepped a little closer to Asher.
“It’s settled, then.” He put a hand on Gloria’s back again. A drove of tingles lit her from head to toe. The man drew women like flies to honey. She jerked her gaze to Jordan, then Emily. Or WASPs, she thought with a little smirk.
“I have Hawk’s bag in the car. Snacks, swim trunks, a change of clothes.” Emily gestured to a Cadillac parked on the curb.
“I have all that stuff at home for him, Em,” Ash said with a sigh. He’d had this discussion before.
“It’s already packed,” Jordan interjected.
“Lead the way.” Ash lifted his arms, apparently unwilling to go to the mat over such a minor issue. He followed Emily, flashing a glance at Gloria with an accompanying eye roll. She gave him an encouraging smile she didn’t feel. Like, at all.
Because now she was alone with Tank and Jordan and Hawk. Every part of her wanted to pick up the little dog and high step it to her office.
“Didn’t expect to see you here,” Jordan grumbled the second her mother and Asher were out of earshot.
“I live here.” That feeling of running away faded into the familiar art of digging in. That’s what Gloria did when she was challenged. Normally. She’d run away from Jordan before—the night she’d encountered her at Asher’s front door.
God. That memory killed.
“You think you’re going to insert yourself into my son’s life?” Jordan snapped.
Hawk watched warily and Glo, in spite of anger saturating her very being, fought to keep her composure. That she did for Hawk. “He’s not only yours. He’s Asher’s, too.”
Tank barked his agreement.
“Just know your place.” Jordan curled her lip.
Gloria let the slack out of Tank’s leash and Hawk immediately squatted to play with the dog. His attention diverted, Jordan blurted, “I didn’t sleep with him that night.”
Gloria gaped, torn between telling her this was an inappropriate discussion to have in front of a child and hearing her out.
“I wanted you to think I did, but I didn’t.” To her credit, Jordan glanced at her son, who was repeating the word “doggie” and laughing while Tank licked his face. She looked at Gloria to say, “He said you didn’t believe him.”
She hadn’t believed him at first, but now was a different story—not that she’d let Jordan reel her into this discussion.
“Too bad,” Jordan said with a lazy shrug. “You’re missing out. Ash is a great lay.”
“Yes, I’m aware,” Gloria gritted out, anger burning her cheeks.
“You and every woman he’s ever met, honey.” Jordan flashed her a smile suggesting she’d baited Gloria into that admission. “But only one of us shares his child.” An evil smirk set in as Asher rounded the corner with a bright blue beach bag over his shoulder. Emily was giving him an inventory of what was in the bag, neither of them aware that Jordan had just sank her fangs into Gloria.
“Grandmother and Mommy will be back in a few hours, okay?” Emily smiled down at Hawk. It was the first genuinely kind expression Gloria had seen on the other woman’s face. At least she loved her grandchild.
“Mama!” Hawk stomped his feet, and the first sign of tears appeared. Gloria’s heart broke a little more despite her feeling incredibly out of place. Every last ounce of her wanted to run away again. Just make an excuse and bolt.
“What is it, baby bird?” Jordan lowered to her knees and Hawk started crying and saying non-words. “You’re going to hang out with Daddy today. It’ll be fun.” She swiped his tears with her shirt, getting her clothes wet and snotty and not caring. The scene made Gloria wonder if she’d hallucinated the moment when Jordan had become venomous.
But she hadn’t. Both Jekyll and Hyde had been there.