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Bull followed her in and shut the door. “Uh-huh.” He wasn’t sure why she was taking her shoes off.
Turning to look into the house, Carol finally spotted Isabella standing on the steps. “Oh, hello.”
Isabella offered a big smile. “Hello.”
Bull placed his boy down on the ground. “Carol, this is Isabella.”
He hadn’t told his ex-wife about Isabella and he hadn’t told Isabella that he hadn’t told his ex-wife about her being there.
Now was the moment of truth.
Isabella stepped down off the steps. “How nice to meet you.” She extended her hand in greeting.
Carol looked her up and down. “I see you took my advice and hired a house cleaner, Bull,” she spoke to Bull as if Isabella weren’t even in the room. “Your first job, dear?” The dark-haired girl standing before her looked like she was entering her senior year in high school.
Luke took off into the kitchen and Bull went after him. “Get back here, you rascal.” He’d take any excuse available to get the hell out of there as soon as possible.
The truth dawned on Isabella about that time. Bull hadn’t told his ex about her. Maybe he had his reasons and Isabella even considered playing along for a second, but the only thing Isabella Carmen Cortez had ever hidden about herself was the fact that she was La Diosa. “Actually. I’m a friend of Benedict’s.”
It only took a moment for Carol to realize what this young girl was saying and the color drained out of Carol’s face. “Bull!”
Luke was jumping up and down on the couch with the man he knew as his father. “Uh-oh, buddy. Looks like Daddy is in trouble.” Bull tickled the youngster’s stomach.
When he came back into the foyer with Luke is his arms, both women were staring at him. “Oh, good. I see you ladies had a moment to get acquainted. Luke, this is Daddy’s friend, Isabella.” He used the child to gain him an extra second or two and possibly suppress some of the anger he imagined both women were feeling. “Can you say hi?”
The sandy-haired little boy tentatively reached his hand out for a shake. “Hi.” He buried his head in Bull’s chest.
“Awwww. Now, how adorable is he?” Bull put the question to both women. “How could anyone be mad after that?”
The proffered handshake had melted some of the ice around Isabella’s heart, but Carol’s remained at the Arctic Circle.
Carol placed her hands on her hips. “This is unacceptable, Bull. How old is this girl? Is she even old enough to drink?”
Bull tickled his little boy again. “Relax, Carol.” He kept his tone even, not wanting to frighten the child.
“Don’t tell me to relax. I’m taking him home.”
Bull looked his ex-wife right in the eye. They had engaged in some epic fights in the past, but Bull had never raised a hand to her and she knew he never would. But the look on his face stopped Carol dead in her tracks as she reached for Luke. Bull’s nostrils were flaring and she knew he meant business.
He placed Luke down on the step. “You remember where your room is, Son?” The boy nodded. “Why don’t you go upstairs and play for a bit. I’ll be up to check on you in a few minutes.” The boy turned to scamper up the steps, but Bull caught him by the arm. “Not so fast.” He kissed Luke on the top of the head. “Daddy, loves you, buddy. Now, you can go.”
Isabella’s eyes followed Luke up the stairs. She intended to go check on him in a little while.
“Is there a problem, Carol?” Bull asked.
“Your goddamn right there’s a problem. This was just the kind of thing I was worried about. This is exactly what I said to the judge, you maintain an unfit environment for Luke.”
“Ha! I present an unfit environment? That’s absurd, Carol. You were the one who cheated on me.”
“And you lost it on poor Matt and beat the crap out of him.”
“He’s lucky I took it easy on him.”
Isabella just watched the back and forth. She wanted to jump in and defend Bull, say how he was the best man she’d ever known.
“You cheated on me when you were out on the circuit.” Carol fired back.
Now Bull’s voice finally raised. “I never cheated on you once! And you know that.”
