Page 67 of His for the Holiday

“What if I’d rather talk about Hawk?” I countered.

Emery chuckled and shook her head. “You’d always rather talk about Hawk, but when he gets home and finds out you were here and that you were upset, he’s going to want to talk to me about you. I want to talk about you too, if I’m being honest. You seemed pretty shaken when Calen showed up at school the other day. I’ve been worried.”

“Fine,” I conceded but held up my finger. “If you promise that after we talk about this, we can talk about Hawk.”

“You got it, but I’m really not sure how much I can say. He’ll want to have this conversation with you himself.”

“Too bad we never seem to get around to having it.”

“You will,” she said confidently. “It’s just that between his work and your ex, you’ve both been pretty slammed recently.” Her jaw suddenly went slack. “Wait, please don’t tell me that’s what this is about. You didn’t get slammed by your ex, did you?”

“What?” I laughed. “No. Definitely not. What does that even mean?”

She shrugged. “Divorced people have been known to fall into bed together sometimes, and I’d imagine the sex would be pretty angry, so slamming seemed accurate.”

I shook my head. “Calen insinuated that he wanted to hook up again, but I shut it down. I have no desire to get back together with him or to be the other woman, and besides, he’s already got one of those. I would be the other, other woman.”

“You’re kidding!” she squealed, spinning to face me with her eyes wide. “He’s cheating on the woman he cheated on you with? It serves her right, if you ask me.”

I crinkled my nose. “Actually, I’m feeling pretty sorry for her right now. Don’t ask. I can’t explain it either. Karma is a bitch. I don’t have to be one too.”

Emery mimed giving me a round of applause. “Taking the high road. I like it. Although you’ve always done that. Is that what you were upset about, though? That he’s fathered yet another child he doesn’t seem to care about being around with yet another woman who probably deserves better?”

“Yeah, well, when you put it like that, then sure, I am mad about it, but mostly, I’m upset because the first time he spends an afternoon with Winnie in over a year, he brings a strange woman along, feeds my daughter way too much sugar, and then lets the woman buy her toys. He also promised her that he’d be there tonight and she can’t stop talking about how her daddy is coming to watch her.”

“She’s been pretty excited about him seeing the play since before she was even cast in it,” she said, clearly remembering Winnie raving about it before. “At least he’s here, though. Right?”

“Sure. I just hope that he actually shows up tonight because it will break Winnie’s heart if he doesn’t. She’s only seven, Em. She doesn’t deserve to have her heart shattered by her own father every single time she sees him.”

“No, she definitely doesn’t.” Emery fixed our tea and handed mine over, her expression soft with sympathy as well as genuine hurt and understanding. “All my kids know the extreme version of paternal disappointment way too well too. I’ll hope with you that Calen shows up. Do you think he will?”

“I don’t know,” I said honestly, but I had a nagging feeling in my gut. “The only thing Calen can be counted on doing is what’s best for Calen, and what’s best for Calen usually involves sex and booze. Neither of which will be available at the play.”

Emery winced and set a hand gently on my forearm, squeezing as she looked me right in the eyes. “We’ll all be there, Sutton. Whether or not Calen shows up, Team Brunson will be there, and we’ll be loud, and she’s going to know just how loved she really is, even if it’s not her father there to do it.”