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“It’s his birthday next week,” she snaps, the vicious snake finally striking. “The agreement says that you have him on his birthdays, so I won’t see him for another two weeks.”
“Take it up with the attorneys and the judge.”
I’m about to end the call and put the conversation to bed when she grits out my name with venom and spite. All my calm evaporates before she utters another word.
Here we go.
“His mother needs to see him.” I bite down on all the things I want to tell her Heather needs. “Easton needs to spend more time with her now that you’ve got that girl playing happy families. That hussy will never be his mother.”
Summer is more of a mother than Heather has ever been or will ever be. Her maternal instinct comes so naturally to her.
“This is the last time you disrespect Summer, or I’ll be forced to reassess the agreement we made, and I will make sure that neither you nor Heather set eyes on my son until she’s out of rehab.” If not ever again.
“If it wasn’t for you and that brother of yours, she wouldn’t be in rehab. We both know that.” Of course she would bring Jenson up. He’s always been her backup weapon to get at me.
“We’re done here. Easton will see you in a couple of weeks, unless you would like to come to the hotel and spend a couple hours with him on his birthday.”
I’m not a complete bastard. Besides, she’s right. Heather is the way she is right now because of me…Jenson… It’s not only Heather’s parenting that’s at fault.
“Parker…his mother needs to see him. She’s being discharged next week…”
What? “It hasn’t been a year. The deal was that she would complete the full year at the facility.”
“Heather is doing so well, Parker. She’s changed…better…”
“Eight months is not a year!”
Instantly, I feel myself clutching at the edges of the rabbit hole threatening to suck me in. The agreement we made after that day I walked into my apartment is all that’s kept me from taking him away for good. Now, I wish I hadn’t been so understanding. Seb was right—it would come back to bite me in the ass.
“Morning, babe.” Summer’s voice pulls me out of my silent turmoil. Wrapping her hands around my waist from behind, she presses a kiss between my shoulder blades. “Everything okay?”
“Is that her? Is she there?” Ellen screeches, making it impossible to hold my phone to my ear. Meanwhile, Summer shudders behind me.
“Next time you want to swap days, you need to give me more notice.”
“Where’s my grandson?” she barks. “This is unacceptable. Exposing him to…to…to…”
“Easton will see you next weekend if you want to drop by on his birthday.”
It’s all I say before I hang up and cut her poisonous shit. I will not let Ellen or Heather or anyone else ruin today.
Turning in Summer’s hold, I cup her face between my hands. Her eyes flit to the phone that’s pinched awkwardly between my thumb and finger. “Morning, Wild Thing.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You didn’t. Ellen was just being Ellen.”
“She sounds mad…” Summer shuffles closer. “I got you into trouble, didn’t I?”
“I’m a grown man, Sum, and Ellen can be as mad as she wants, but I’ll never be in trouble with her. And I will not let her ruin last night or today for us.”
“Today?”
“I thought that maybe we could take East to the zoo together and then maybe go out for dinner…the three of us.”
A big smile that thaws the remaining ice in my veins lights her face. “I’d like that. I liked last night a lot, and I definitely want to do it all again, but I love spending time with you and East…I just don’t want to complicate things for you.”
“You’re not complicating anything, buuuut…”
