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A moment later, Tiffani appears, the bruising beneath her eyes making my cock strain against my worn denim, a surprising reaction for my body to have under the circumstances. Stress and fear don’t usually breed an erection. But the situation and her black eyes aren’t what’s doing it.
It’s envisioning tiny Dolly, throwing her body over Tiffani’s, punishing her while protecting my son—my entire world.That’swhat bricks me up.
She opens her mouth but I just don’t care. Fool me once and shit.
“Go. Don’t come back.”
Like a fish dying on the bank, her mouth opens and closes fruitlessly. I stare at her until she turns to go, but she stops herself. “She’s fucking crazy, you know?”
I know she’s referring to Dolly now that I know everything that happened, and the idea that this woman thinks she can neglect my son and almost get him killed, then shit all over the woman who saved him is…incredulous.
“Stop talking.”
She snorts, and having the audacity to do so considering the circumstances is quite… angering. “I could press charges against your little girlfriend, you know.” With one step, she invades my space, pressing her finger into my chest as she snarls, “You should be ashamed of yourself. She’s half your age.”
I step back, watching her hand fall away from my chest. “Ashamed of what?” What am I supposed to have done wrong according to the brilliant Tiffani? Heat snakes up my spine, causing the angry truth to spill free. “Don't you dare lecture me about a damn thing! I'm not the one who endangered a child today.”
She shakes her head, walking past me to her car. I follow her, because after what’s transpired, I don’t personally think she’s got the right to shove away all indignant and shit.
Fuck that.
“Hey, answer me, what was that supposed to mean?” My shadow swallows her as I follow behind, causing me to drop my pace. I’m angry, but I don’t want to scare her. “Tiffani–”
She spins, gravel spitting around her feet as she lunges forward, getting in my face. “Don’t do that. Don’t playoh, oh, I’m just a good old handsome cowboy daddy who knows nothing of his looks and oh, my eyes don’t work either,” she snarls, mimicking me in a dry, loud voice. “Don’t insult me. I see the way that girl sniffs around you.” She steps into me, and I notice a tiny spot of dried blood she missed beneath her nose. “I’m sorry about your son. I made a mistake. A lapse in judgment.” Her head falls and she shakes it pitifully before she lifts her face to mine, eyes wet. “I am very sorry, Hudson.”
I don’t know what to say, and her sudden shift from anger to guilt renders me quiet. Her sad smile is the last thing I see before I turn around and head to my house, eager to spend time with the people who mean something to me.
Or at least,someof them.
nineteen
THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT, FOR REAL.
Dolly
I wake up to the voice of a man whom I don’t recognize. And in Bluebell, that rarely happens.If ever.
My body is stiff and sore, almost like I did a barrel roll down a bumpy hill. The cut on my foot aches enough for me to cling to the wall as I edge through the hall to eavesdrop. My blown ear makes my entire head throb.
Ivy is at the door, speaking to whoever is at our house.
“Dolly’s here?” he asks, though it doesn’t sound like a question as much as an assertion.
I can just imagine how twisted up Ivy’s face is right now. She’s sensitive to narcissistic assholes, and from the few things I’ve heard from whoever is on the porch… he’striggering.
“Seems like you know so… you tell me,” she panders, her voice ripe with sarcasm.
It's quiet, and I’m about to peer around the corner, when the man says, “You’re the chick that's gonna apprentice at Ink Time in town, aren’t ya?”
“Ink Time?” Ivy repeats, deadpan.
“Yeah,” he says. “Deuce’s place.” He pauses. “Should probably know that if you’re gonna work there, don’t you think?”
A smile lifts my lips. I’m happy Ivy gets to use her well-crafted death stare today. She stays quiet, and it makes the asshole on the porch a little nervous, I think, because he adds, “I mean, if you’re her.”
I love when Ivy puts an arrogant man in check. It’s one of my favorite things. “I guess you’ll just have to find out, won’t you?”
“Eh,” he says casually, his voice rough with ages of wear. He’s got one of those voices that sounds fucked up from partying, not age. “I meet so manygirls, you may have to remind me we’ve already met when I see you down there,” the guy says, referring to the shop. “Anyway, Hudson sent me to extend Dolly an invite to come by tonight.”
