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I barked out a laugh. “Enemies? Alex isn’t my enemy. He’s just … a guy who didn’t call me back.”
“And who knocked you up. That’s not exactly a small thing.”
“He didn’t mean to. I was on the pill. It just didn’t work. That’s not his fault.”
Perri blinked and stared at me for a few seconds. “Why are you defending him?”
Why indeed? I wasn’t even sure myself.
I waved a hand. “I’m not defending him. I’m trying to be fair.”
“So, what, you don’t want me to take your side?” Perri said. “You don’t want me to be angry with him?”
“You don’t have to. I don’t hate Alex. After hearing all that about his accident, I feel bad for him.”
She rubbed her forehead. “You can feel bad for him without forgiving him. It’s like you said, Aspyn. He could have called you after that, but he didn’t. Don’t forget that.”
“I’m not, and I love you, Perri, and I’m glad you have my back, but I don’t think it helps if we try and be angry with Alex.”
“So, what, everything is forgiven?”
“No, it isn’t.” I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “And I don’t want to talk to him anytime soon, but I don’t want you hating on him. I don’t want any of y’all to hate on him, and I want to be the one to tell him about Kadie. I’m just trying to figure when the right time is.”
“Well, if you say so.” Perri offered me a smile. “But my offer to hate him stands. Okay?”
I laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind if I need it.”
The bell above the front door jingled, and I looked over at it. My mama stepped inside, leading Kadie in by the hand.
My daughter rushed away from her grandma toward my desk. “Mama! Mama!”
Her nana smiled at me, waved, and then stepped out. She wasn’t normally in such a hurry, but I remembered her mentioning a bridge club meeting that night.
She was lucky that her current batch of kids got picked up on the earlier side. For most of last year, she hadn’t been able to go to her bridge club because of the parents’ work schedules.
“How you doing, sweetie?” I said to Kadie.
“I want candy.”
I laughed. We kept a little bowl of hard candy at our desk for people who stopped by. Of course, Kadie was obsessed with it. I grabbed her a piece of sour apple candy and unwrapped it.
“Now, you be careful, sweetie,” I said, holding the candy in my palm. “You suck it slow, and you don’t try and swallow it whole. You understand?”
“Yes, Mama.” Kadie snatched the candy out of my hand in the blink of an eye and popped it in her mouth.
Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I turned. Someone was coming in the back way. Most people didn’t use it. I wondered if the custodian was coming in early.
Blond hair. Gray eyes that could see into your soul. Earrings. Tattoos. Stupid, muscular arms.
My heart started galloping. I wanted to grab Kadie and run, but my body just wouldn’t move. It was like his presence froze me in place.
Why the hell was he even there?
Joe all but sprinted out of his office to step in front of Alex.
“Did you need something, Alex?” Joe said.
“I needed to ask about some forms,” Alex said. “Carl said I could get them here.”
