I rolled my eyes.
“I don’t give a damn about dinner with that guy,” Donovan grouched. “You're coming home with me so I can take care of you properly. Since you don’t know how to do it yourself.”
“I am excellent at taking care of myself,” I protested, but the impending argument was interrupted by the arrival of pattering footsteps. I knew who it was before the door was even thrown open.
“Daddy!” Avery yelled as she ran to him.
Donovan’s whole demeanor lit up as he caught her in his arms and swung her around. “What’s up, pumpkin?”
I nodded my greeting to the bodyguard who had brought my daughter back from school. Oh yeah, and now we had bodyguards. It was strange what my life turned into.
“I got in trouble at school today,” she said excitedly.
I gave Donovan a disapproving look. “What did you tell her to do this time?”
“It wasn’t Daddy,” Avery defended. “It was Uncle Garrett. There was a boy at school who kept pulling my hair, and Uncle Garrett said that if it happened again, I needed to sock him in the eyes. So I did. But Mrs. Iman didn’t understand and said I’m’suspended until further notice.’”
“They can’t do that,” Donovan said with an annoyed look. “You were only defending yourself. We’ll sue them.”
“You can’t sue them.” I rubbed my eyes tiredly and sighed. “You can’t go around suing every kindergarten in town. And you—” I turned to my daughter. “You can’t keep doing whatever you want just because your dad or Uncle Garrett says so. Rules are very important, you know? Just because someone does something bad to you doesn’t mean you have to do it back to them.”
“But that’s what Daddy always says to do.”
“Well, your daddy is wrong,” I said. “Trust your mommy.”
The phone rang, and I glanced at the caller ID.
“Oh no,” I said.
“Who is it?” Donovan asked, but I shook my head. It was a client from hell.
Recently, we’d been courting the owner of the largest department store chain in Switzerland for an exclusive contract. The man was interested, but he also loved to play hardball and throw his weight around.
It was what he was doing today, blustering about the fact that he didn’t like the designs of the current collection. I nodded and made comforting sounds while rolling my eyes at Donovan in the process.
But then, the minute the man raised his voice even slightly, Donovan’s face went instantly stormy.
Quicker than I could stop him, he grabbed the phone from my hands and put it to his ear.
“This is Donovan Dresden,” he said, cutting the man off mid-rant. “And I don’t know who the hell you are, nor do I give a fuck, but if you ever talk to my wife in that tone of voice again, I’ll make you sorry you ever existed.” Then, he hung up the phone.
I shook my head at him incredulously.
“A bit much?’ he asked sheepishly.
“Just a bit,” I said with a laugh. But I loved him anyway.
The End.
