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“Hi, Mommy!” Hailee beams as Zoey shakes her head, clearly annoyed.
“And Kyle has the gall to go off at me about leaving her unsupervised…” The red creeps up her neck as anger surges inside her. “C’mon, baby, let’s go.”
Hailee widens her eyes. “Am I in trouble?” she asks.
Zoey smooths Hailee’s hair back. “No, Starshine, you’re not in trouble. But you shouldn’t play near a pool by yourself. Water is dangerous when you’re unsupervised.”
Hailee nods. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”
Zoey shakes her head. “No, baby, this isnotyour fault. C’mon, let’s go home.”
Zoey takes Hailee’s hand, and the three of us begin to walk back through the house when Kyle strides out into the living room, wearing only a towel around his waist, water dripping down his tattooed bare chest as he scrubs at his wet hair.
Zoey glares when he spots us, but I can tell Zoey’s on the warpath. “If you’re going to take a shower, Kyle, at least tell yourchild bridethe basics of pool safety with minors. And forGods’ sake, get a pool fence before you lecture me about our child’s safety!”
Zoey doesn’t wait for the asshole to answer before picking Hailee up and storming out with her. I glance at Kyle while he gawks at Zoey like he’s surprised she has the balls to stand up to him, and I shrug. “You have a seven-year-old child, man, and an infinity pool. I can see you love that little girl, but while you were in the shower, she was sitting by the deep end of your pool on her own. If she fell in and couldn’t get out, think about the ramifications. Get a damn pool fence, Kyle. It’s not like you can’t afford it,” I tell him, waving my hand around at all the expensive shit he has on show.
He doesn’t argue.
How can he?
The asshole doesn’t have a leg to stand on with this one.
I turn and walk out of his ridiculously ostentatious home while shaking my head.
Zoey’s putting Hailee in the back of the car like nothing happened. She’s smiling and talking to Hailee like everything is fine.
I guess that’s the art of being a parent, showing them you’re okay, even when you’re not. “How was your night with Daddy, Starshine?”
Hailee groans. “Tamara spent most of her time with me while Daddy was in his office playing his video games.”
Zoey rolls her eyes. “Typical.”
Just when I thought I couldn’t dislike Kyle any more than I already do, he ups the damn ante.
Tamara suddenly comes rushing out of the house and up to the car. “Don’t forget, Zoey, dress fitting for Hailee Monday night. We need our flower girl to look perfect for the big day. With only six days to go, it’s so exciting, isn’t it?”
Zoey curls up her lip. “So exciting.” The sarcasm is dripping from her in waves.
“Oh, and I’ll need you to be able to pay for the flower girl’s dress when we go to pick it up on Monday too. Thaaanks,” she coos as she rushes back inside.
I let out a loud scoff. “That idiot is making you pay for Hailee’s dress?”
Zoey slumps her shoulders. “Apparently so. A dress Hailee doesn’t want to wear, and I can imagine it will be some exclusive designer gown if Tamara has her way.”
Stepping up to Zoey, I place my hand on her hip, forcing her to look at me. “I’m going to give you my credit card, and you’ll pay for it with that. There will be no arguments.”
Zoey scrubs a hand over her face. “No, Blake, that’s pushing the friendship—”
“I think you and I both know that whatever we’re doing, Zoey, it’s beyond friendship. I’m not taking no for an answer. And if you won’t let me do it for you, let me do it for Hailee.”
She glances at Hailee, who is sitting back quietly watching us argue—if you can call it that—and she smiles at her mom. “Yeah, Mommy, let him buy me a dress. Maybe I’ll even like it.” She giggles like she knows she’s doing me a favor, so I wink at her.
Thanks, kid.
Zoey groans, craning her neck to the side. “I don’t like handouts.”
“It’s not a handout. It’s a gift… for Hailee. It’s not even for you, Zoey.”
