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I take a deep breath. It’s not entirely her fault that I’m wound so damned tight right now. I may have ignored Cole’s little comment about being in a bad mood when it comes to Emily because I didn’t want to accept that I’ve acted in such a noticeable way around my kids. I mean, honestly, who gave them the right to be so intuitive and observant anyway? Like, how can he deduct that from my behavior but not be aware when he has a booger hanging halfway out of his nose? The contradictions in these kids are astounding.
“We twins!” Cale says from the back of the rented SUV.
“My point,” I begin, risking a glance at the boys in the rearview mirror as we wait for the arm to lift, allowing us access to the parking garage. “Is that when we stop for a potty break that both of you at least try to go.”
Cole used the restroom in the airport before we got the rental. Cale, of course, claimed he didn’t need to, but then suddenly we were in the middle of an emergency five miles into our drive to the attorney’s office.
“Sorry, Daddy,” Cale says, his little voice soft and sad.
I feel like an asshole, something that is becoming a common occurrence. It doesn’t help that Madison is glaring at the side of my face, offended that his little feelings are hurt.
I park the SUV and climb out, helping Cole out who is on my side while Madison grabs Cale.
My son milks it for everything it’s worth, wrapping his little arms around her and making her carry him to the underground elevator.
I narrow my eyes at his back but stop short of telling the kid he’s old enough to walk on his own two legs. That would be my father’s voice coming out of me. As much as I love my dad, he was always so abrasive with me growing up. I never wanted my own kids to feel like they ever had to question my love for themlike I sometimes did with my father. He wasn’t mean to me, but he had expectations of how a man should act long before I became an actual man.
“Sorry, bud,” I tell Cale, pressing my palm to his back.
I make the mistake of leaning in and brushing my lips on his temple. It puts me much too close to Madison and the floral scent of her skin.
I step back the second the elevator dings, and once I climb on behind everyone, I relegate myself to the farthest corner. Cale climbs out of her arms, quick to want to fight his brother over who gets to press the buttons. In turn, we end up getting the privilege of stopping on three extra floors before finally making it to the one we need.
“Mr. Woodson,” the receptionist breathes as I approach her desk at the front of the office. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
She doesn’t say it in an irritating way. She says it in that tone that a lot of women use. I bet this woman wouldn’t mind me signing her damn bra strap.
I look over at Madison, but the boys have all her attention.
“The boys can stay in this area over here,” the woman says as she stands and walks around her desk.
Madison follows her into the waiting room to the right. That tells me that she was paying attention, she just doesn’t care that the receptionist was a little breathless at seeing me. Madison’s indifference is so damned intriguing to me.
“This way, Mr. Woodson.”
I leave the boys in Madison’s very capable hands and follow the woman to the conference room even though I’m well aware of where I’m going.
It’s clear from the frowns I get from everyone sitting at the grand conference room table that I’m the last to arrive.
I want to snarl at the sight of Cory sitting in the room, but I’m not able to dictate who Emily brings to these damned meetings. I’m only here in person because she threw a fit when I suggested a video conference. She’s a fan of anything that inconveniences me, even if it means getting her own children up before dawn to make the trip. I can’t remember a time when she thought of anyone but herself, so I don’t know why she still has the ability to surprise me.
Despite my earlier musings about Cory being a playboy, the way he watches the side of my soon-to-be ex-wife’s face tells me he’s gone for that woman. I know exactly where his head is. Emily has the uncanny ability to make people a little crazy over her. I fell for her trickery just as easily. I might have a little empathy for the man if it weren’t for his betrayal.
“Mr. Woodson,” my attorney says, standing and holding his hand out.
“Mr. Long,” I say, shaking his proffered hand before taking a seat in the empty chair beside him.
“Can we move past the posturing and get to the real reason we’re here?” Emily asks, her back straight and her face a mask of indifference. “I want full custody of the boys.”
I glare at her. Hell, Cory glares at her. Clearly, she hasn’t let him in on her little game. That man doesn’t want children. They’d cramp his style too much. As much as I loved the guy as a best friend, he was just as irresponsible when they left the boys alone in the pool to have sex. Neither of them can be trusted to put anyone ahead of their own needs.
“We’re not even going to entertain that idea,” Mr. Long says, Emily’s declaration not enough to make him lift his eyes from the paperwork. “We’re willing to offer—”
“You can’t put a price on my children,” Emily snaps, her anger well placed and timely.
I lean back in my chair, bored with the performance. If we were alone, I’d tell her to keep her modeling job because she’ll go broke depending on acting as a career.
Cory pats her arm, comforting her. How does the man not remember the numerous conversations we had about her antics and her over-the-top bids for attention?
