Page 107 of The Only Goal

Mr. Tan sits up a little straighter, frowning at me until a light bulb clicks and he whispers, “Baxter Brown? What are you doing here?”

“I’m visiting my dad.”

“Haven’t seen you around.”

My smile is hard and unfriendly as I stare down at him. “We’re not exactly the friendliest neighbors, now are we? Since my mom passed, I’m guessing you have nothing to do with my dad, amiright?”

He grunts and focuses back on his coffee while I study Mrs. Tan’s face. She looks older, streaks of gray in her black hair, her eyes tired like she’d been up at night worrying. I can only imagine who she’s obsessing over.

Probably the same person I can’t stop thinking about.

But maybe in a different way.

Definitely in a different way.

Grace’s comments about controlling, manipulative parents got my back up. Did they really force her to marry Hudson? Did Tammy put up a fight or just go along with them?

Shit, why’d I tell her to leave the night she told me she was pregnant? I should have offered to be there for her, but I was too hurt and jealous to do anything but act like a total douchebag. And then I did the same fucking thing last week when Hudson showed up.

What the hell is wrong with me!

“Well, if you’ll excuse us.” Mrs. Clark gives me a polite smile. “We’re just in the middle of something important.”

“Of course,” I mumble, stepping off the curb and turning my back.

Until I hear…

“Now, I don’t know what she told you, but it only happened once, and Hudson wouldn’t have even behaved like that in the first place unless something was already broken. I raised my son right and?—”

“You hold on just a minute there, Lydia,” Mrs. Tan interrupts her. “My girl wouldn’t do anything to provoke that kind of behavior. Now, you should be thanking me that I insisted she go back to him. Marriage is a sacred vow, and she will not be walking away from it under any circumstances. But you need to bring your boy into line.”

I spin in time to see Mrs. Clark’s cheeks flare red. “Well, you need to tell your daughter not to run away with his son again, taking off to God knows where and not telling him a thing. She damn near kidnapped that child, and poor Hudson was beside himself.”

“Poor Hudson.” Mr. Tan scoffs and shakes his head.

“Stay out of this, Jon,” Mrs. Clark snaps, and I fucking lose it.

“You stay out of it!” I shout, striding up to the table. My loud voice makes them all start, and Mrs. Clark actually leans back as I tower over them. “Who the hell do you think you are discussing your adult children this way? You don’t control them anymore. They’re old enough to make their own decisions.”

“Young man—” Mrs. Tan tries to warn me off, but I barrel right over top of her.

“How dare you force your daughter to marry Hudson in the first place?”

Mrs. Clark blusters. “Excuse me! There was no forcing anyone.”

“You tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night,” I spit, then shake my head at them all. “Do you have any idea how much you’ve held them back?” My voice breaks. “Tammy deserves love and loyalty and a man who is going to listen to her and make her laugh and smile and feel good about herself. She deserves to live free from any kind of pressure and judgment, but she can’t do that with you guys breathing down her neck and scheming behind her back. Don’t sit there telling me you didn’t order those two to get married when you found out she was pregnant. And don’t sit there telling me that you’re not still pulling their strings!”

Mr. Tan darts a look at his wife, whose black curls are jiggling as she shakes with obvious rage. I no longer give a fuck. If she wants to hate me, she can go right ahead. I don’t need to try and impress her anymore, because Tammy’s an adult who can do whatever the fuck she wants, dammit!

“If she wants to leave Hudson, then she has every right. If she wants to stay, then that’s her prerogative too. But whatever she decides, it’s her choice to make, and she does not need some bullshit custody battle threats.” I throw my glare on Mrs. Clark while Tammy’s mother lets out a horrified gasp.

“Lydia, you didn’t.”

“Kai is his son! Of course he’s going to fight for custody.”

“That’s why they must stay together,” Mrs. Tan clips at her husband. “Tamara’s not strong enough to handle something like that.”

Slapping my hands on the table, I get right in that woman’s face and tell it to her straight. “Tammy is strong enough to handle anything. And I am going to support whatever she decides.”

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