Page 65 of A Package Deal

I pulled up to the pump and hopped out of the truck, rushing to slide my credit card into the machine and get the gas going. I didn’t want to be late to Roger’s place or Pip and Savannah were liable to quit on me if they had to deal with the grump all on their own.

The ding over the convenience store door caught my attention, but it was the man who emerged that had me doing a double take.

No.

This couldn’t be happening.

Cayden was striding across the parking lot, scowl on his face and receipt in hand. My heart stopped and every thought about getting to my jobsite left my head. He looked older, which was a stupid thought to have. Of course he looked older. Over five years had passed since I’d talked to him. I probably looked older too.

He didn’t see me, probably because he was moving quickly toward a new truck he hadn’t had when we were together. I blinked, trying to find enough spit in my mouth to swallow. My stomach churned, not at all happy to see this man who’d made my life so hard and turned his back on the best little girl to ever exist. Cayden threw the receipt through the passenger window, which was when I realized a woman sat in the truck, jumping in fright.

Rage filled my chest, the kind that made my lungs pump air in and out in loud audible gasps. How dare he treat another woman like that? I’d gotten away, but he was still up to his bullshit, treating women like we were a second-class citizen. My hands balled into fists.

“Hey, asshole!” I bellowed.

Fuck. I hadn’t meant to open my mouth, but here we were.

Cayden turned around slowly, his cruel eyes scanning me from head to toe like he had any right to gaze at me with such scrutiny.

“Emmerleigh?” he asked, having the audacity to smirk at me.

Smirk? That fucker turned his back on me and his daughter, leaving us to fend for ourselves, and he thought smirking at me five years later was the best way to greet me?

I marched my ass over to his truck and shoved his chest. “What the fuck are you doing in my town, asshole?”

“Cayden?” the woman asked softly through the open window.

Cayden didn’t bother to answer her or to introduce us, but his smirk did slide away, leaving that ugly scowl he liked to use to intimidate people into doing his bidding.

“Didn’t realize this was your town, Leigh.” He swiveled his head. “Yep, pretty sure this is still public property.”

“Don’t call me that,” I hissed, hating that nickname back then and even more now. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see my daughter and?—”

“She’s not yours,” I snapped. He didn’t deserve to even have Georgia’s name in his mouth.

“The court might have a different opinion.” He looked so fucking smug.

“Maybe,” I admitted, my blood running cold at the thought. “But until we face a judge, stay the fuck away from me and my daughter or I’ll get a restraining order.”

Cayden huffed, his eyes turning even colder. “Pretty sure your watchdog wants to keep this out of court. I’m willing to play nice, so watch your tone.”

Forget icy veins. My blood was now boiling for more than one reason.

“You lost the right to offer me any sort of advice when you kicked me out of the house pregnant with our child.” I darted my gaze to the woman who’d gone pale. “Run, honey. Get out now.”

Cayden stepped between us, cutting off my view of the woman. “You’ve ruined my life, Emmerleigh. Kept my daughter from me. Ruined my business when you walked away. How about you not try to ruin my upcoming marriage, huh?”

I shook my head, feeling numb. The man was positively psychotic. He’d taken everything he’d done and twisted it to make me out as the bad guy. What kind of mind games must that take to believe his own lies?

“That’s funny. I thought you ruined mine, but you actually set me free. Thanks for that.” I shot him a wink and walked back to my truck, feeling remarkably free from the past.

“You’ve got some nerve, Leigh!” he shouted after me, continuing to spew profanities at my back like he was actually losing his mind.

The gas station attendant came out the door of the convenience store with a cell phone jammed to his ear. He pointed at Cayden. “I’ve called the cops. You might as well clear out.”

Cayden scrambled to get in his truck while the woman stared out the windshield at me, her eyes huge. She looked lost, beaten down. I wanted to help her, but I had Georgia to think about. I couldn’t do anything to antagonize Cayden further. I didn’t want him to retaliate and somehow affect the little family I’d put together.

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