Page 89 of Challenged by the Single Dad

All three women nearly got whiplash they spun around so fast to look. A blonde woman in black yoga tights, Blundstone boots, and a teal Lululemon hoodie stood in line at Booch and Bagels.

“Well, jeez,” Jordana said with an eyeroll, “don’t all look at once.”

Even though her heart was torn and confused about her inconvenient feelings for Dom, hearing about Silas stirred up all kinds of grief and sad emotions inside her. Chloe was still a mama bear deep down. The instinct to protect a cub—even if it wasn’t her cub—dug in its claws. “So, tell meexactlywhat happened on the playground between Silas and—” She made sure she wasn’t quiet, and by the way the other woman’s posture changed, Chloe knew she was listening.

“Carnation,” Vica added, picking up on Chloe’s train of thought. “Well, from what I understand, Carnation has been chasing Silas around the playground a lot lately. She keeps trying to kiss him. But he has politely declined. He’s only six. And I don’t know many six-year-old boys who want to kiss any girls. Anyway, she called him a sissy and said it was a good thing his mom was dead.”

“Then she pinched him, didn’t she?” Brooke asked, increasing the volume of their conversation even more.

Vica nodded. “Yes, that’s right. You should see the bruise. It is very big, and purple. The size of a clementine or so.”

“Oh my,” Jordana said with a bit of drama to her tone. “Then what happened?”

Chloe’s lip twitched and the other three women smiled.

“Aya ran up and bit Carnation on the hand to get her to let go of Silas.” Vica clicked her tongue. “And just like last time, Aya is the only one getting in trouble. She’s been suspended for two days and has to spend a week in detention, not going out for recess.”

Aya was a scrappy little thing. But at least her intentions were good. Chloe would make sure to never get on the little girl’s bad side.

“You mean Carnation didn’t get in any trouble?” Jordana asked.

“None,” Vica said even louder.

“And how is Silas doing?” Chloe asked.

“He’s scared to go back to school.” Vica’s brown eyes tipped up to Carnation’s mother, who was getting her order. “The little guy is so sweet, and quiet, and shy. I feel very bad for him. To be too afraid to go to school because of a bully.”

They all agreed—loudly.

“Something needs to be done,” Brooke added. “I know Dom spoke with one of Carnation’s parents at the Halloween party, but have they been addressed since this new incident?”

“I’m one of Carnation’s parents,” came the smooth, indignant voice of the blonde in the teal hoodie. “Why don’t you speak to me?”

“Oh, Wynona!” Jordana said, faking surprise pretty convincingly. “I didn’t see you there.”

Wynona’s blue eyes formed thin slits, but her fake lashes were so thick and long it was hard to tell if she could see anything. “I’m sure.” Then she regarded the rest of them. “You’ve heard the story from yoursons, now how about the story from mydaughter?”

“There are always two sides to every story,” Chloe said, her palm up, offering Wynona the stage.

Wynona used her long, bedazzled, fake nails to carefully flip her hair over her shoulder. “Griffon, Jake, and Silas were chasing Carnation. She asked them to stop. They cornered her on the blacktop by the four square and said if she didn’t kiss them, they’d push her to the ground. Then Aya ran up out of nowhere and bit Carnation. You should see the mark on her hand. She needed an ice pack.”

Even if Chloe didn’t have an instinctive urge to protect Dom’s child, she wouldn’t have bought any of that bullshit. Was Wynona that stupid? “Soooo, Carnation was doing nothing to Silas to prompt Aya to bite her?” Chloe asked.

“She was not,” Wynona argued. “It was entirely unprovoked.”

“I’m pretty sure even the duty teacher would say otherwise,” Jordana countered. “My kids were on the playground down below and saw Carnation bothering Silas. Then they saw Aya run up and bite her. They all heard him crying. And your daughter yelling and calling him a sissy and speaking about his dead mother.”

Wynona’s contoured cheeks colored—even more—and her nostrils flared. “All I know is that Carnation is being targeted. The McEvoy kids are menaces—particularly Aya. They torment her constantly and we’ve had enough. I’ve told her to fight back. And maybe that’s what she was doing if she was pinching Silas.”

Brooke made a noise in her throat and shook her head, her green eyes fierce. “She waspickingon Silas, and has been for months. He’s the smallest McEvoy. And the shiest. Have your extensions wormed their way into your brain? She’s nearly twice the size of Silas. And he’s little for six. You know what your child is capable of, and yet, you’rechoosingto remain ignorant. You’rechoosingnot to do anything about it.”

“Small people can still be nasty.” Wynona lifted her chin high.

“Oh, that they can,” Vica said. “You’re raising one.”

Wynona’s whole face pinched. “I don’t know why any of you think you deserve to have an opinion on this. Besides you, Jordana, the rest of you aren’t even mothers. You don’t even have kids of your own. You’re just playing house with the McEvoys andpretending.”

“Mi scusi?”Vica exclaimed, stomping and about to stand up.

---