Page 43 of Hope's Heartlands

We had a great time, playing pool, dancing, and hanging out with his friends. And when it was time to leave, I asked him if he wanted to come to my house, mostly because I didn’t want it to end. The one-night stand has turned into so much more, and even though I knew it couldn’t last, I could at least enjoy it through the weekend.

So he took me to his house, I picked up my car, and he followed me home on his bike. I look over at him in my bed, surrounded by the white walls and furniture, with the white sheet pulled halfway up his body. He looks good in my bed, I can’t help but think.

But instead of dwelling on that, I go to the kitchen and start on breakfast. I’m only out of bed a few minutes before he’s at my back, his body surrounding mine, and he’s breathing me in. “I missed you,” he says before he kisses my neck.

I can’t help but stiffen at his words. This is good, almost too good. But it can’t last.

I turn in his arms, and when I do, I look out the window into the driveway and notice my ex-husband’s car pulling up. Shoot.

Luckily, I’m dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, and I tell Bull to stay put.

He looks surprised, but luckily doesn’t follow me as I step out the door and close it behind me. If I had to guess, he’s spotted my fourteen-year-old daughter out the window and is probably a little stunned. I never did mention to him that I have a daughter.

I walk on to the porch and wait for Charlie and Emma to come up the steps. Before I can even hug or say hello to Emma, Charlie is on me. “Whose bike is that?”

I pull Emma in for a hug. And barely refrain from answering Charlie with a “it’s none of your business,” but hopefully the look on my face tells him exactly what my thoughts are.

I ask Emma instead, “What are you doing home so early? I thought you were staying until later tonight.”

She rolls her eyes, like only a teenage girl can. “Chloe wanted to go to the mall with me and my friends. I refused to hang out with her and so I had Dad bring me home.”

I should tell her that she needs to respect adults, but Chloe is the one that Charlie cheated on me with, and I know Emma blames her for the breakup. Regardless, I’m not going to get into all that now.

“Whose bike is that, Kate?”

Finally, I do answer him. This is my house and I don’t owe him anything. “A friend of mine is inside. But really, it’s none of your business.”

“None of my business? I bought this house.” He starts to yell at me.

I hold my hand up to stop him. “Go inside, Emma. I’ll be there in a minute.”

She looks between us and walks inside, and I turn back to Charlie, the man that still seems to think he can control what I do.

Bulldog

Luckily, I went in and put on clothes before sitting back down at the dining room table. I can no longer see the man and young girl outside, but I can hear the man. The door opens and in walks the daughter, a younger image of Kate.

She looks taken back. “Who are you?”

“Uh, I’m a friend of your mother’s. I’m Bull.”

She nods her head. “I’m, uh, Emma.” She sits down on the couch and with the open concept, she’s just a few feet away from me. It’s awkward for me, and I know it is for her.

The voices get louder outside, and I ask Emma, “Does he always talk to her like that?”

Emma’s face scrunches up. “Yep, always. She always wanted me to have my mother and father in the picture and I think she thought I wanted her to put up with that mess. Thankfully, he cheated on her and that was the last straw.”

I can’t help but wonder how old she is. She seems pretty wise for a kid.

When the voices get even louder, I’ve had enough. “I’ll be right back,” I tell Emma and walk out the door, shutting it firmly behind me.

The man is staring at me incredulously, but I ignore him. I pull Kate against me. “Go inside.”

She turns in my arms with fire in her eyes, but I smile down at her. “Go inside, please?”

She snaps her mouth closed and finally nods her head. Without another look at the other man on the porch, she walks inside. When the door shuts, I turn back to him with a menacing look on my face. “Hey, Judge Hawthorne.”

“How do you know me? I don’t know you.”

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