Page 79 of Forbidden Grumpy Boss

I raise an eyebrow. “You found that exhilarating?”

She nods, still beaming. Her dark hair’s falling loose around her shoulders, and she looks relaxed. The sundress she’s wearing flutters in the cool evening breeze. It’s a soft shade of peach, hugging her body in all the right places, reminding me how young and vibrant she is.

“I haven’t seen you like this in a while,” I admit. “Smiling.”

Her smile softens. “It feels good to put someone in their place. Especially when they deserve it.”

I know she’s thinking about Harvey. Principal Morgan isn’t the mastermind behind this situation; Harvey is. But yeah, she’s right. It feels good to put Harvey in his place.

I chuckle, though it’s a weak attempt to mask my tiredness. We head toward the car, and I look at her more than I should. There’s a question on my mind. I want her to stay the night, but with the scandal still trending and her father actively trying to bury me, I wonder if she’ll want to. No, I’m not going to ask her that. I won’t put her in that position.

“Do you want to stay the night?” The words slip out of my mouth.

Leah’s eyes twinkle—literally. “At your place?”

“I mean, if you want to.” I shrug, stopping by the car.

“I’d love to, yeah.” She smiles brightly at me, and I feel foolish thinking she’d have rejected the offer.

Caleb’s waiting in the backseat, his headphones on, hoodie pulled up like he’s trying to disappear. He’s been quiet since we got into the car, and I know I need to talk to him about what happened at the school.

Once we’re on the road, I clear my throat. “So, Caleb,” I start with my eyes on the rearview mirror. “Why’d you hit the kid?”

Caleb doesn’t answer at first; he just stares out the window, watching the city lights blur. I glance at Leah sitting next to me, her hand resting on her lap. She’s looking at him, too, waiting.

“Caleb,” I say, my tone a bit firmer now.

Finally, he mumbles something, pulling his hood lower over his head. The kid’s shoulders are slumped, and he’s looking everywhere but in the rear mirror, where my eyes are waiting for him.

“What was that?”

He lets out a sigh, loud enough for both of us to hear. “He was calling you names.”

“Names?” I frown. “What names?”

Caleb mumbles again.

“Look at me, Caleb,” I say in a low but firm voice, and my kid meets my gaze. “What names?”

“He said you’re a—” his eyes dart away from the mirror, “a sexual predator. He said that’s what his mom said last night.”

The words hit harder than I expected. I grip the steering wheel, knuckles white, the anger simmering again. This is Harvey’s doing. Spreading lies about me, about Leah, about us. And now, my son has to hear this crap at school.

“I told him to cut it out, but he didn’t listen. When I walked up to warn him, he shoved me against the wall, and that was when I punched him in the eye.” The words are coming out in a rush now, and his voice is breaking, as if he’s sorry he disappointed us. “I didn’t mean to fight, but the other kids were laughing at you!”

Leah turns to Caleb, her voice soft but steady. “None of that is true, Caleb. What’s between your dad and me . . . there’s nothing illegal about it. Your dad isn’t a sexual predator or anything like that, okay? You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”

Caleb doesn’t respond; he just crosses his arms and sinks deeper into his seat.

I know he’s not convinced. And can I blame him? His world’s been flipped upside down because of this mess and me. I hate that my personal life is affecting him like this. Harvey’s willing to burn everything to the ground just because I’m with his daughter.

“Violence is never the answer, kid,” I say, meeting his eyes in the rear mirror. “You hear me?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Only a weak man solves problems with his fist.” I swerve onto a different route. “And I’m not raising my son to be a weak man.”

“Then what do I do when someone’s saying sh—” he pauses, “stuff about me or you or Leah?”

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