Page 46 of Outlaw

My plan was to excuse myself after we finished eating and go to my room instead of joining them for movie night. Let them bond overMoana, and I would call Hudson.

When Linc stood, chuckling at Stevie’s excitement over dessert being in the great room while she watched the movie, I did the same, taking my plate, then going over to pick up Stevie’s.

“Jayda will clean the table,” Linc told me as I collected the flatware that Stevie hadn’t used.

“I’m not leaving my plate at the table. That’s rude. She cooked the meal.” My words were clipped.

I could see Stevie pulling on his hand in my peripheral vision.

“Come on. Let’s go,” she urged.

Normally, I would correct that behavior, but he had promised her an ice cream sundae, and she loved ice cream.

“We need to wait on your mom,” Linc told her.

With my hands full, I made my way to the sink. “You two go ahead. I’m going to make a phone call after this,” I said with my back to him now.

“That doesn’t sound like fun, does it?” he asked.

“Nope,” Stevie replied. “You gotta come too, Mommy. You loveMoana.”

But I did not love her father. I actually wanted to stay the hell away from him and his arrogant smirk. I began cleaning what was left on the plates into the disposal while trying to think of a way out of this.

“I’ll join you after I call Hudson,” I told her, glancing over my shoulder and giving her an apologetic smile.Please just go along with this, I silently begged her with my eyes.

“Come on, Ringlets. I have a bowl full of cherries waiting for you. I know how much you like to do that little trick where you tie the stem with your tongue.”

The plate I was holding clattered loudly as it slipped from my hand, and I stared down at it. I was suddenly lightheaded, and I had to grip the edge of the sink to steady myself. Sucking in a breath as the thud of my heartbeat filled my ears. Stevie was saying something, but I couldn’t hear it.

“You—” I choked out the word, my throat tight. I swallowed and tried again. “You know.” My words sounded like a raspy whisper, but that was the best I could manage.

He knew who I was. Which meant that he knew that I had known who he was and said nothing. What did this mean?

I tried to calm my racing heart and trembling body so I could think.

A small hand touched mine. “Mommy, awah you okay? You just dwopped the plate. Wemembah that accidents happen,” she said, as if to soothe me.

I stared down at her sweet hand on top of mine and inhaled deeply. I could not do this in front of her. He’d chosen this moment to confront me when he had several other options.

“I’m fine,” I assured her, doing my best to smile.

“I’ve got plenty of plates.” Linc’s voice made my back stiffen. “Now, ladies, let’s go have our movie night.”

Stevie grabbed my wrist, pulling my hand away from the edge of the sink, and beamed. “YAY!” she said while tugging me to come with her.

Giving in, I turned around, and my eyes met Linc’s. The amusement in his gaze didn’t seem angry. He was enjoying the reaction he had gotten out of me.

How long had he been holding on to this? Had he known all along? When he had read my name on the marriage certificate, had he realized who I was then and just said nothing?

“Let’s go!” Stevie let go of my hand once I was moving in the direction she wanted and ran ahead of us.

Once she was out the door, I wanted to chase after her to save myself from being alone with him. Even if it was for a second.

Keeping my head down so as to not have to look at his face, I followed behind her. The sound of his boots on the hardwood seemed to be all I could hear. My steps quickened, and a deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. I didn’t react to it, but continued theignoring himbit and almost caught up with Stevie.

Her loud squeal startled me, and my head snapped up to see her dart into the great room. What had he done now? Hopefully, he hadn’t bought every Moana toy ever made.

When I stepped into the room, I stopped and took in the table, where Stevie was currently scanning the items that filled it. He’d had Jayda set up an ice cream sundae bar. There wereat least thirty toppings, arranged in clear containers of every shape and size. The centerpiece was a chocolate fountain. It was Instagram-worthy.

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