Page 64 of Cowboy Bear's Hope

He’s here. He came.

I looked up at him, his steady gaze meeting mine, and a smile of gratitude tugged at my lips despite the storm raging in my mind.

He didn’t have to say a word. I could see everything I needed in his eyes.

With Dante here, I wasn’t just facing the storm.

I was ready to stand in it, face the wind, and fight back.

“Okay, I think I’ve been fed some misinformation. Nurse Brown, I do not know what is happening here, but we will get to the bottom of it. Why don’t we go inside my office?” Principal Jefferson suggested.

“I think I’ll take off,” Dryden said, but Dante moved, blocking his exit.

“I don’t think so.”

“Avery? Please let’s go inside my office,” my boss tried again.

I shook my head, determined to stand right by the door where Rosie was even now being questioned.

“I’m not leaving until my child comes out that door. Now, tell me what happened. All I know is whatever this man said to you, it was a lie,” I said, pointing at the assistant creep.

“This is ridiculous. I acted within my rights as assistant principal. Your child has been a problem since the start of the school year. Acting out. Being unreasonable. Fighting with the other children. Her behavior is abhorrent. And I am guessing it comes from your own behavior, Nurse Brown. A single mother with a revolving door of men is no doubt unfit?—”

“This is the only warning you will get. Shut your fucking mouth about her,” Dante snarled.

“Look,” I said, trying to shift the focus back to my child. “I am not going to defend my behavior to this man who is obviously delusional, Principal Jefferson. But Rosie is not a problem?—”

“She has been difficult, Nurse Brown,” my boss said, eyeing a file that undoubtedly held records of incidents I wasn’t even aware of thanks to that fucking tool. Mr. Dryden.

“Rosie’s rambunctious, but she’s not mean. She’s not malicious,” I countered, tears welling in my eyes.

“She’s been having issues, Avery,” Principal Jefferson repeated, and my chest squeezed.

Had I been neglecting my own daughter?

“Surely, I would have been told if things were taking a turn for the worse. Miss Dembeck knows to email me,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief.

“You haven’t answered her last six attempts to contact you,” the principal replied, showing me printed out copies of these supposed emails.

“But that’s not the right address. Look, there’s an e at the end of Brown? This was sent through the school’s system, wasn’t it?” I asked and felt my panic turning to anger.

“There must be a mistake,” the principal said, checking the document.

“Clearly there is. This man messed with my email address in the system! Didn’t you?” I accused and felt Dante growl behind me.

“So what if the email address is incorrect? Your kid is a little monster! I did what I had to do to make sure the other kids were safe. Principal Jefferson, I am appalled that my motives are even being questioned,” Dryden said.

The creep was trying to gaslight all of us, acting like he was somehow the wronged party.

Bile rose in my throat. I could not believe it.

“Y-you called protective services because I wouldn’t go out with you. And you lied to our boss and said I was your fiancée, so you assumed permission to go ahead and have Rosie evaluated?” I asked, trying to make sense.

“No. No, she’s not being evaluated. You are! They’re going to find out what a dirty little whore you are and take your spoiled brat away from you. Rosalind will be better off?—”

I faltered, my knees wobbling like they were seconds away from giving out.

How could this be happening?

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