Page 32 of Cold as (N)ice

“No,” she snapped, causing Barrett’s head to jerk back in surprise.

What? He wanted to talk.

No, you are not teaching my son to eat like a heathen. We use normal spoons no matter how hungry you are, and we behave like humans.

Our son. I’m his stepfather now.

“You do not get to play that trump card when we’ve been married less than twenty-four hours,” she snarled audibly.

Mommy is not a happy person in the mornings.

I like mornings,Stephen motioned and looked at her curiously.Why are you mad?

Because we eat like normal people,she gestured, getting out several regular spoons and holding them up.We use spoons like this for cereal.

“Irene,” Barrett began and signed at the same time so Stephen could follow along. “We’re going to be a family – andfamily is the one place you never have to worry. You can be yourself…”

“A dumpster fire?” she shot back, motioning the words – and heard Stephen snort as Lucky Charms when flying across the counter before he coughed. She was immediately at his side, patting him on the back where he sat on the stool next to Barrett – who was smirking. “I swear, you are trying to stress me out and…”

“Because it’s safe,” Barrett interrupted softly, catching her attention. “You are free to be yourself, relax, and let down your hair when you are at home. I might not have intended to get married, and we’ve got a lot of change coming over the next few days – but when you get frustrated and upset, it’s okay to lose your temper toward your ‘dumpster-fire of a husband,’” he finished, signing ‘dumpster fire’again… and smiled. “Here you are giving me a pet name already.”

“Oh my gosh,” she muttered, rubbing her forehead at the chaos inside. Was he pushing her buttons for a reason?

Can I call you a dumpster fire, too?Stephen signed in delight, laughing – and Barrett chuckled, nearly falling off the stool as he laughed.

“You can call me Barrett – or whatever you are comfortable with,” he replied to Stephen but said it aloud as he held Irene’s gaze. “You call people you don’t like a ‘dumpster fire’…”

Sure enough, her son’s hurt gaze looked at her immediately.

You don’t like Barrett?

And heaven help her – Barrett made a moue with his lips, pouting, behind her son’s head.

“Answer him,” Barrett encouraged a split second later, taunting her – and she felt her blood boil. If he thought that he was going to be a wedge between them, he had another thing coming.

He has his moments,she retorted, not holding anything back.Barrett has moments where he can be nice and friendly, but sometimes he pushes Mommy’s buttons to make her mad, and I haven’t figured out why. I don’t want you calling anyone a ‘dumpster fire,’ and I shouldn’t have said it – so I apologize, Barrett.

Stephen’s head swung around to see Barrett’s response – but he just stared at her, swallowing, as his brown eyes held hers.

“Irene…” he said quietly and then looked at Stephen.I’m sorry I made your Mother mad, and she is right. Do not call anyone a dumpster fire. Your mother can say what she wants to me because we are friends, and she is an adult. She knows the hurt that calling someone a name can create and understands the repercussions, he paused and looked at her again. “You can call me that if that is how you feel. I don’t mind.”

“I shouldn’t have said it.”

“You never have to apologize – and it might be slightly true.”

Sign so I can understand,Stephen interrupted, waving his hand in Barrett’s face and frowning.

Sorry buddy, I was apologizing to your mom for making her upset – even if she is really pretty when she gets mad.

“What?”she choked out, shocked.

It’s the hair,Barrett gestured, pulling his hair tie out and shaking his messy hair several times before putting his hands under his chin mockingly and batting his eyelashes. Stephen laughed wildly at his antics while Irene sighed, picked up the correct spoons, plucked theirs directly out of their bowls, and walked off to the sink.

And heard Stephen laugh again behind her.

She hated admitting that her son was laughing and responding like a child so much more around Barrett – and maybe being around a guy would be good for him. Goodness knows Eric was not the person she would want her son toemulate, and he was not a good role model. She wasn’t sure if Barrett was, but she thought anything was better than Eric.

Pouring her own bowl of cereal, she moved to join them… and caught wind of their conversation.

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