Page 38 of Big Island Horizons
“I’m not your wife.”
“Well, not according to the state of Alaska. But me, I took a vow. That’s between you, me, and God. I’m not going to let you walk out of my life just like that. You want to live in Hawai’i? Well, here I am in Hawai’i.”
Her legs trembled, but her voice held firm. “I don’t want you here.”
“Don’t be like that, Lani.” He was leaning on the window ledge, deliberately calm, but a dangerous anger flashed in his eyes.
“If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police.”
He smirked, even as the anger in his eyes grew sharper. “I doubt that.”
“I’ll do it, Zeke.”
“Call them and say what?” He pitched his voice up and waved his hands in the air. “Help, there’s a customer at my little snowcone shack, I don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll call them and say that my ex-husband is stalking me.”
He rolled his eyes. “Hardly.”
She took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself as her brain skittered anxiously from one exit to another. The door was locked, but he could climb through the window if he wanted to. Could he be charged with anything for that? Trespassing? Breaking and entering? Harassment by stalking? Would the cops even care?
“How about you make me a snow cone?” he asked in a forced, cheerful tone. “I’d pick lemon, but my mama always told me not to eat that yellow snow. I guess pineapple’s out too. What would you recommend?”
“Please go away,” she begged.
She saw real hurt in his eyes, just for a second, before it was replaced by fresh anger.
“Are you serious, Lani? You won’t even sell me something? The place is dead, and you’re going to turn away a paying customer? Are you really that petty?”
“You’re not welcome here.”
It happened again, a glimpse of something human beneath his posturing.
She wasn’t sure what it was, that flash of pain that showed through the indignation. Could it be empathy? Or just disappointment?
“Does Rory ever ask about me?” he asked, suddenly vulnerable. She had no way of knowing if it was real or just another ploy. She wasn’t sure thatheknew. After a moment’s hesitation, she answered honestly.
“No.”
“You probably told her that I abandoned her,” he said, anger flaring again. “The only dad she ever knew. You don’t think that’s going to mess the kid up?”
She shook her head.
“So you’re not even going to let me see her?”
A sudden rage flared in her chest, hot and fierce. She dropped her arms, and her hands balled themselves into fists.
“Wow. You’re really not going to let me see my kid? Not even at, like, a park or something?”
“She’s not your kid,” Lani growled. “She’smine.”
He barked out a laugh. “I see how it is. You were fine with me feeding and clothing her for four and a half years. You were fine with me being her daddy when you needed a place to stay. But now that you’re done with me, I’m nothing to her. Is that it?”
“I don’t–” she started, but he interrupted her.
“What kind of shack can you even afford on minimum wage, anyway? Where are you guys even staying?”
“This is your last chance to leave before I call the cops.”
