Page 50 of 40 and Flirting (with Disaster)
He gave her hand a squeeze as he took the seat next to her. “Give her time. I’m choosing to believe in her.”
She met his eyes, absorbing the calm reassurance she found there. This man who’d been treated with nothing but disdain and outright hostility from her daughter was choosing to give her grace; the least Iris could do was the same. “I will too.”
Jamie explained to them all that he’d ordered a special menu for tonight, being certain to first check with Iris to make sure everyone would enjoy what he’d selected. Toward the end of his little speech, Iris heard loud noises from the area of the front podium. Shouting. She squinted in that direction, seeing a large figure yelling at the young man, Sam, who had spoken to them earlier. Iris couldn’t see clearly who it was, but Adam’s, “Is that Dad?” told her everything she needed to know.
What was her ex-husband doing here?
Somehow Iris was on her feet. Jamie cursed beside her, and she heard the click of his phone, presumably to dial someone—maybe the cops? At the same time she noticed Krista next to her father, the panicked look on her face shooting alarm through Iris. Krista caught sight of her and hurried across the dining room just as Iris heard Jamie speaking into his cell.
“Francisco, get Brian into the dining room now.”
Not the cops, then. Should she be relieved her ex wasn’t about to be arrested in front of their children?
Unfortunately Krista wasn’t the only one who’d seen them across the wide dining room. Kirk had as well. Pushing past the podium, he followed in his daughter’s footsteps, charging in their direction, rage clear on his face. Iris caught her breath. From the corner of her eye she saw Adam stand, saw him place a firm hand on Chloe’s shoulder to keep her in her seat where she would be more protected. There was little doubt that was what was uppermost in her son’s mind as he watched his father race toward them—it was on Iris’s as well. And when Jamie stood, one arm coming in front of her to push her back a couple of steps, she knew he felt it too. Protected behind his shoulder, she watched with increasing horror as Krista and Kirk approached the table.
Tears fell in a torrent down Krista’s face. She was dressed as if she’d been coming for their dinner, her glittery shirt and pressed slacks clear evidence of her intent, but words soaked in sobs spilled from her lips. “Mom, I didn’t… I’m sorry. I tried to stop him. H-he’s drunk, he doesn’t— Don't…”
Kirk shoved their daughter out of his way as he reached them. Thank God for Michael, who caught Krista before she hit the floor. Iris cried out, the sound half fear, half anger. “Kirk!”
Her ex-husband slammed into the opposite side of the table from them, the smell of alcohol continuing across the space until it filled Iris’s nostrils. “There you are, bitch!”
Shock jolted through her.
“Kirk—”
That was Jamie. Iris wanted to tell him to stop, to not draw attention to himself. She didn’t want anyone hurt, and though a part of her would never have believed Kirk would do such a thing, she had to admit she didn’t know the man standing in front of her now. Maybe she never had.
“You!” Kirk jabbed a finger at Jamie. “You fucked my wife.”
“What?” Iris spluttered.
Kirk was fixated on Jamie now, ignoring her. “That’s why she left, ain’t it? Because you broke up our family. You took her away from me!”
She couldn’t let him do this. “You did that just fine on your own, Kirk. You have no one to blame but yourself.”
“Stay out of this,” Kirk spat at her.
“I won’t stay out of it.” She fisted her hands, willing them to stop shaking. “It’s my life and my boyfriend and you are not wanted here. You need to leave.” Beside her she could hear Jamie murmuring to someone, presumably on his phone, to call the cops.
“I’m not leaving until he admits that he broke up our family.”
“He didn’t, Kirk.” Anger blazed in her chest, drowning out the fear. “You did.”
“Shut up, whore!”
“Dad!” Horror filled Krista’s eyes, spilling into the tears dripping down her face as she stood in the protective circle of Michael’s arms.
Adam’s fury was a palpable aura around her son. He left his spot to round the table, just escaping Iris’s frantic attempt to hold him back. “You’re leaving, Dad.” He reached for Kirk’s arm.
Staggering back, Kirk threw an unsteady punch. Thank God it missed its mark, sailing futilely through the air. The momentum tipped Kirk off balance, and he fell to his knees.
Adam stood, staring down at his father. The look in his eyes, in both her children’s eyes, broke Iris’s heart.
“Dad,” her son said, his voice full of warning, “there’s no one to blame for all of this but yourself. Not Mom, not us kids, just you. This is what you wanted, and you got it.”
Kirk blinked up at him blindly.
Krista cleared her throat and stepped carefully away from Michael, staying outside of Kirk’s reach. “Adam’s right, Dad.”
