Page 17 of The World She Never Knew Existed

“He said thank you,” Zeke said.

Clara smiled.

“Thank you for taking them. Just for that, you get to have a sweetie. What would you like?”

Zeke picked out the same danish that she had sent over for Dillon.

“That’s awfully big for you,” Clara said. “We can cut it in half and you can save some of it for later.”

Zeke puffed out his chest and said, “I’m a big boy. I can eat it all.”

“Okay,” Clara said. “I just hope you don’t get a tummy ache.”

“I won’t,” he said confidently.

Clara got Zeke settled at one of the tables with his toys and books, and then got to work cleaning the counters. She froze as the hair on the back of her neck rose.

Her heart nearly stopped when she heard a familiar voice say, “Clara.”

The simple word was enough to send chills down her spine.

She turned around slowly and said, “Hello, John. What are you doing here?”

“I came to check on my wife and my son,” he said.

“I’m not your wife,” Clara said. “We’ve been divorced for six months now.”

“I don’t care. As far as I’m concerned, you still belong to me,” John said.

He walked slowly and menacingly closer to Clara. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the counter.

Zeke glanced up from the table where he had been sitting. The little boy looked at his father and then to his mother, his eyes wide. Sensing that something was wrong, he made no effort to get up and greet his father.

Clara bit her lip, trying to find the right words that wouldn’t escalate the situation.

“John, we’ve been over this. It’s been six months since the divorce and a year before that since we separated. It’s time that you moved on,” Clara said, trying to keep her voice controlled and even.

“It doesn’t matter what the papers say. All that matters is whatIsay about it,” John said. “And I say that you are still my wife, and that you belong to me.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Clara saw Jamie slip out of the café. She didn’t blame Jamie. It was probably very awkward for her to witness this situation. Clara just wished that she had taken Zeke with her. He didn’t need to see this.

“You belong in Colorado Springs. You had a job and a life there. You had no right to leave and you damn sure had no right to take Zeke with you,” John said.

Since when do you care anything about your son?she thought.

However, she didn’t say that out loud, knowing that it would just make the situation worse.

“I had every right to leave and make a new life for myself. According to the law, I also had every right to take Zeke with me,” Clara said. “Like I said, you have to realize that we are divorced. You no longer have any say over my life or what I do.”

“Like hell I don’t,” John snarled, raising his fist to hit her.

Clara started to raise her hands in self-defense. She opened her mouth to tell Zeke to go next door, trying to remain calm so that she didn’t scare her son or make John angrier.

A voice from the door of the café said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Both Clara and John looked in the direction of the voice. Dillon was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed in front of him. He looked casual standing there, but every inch of him screamed strength and power.

John lowered his fist and turned toward Dillon.

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