Chapter 6
Ex-wife – the reason the ‘ignore call’ option was invented
Lucas
“D id everything work out okay yesterday with Natalia?” Weston asks once we’re in our vehicle cruising toward the boardwalk.
I rub a hand over my beard as I consider how things would have gone had I been the one to handle things. I’m not prepared for my little girl to become a woman. Menstruation? Puberty? Nope. Not even close to being ready.
“If the other kids give her a hard time about getting her period, let me know. I’ll talk to their parents.”
“Thanks, man.”
He glances over at me. “Did your wife not prepare your daughter?”
“My ex,” I growl, “did not enjoy being a mother.”
“Good thing Chloe was there to handle everything.”
At the mention of Chloe, the memory of how it felt to touch my beautiful neighbor surfaces. It was electrifying. I’ve never experienced anything remotely similar before. I long to touch the rest of her body to discover how electrifying things can get.
But it’s not meant to be. My focus needs to be on my daughter. Especially now.
I lift an eyebrow. “I thought Chloe was a wild child I should steer clear of.”
“There’s no need to worry. Chloe would never date a man with a kid anyway.”
I scowl. “What do you mean? She’s great with Natalia.”
And she is. Not only did she help my daughter through her crisis, she turned the situation into a celebration. In addition to the manicure, Chloe bought Natalia a bracelet as a present. Not an expensive bracelet like Holly would have bought. But a cute charm bracelet with charms of a mermaid, seal, and surfboard.
“Shit. Of course. Me and my big mouth.”
“Now, I’m curious. You can’t leave me hanging.”
“Sorry. It’s her story to tell.”
I frown. Did something bad happen to Chloe? I did wonder if there was a story when she cut herself off yesterday. But I didn’t want to pry. She’s entitled to her secrets.
“I thought there weren’t any secrets on the island,” I push because my curiosity is piqued. I can’t allow myself to have my neighbor but I can learn everything there is about her instead.
“And I thought you’d understand a person’s need for privacy. You’ve avoided all questions about your wife.”
“Ex-wife.”
The idea of Holly being my wife makes me sick to my stomach. I made the classic mistake of marrying her when she got pregnant. I thought she wanted to be a family. What she wanted was a sugar daddy. Why she thought me being a police officer was her ticket to the lazy life is beyond me.
The woman I thought I fell in love with while dating was not the woman I married. Not by a long shot.
“When did you—”
His question is cut off when my phone rings. I glance at the display and grunt. “Speak of the devil.”
“The ex?”
I nod before answering my phone. “What do you want?”
Weston parks on the street and motions to the bakery before climbing out of the car.
“I’ll have a coffee.” He gives me a thumbs-up before strolling away.
“Who are you talking to?” Holly asks. “Is it another woman? Have you replaced me already?”
I don’t dignify her questions with an answer and repeat my question. “What do you want?”
“Is that any way to greet your wife?” Holly’s voice is no longer accusatory. It’s sugary sweet instead. It’s the voice she uses when she wants something. I no longer care what she wants.
“You’re not my wife anymore. We’re divorced since you abandoned us.”
She sighs. “I didn’t abandon you.”
“What do you call it when you pack up all your shit and move out?”
“I made a mistake.”
“Only one?”
“Be nice, Luke.”
I hate it when she calls me Luke and she knows it. My name is Lucas. The same as my father’s.
“What do you want?”
“I told you. I made a mistake.”
“Let me guess. Your new man isn’t putting up with your shit the way I did for a decade?”
I put up with all of Holly’s whining and complaining for Natalia’s sake. I wanted my daughter to have a mother. I was a fool. Holly was never a mother to Natalia. Not the kind of mother she deserves anyway.
“Edward was the wrong choice. I never should have left you.”
“But you did and now we’re done.”
“Don’t hang up.”
I pause with my finger on the disconnect button. “Is there an actual reason for this conversation?”
“Yes.” She clears her throat. “I want to try again.”
I chuckle. “Again? You didn’t try the first time.”
“Don’t lie, Luke. Who stayed up with the baby when you were off working? Who changed her diapers? It wasn’t you.”
“Nope. It was mostly my mom.”
Thank god my parents lived close by. I don’t want to imagine what would have happened to Natalia had they not been close.
I’m such an idiot for not ending my relationship with Holly before she abandoned us. But I won’t make the same mistake again. Not with Holly and not with any other woman.
“Luke,” she whines.
“Holly.”
“There’s no reason to bring up the past. We need to start with a clean slate.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Language.”
I bark out a laugh. “You are fucking kidding me. We aren’t starting over. We aren’t doing a damn thing. We’re over. The divorce papers are signed. We’re done. I don’t know how else to explain it to you.”
“You don’t have to be rude. I’m asking for a second chance.”
“Second?” I snort. “You’ve had about a million chances to prove you can be the mother Natalia needs. You failed all of them.”
“I can be better. And this isn’t about Natalia. It’s about us.”
“Are you deaf? There is no us.”
“Watch your tone with me, Luke. I’m being nice. I don’t have to be nice.”
“Be a brat, a bitch, I don’t care. I’m hanging up now.”
“Hang up and you’ll regret it.”
“Clue in, Holly. I already regret the decade I wasted on you.”
“Listen up,” she hisses. “You will give me another chance or else.”
“Or else what? You’re going to stop visiting on Natalia’s birthday? Christmas? Oh, wait. You haven’t seen Natalia in over a year.”
“I will sue you.”
“Sue me for what? What is it you think I’ve done? I’ve provided for my family. I tried for years to get along with you. But you ignored me, ignored our daughter, and did whatever the hell you wanted. What are you going to sue me for?”
“Custody.”
My heart stops and my blood turns cold.
“What did you say?” I grumble.
“You heard me. You will give us another chance or I’ll sue you for custody. Sole custody.”
“No judge will give you custody of a daughter you haven’t seen for a year.”
She sniffs. “Because you didn’t allow me to visit her. You moved across the country without letting me know. It’s been devastating for me.”
“You bitch,” I grit out. “You lying bitch.”
“Who says I’m lying?”
“I do.”
“It’s really about what the judge believes. And is he going to believe you? A man trying to raise a girl? A man who has an erratic work schedule and isn’t home when his child needs him? A man who has a dangerous job? Hmmm… who will the judge believe?”
Fuck. Is she right? Are the cards stacked against me? Can she steal Natalia from me?
“You don’t want to raise Natalia as a single mom.”
“Which is why I want us to try again. We can be a family.”
My jaw clenches. A family? I tried to be a family with Holly. Guess what? It’s impossible to make a family with a woman who’s never around. Who spends all her time avoiding her daughter and husband.
“I am not giving you another chance.”
I don’t care what I have to do to keep Natalia. I am not exposing my daughter to her mother’s toxicity again. It’s not an option.
“I guess you’ll be hearing from my lawyer then.”
I disconnect the call and throw my phone on the dash.
FUCK!