Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Tyler
“Daddy, why are you putting crackers in my lunch box?” Dash asks, watching me pack his lunch.
“I know your teacher has been out sick the last week, and she sent a text to all the parents letting them know that she’s back to work today,” I explain to him.
She also apologized for missing a full week when she shouldn’t have had to in the first place.
One, it’s no one's business. Two, I didn’t think she took enough time off to heal.
“That’s good. I misseded her,” my kid says, putting an extra ‘ed’ on the end of his words. “But why are you giving me crackers?”
“I figured you could give them to Miss Delaney. I’m sure she would appreciate something that isn’t harsh on her tummy.” More like I’m sure she’s dealing with morning sickness and could use something easy to keep down.
“I can do that.” Dash nods, smiling brightly. “Can I take her a ginger wale too?”
“Go grab one,” I tell him. I don’t know if Delaney likes that shit, but I guess it won’t hurt to send one for her.
It’s a good thing I’d given Maddox a heads up about today’s schedule.
Lexy had been called in last night for a shift and wasn’t able to take Dash for me this morning.
I could’ve put him on the bus, but I didn’t like the idea of him riding the bus for well over an hour in the mornings and afternoons.
Things are quite busy here, and Maddox understands this is a possibility.
I’m going to have to figure something else out eventually.
Maybe I need to look into before and after-school care for Dash.
I could get him to school early and pick him up later, though I don’t like the idea of him being away from the ranch longer than necessary.
Here, I know he’s safe behind the gates and cameras set up around the place.
It doesn’t take me long to get Dash to school and dropped off. It’s the first time since he started school that I’ve had the chance to do so. I’ve picked him up a couple of times, but my sister has handled most of it for me.
As I start to pull away from the school, I notice Delaney in the parking lot, and she’s not alone.
Furrowing at the sight, I steer my truck in her direction, shift in park, and open my door.
“You need to listen to me.” I hear the guy say, his hand on Delaney’s arm, keeping her from walking away.
“I told you to leave me alone, Philip.” Neither of them has noticed my arrival. That is the guy hasn’t. Delaney pales further when she sees me coming her way.
“And I’m tired of you not listening to me. I moved here to bum fuck nowhere for you,” the guy snaps, jerking her slightly.
“There a problem here?” I demand, stepping forward, not liking the fact this guy has his hands on what’s mine.
Not mine.
Delaney is most definitely not mine. She’s just pregnant with my children.
Philip, as Delaney called him, turns and tucks her into his side as he looks at me, eyes looking me up and down. “No problem here. Just having a conversation with my woman. Right, baby?”
I narrow my eyes at the way Philip calls Delaney ‘baby’ and how he’s holding her possessively. Something about this situation doesn’t sit right with me. My gut is telling me this is the guy who hurt her in the first place. Not that I know exactly what happened since no one had told me about it.
“Doesn’t look like she wants to be your woman,” I say, keeping my voice calm but firm. I’ve dealt with enough assholes in my life to know this type.
Delaney’s eyes widen slightly, and she tries to pull away from him. “Philip, please?—”
“I said there’s no problem,” Philip repeats, his grip tightening on her arm. “We were just leaving.”
I take another step forward. “She’s a teacher here. School’s starting in what, fifteen minutes? Doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere but into that building.” I point over my shoulder toward the doors without looking away.
Philip’s jaw tightens. “Who the fuck are you anyway?”
“The father of the children she’s carrying,” I reply without thinking. The words hang in the air between us, and I notice Delaney’s eyes widen in shock.
“Tyler,” she whispers, her voice strained, “please don’t.”
Philip’s face contorts with confusion. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You heard me, now get your hands off her.” I ignore the pleading look in Delaney’s eyes, my focus entirely on the man who’s touching her.
Philip looks between us, realization dawning on his face. “Is this true? You’re pregnant?”
When Delaney doesn’t answer, he releases her arm as if burned. “You fucking slut. That’s why you’ve been avoiding me? That’s why you refuse to be with me. You whored yourself out to this country hick, and got yourself knocked up.”
Before I can react, Philip’s hand flies up, and I see the slap coming. I move to intercept, but Delaney’s quicker, stepping back just in time. His palm whips through empty air, missing her face by inches.
“Get the fuck away from her,” I growl, positioning myself between them. I clench my hands into fists by my sides. Philip’s face twists with rage. “You think you can just come in here and?—”
“I think it’s best you get the hell out of here. Now.” I keep my voice low, controlled, though every muscle in my body is tense. I’ve seen this type before—the kind who thinks possession equals ownership.
Philip looks past me to Delaney. “This isn’t over. We’re not done. We’ll never be done.”
“We were never a thing, Philip. I’ve told you this. A handful of dates doesn’t equal a relationship,” she says. Her voice wavering, those small hands of hers grip the back of my tee. “Just leave me alone.”
Something shifts in Philip’s expression—a flash of something dangerous that makes me step forward.
“The lady told you to leave her alone. I suggest you stay away from her,” I warn him, holding his hatred-filled gaze.
Philip’s eyes narrow, calculating. I can see him weighing his options, measuring me against whatever he thinks he can get away with. I stand my ground, unflinching, letting him see that I’m not going anywhere.
“You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” he finally says, taking a step back.
“I know exactly who I’m dealing with,” I reply, keeping my voice steady. “The kind of man who puts his hands on a woman. You think it makes you big and bad to take your fist to her face? How about I take mine to yours?”
Philip’s face flushes with anger, but something in my stance must convince him he’s outmatched. “We’re not done here,” he says with one last venomous glance at Delaney before turning and stalking to a sleek BMW parked nearby.
Neither Delaney nor I move until his car pulls out of the parking lot, tires squealing as he speeds away.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Delaney says quietly from behind me, her voice trembling.
I turn to face her, noticing how pale she looks, how her hands are shaking. “Why not?”
“Because now he knows I’m pregnant.”
“Are those his kids, and you were trying to use me?” I demand, anger boiling inside me.
“What?” She blinks.
“You heard me,” I tell her, staring down at her through narrowed eyes.
“I never had sex with him,” she admits, her own anger coming to the surface. “I might have had sex the first time meeting you, but I’m no slut. I don’t typically sleep with every man I talk to.”
“So, what, I’m the exception?” I highly doubted it.
“Actually, yes,” Delaney snaps, hands going to her hips.
“I’m not a slut or whore. I don’t go to nightclubs on a daily basis looking for a hookup.
I wasn’t even planning to sleep with you.
” She takes a step into my space, lifts on her tiptoes, getting as close to eye level with me as she can.
Points her finger at my chest and continues her rant, “I don’t need a man.
I told you about the pregnancies because you have a right to know.
For the record, I haven’t been with a man for more than a year.
And I can count on one hand the number of men I’ve been with, including the night we spent time together.
Now, I’m going to work and hope no one witnessed this little scene. Have a good day, Tyler.”
With that, she turns away from me, grabs her stuff, and marches up to the school, disappearing into the building. The entire time, I stare after her, fighting to go after her. To pull her into me and claim that mouth of hers.
The way she stood up to me has my dick throbbing. It was hot the way she showed her backbone. She’s definitely no wallflower.