Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“I’ve already commandeered another guest room to convert. It’s all good.”
“I’ll work on another room, then,” I begin as I hop off my stool, but my phone starts to ring, and I scowl when I see it’s the school.
Damn it.
What now?
“Hello?” I don’t bother to leave the room. There’s no point.
“Hey, Willow, this is Ms. Hileman at the high school.”
“Hi there. What’s up?”
Ryker and Gideon are watching me, not even pretending not to eavesdrop.
“I have Aiden in my office,” the principal says with a sigh, and my stomach drops. “Are you able to come in for a meeting?”
“I’m about an hour away,” I reply and rub my fingertips over my forehead. “But I can head that way, sure. Is he sick? Hurt?”
“No, he’s not hurt. But he’s in trouble, Willow.”
I close my eyes and lean against the counter. “What did he do now?”
“Christ,” Ryker whispers, and I do my best to ignore him.
“I think it’s best if you come in, and we can all talk this out.”
“I’d like to speak with him, please.”
There’s a pause. “Oh, well, you can speak with him—”
“Yes, I can speak with him now.” I hear the ice in my voice, and I don’t give a shit. This is my kid we’re talking about.
“Speaker,” Gid says next to me, and I do as he says, setting my phone on the counter.
“One moment.”
“Wait. Why can’t you hand him the phone? I thought he was in your office.”
“He’s just getting patched up by the nurse real quick.”
I hover over the phone. “What in the hell, Melody? You just told me he isn’t hurt. What is going on?”
“Ms. Hileman. He has a cut lip.” Her voice is curt. “But he will be just fine. Let me get him for you.”
I look up into Ryker’s hot brown eyes and then glance at Gideon, whose hands are fisted.
We’re all pissed.
“Aunt Willow.” My boy’s voice sounds so defeated, it makes my heart clench.
“Hey, sweetheart. Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the doctor?”
“No, it’s just my lip. It’s okay.”
“Buddy, I need you to be honest with me right now. Do you hear me?”
“Okay.”
“Do you feel safe where you are?”
There’s silence on the other end of the line, and that’s all I need to know.
“I’m on my way right now. You sit and you keep quiet. Don’t answer any questions until I’m there, do you understand? I’ve got you, baby.”
“I understand. How long?”
“As fast as I can get there, but I’m at the ranch, so it’ll be a bit.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to hurry. I’m safe.”
I shake my head. I don’t trust anything that I’m hearing right now. “It’s okay, buddy. I’m coming. Just hang tight.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“I love you.”
He ends the call without saying it back, which doesn’t surprise me at all.
“Sorry, guys, I’m out. My kiddo needs me.”
“Wills, what the fuck’s going on?” Gideon demands, but I shake my head.
“I don’t trust that woman, and I don’t trust whoever hit my boy. I’ll go straighten it out. He likely won’t tell me what’s going on, but if he’s hurt, I don’t want him sitting there.”
“We can come with you,” Ryker offers, and I want to cry.
God, it would be awesome to have help.
But this isn’t their fight.
“Thank you, but it’ll be okay. This isn’t our first time in the principal’s office.” I offer them each a smile that I don’t feel because I don’t want them to worry, and then hurry through the house and out to my car.
I need to get to my boy.
“So he didn’t start it, didn’t throw the first punch, but he’s the only one being suspended? Come on, Melody, that’s not fair.”
The other woman, with perfectly coiffed red hair, straightens her navy blue power suit and purses her lips. I’ve known Melody Hileman since we were in the third grade and she moved to town from Wisconsin. She’s always been a jerk.
Now the jerk is the principal of my kid’s high school.
“The other boy had to go to the urgent care,” she says. “You’re lucky I convinced his parents not to press assault charges.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “No. They’re lucky I’m not pressing assault charges, given that their kid threw the first punch, and my kid was defending himself.”
Aiden shifts in his chair next to me.
“He’s not suspended if the other kid isn’t,” I add. “And what are you going to do to keep my child safe while he’s at school? It’s obvious that boy is doing his best to get Aiden into trouble.”
Melody shakes her head. “I can’t talk about the other child with you.”
“And you won’t discuss my child’s safety with me.”
She simply holds my gaze, and I’ve never disliked someone as much as I do this woman.
“Good to know.” I stand and glance down at Aiden. “We’ll go home now.”