Page 122 of Beating Heart
“You know that’s not true, right?” I asked, as I pulled up to the Golden Goose and turned around to face him. “And you’re allowed to love whoever you want. Tara doesn’t decide that.”
“I know, Pops. You raised the best boy ever, remember?” He chuckled as he unbuckled and leaned forward to high-five me. “I don’t think she will stay long, even though she told Emerson she was moving here to be with us. I think she just said those things to my Sunny to bother her.”
“She told Emerson she was moving here?”
“Yep. But I don’t think she will. She kept calling her boyfriend when we were outside, so I think she wants to go home soon.”
Like I said, my boy is an old soul. He is good at reading people.
When we stepped inside the diner, I saw Tara in the distance, and she waved us over. Midge was giving me a look of disapproval, and I met her with the same look. I wasn’t happy about Tara being here either.
“Hey, can you keep Cutler with you for five minutes so I can speak to Tara before he joins us for dinner?”
“Of course. I’ve been trying to hire this kid for years,” Midge said with a laugh, and Cutler beamed up at her. “Come on, Beefcake. We’ve got a seating chart to update.”
He fist-pumped his arm, and I made my way over to Tara, who was typing away on her phone.
“What is Cutler doing with grumpy Midge?” she hissed. “I can’t stand that woman.”
“I needed a minute with you before he joins us.”
“I’m not happy that you kept him from me all day, Nash,” she said, completely clueless to the fact that I was done with her and her shit.
I leaned forward. “You’re not happy? That’s fucking rich, Tara. You come to my home, and you drop the paternity card, like it means nothing. And that’s because being a mother means nothing to you. But being a father is fucking everything to me. So I’m happy to take your test, because that boy is mine. But let me tell you how this is going to play out,” I said, my voice ice-cold as she sat there with her mouth gaping open, eyes wide.
“I was kidding about the test. I don’t want it. Of course, you’re his father, and you’re a great dad.”
“You’re fucking right about that. So don’t you ever come here and question that, do you hear me?” I narrowed my gaze. “Monday morning you will meet me at River’s office because things are changing moving forward.”
“How so?”
“You will either pay back child support for the last six years and agree to paying child support moving forward, or you will sign over full custody to me. You haven’t been here for anything. Birthdays, Christmas, the first day of school, or baseball games. None of it. So you don’t get to stroll into town and make demands.” I pointed my finger at her, doing my best to tamp down my anger. “And if you ever call my kid a brat again or mess with his head anymore than you already have, you won’t see him again. You got it?”
She just sat there staring at me, processing what I’d just said. “This is because of your girlfriend, isn’t it?”
“This is because you’re a shitty mom and a shitty human. It’s that simple, Tara. I’ve allowed it because I was scared you’d do something to take him away from me, but you can’t. He’s mine, and you know it.”
“Fine. I’ll think it over, and I’ll meet you on Monday and let you know what I decide. But Mark will be with me. He doesn’t like how you’ve been treating me, so he’s coming to town.”
I barked out a laugh. “Of course, he is. Just in time for you to leave.”
“Well, we’re going on a trip from here, so I won’t be staying after all. This hasn’t gone the way I’d hoped anyway.”
“Hey, Tara,” I said, leaning close and keeping my voice low.
“Yeah?”
“I’d bring a lawyer on Monday if you want to fight me, because I will have you served if you don’t sign those papers then and there. This ends while you’re here. No more games.”
She looked away for a few seconds. “Can I still see him while I’m here?”
“That’s not happening. We’re going on a little trip tomorrow, and we’ll be back Monday. So enjoy your time with Mark while you’re here.”
“Fine. He doesn’t like kids anyway. That’s what we were fighting about. I’m trying to convince him that it’s fun to hang out with a little kid.”
Un-fucking-believable.
“We’re not girlfriends, Tara. Sing your sad song to someone who gives a fuck. And when that boy walks over here, you better act like you’re interested in what he’s saying. Just fake it for an hour, and I’ll let him sit through this meal. But if you so much as look at him wrong, we’re walking out of here.”
