Page 62 of The Coppersmith Farmhouse (Jamison Valley 1)
I hurried behind Rowen so I could help Jess clean up the mess but before I could make it to the office, he bellowed, “Damn it, Rowen! Shut up!”
Between Jess’s yelling and Oakley’s barking, Rowen dissolved into tears. I reached the doorway just as she collapsed to her knees, Jess’s crown falling to the floor.
“What the hell is your problem, Jess?” I bent and picked Rowen up.
“Me? What the fuck are you two doing here? Look at this fucking mess, Georgia! Would a phone call to warn me have been too fucking much to ask?” he shouted.
Jackass Jess was back.
It was one thing to yell at me. But to be an asshole to my child? Uh . . . no.
I shoved my hand, palm out, in his direction.
“She was bringing you that crown she made you today,” I said. “She was excited to give it to you and we wanted it to be a surprise. Well, I guess the surprise was on us because I’m standing here, shocked that you could be such a jerk to a four-year-old kid. I knew you could be a jackass to me. But to Rowen?”
“Georgia—” he started but since my hand was still out, I waved, stopping his words.
“No. Not okay, Jess. Stay at your house for a while. I’ll call you when I’m ready to talk. Maybe.” I turned and walked out.
He followed, Oakley right on his heels.
“Georgia, wait.”
But with Rowen burrowed into my chest, still sobbing, there was no way I was stopping.
“Let’s talk about this,” he pleaded.
“Nope. No talking. Think of me like NASA. I need space.” I kept moving, Rowen’s legs swinging wildly at my sides as I stormed out to the parking lot.
Jess didn’t follow.
As Rowen continued to cry, I scolded myself on the drive home. How could I have been so stupid? Hadn’t I done this once before?
Nate had said horrible and nasty things to me. When I’d told him that I was pregnant, he’d thrown a glass of water in my face. I’d been humiliated, sitting in a restaurant crying and soaked.
After he signed away his parental rights, I had vowed not to let assholes into my life. Or Roe’s.
I had thought Jess was an asshole at first, but he had been proving me wrong. I guess it had been too good to be true. If he couldn’t keep a hold of his temper, I couldn’t trust him with Rowen. Or with my heart.
I had let down my guard again.
Stupid.
“Mommy?” Rowen called.
“Kitchen!”
We’d already had bath time and both of us were dressed for bed. I had come to the kitchen for a glass of wine and gotten lost in thought.
“What are you doing?” Rowen asked when she walked in.
“Just thinking, baby girl. I’m tired.”
“Thinking about Jess?” she asked.
“Yeah. About Jess.”
She frowned.
