“It’s not worth it if it’s dangerous. Does Moose know you talked to the cops, and Cade, about the case?”
“No, I think he’d be pissed if he knew, but what am I supposed to do? He may not have a problem dealing with criminals and offering up proof of illegal activities, but I do. I wouldn’t feel right, keeping something like this to myself.”
“No, you’re right, and I totally agree with you not keeping it to yourself; now I
just wish you’d back off … But, I know you and I know you won’t.”
“We can’t have people dealing drugs in town, and really, this Hector guys is smart, picking white-collar white women to do his dirty work. No one would think to even suspect. I know I wouldn’t.”
“Do you know who Moose’s client is?”
“No, and I don’t know if I want to. Really, the less I know the better. I just want to know that I have a hand in bringing Hector and the Coke Club down … To feel like I did something good for this town.”
“You always do, babe,” Amy May said, then her eyes went to the door and she stopped talking.
I took a drink of wine and asked, “Do we have dessert?” as Jason and Elin walked inside with a platter of hamburgers and hot dogs.
“Is my name Amy May?” she asked with a grin, which I answered with one of my own, knowing there were cupcakes in my future.
Later that night when the kids were getting ready for bed, I was sitting in the living room, my comfy pajamas already on, and getting ready to watch a recorded episode of The Big Bang Theory, when Elena came in and sat next to me.
When she didn’t immediately start talking, I put down the remote and asked, “What’s up, baby girl?”
“Um, I was just wondering,” she began, twirling her hair around her finger in what I knew was a nervous gesture. “Are you happy?”
“Yeah, baby, of course,” I assured her, my hand going to her shoulder. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, when we got back to Dad’s house after camping, there was someone waiting there. Dad said she’s his girlfriend.”
I schooled my features even as my stomach clenched and replied, “Elena, your dad and I have been separated for almost a year now, it’s normal for him to start dating again.”
My precious girl bit her lip and looked at me with a worried expression.
“He said they’ve been together for a while, but he waited to introduce her, as his girlfriend, until they were serious.”
“They’re serious, huh?” I asked, not really wanting to know about The Douche’s love life, but needing to for my children’s sake.
“They’re moving in together,” she said softly.
Oh, Hell no…
Elena was watching me closely, as if she was worried this information was going to hurt me. It didn’t, but it did piss me off. First he gets an RV to show off for the kids, and now he’s moving in some chick and introducing her to our kids without even talking to me about it?
This went against everything we’d discussed when we split.
We didn’t agree on much, but we’d both said we wouldn’t subject our children to random people unless we entered into a serious relationship. And if that happened, we were going to give the other person a head’s up.
I guess that agreement flew out the fucking window, although what did I expect? If our vows didn’t matter to him, why would a random promise.
Hoping I was successfully keeping all emotion off my face, I pulled my lips into the best smile I could manage and said, “Okay, baby girl, I’ll talk to your dad about it. But I’m sure if he’s serious enough to move in with her, she must be a nice person.”
Unless he was moving in with Slutty Shirley Finkle. It didn’t even bear thinking, and I was going to try and hold off on getting upset until I talked to him myself.
“Thanks for talking to me about it, Elena. You know I’m always here no matter what, okay?”
When she got up and started to leave the room, I added, “And you don’t have to worry about me, okay? I’m happy.”
As I watched my daughter walk away, that worried expression still on her face, I thought, Damn, looks like I have to make another trip to the bank.