Secret Desires (Roughshod Rollers MC 4)

I can’t make any decisions about this right now. I’ll finish today off; Georgia and I will go shopping, and then she’ll come around for movie night with Lily and I. She’ll probably go home after, since she needs to go to work tomorrow.

And then?

I don’t know. I groan and close my eyes. Why does everything have to be so damn complicated? It really isn’t fair.

Then, from the kitchen counter where I left it on charge earlier, before I took Lily to school, my phone rings.

“What now?” I grumble; so much for an amazing day.

And, of course, it’s Polly, exactly what I needed to make all this even worse than it already is. I’m half tempted to ignore the phone call. But then she’ll just try to call again, and next time Georgia will be with me.

I sigh and answer it.

“Hello?” I say reluctantly.

“Ethan, it’s Polly,” Polly says. “I was hoping to organize something on the weekend?”

I stamp down on the flare of anger that rises in me. She has a real nerve to call me and request to see my daughter while she’s planning on stabbing me in the back. I grit my teeth.

“We have plans on Saturday,” I say. “We’re going to the carnival that’s come into town.”

“Oh,” Polly says, sounding unimpressed. “Who is going?”

“Lily, Georgia and I,” I say.

Maybe, anyway. Depending on how things go between Georgia and I, the carnival might not happen, after all.

“Georgia?” Polly says, disapproving. “I see. What about Sunday?”

No, I don’t want Polly around here. I’m still trying to work out what to do about Georgia so that she doesn’t try and put her life on hold for me, and I have no clue what to do about Polly and the legal problems she’s about to bring to my door.

“Lily has a friend’s party,” I lie.

“I see.” Polly hums in thought. “Why don’t I come to the carnival with you?”

“That’s probably not a good idea,” I say through gritted teeth. “Georgia is coming. The last time the two of you were in the same room wasn’t pretty.”

“Then uninvite Georgia,” Polly says simply.

I gape, incredulous at her audacity.

“Georgia was the one that invited Lily and I to the carnival,” I say coldly. “So, no, that’s not possible. Lily is very excited about it, so we’re not canceling.”

“The weekend is the only time I get to see Lily,” Polly protests.

“So we’ll have to try for next weekend, then,” I snap. “Though, if you keep trying to manipulate me, you’ll be lucky if I let you come around again!”

Damn, I said too much. Polly goes quiet.

“What does that mean?” She asks slowly.

I sigh. I should have confronted her on the weekend, but Lily was there and I wasn’t in the right frame of mind.

“I came to see where you were, while you were on the phone,” I say. “I overheard part of your conversation with your husband.”

“What part?” Polly asks, sounding outraged.

What right does she have to be angry? At least it was an accident that I overheard her. She, on the other hand, is actively sneaking around my back to take my daughter from me!