The Fight for Us

Acknowledgements

Thank you to my beta babes who made writing this book such a fun adventure! It was a joy sharing this with you all! I’ve known one of you since we were five years old, others I’ve known for many years, and some I consider new friends. But you’ve all had an impact on me, and I appreciate you very much. Jen Anderson, Jenny Ballenger, Anna Champion, Tisha Creger, Shannon Slane, and Karen White – XOXOXO.

Thank you to my editor Marci Clark. You’re always a joy to work with. You make my inability and unwillingness to master grammar take a backseat to the story I want to share, and for that, I thank you. P.S. I love that you’re a fellow Iowan. That means you rock in my book!

A huge thanks to cover artist Valerie Tibbs! I love your work, and you’ve taken my ideas and turned them into something other than the ridiculous Microsoft Publisher mock-up I provided you. You’ve made The Fight for Us look sexy!

And finally, thank you Write Into Print, because I can’t be bothered to figure out the technical mumbo-jumbo you do, and I have a migraine just thinking about it!

Warning

This e-book is intended for mature audiences and contains adult language and scenes.

Blurb – The Fight For Us

When Isaiah moves his teenage daughter Natalie to a new town, there is little doubt he’s running away from the past. But what should have been a fresh start for them ends up fraught with pain and heartache when Natalie becomes the victim of intense bullying at her new school.

When Joss is called to a meeting with the high school principal to discuss her daughter Harper’s involvement in the bullying of a new student, she’s shocked to say the least. Her daughter can’t possibly be that child.

It’s a rocky start for Joss and Isaiah as they try to set their daughters on the right path. But there is more to Joss’s and Isaiah’s connection than just two teenage girls. Joss’s and Isaiah’s attraction to one another is undeniable, regardless of their fractious start. But his soul is broken, and as much as he’s drawn to her, he’s equally terrified of what that means.

Is Isaiah strong enough to let her get close to him?

Life sometimes forces you to make those choices whether you’re ready to or not. And when Joss’s life is turned upside down, Isaiah has to decide if he’s ready to leave his past behind and live again, or if he’s going to watch what he’s come to care so much for slip away. Isaiah’s fight is profound. Joss’s is too. And their strength to withstand it all is brutally tested.

Sometimes the willingness to fight for another is all a person has left to give. And sometimes the fight is the most important gift of all.

The Fight For Us

Contents

Acknowledgements

Blurb – The Fight For Us

Prologue

Part I: The Fight

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Part II: His Fight

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Part III: Her Fight

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Part IV: Fight for Us

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Epilogue

About the Author

Prologue

Five Years Ago

You can’t do this to her! Joss was seething at him. It would do little good, but she’d been given this chance to plea her case to the man in private, and she wasn’t going to pass it up.

You’re really stupid enough to think this is about her? His tone was cold, but his expression was nearly playful—sadistic and enjoying every moment of her misery. How do you think that bargain basement attorney you hired is going to hold up against my legal team?

She tightened her jaw and lifted her chin in the best show of confidence she could muster. I think he’ll do just fine. Once the judge sees what an asshole you are—

Yeah, Joss, you just try it. He dismissed her comment.

You’re an abusive prick—

Prove it. Crying victim now isn’t going to get you far. Surprised your ten-dollar-an-hour attorney didn’t mention that already.

Everything the man said implied he wasn’t worried at all. She knew that much to be true. He didn’t worry about much—never had. And he’d nailed her on this too. Her lawyer had said it. Why hadn’t she called the cops when he’d been violent? Why hadn’t she tried to get a restraining order? Why hadn’t she done anything at all to draw attention to the monster he was? She had more shoulda, woulda, couldas than any one logical person would ever amass.

Now, she was squaring off with the man ten minutes before they were due back in court, trying to intimidate him, when in truth, there was little question she was the one intimidated. Stupid girl. She’d always been stupid when it came to him. She’d been stupid when she’d met the man when she was still in college. She’d been stupid when she’d ignored the warning bells going off in her head even as she walked down that damn long aisle on their wedding day. And she’d been stupid not to run the first time he’d beat the shit out of her. She was just a damn stupid girl. And a custody hearing wasn’t the time to finally be pulling her head out of her ass. She should damn well have wised up long ago.

Go ahead, Joss. Tell the judge I’m abusive. I dare you. His eyes narrowed as he threatened her. I’ll have five eye witnesses here tomorrow morning ready to testify that you’re an unfit parent. Drinking, drugs, child abuse, neglect.

That’s not true. None of it! She cried incredulously.

It doesn’t have to be. So long as I have people willing to say it. What do ya wanna bet I can even plant some evidence in your apartment? You forget the amount of money I have at my disposal, dear. It’s more than you’ll see in a lifetime. And it can buy a lot of things—friends, witnesses, who knows, a cop or two. He smirked again. So you go right ahead, Joss. We’ll just see how well it works out for you. He approached her, and she instantly stepped back. Come on, babe, we can be friends. Can’t we?

She cringed. He was invading her space, but even as her heart raced, she forced the words from her mouth. You don’t have friends. You have paid groupies that kiss your ass and whore themselves to you, hoping for a handout.

He was too cold, cruel, and broken to have anything even remotely resembling real friends, and the amused smile on his face was proof of that—hell the scar on her chin was a daily reminder for Joss.

Joss used to wonder what malfunction had turned him into such a monster. It hadn’t been apparent at first, though to say there were no signs wasn’t entirely accurate either. He’d always been just a bit too cool, too unemotional. She’d taken it for maturity; he was four years older than her, after all. Hell, she’d even been drawn to his steady, unyielding, and calm manner when she was younger. But that coolness had chilled to ice once they were married, and the calm had turned calculated and sadistic. No, she certainly no longer wondered where the malfunction came from, only how she was going to keep their daughter away from it.

And now, as she looked into those icy cold eyes, she knew…this had been a useless idea—hell, it was horrifying just being alone in the same room with him. This was a battle better left for the courtroom, and she hoped like hell that bargain basement attorney of hers could hack it, because she’d die before she handed over custody of their daughter to a violent, sadistic bastard like him.

When she walked toward the door, he grabbed her arm as she passed him. She yelped as the panic hit. When his fingers dug deep into her skin, she gritted her teeth and stuffed that panic down. She couldn’t show him her weakness right now. He was good at using that weakness against her, and she simply couldn’t afford it.

"Well, if you don’t want to be my real friend, be my paid groupie. Whore yourself to me. I’m sure we could come up with a mutually beneficial agreement—avoid all this courtroom nonsense."

She yanked her arm away, but he turned and followed her to the door, holding it shut as she tried to pull it open.

You’re going to lose. His tone was beyond threatening as he leaned to her ear. My lawyers have already gotten your little Prozac need into court. Wanna see what else we can come up with? Don’t be stupid, Joss.

There was that damn word again. Stupid. She stood staring at the door, frozen in place. Her heart was pounding. Just being close to this man made her body tremor in fear. His attacks were nearly always swift and unexpected. He liked to keep the element of surprise on his side, and she wasn’t entirely sure even a courthouse would be enough to dissuade him from showing her just who was in control.

Get out of my way, Todd. She forced herself to breathe calmly even while the panic was creeping in and the need to flee grew second by agonizing second.

He was entirely too close for comfort. Ever since leaving him a couple months before, she’d become accustomed to not living in fear for her daughter’s and her safety every second of the day. But his proximity now was an ugly reminder of what that terror felt like—an ugly reminder she preferred to keep in the past.

How about the marijuana you were busted with in college? Might have only been a dime bag—nothing really but recreational college bullshit. S’pose the judge will see it that way—especially in light of everything else we’ll come up with?

This is blackmail.

It’s only blackmail if you refuse and you can prove it. Agree, and it’s nothing more than a mutually beneficial agreement between friends. It will be so much easier on our little angel. He crooned in mock-adoration.

Stop acting like you care! She yanked again on the doorknob as he held the door shut.

But that comment lit a fire in him, and as he grabbed her arm, he spun her to face him, bringing his face right up to hers. She was panting, sucking in quick, sharp breaths and trying not to scream.

"I don’t care, he seethed tauntingly. I don’t care at all. Don’t you get it, you fucking idiot? I don’t care about any of it. He reached for her cheeks and gripped her harshly with his thumbs digging into her skin. It makes me the most powerful person in your world. He was spitting his words at her, and she could feel that spit hitting her lips and chin as he gritted his teeth in a snarl. You wanna defy me? Then I will destroy you. And I’ll enjoy every fucking minute of it."

He studied her eyes with a monstrous expression. She knew that expression well. He wasn’t out of control—not in the least. Everything he did was calculated and cruel, and he was taunting her, nothing more. When he suddenly laughed, she jumped and cringed, instinctually waiting for the pain. But he didn’t hit her, and as quick as a viper’s bite, his tongue lashed out, running across the scar on her chin. She squirmed against the slithering wet thing, but it was useless, and as she fought, he covered her mouth with his lips, thrusting his tongue between her lips as her muffled voice yelled. When he pulled back, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as he chuckled.

See you in court, dear. And then he was the one reaching for the doorknob just behind her hip.

If she thought she’d been panicking before, it was nothing compared to the images suddenly circling in her mind. All she could see was their daughter crying for her and Joss not being there—unable to be there. And as quick as his tongue had assaulted her, her hand shot out to clutch at his forearm. She was panting, staring at his chest as her hand grappled with his wrist, trying to keep him from wrenching the door open. Tears of desperation were filling her eyes as her hand fumbled to stop him.

Wait… Her breath left her in a defeated huff.

Part I: The Fight

Chapter One

This is one of two bedrooms that has an en suite bathroom. That’s certainly unique. The folks who had this place built ten years ago took great care to choose upgrades like extra en suite bathrooms. Their family largely came from the Chicago area and spent a good deal of time visiting in the summer months. They were also very particular about the design elements, which show in the real walnut plank flooring and slate tile work. They skimped on nothing and chose natural materials over synthetics. Joss’s phone started vibrating in her pocket, humming against her thigh and demanding to be paid attention to. Excuse me for a moment. Feel free to snoop around a bit while I take this. She pulled her phone from her pocket, smiling one last time at the young couple before turning and walking away.

She answered quickly. This is Joss. She was struggling to sound polite.

Is this Joselyn Verna?

It is. Now she just sounded shrill as she walked down the wide staircase that led to the main level of the mansion-like cottage overlooking Lake Superior.

Ms. Verna, this is Sue Harding from Bristol High School. I’m Principal Johnson’s assistant.

Okay?

The woman was simply not responding quickly enough for Joss.

He’d like to speak with you about Harper as soon as possible. And then nothing as though a statement like that didn’t warrant something more.

"Ms. Harding, I’m sorry, but I’m in the middle of a house showing right now. What are you talking about? Is my daughter okay?" She paused, resting her hand on the wide, perfectly finished woodwork of the large living room window and staring out to the expansive lake view beyond. The trees were tall and mature, and the wind was causing the yellow and red leaves to rain down as they spun and floated through the air.

Harper is fine, but we’re concerned about some behavioral issues. Principal Johnson would like you to be here at three thirty if that’s possible. Joss took a deep breath as her chest tightened. She was oddly angry at Sue Harding who couldn’t seem to keep the conversation moving at the speed Joss preferred to operate on.

I’ll be there. I really need to go.

Ms. Ver—

Click.

She hung up on the woman as the couple caught up to her, and as she turned toward the approaching sound of feet on hardwood, she plastered her best smile right back on her face.

We want to make an offer! The woman could barely contain her excitement. Her husband wrapped his arm around her shoulder, squeezing gently as he grinned his cheesy smile. They were young, happy, and excited about life in a way Joss could barely remember from her own existence. It was hard to keep her smile rigidly in place as she looked at them. Her own life was nothing like theirs at this point, and she resented them.

Great! She hid the resentment well. "I’m thrilled to hear it. Let’s go back to my office, and we’ll get the paperwork done now. It’s early enough in the day we may get a response yet this afternoon. The sellers are motivated." She turned from them, walking toward the front door and out into the early fall air.

* * * *

It was nearly four in the afternoon before Joss managed to get herself to Harper’s school. Her heels clicked quickly along the cement floors as she walked toward the office and breathed deep and calming breaths. She’d had to cut out of the office early to get here, and she’d left before the negotiations with the young couple and the seller were even close to complete. They looked at her in shock when she told them she had another appointment she had to get to, and when it was all said and done, she’d had to put her commission into the hands of Randall Cunningham just to keep the buyers happy.

They were intent on staying put until they reached an agreement, and now, Joss had to hope Randall wouldn’t get the contracts signed before she returned, less she forfeit eighty-five percent of the commission to him. He was a snake, and the first time she’d rebuffed an advance from him, he’d become even snakier. But seeing as they were the only two realtors in the office during the slow season, not to mention it was the only realty agency on the island, there was simply nothing to be done about it. Short of bringing the buyers with her to the school and forwarding her office phone, she had little choice. What were the chances? Could he pull it off? Wrap up negotiations in an hour? Randall would likely sell his child on the Internet rather than let something as trivial as a meeting with the principal stand in the way of a commission. Joss hated Randall at the moment. Actually, it was safer to say she hated Randall all the time. Something about the way he only smiled when he was staring at her tits, but when his attention was on her face, he sneered like a venomous snake. Could tits really make a man that happy?

Now, her irritation was growing exponentially with every passing second, not to mention the anxiety. This commission could mean the difference between having to get a part-time job this winter to make ends meet or not. It was going to be winter soon, and sales always fell off sharply once the first snow fell. If it got cold enough that the lake froze over, the ferry would stop running and the ice road would become the only means of travel to mainland Wisconsin. It would be all over then. This was not the day to blow a commission. Not when the happy young couple was ready, willing, and able to buy one of the large cottages on Bristol Island’s most desired stretch of coastline.

Bristol Island sat only three miles off the coast of Wisconsin’s northern border on Lake Superior, and the ferry would put a traveler right at the Harbor’s edge of Baymont, Wisconsin. The town of Bristol was plenty bustling during the summer months, but once the tourists left for the season, it became what Joss could only guess was one of the quietest places on the planet. With only fifteen hundred year-round locals, it wasn’t surprising.

I’m Joss Verna. I’m here to see Principal Johnson. She hadn’t bothered to greet the woman behind the office counter, and she was paying for it now as the woman glared at her without making a move to help her in any way. I really am in a hurry. She glared right back.

An older man was suddenly standing in the doorway of an adjacent office. "Joselyn Verna, Harper’s mother? I recognize you, of course. Harper is the spitting image of you, but I don’t think we’ve ever formally met, though I’m sure I’ve seen you around. He appraised her sternly before glancing to the woman behind the counter. Sue, you should leave for the night. You’ve stayed late enough as it is." He smiled at her kindly before turning his focus back to Joss, and when his eyes lit on Joss, they instantly cooled again.

I’m Joss, yes. Principal Johnson, I take it?

He nodded for a moment as Sue began gathering up her belongings. Come in, please.

He walked back into his office without waiting for her, and when Joss’s eyes flitted over to Sue, the woman was shaking her head in what looked like utter disdain. She apparently was not Sue’s favorite parent.

She stepped within the man’s office, and just as she did, the exterior door slammed shut as Sue left. Joss jumped where she stood and then pursed her lips in irritation. The good principal didn’t bat an eye, but it wasn’t he who’d attracted her attention this time. They weren’t alone as she’d expected they would be. There was another man there, and for whatever reason, he seemed to hate her already. She had no idea who the man was, and she couldn’t imagine he had any good reason to despise her, but given the malicious glare zoned in on her like tractor beams, he most definitely did not like her. It usually took longer than a millisecond for that to happen.

Ms. Verna, please sit. I’ve been waiting for some time for you to arrive. Principal Johnson indicated the chair next to the man.

The man hadn’t stopped staring daggers at her since she stepped through the door, and as she moved toward him to take the chair, he clenched his jaw tight and his hands fisted on the arms of the chair.

Have you met Isaiah Henry, Ms. Verna? Her eyes moved up to the principal’s quickly before flitting back to the man, Isaiah.

I haven’t. I’m sorry, can you please tell me what is going on? Is Harper okay?

Isaiah suddenly scoffed in what could only be annoyance at her question. Nothing much of what was going on made a damn bit of sense to her, and before she’d even a chance to take the chair next to the curmudgeonly Isaiah, she planted her hands on her hips and stared at Principal Johnson, refusing to allow the mystery to go on one more moment.

Isaiah is Natalie Henry’s father. I’m not sure if you’ve met Natalie, but Mr. Henry and Natalie are new to Bristol Island, and this is her first year here.

Okay… I’m still not—

Harper and her friends have been making things a bit difficult for Natalie, and we need to discuss how you as a parent are going to—

Wait, what are you saying? And furthermore, why are we having this conversation with Mr.—

Well, frankly, you were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago, Ms. Verna. Mr. Henry showed up at his appointment time as did the parents of Harper’s friends earlier this afternoon.

Isaiah could barely seem to sit still as she bickered with Principal Johnson, and when at last that tension snapped, he stood abruptly and turned toward Joss. If ever she’d examined someone’s ears for smoke just to see if there was any possibility of it, it was deserved with this man. He was raging, and when he opened his mouth, she cringed.

My daughter is about the last person who deserves to be bullied by your child—

Bullied? She cried incredulously as she turned toward him, leaving her hands planted firmly on her hips. Harper is not—

Then what on earth would you call it? Isaiah’s voice had risen to a rather terrifying decibel, and Joss wasn’t one to let that go unchecked at this point in her life.

Listen, Mr. Henson—

Henry!

My daughter is not a bully, and I don’t appreciate the insinuation that she is. I’ve heard nothing of any behavioral issues in the past, and I won’t be condemned by you! You don’t know her! She wasn’t even entirely sure who she was mad at—Sue for talking slow; Principal Johnson for interrupting her rather busy day; Harper for apparently being a bully; Randall who was, as she spoke, doing his best to take the bulk of her commission; or Mr. Isaiah Henry for being upset with her because her daughter had apparently been mean to his daughter. Since Isaiah was the one standing closest and he appeared to want to pummel her, she was going to aim her anger at him.

He was intimidating to see even before he opened his mouth; now that intimidation was escalating and had Joss’s defenses snapping into place before she could even wrap her head around what was going on. His eyes glanced to her chin where she had an inch long scar—nothing nearly as sexy as Harrison Ford’s and something she was rather self-conscious of regardless of the attitude she was trying to exude. Her fingers instantly moved to the scar before she realized what she was doing, and it was only when he opened his mouth to respond that she got hold of herself and dropped her hand.

Your daughter and her two friends have been making Natalie’s life a living hell since the moment she set foot in this school two weeks ago, and if I have to see her in tears one more time, I promise, it is going to end badly.

Oh, is it? Are you threatening me? She couldn’t seem to temper the shrill sound to her voice. You don’t know Harper. She is a wonderful—

Your daughter is a bully!

Call her that one more time. I dare you.

Fine! She’s a bitch! Is that better?

He was yelling. She was yelling. Poor Principal Johnson was simply watching them with tennis court eyes as they spewed their anger at one another quicker than even his eyes could keep up with.

That’s enough! And Mr. Henry that was quite out of line. Principal Johnson was on his feet now, but it seemed to phase Joss and Isaiah little, given both of them were far too busy glaring at one another and ignoring the principal. This meeting was not meant for the both of you to start some war with each other! I’d much prefer to see the two of you do your part as parents to control and positively influence the course your children are on. Now, you will both sit, and you will both listen without interrupting. Am I clear?

She didn’t bother answering, and she had no intention of it until Isaiah did. She recognized her petulance plenty. She wasn’t stupid, and she knew full well her behavior was immature, but she’d be damned if his wasn’t as well.

Sit!

She actually jumped at the force behind Principal Johnson’s voice that time. As both she and Isaiah’s eyes finally flitted away from one another, they took the man’s advice and sat like dogs on command.

She could see Isaiah’s hand fisting and unfisting on the arm of the chair beside her, and she clenched her jaw tight to rein in her anger and confusion.

Joselyn—

It’s Joss, please. She took a deep breath, looking up to Johnson.

"Very well. Joss. I know Harper. She was a star student her eighth grade year, and she’s never been one to be mean. She won a Character Counts Award last year for crying out loud! I know this isn’t her, but it is her when she’s around Lena and Jen. She wasn’t friends with them last year, and now that she’s a freshman… Well, I don’t know what happened between last year and this year, but they’re suddenly thick as thieves, and Harper is picking up some very bad traits from them. You know, it’s not always ideal in these small school systems like ours when all grade levels are in one building. A lot of the behavior issues you see in the high schoolers tend to trickle down to the younger ones coming up due to their close proximity. It would seem Lena and Jen have picked up some of these rather disturbing behaviors, and Harper has gotten herself pulled into the mix. Now you two can keep this to yourselves, but I’m not surprised Lena and Jen are causing problems for a new student. I was worried about them from the get go, but I am surprised to see Harper in the mix."

Joss stared at Johnson’s desktop. Her anger was faltering, and her brow furrowed as she imagined her daughter being one of those kids—the kind of kid that made other kids’ lives a living hell. It can’t possibly be that bad. Harper is— She realized a bit too late that her statement could easily be seen as inflammatory by the still fist clenching man beside her. She hadn’t intended for it to be, but damn hindsight was kicking her in the teeth.

Oh, it can’t?

Her eyes flashed to Isaiah’s dark furious ones as he snapped at her. She was guessing he was handsome, but at the moment he looked a bit too much like he wanted to kill her for her to appreciate the aesthetics.

How bad does it need to be to warrant your attention? Huh? They call her ugly. They call her fat. They taunt her, trip her, and mock her every chance they get! She has no friends here. Don’t you get it? Don’t you get how awful this is for Natalie, or are you too self-absorbed to understand what this can do to a girl her age? She’s dealt with enough the past couple years, and she deserves to come here and be tormented? How bad does it need to be for you to pay attention? Or are you too damn busy to pay attention to what your own daughter is doing just like you were too damn busy to get to this meeting on time? He stood then, glaring down at her.

He stared, and she forced herself to stare right back, but she could barely swallow over the lump in her throat. When he finally glanced to Johnson and broke contact with her, she inhaled through her nose, slowly letting it back out.

I really shouldn’t have stayed for this. All I want to do is strangle her for being this stupid. Then he took a deep breath and cleared his throat. Fix this. He was eying Principal Johnson, and Johnson nodded slightly before Isaiah turned to leave, but he didn’t leave, and as he paused looking down at her again, he opened his mouth. Imagine it was your daughter.

And then he was gone, and she finally managed to swallow the lump down.

Chapter Two

Isaiah entered the gymnasium, scanning the large room quickly. Natalie was sitting alone on the bleachers on the other side of the room. Natalie had always loved volleyball, and given her height, she was pretty damn good at it—even for a freshman. When she’d come home after her first day at Bristol High School wanting to sign up, there was little more to discuss.

He’d actually been stupid enough to be optimistic for her. He’d had no idea how much things could disintegrate in only two weeks’ time. Harper was on the team as well, but the other two pariahs were thankfully not. As he walked toward Natalie, he scanned the other team members. Some were practicing their spike on the net, others were setting to one another, and some were simply milling about in small groups chatting. Not his Natalie though. She belonged to no groups, and she sat alone trying to appear as though it wasn’t painful. He knew better.

His attention moved from one to the other of the girls on the team, looking for something similar to Joss’s straight dark brown hair and pale skin. Joss had blue eyes, and her stature was quite small given her harsh demeanor, so he wasn’t looking for an Amazon woman by any means. When his eyes lit on a small, young teen who was practicing setting over the net with another team member, his attention caught on her. She was a good six inches shorter than his daughter, if not more. She looked far younger too, though they were in the same grade. But it was the stark bright blue eyes against the dark hair that gave her away. She looked oddly innocent. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but he had to admit, fair or not, he’d been expecting something loosely resembling a monster of some sort.

Natalie waved sheepishly at him as he crossed the court to her, and when he sat beside her, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He knew her well, she was his daughter after all, and he knew just how uncomfortable she was most of the time. Her sigh was nothing more than utter relief to see him. It broke his heart for her more than he cared to admit. She was supposed to be embarrassed by him, want him to disappear, want to pretend she didn’t know him. What she wasn’t supposed to want was for him to be around.

Tough day? He didn’t bother looking at her when he said it. It usually made the barely restrained emotion boil into tears that would sit on her lower eyelids at the ready. The ready usually ended in a stream of tears down her face with whatever words of encouragement he came up with. He wasn’t going to do that to her here—not here in a gymnasium full of girls who would remember her tears for far longer than the memory deserved to be held onto.

How was practice?

Okay. She stood and grabbed the bag at her feet, stepping over the bleacher in front of her to the floor.

He followed and then paused as the click of heels on the hard floor caught his attention. She was there—the woman he’d spent the past twenty minutes yelling at. She was walking on the other side of the court, but her eyes were zoned in on him. She really was quite striking—dark brown hair that was glossy and shined under the bright overhead lights. Her skin was entirely too pale, aside from the small pink scar that ran across her chin. And her eyes popped with color akin to the brightest, cloudless winter sky.

Her gaze trailed away from him only to return moments later. Her hands were finally somewhere other than her hips, and she looked far less harsh at this distance with one arm slung protectively across her stomach and her other raised as she mindlessly worried the small gnarl of scar tissue on her chin. She was uncomfortable, nervous even as he watched her, and when her head suddenly whipped toward the miniature version of herself that approached, those nerves seemed to ratchet up a notch. Her gaze bounced between her daughter and him as she likely judged just how much of a threat he might be. For good reason—at least from her perception. He had called her daughter a bitch after all. He shouldn’t have done that. He very definitely should not have done that.

Dad, can we go now? Nat was tugging on his arm as he struggled to pull his attention away from Joss, and he shook his head when he finally turned and followed his daughter. He wanted to finish this. He didn’t want to worry one more moment that Natalie was going to be emotionally abused and ridiculed every time she walked out the door, and it felt very much like defeat as he walked away.

They walked across the parking lot in silence, and when they climbed into his SUV, he adjusted his rearview mirror, catching sight of Joss and Harper as they exited the side door of the gymnasium. He froze staring at them. He watched as they moved together. She was neither speaking nor berating her daughter in any way, and for whatever reason, the defeat he’d felt mere minutes before turned into anger again—anger that her daughter’s actions could go unchecked.

Nat, stay put. I’ll be right back. He didn’t give her a chance to respond before climbing back out of his SUV and walking toward Joss and her daughter.

The moment Joss’s eyes took him in, she leaned to Harper’s ear, and the girl’s forehead scrunched up in what appeared to be confusion until she finally ran off toward what he could only assume was their car. Joss watched him, and he studied her as his stride closed the space between them quickly. Her arms had crossed on her chest again, and he simply watched, waiting for her to strike the pose. She didn’t let him down as she postured, planting her hands on her hips, and he chuckled. It was humorless and more sadistic and cruel than he actually was, but she made him want to be all sorts of sadistic with her.

Listen—

No, you listen. His voice was quiet and his head angled in a deceptively casual way to hide his real intent from anyone, including their children who were likely watching. I don’t give a shit about a damn word you have to say until you figure out how to control your daughter.

Her mouth dropped open as he held his focus on her.

How would you like it if it was your daughter—your daughter they made fun of every day? You think your child is somehow above reproach? You think there isn’t plenty that could be said about her? Let me guess, you’re one of those parents who think their child can do no wrong. Huh? If you’re not willing to put her in her place, don’t think for a second I won’t. He was threatening her, and by the look on her face, it was quite effective. Perhaps I should remind her that she’s no more perfect than she and her friends think Nat should be.

Joss’s eyes bulged as he sneered venomously at her, and he enjoyed her fear for the sake of his daughter, appropriate or not.

He wasn’t really going to talk to Harper at all, but it was an effective threat, and one he knew Joss would put a stop too. His hope was that she would get the point and drive that point home with her daughter.

When he started to step past her, her hand suddenly met his stomach, pushing gently into his abdominals. You will not speak to my daughter! I will handle this on my own.

There was little hope she could actually hold him back if he wished to follow through with his threat, but he had no real interest in carrying