Part 6 (1/2)

Then, forty-five minutes after Tara arrived, my stupid husband finally strolled through the door.

With Lana.

The corn on the cob in my hand fell to the ground, followed by my flimsy paper plate and the food it contained. Her phony smile lit a fire in my soul that I was sure would send the whole house into an inferno. The look I had for my husband could have surely turned him into stone, and he f.u.c.king knew it.

”Royal. Word. Now,” I snapped.

I had some choice words for him, so I marched toward the back yard so my children wouldn't hear them.

He followed behind me, his boots. .h.i.t heavy against the tile floor with every step. He was angry-not that he had any reason to be. He had to know what a d.i.c.k move it was to bring her to the party.

Once I hit the edge of the yard, I turned to face him, my face on fire with anger.

”What the h.e.l.l were you thinking bringing her here?” I whispered harshly.

He narrowed his eyes and mirrored my stance with his arms crossed over his chest. ”I didn't know what else to do, Jenna. Her car broke down and she called for some help. Her timing belt snapped, so I had to call AAA to have it towed. She was a mess and upset, so I figured it wouldn't hurt for her to tag along.”

I felt my eyes bounce around in my head before bulging out in disbelief. ”She called you? You didn't think it would matter? Why is she calling my husband to rescue her from the side of the road? What the h.e.l.l is going on, Royal?” I demanded.

I don't know what made me angrier-the fact she called him or the fact that he'd given her his number in the first place. I was steering toward the latter.

”Would you calm the f.u.c.k down? Jesus! Not everything has to be a big conspiracy, Jenna. She's an old friend; we've been through this already. I was trying to help. She's going through a really hard time.”

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Who gave a s.h.i.+t what she was going through?

”Whatever. Thanks for coming through for those that matter-you know, your wife, children, G.o.dchildren, friends. You're a piece of work.” I shook my head and walked away, but stopped to say one more thing.

”I'm not done talking about this, but today is about Tara.”

I headed back into the house and slammed the screen door with a cringe-worthy slap. The tears were already falling, so I went straight to the back bathroom so I could get myself under control. I had no poker face whatsoever, especially when I was upset. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin Tara's birthday with our drama.

Once I had myself calmed down, I opened the door and found my husband waiting outside. He shoved me back in the bathroom and shut and locked the door behind him. Without a word, he lifted my small frame, sat me on the counter and kissed the breath out of me. His lips were soft but firm, and as soon as his tongue slid over my bottom lip, I moaned in pleasure.

Maybe it was the adrenaline, but I couldn't push him away. I loved the way his hands moved over my hips, urgent and needy. It'd been a while since he'd touched me that way, like he meant it. This wasn't a drunk tumble or an attempt to be normal. This was want. Need.

As our kiss deepened, my anger waned. Just as I pushed my fingers through his hair and turned my head to kiss him harder, the sound of my son squealing in the other room burst our bubble.

”Don't be mad, Jenna,” he whispered against my lips. ”I didn't mean to p.i.s.s you off. I wasn't thinking.”

I sighed and leaned my head against his chest. ”I don't like you hanging out with her. Don't you get it?”

He let out a long breath and kissed the top of my head. ”I do. She just needs someone to talk to sometimes. I feel bad for her.”

It was like everything I said went in one ear and out the other. I'd pretty much demanded he stop talking to her, and he was going to do it anyway.

Again, I was furious.

I pushed away from him, swung the door open roughly, and stormed into the other room. As I entered the family room, the look on Macy and Sky's faces. .h.i.t me straight in the gut. The sight of Benji on her lap was the nail in the coffin.

”Macy,” I said, turning to my oldest. ”Can you take Ben and Lily into the other room?”

She nodded, grabbed Benji off Lana's lap and called for Lily over her shoulder. Poor Tara was in shock, and I didn't allow myself to look over at Abbie. She probably had the same expression as I did.

Rage.

I turned, glaring at Royal. ”I think it's time for Lana to leave. We'll see you at home.”

I didn't give Lana a second glance. She didn't even deserve my anger, honestly. I stormed into the kitchen and knew Royal was fast behind me. I was about to lose it in a big way, and I needed her gone. Immediately.

I heard Tara behind us, and since she was out of the loop as far as the Lana situation went, she was chomping at the bit to get details.

When I was out of ear shot of my girls, I grabbed the edge of the table and leaned forward, taking a deep breath. I felt Tara's warm hand on my shoulder and had to bite my lip so I wouldn't cry.

”Are you okay?” she asked quietly.

”What do you think?”

Her gaze traveled to Royal, and she glared at him with venom in her eyes. ”What the h.e.l.l is your problem bringing her here?”

”She's overreacting, as usual,” he snapped. ”I'm going out back.”

”This calls for booze,” Abbie said with a groan. ”This is a big fat mess, and it's time to get down to business.”

”One shot,” Tara said quickly, walking over to the cupboards and digging around on a shelf. ”Then, we get that b.i.t.c.h in my living room the h.e.l.l out of my living room!”

Abbie laughed. ”Are we just letting her sit out there? Alone?”

”Yes,” Tara and I said simultaneously.

”Let her wonder what we're doing in here. The wh.o.r.e,” I said.

Tara set the shot gla.s.ses down on the table while Abbie poured and stared at me while tapping her dangerously long fingernails against the polished oak table top. It would've been annoying had it been anyone else. I knew her too well, though. That's how she contemplated things. Planned her next move. She'd tap those d.a.m.n nails.

”Sorry,” she said.

”Don't be. I'll talk. I promise. I'm just trying to hold it together. I haven't wanted to burden you guys with things.”

”Jesus, Jenna! Burden me, please! I'm dying over here! When did that snake slither into town?” she asked anxiously.

”A couple weeks? I'm not sure,” I answered. ”A week ago Royal ran into her, and that's all I know.”

”Okay, so why did she end up in my house, at my party?”

I took a deep breath. Not only was it humiliating for me, but now we'd brought my friends and family into the situation.