Shock - Marie Johnston Page 0,63

when she snagged a position in hospital administration, I thought we were set.

I didn’t know that she’d moved with me to create some distance between her and her parents’ opinions of us and our baby on the way. Just like I didn’t know until it was too late that she thought our move was just a temporary pause before we moved on to bigger and better things. I failed, and she punished me.

I’ll never forgive her for leaving me off the birth certificate. But she stayed in Sunnyville. All I can do is move forward and play nice until I figure out exactly how to approach the custody issue.

“Like I said, this is new. She’s not planning to leave.”

“I guess you were just waiting for a girl who’d settle down. I can understand that after what we went through.”

I recoil like she’s slapped me. Where did that come from? She thinks I played the field until I found a perfectly compliant girl who’d never leave Sunnyville?

I clench my jaw to keep from saying something that’ll set me back several months. Broaching the custody topic might do that on its own. It’s been a long road, and I’ve missed a lot with Jayden, and I need to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Her parents might not have agreed with her move here, but they’d jump on taking legal action against me. I’d get incinerated fighting Cass for custody.

She watches me for a couple of seconds like she’s expecting a reply. What does she want, an acknowledgment that, according to her, I fucked-up? Profuse apologies for moving her to my hometown and trying to provide for my family?

Won’t happen. I did what I had to do and she took my son from me as punishment. One thing my actions did was show the glaring weaknesses in our relationship and bring me to Lia. A woman who understands and supports me.

Her eyes fill with resignation and she shifts her gaze to Jayden. “Ready to go, pumpkin?” She walks to him and squats down, feeling his forehead. “He’s a little warm. Did you take his temp?”

“He was warmer than usual, but not enough to qualify as a fever.”

“You’re the doctor,” she mutters. No one refers to me as a doctor. It’s like they all sense what a sensitive subject it is and stay away from it. The term is a reminder of a life that won’t ever be mine to live. I shouldn’t be surprised Cass is the one to wield it against me.

Cradling Jayden to her, she rises. He whines and squirms, and she murmurs something comforting. I turn to grab the diaper bag when a horrible retching sound fills the room.

When I spin around, my eyes widen. Jayden cries and he tries to pull away from the mess he’s vomited all over Cass’s shirt. Cass’s mouth is hanging open as she holds him away from her.

“Ford!” she shrieks.

I grab Jayden. I hold him facing out so I don’t get covered in vomit. “Go clean up. I’ll change him.” There’s an extra outfit in the diaper bag.

She holds her arms out, afraid to move and spread the foul-smelling substance. “Yuck.” Her chest heaves and she looks down at herself, her expression growing more horrified by the second. “Gross. What the hell am I going to change into? I can’t drive home in this.”

“Go find one of my shirts.”

She looks at me, trying to comprehend my simple words while she’s dripping in kid vomit that’s on a whole different level than spit-up.

“Go.” I snag a disposable baggie from the diaper bag and wave it at her. “Put your shirt in that or leave it here and I’ll wash it.”

She nods numbly but reaches for the baggie. She disappears into the hallway and I carefully strip Jayden down so I don’t smear the bits that hit him. After I change him, I take his temperature again. Holding steady, nothing to worry about.

“Hopefully this passes quickly, little man.” I pick him up and he drapes himself over my shoulder. I’m not as worried about getting nailed with puke, just concerned that he might throw up again and be sicker than I fear.

There’s a knock at the door. I rub Jayden’s back on my way to open it.

Lia’s on my step, wearing aviator shades. Her pink shorts show off her long, tanned legs and the baggy T-shirt makes her look young and carefree.

She pushes the shades up and I’m impressed that they can hold back her