he’s the devil himself. “I’ll do what I want. He’s my son and you can’t stop me seeing him.”
My blood boils over. That’s it. “You are not taking him anywhere with the Stanton children yet. They are strong willed and domineering. They will eat him alive, and in a strange house, he just won’t cope.”
He screws up his face in disgust. “What do you mean?”
“He’s an only child, Cameron. He’s soft and sweet and gentle, while those kids...” I shake my head and stop to get my wording right. “They’re beautiful kids, but the first time you meet him is not the time to put him into a situation where he will be uncomfortable.”
“He’ll be fine.”
I slam my hand down on the table. “And that’s exactly why you’re not having him. This he’ll be fine attitude is not how you parent.”
“And working in a brothel is?”
“Cut the fucking shit,” I snap as I look at the tables around us.
He leans in so that nobody else can hear. “Let me tell you one thing, Ashley fucking Tucker. You brought him into my life. You lied to me about it and you...” He pauses as he sits back in his chair. “Will have no say in how I bring him up.”
“The hell I won’t.” I shake my head. “If you want to get dirty, Cameron, you won’t fucking see him at all.”
He narrows his eyes in contempt. “I dare you to try and stop me.”
I sit back in my seat as a fission of fear crosses over me. For the first time in Owen’s life, someone else is fighting for him.
I don’t like it.
I don’t like it at all.
I think on it for a moment as we sit in silence. “You can come to my house tomorrow and spend time with him.”
He glares at me.
“You don’t have a backseat in your car, so you can’t drive him anywhere, anyway.” I sigh.
“I’m telling him,” he says.
“Telling him what?” I ask.
“That I’m his father.”
“What?” I snap. “He thinks he has a father.”
“That’s a man you dated. It’s not his fucking father.” He sneers.
I sit back in my seat and blow out a breath. God, what a mess?
“Fine. Tell him, but I want to be there.”
My phone rings and I glance at the screen to see it’s Owen’s preschool.
“Hang on a minute. It’s Owen’s preschool,” I murmur as I answer. “Hello.”
“Hello, Ashley, it’s Katrina from the Preschool.”
“Hello, Katrina. Is something wrong?” I ask.
“No, everything is fine.”
I put my hand on my chest in relief as Cameron watches on.
“I just noticed this morning that when you filled out your emergency contacts, you only put yourself and Jenna.”
“Yes, is that okay?” My eyes look up at Cameron and he frowns.
“We need four emergency contacts. It’s accreditation policy.”
Shit. “You need four emergency contacts?” My eyes are still on Cameron. “Can you hang on a minute, Katrina? I will just grab the numbers.”
I put the phone down and cover it. “I need two emergency contacts for the preschool. Who will I put? I only know Jenna in town,” I whisper.
“Me.”
I watch him think for a moment.
“And Adrian,” he adds.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he snaps, annoyed. He brings the numbers up on his phone and passes it to me. I blow out a breath and go back to Katrina.
“Um, can I add Cameron Stanton, please?” I ask.
“Yes, sure. What is his relationship to the child?”
I close my eyes as my stomach turns. “He’s his father.”
Cameron sits back in his chair as the enormity of that statement hits us both, and my eyes rise to the ceiling.
“Next one?” she asks.
“Um.” I pause for a moment. “Adrian...” Shit, what’s his last name?
“Murphy,” Cameron whispers.
“Murphy,” I add.
“And what’s his relationship to the child?”
I close my eyes and blow out a deflated breath. “Family friend,” I reply meekly.
I give her the numbers and then hang up.
I feel like I just lost a round with Mike Tyson. I have effectively lost control of this situation and I feel like packing up and running away in the middle of the night.
I sit and eat my cake in silence and Cameron seems deep in thought, just like me.
“When is his birthday?” Cameron asks.
I smile softly. “January fifth.”
His eyes hold mine. “He’s turning five?”
I nod.
“He starts school next year?”
“Yes.”
He frowns. “He’s not enrolled in school yet?”
“There’s plenty of time for that. It’s only June.” I reply as I sip my coffee.
“Not the school that he will be going to. He should have been enrolled at birth.”