I froze. “Macon did what?” I snapped.
“Ha. I didn’t even say his name, and you knew who I was talking about.”
I flushed. “Pop.”
“I’m just saying, he seems like a nice guy.”
“He is. But we’re just friends. So, no getting that look on your face.”
“Whatever you say,” she said primly, and I sighed again.
“You are exhausting.” I shook my head.
“I know. But that’s why you love me.”
“No, I think that’s why I tolerate you. There’s a difference.”
She flipped me off, and I rolled my eyes.
“You’re such a jerk,” I mumbled.
“I am. But you’re going to figure this out. You’ll find another babysitter or formulate a new plan. And you have a lot of friends to rely on in the meantime. And many of them own their businesses so they can make it work. Plus, soon, Josh will have a thousand afterschool activities because he’s growing up and very active, which means you won’t have to watch him every hour of every day.”
“You really do not have children, do you?”
“No. I like being the favorite auntie. I have no plans to procreate.”
“Clearly, you do not understand that all those activities mean that someone needs to drive him there. He’s already thinking about soccer and swimming. And peewee football. And karate. And art classes. All of those.”
“Yikes.”
“Yep. And that means money for all those classes, someone to drive him to and from those activities. Someone to make sure that he gets his homework done while he’s doing all those fun new things that he might not like after a week. And his schoolwork is just going to increase as he gets older. I need to find a way to work this out. Single moms do it all the time.”
“And single moms sometimes have to learn to rely on others,” Pop said softly.
“I am. So much more than I used to.”
“Okay, then. Now, let’s get to making up some recipes for strawberries. My mouth is watering.”
“You’re a dork.” I laughed.
“Hey, um, Dakota?”
I looked over at the man behind us. “What is it, Jason?”
“There’s a guy out front asking for you. But I don’t recognize him. He may be a customer, but he didn’t order anything. He said he wants to see you.”
My hands went clammy, and my mouth turned dry. “What does he look like?”
“A white dude with dark hair and a scowl on his face,” Jason replied with a shrug. “I’m sorry. He just looks very vanilla.”
That could be a thousand people, but it could also be Adam.
I let out a breath and nodded. “Okay, it’s probably just a customer wanting to ask something. Or maybe a vendor. I’ll deal with it.”
Pop gave me a look, and I shook my head before I made my way up to the front.
I knew who it would be as soon as I walked out. “Dakota,” Adam said, his voice gruff as if he had run sandpaper along his throat.
“Adam.” I swallowed hard.
He had gained some muscle since the last time I’d seen him, but he was still slender and looked wiry. He appeared harder than he had before, though. For a man that’d dealt drugs and handled conflict with his fists more often than not, prison seemed to have hardened him even more, at least in subtle ways.
I could see parts of Joshua in his face, and I hated that.
Loathed that my choices had led to this moment.
I hated that he had helped me create the best and most precious thing in my life—Joshua.
“I see you’ve done well for yourself,” Adam said, his eyes on mine.
“There’s a restraining order in place, Adam. You can’t be in here.”
“I’m just a paying customer. I should be allowed to go wherever the fuck I want.”
Jason was at my back, tension strumming through his body. I didn’t look back at him. I didn’t want Adam’s anger directed at anyone else. No, this was just for me. I needed to keep his focus there and not on any of my staff or my friends, or God help me, my son.
Not our son.
Adam had nothing to do with Joshua. Nothing. And I needed to keep it that way.
“I am the proprietor here. The owner. I have the right to refuse service. And, as it happens, you aren’t a customer. You haven’t ordered anything. You’re loitering. Plus, it’s illegal for you to be this close to me.”
I knew it was wrong to antagonize him, but I needed him to go.
He smirked. I hated the look on his face. It was always followed by pain. Emotional or physical. Either way, it hurt. And it was something I could never forget.
“I just wanted to say I’m not done with you yet.”
“I’m calling the police,” Pop said from behind me, and Adam snorted.
“Whatever the fuck you feel you need to do, go for it. I’m heading out. Don’t worry. But remember, I’m going to take what’s mine. This place? Couldn’t have done it if I hadn’t helped you back in the day.”
Just his mere presence put an oily sheen on the place I had built. I’d be damned if he cast shadows on it any more than he already had. “You have nothing to do with this.”
“I did. I can see you don’t understand that. But I know there’s something that I did have a lot to do with. Something you know is mine. Something you’re hiding from me.”
Chills broke out over my body, but I did my best to ignore him. I had to.
I could not let him find where Joshua was. Joshua was safe at school, and Adam’s name was on the Do Not Let Near list. Sadly, it likely wouldn’t be enough. I tried my best not to hyperventilate, but he just sneered at me, and I knew he saw my fear. It was so hard to hide it.
“I’ll be back. And I look forward
