Page 50 of Guarding Over You
“I didn’t know I was doing that.”
“I believe you. Or I want to. But I can’t forget it as easily as you think I can. You can tell yourself for days on end you don’t remember, and maybe you don’t. Or you didn’t have control. Which is possible. But that doesn’t excuse what we witnessed. So I did what I could. I took my control back. And when I did that, you got worse.”
“I was upset,” he argued. “I lost everything.”
“From your own actions.” She turned when she saw Julie park behind her. “I need to meet with her before I leave. You can stand here if you want or get in your truck. Your choice.”
“Are you going to tell her about this conversation?”
“Since we agreed to keep a separation outside these visits, I should, but I won’t. Don’t make me regret it.”
Which could be her being an idiot once again, but until she had all the facts, she wasn’t so sure what direction to go in.
“Everything okay?” Julie asked when she got out.
“Yes. Just standing outside getting some air. We were both here early,” she said. “Right, Billy?”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t we go to the other side of the car and talk if you need to let me know anything?” Julie said.
“Nothing that can’t be said in front of Billy. Might be easier anyway so he knows it’s from me and not secondhand. Gracie is having fun at daycare this summer. She’ll tell you about her activities. She’s riding her bike all the time around the development and loves the openness of it. Last Saturday, on July Fourth she watched a fireworks video on a neighbor’s phone while she lit some sparklers.”
“That’s not safe,” Billy argued.
“They are sparklers and completely safe with me standing there and having my hands by hers and taking them away before they even finished, but my neighbor is a doctor so all is good. You might hear her talk about it and can ask.”
She was waiting for Billy to ask if it was a guy, young, old, single or not. He didn’t. He wouldn’t think she’d date since he’d called her cold enough in the last year of their marriage.
It had more to do with her love dying and her body had no time for what her heart was struggling with.
And the fact she’d offered for him to ask said that she wouldn’t be hiding much of interest to him. Maybe a dirty game on her part, but she didn’t want to be accused of withholding or lying about anything.
“I’m glad she had a good time.” Billy said.
“Me too. She’s thrilled and was excited to come today, as you can tell by her bouncing in the seat in the car.”
The AC was blasting and her daughter’s hair was moving around while she put her hands up to her face in prayer to get out and have fun.
Arden laughed, turned and noticed Billy’s grin lifting some.
She wanted to believe there was hope and that she wasn’t weak, but she just didn’t know.
“If that is all, then I think we can go inside. You’re going to return here at four to pick Gracie up?” Julie asked.
“I’ll be here.” She opened the car door and let her daughter out. “Are you ready to have a good time with Dad and Ms. Julie?”
“Yes,” Gracie said, jumping up and down. “Can we get ice cream today too, Dad?”
“It’s on my list of things to do. There is a Stewarts not that far and there is an exhibit inside about them. I thought it’d be nice to get a treat after.”
Arden smiled over that bit of knowledge telling her that Billy had done some research. He knew his daughter loved ice cream and wanted to come here.
He was trying for Gracie, but she wasn’t so sure what his thoughts were on her.
Or what he might do to get his way to have more time with his daughter.
It might be best to meet this woman he was seeing sooner rather than later.
