Seduced By The Single Dad. Yvonne Lindsay

says how...intimate you seem together, that it’s obvious something serious is going on between you.” Linda pressed her hand flat to her chest, and shook her head fiercely. “I do not believe this. Tell me that none of it is true.”

      Chloe just stared. God. She’d known this would be bad. But somehow, now that it was actually happening, all she could think was What are we doing here? How could I have let it get his far? Why didn’t I back her down years ago?

      The questions were all too familiar to her. They were the same ones she’d asked herself over and over about her ex-husband.

      “Well?” her mother demanded. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

      “You know, Mom. I don’t think I have to say anything. But I would like to know what happened to you? I just don’t understand how you got so messed up.”

      Another indignant gasp. “Excuse me?”

      “It’s not going to work on me, Mother. Not anymore. All your trumped-up outrage, your sad, small-minded ideas about who’s okay and who’s not. Your judgments about the right kind of people and the ones who just don’t measure up.”

      “Wait just a minute, now—”

      “No. No, I’m not going to wait for you to try and fill my head with more of your small-minded garbage and your snobbish, silly lies.”

      “Well, I have never—”

      “Stop. I mean it. I don’t want to hear it, never again. Quinn Bravo is a fine man and I’m not listening to one more word of this ridiculous crap you’re dishing out against him. Yes, I am seeing him. And I am proud to be seeing him. Also, you should know that I am redoing his house and I’m gratified that he and Manny Aldovino have confidence in my ability to do the job well. In fact, Quinn has asked me to marry him and I am seriously considering saying yes.”

      “Dear, sweet Lord. Have you lost your mind?”

      “No, I have not. I am perfectly sane, saner than I’ve ever been in my life before. And all that old stuff about Quinn’s mother and his father and his father’s first wife, all those ancient, ridiculous distinctions between the real Bravos and the bastard Bravos... Nobody cares about that anymore. Nobody but you—and maybe Monique Hightower and Agnes Oldfield, who both ought to get a life and stay out of mine.”

      “But you surely can’t—”

      “Wake up, Mother. Smell the Starbucks. I mean, look at it this way. Haven’t you heard? Quinn Bravo’s rich now. He’s made a big success of his life. You know how much you love a big success.”

      Linda Winchester paled. “How dare you imply that I care how much money a man makes?”

      Chloe knew she had lost it completely when she shouted, “I’m not implying it, I’m saying it straight out!”

      Her mother cringed and jerked back in her chair, as though terrified—which Chloe knew very well she was not. “There’s no need to shout,” Linda said with a wounded sniff. “And I would hardly consider beating other men to a pulp a ‘successful’ way to make a living. And what about that motherless child of his being raised by that strange old man?”

      “Manny is a wonderful person and he’s doing a terrific job with Annabelle.”

      “Oh, please. It doesn’t matter how much money he has. Quinn Bravo will never measure up and I raised you to know that.”

      “Enough.” Chloe stood. “What I know, Mother, is that I’m done. I’m finished. I’ve had enough of your narrow-minded, holier-than-thou, manipulative behavior to last me a lifetime.”

      Another hot gasp from her mother. “What’s happened to you? What’s the matter with you? You’re acting like a crazy person. I brought you up to be better than this.”

      “Stop. Quit. There’s just no point. I want you to leave now. I want you to leave my house and not come back until you’ve had a serious change in your attitude.”

      Something happened then. Linda’s gaze shifted away. When she looked back at Chloe, she actually seemed worried. Was it possible she’d finally realized she’d gone too far? She said, more softly than before, with a hint of appeasement, “It’s only that I don’t want you to throw your life away. It’s only that you’re special. You deserve the best life has to offer. I want that for you. I want everything for you.”

      “I really do want you to go now.” Chloe gentled her tone, but didn’t waver. “Please.”

      Linda didn’t get up. She only talked faster. “Oh, sweetheart. I know. I understand. You had it all. And you threw it away. But the good news is, if you’ll only make a little effort, you and Ted can work through this rough patch and—”

      Chloe put up a hand. “Get back with Ted? You can’t be serious. I don’t believe you, Mother. How many times have I told you I never want to hear his name? How many times have I told you that he hit me and he cheated on me and there is no going back from that? I don’t want to go back. All I want is never to have to look in his evil, lying face again.”

      “You’re overwrought.”

      “Oh, you bet I am.” She stepped back and pointed at the door. “Please leave my house. Now.”

      Finally, her mother stood—and kept on talking. “Can’t you see? That new wife of his? She’s a pale imitation. She can’t hold a candle to you. Ted realizes that now. And you know that you’re exaggerating about his behavior, making a big drama out of a little marital spat or two.”

      “Wait.” Chloe really, truly could not believe her ears. “What did you say?”

      “I said, you’re making a big drama of—”

      “‘He realizes that now’? How could you know what Ted Davies realizes?”

      “Well, sweetheart, now listen. You really need to settle down, so that we can speak of this reasonably.”

      “Reasonably?” Chloe echoed in a near whisper. The awful truth had hit her like a boot to the head. Her ears were ringing. “You’ve been in touch with him, haven’t you? You’ve been encouraging him.”

      Linda got right to work blowing her off. “Well, I... You know I only want what’s best for you and I—”

      “You’ve given him my address, haven’t you?”

      “Oh, don’t be foolish. It’s not as if you’re in hiding.”

      “So you did give him my address.”

      Linda just wouldn’t give it up and answer the question. She let out a low sound of complete disdain. “Don’t make such an issue of it. Anyone could find out where you live with a minimum of effort.”

      “But Ted didn’t have to make any effort, right? Because you’ll tell him whatever he wants to know.” She grabbed her mother’s arm. “That does it. You’re leaving.”

      Linda squealed. “What are you doing?” She slapped at Chloe. “Let go of me. You’re hurting me...” The tears started then.

      Chloe ignored them. She pulled her mother to the door, yanked it open and shoved her over the threshold.

      Linda sobbed, “How can you do this to me? You’re breaking my heart.”

      Chloe’s answer was to firmly shut the door in her face.

       Chapter Seven

      That night, it took Quinn an extra half hour to chase off all the monsters and get Annabelle settled in bed. He performed his monster-removing duties happily. Partly because he was a total pushover for his little girl. And partly because he knew she needed the extra attention on her first night