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“Well, doesn’t this look cozy,” spat out a familiar voice, so close I jumped.
Chapter Twenty-Two
WREN
Achill spread through my chest, then down my arms and legs. I sucked in a breath so fast it made my lungs ache. The irony of my last thought didn’t escape me. This was my worst nightmare.
“Hello, Mrs. London,” I bit out, forcing a smile to my face. “How nice to see you.”
She crossed her arms. “As a parent of one of your students, I deserve the right to know what’s happening here.”
“Mrs. London, not that it’s any of your business, but I’m here with my friends.” I gestured to the entire group.
“And it seems awfully convenient that one of them is a parent.” She pointed at Beckett. “I ignored the first time I saw you out together, but you can’t in good conscience think I’ll do it again.”
Beckett strode closer. His hands clenched and unclenched by his side. “Are you so f—” He glanced at Zo. “Damn miserable you need to make everyone around you feel that way? You can’t tell me that you honestly care whether something is happening between Wren and me?”
“So you admit it,” she crowed.
“Daddy?” Zoey looked from her dad to me. Her face scrunched up in confusion.
“What’s the real problem here anyway? Why are you so stuck on trying to get rid of her?” He pointed at me.
“How dare you imply I have a vendetta? I’m doing my civic duty by reporting this.” I had a feeling all along that she didn’t like me, but this situation just confirmed it.
“But you’re not. What you’re doing will get Wren fired. And then what?” Beckett glared at her.
“She needs to be impartial toallthe students she teaches, and how can she do that while sleeping with one of the parents?”
I gasped. My gaze instantly zeroed in on Zoey.
Her little face turned red as she stood a few feet from Virgina London. “How dare you talk about Ms. Winter and my dad like that!” She propped her hands on her hips. “You know what? I feel bad that Violet has a mother like you.”
Mrs London gasped and raised her hand to strike Zoey.
Oh my God!How dare she try to hit Zoey? My face and neck flushed as the heat of anger rolled through me.
Beckett jerked forward in an attempt to shield his daughter. Before he could get between them, Zoey went flying at the wretched woman. Nobody had time to react. She shoved the woman clear off her feet. It probably wasn’t in Mrs. London’s favor that she’d worn impossibly high heels to pick out a Christmas tree.
“You little brat,” she screeched. “You need to be punished for that. This behavior is unacceptable.”
If I wasn’t still horrified by the vitriol she’d spit out with Zoey present, I might have laughed. Grayson didn’t have the same problem, and his laughter drew the attention of the people around us.
Beckett loomed over Mrs. London. “How dare you try to hit my daughter!” He cut an imposing figure as he stood there, his hands clenching and unclenching by his side. I had no doubt he exerted extreme control so he didn’t haul off and punch the offending woman.
Not intimidated in the slightest by Beckett, she looked around him and pointed at Zoey. “Do you honestly think your mother would be proud of your behavior? She’s probably rolling over in her grave.”
My mouth dropped open as I stared at Mrs. London in shock. How dare she say something like that to a child? How dare she take Zoey’s most horrid life experience and use it as a weapon?
Zoey paled and took a shaky step back.
Beckett’s whole body tightened, and rage radiated from every line of his body. I believe the only reasons he didn’t punch the offending shrew in the face was because his daughter was here to witness it and he’d never lay a finger on a woman. He gathered her into his arms and lifted her up. Zoey’s face crumpled as tears coursed down her cheeks.
Ruby gasped.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Grayson yelled at Virginia London who struggled to get up. Her heels kept her wobbling as they sunk into the not quite frozen ground.
I didn’t hesitate. With quick steps I strode to Beckett’s side and rubbed Zoey’s back in comfort. I shot Mrs. London a withering stare. “What is wrong with you? You want to attack me, that’s one thing. I’m an adult, I can take it. But you verbally attacked a child, you horrid woman.” My anger had no bounds. Protecting Zoey superseded any damage this would do to my reputation.