Page 73 of Loving Wild

“Right,” Gabe says and claps his hands together as his eyes come to me. “We best get going. See ya, bub.”

“See ya, Dad, see ya, Ren. Love you both,” Ava calls from the front door, and I pause, mid-climb into the truck. My eyes shift from Ava’s back to Lena’s narrowed stare to Gabe, who appears to be oblivious to the fact his daughter just told me she loves me.

“Love you too,” I call back, Gabe taking a second longer to say it as realisation at what’s just taken place hits him.

I climb into my seat and shut the door, wanting to escape any more awkwardness. Gabe does the same, starts the engine, slides his arm across the back of my seat, and despite having a camera, looks over his shoulder and reverses out of the drive the old-fashioned way.

Adele’s ‘Chasing Pavements’ fills the silence in the cab until I can’t hold on to my words any longer.

“What was that all about?” I question. “What exactly was she expecting me to do, square up and fight a pregnant woman because that’s what it felt like, that she wanted me to kick off and cause a scene with the way she came at me.”

“What did she say?” Gabe asks, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Well, if you hadn’t left me having to make my own introduction, you would’ve heard the conversation we had. I mean, seriously, Gabe. She’s your ex and Ava’s mum, and you just left me standing there while you chatted at the front door.”

I know I’m being irrationally angry towards him, but Lena’s attitude has pissed me off, right along with the fact that I felt thrown under the bus by Gabe not being there to make the introductions.

“I didn’t realise you’d gotten out of the truck. Dean started talking to me, and when Lena moved past me, I thought it was to go check on Ava because I’d just told her she’d got her period. It wasn’t till I turned around that I saw her talking to you.”

“So, I should’ve just sat in the truck? Did you notwantto introduce me?”

“No, Ren, seriously. What the fuck has got into you? I was going to bring Lena over to the truck and introduce you, but you got out, Dean side-tracked me, and it didn’t go that way.”

I stare out the window at the passing traffic, my head pounding, and try and get my temper reined in.

Reaching across, Gabe gives my thigh a squeeze. “You gonna tell me what she said?”

I’m silent for a few seconds while I focus on swallowing down the lump in my throat.

“She said Ava wouldn’t be calling me because she’s got it from here,” I tell him while still looking out the passenger door window. I don’t know why I’ve taken Lena’s comment so personally. It felt like an attack on my parenting, which it wasn’t, I don’t think, but I don’t know her, so I don’t really know.

“She said that?” Gabe interrupts my haphazard thoughts.

“Yep, she said that.”

“I think she’s jealous. From what I can tell, Ava’s been talking about you at home all week, going on about her bedroom, how cool you are, and then she had an important moment happen in her life, and it was you she turned to.”

“That’s not my fault, doesn’t mean she has to come at me and be such a bitch.”

“No, it doesn’t, and I’ll talk to her.”

“I don’t want you to talk to her,” I finally turn back towards him and snap. “I can fight my own fucking battles thanks, Gabe. The only reason I didn’t do it back there is because Ava was standing right next to me, and the woman’s about to drop a baby any day now, which, I’ve gotta say, is lucky for her, otherwise, I would’ve droppedher, right on her fucking arse.”

He stares silently at the road ahead but presses his lips together before biting them between his teeth. My mouth falls open as his shoulders start to shake.

“Are you fucking laughing at me?” I ask, my voice sounding high pitched with astonishment.

He chances a quick look my way, now with a grin on his face.

“Babe,” he says through a laugh. “You just threatened to drop my pregnant ex on her arse. You’re a middle-aged woman, talking . . .”

“Middle-aged?” I question.

“Babe,” is his response.

“Just shut up and drive, Gabe. I’ve got a splitting headache and I just wanna get home.”

“We’re not going home, I need to make a quick stop off, but we won’t be long, I promise.”