Page 35 of Moonlight & Matrimony (Oak Ridge #2)

Ivy

? Love you for a long time - Maggie Rogers ft. Sam Gendel, Sam Wilkes

T he phone lights up on the kitchen island as I’m rinsing off a set of paintbrushes.

The number for Rylin’s daycare flashes across the screen and I’m immediately on alert, dropping the brushes into the sink.

She’s not supposed to be picked up for another hour, so whatever they’re about to tell me is not going to be good news.

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Taylor?”

I wince at the use of my former name. “It’s Roberts now.”

“Right. I apologize. This is Catherine from Little Sprouts Learning Center.”

“Is everything ok with Rylin?” I ask. My heart lurches in my throat as I wait for a response.

“Um, yes,” she says, a hint of reluctance in her voice that sets my teeth on edge. “We were hoping you would be able to come in and speak to us.”

“I can be there in ten minutes.”

“We’ll see you then.”

I scramble around the house, feeling the panic rise as I search for my keys and purse, when Luca suddenly steps into my path, his steady hands cupping my cheeks as he scans my face. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure. The daycare called and asked me to come in.”

“I’m coming, too,” he says, releasing me, leaving no room for argument as he places a hand on my lower back and ushers me out to my SUV.

I peel out of the driveway, and within five minutes, we’re pulling to a stop outside of Rylin’s daycare.

I inhale a steadying breath before stepping onto the curb.

If anything happened to my little girl, I will have their heads.

Once I’m within reach, Luca grabs my hand in a reassuring hold.

“I’ll let you take the lead, but if you need me to step in, just squeeze my hand.

” I smile in appreciation. That he’s willing to take a backseat when I’m certain every instinct is telling him to take charge means more than I can express.

I spent years feeling like my voice was being muted, so it’s entirely new for me to have someone listening intently, even when I don’t have anything profound to say.

The moment we enter the building, the combined scent of crayons and disinfectant assaults me as raised voices carry down the long corridor. “Sir ,if you cannot calm down, we are going to have to escort you out of the building.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it. I want to see my daughter. NOW.”

As Austin’s voice reaches my ears, my spine goes rigid and I squeeze Luca’s hand.

“What the fuck?” Luca growls, pulling me along with him as he stalks toward the commotion.

“Can I help you?” the woman asks, addressing my husband. He places an arm around my waist, pulling me into his protective embrace.

“I’m here about my daughter,” he says, claiming Rylin for his own without an ounce of hesitation. The color drains from my face as I take in Austin’s unmistakable rage. The woman glances between the three of us, recognition dawning when her focus lands on me.

“Oh, yes. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts. Rylin is waiting in the office. We had an incident we would like to discuss with you, but Mr. Taylor —”

“Mr. Taylor was ordered by the courts to stay away from my wife,” Luca cuts in. “He was subsequently removed from the daycare emergency contacts list and pickup authorization.”

“As I was saying, Mr. Taylor will be escorted off the premises if he does not go willingly.”

Austin steps into her space and she visibly recoils. “Fuck off, lady. I want to see my daughter.”

Luca steps between them, fists clenched tightly at his sides. “I think she was pretty clear that’s not going to happen. Leave.”

In the blink of an eye, Austin throws a punch that narrowly misses Luca’s jaw.

Catherine disappears into the office, presumably to call security, and before my husband can retaliate, I force myself to intervene.

The last thing we need is another reason for the courts to side with Austin, even if he did swing first.

“That’s enough!” I bellow, foolishly placing myself between my fake husband and my ex. “Why are you here, Austin?”

He smirks, crossing his arms over his chest as his eyes roam over my body, sending an unpleasant chill through my veins.

We ran out of the house so quickly, I didn’t even realize I’m still wearing my ratty paint stained overalls and crop top.

A wave of self-consciousness washes over me, and Austin doesn’t miss a beat.

“You really have let yourself go, Ivy girl.”

My stomach plummets as Luca pushes me behind him, his face a mask of cold fury. “Don’t talk to my wife. Don’t even fucking look at her.” He reaches for me, intertwining our fingers, when a small, familiar voice cuts through the rising tension.

“Mommy?”

“Hey, Ry,” Luca says, crouching down to meet her at her level.

A young woman who can’t be more than 19 years old stops in the doorway to the office, looking sheepish. “I’m so sorry! She just ran off.”

Luca lifts my daughter into his arms, carefully handing her off to me before resuming his protective stance. Austin’s gaze bounces between the three of us, his face contorted like he’s preparing to strike.

Ignoring the fear bubbling to the surface, I squeeze her to me, soaking in her warmth. “Rylin, you can’t just run off like that, love.”

“Sorry, Mommy.” She reaches out for Luca, and I reluctantly hand her over, watching as he pulls her into his arms and boops her nose. “You ok, Bug?”

“Mm hmm,” she murmurs, wrapping her arms around my husband while they simultaneously crumble yet another of my barriers. I should be jealous that she all but passed me over for Luca’s hugs, but I can’t even blame her.

Moments later, Catherine returns with security in tow, and they immediately escort Austin to the parking lot. I wish I could say I’m relieved, but there’s a much bigger part of me that knows this will only continue to escalate, and I’m helpless to do anything about it.

“I apologize. He shouldn’t have been allowed to enter the building, but our security code has been disabled due to a system upgrade,” Catherine explains.

“That’s unacceptable!” Luca seethes. “You’ve endangered every child in this building, and I would like to speak to the owner.”

“I understand. She is out of office today but I can have her give you a call. In the meantime, we did have something to discuss. If you’ll just follow me into the office. I’ll have Meghan return Rylin to her classroom so we can talk.”

Rylin waves as she follows Meghan down the hallway, my nerves vibrating as she disappears into her classroom.

We follow Catherine into the small office decorated with children’s drawings and soft pastel colors.

My heart aches as I spot a drawing of Luca’s house, with three stick figures holding hands on the front lawn.

“Please, have a seat,” Catherine says, her tone soft but serious. Once we’re settled, she folds her hands on the desk in front of her. “I’m afraid we had an incident today involving Rylin.”

Luca leans forward, his face lined with worry. “What happened?”

Catherine takes a deep breath, as if steadying herself before speaking.

“Another child made some disparaging comments to Rylin regarding her father —” she says, pausing before rushing to clarify.

“Austin. It seems they overheard something at home and repeated it here. You know how kids can be. Rylin retaliated. She was very… forceful with her words.”

Luca’s jaw clenches as he looks over at me, his expression filled with a fierce protectiveness that has my heartbeat stuttering for a beat.

“What happened with the other child?” I ask.

“We spoke to him and his parents about not repeating things he doesn’t fully understand, emphasizing the importance of leading with kindness. But we do have to address Rylin’s response as well.”

Luca shifts in his seat, a stern expression marring his handsome face. “She was defending herself.”

“I understand, and given the circumstances, her reaction is understandable. But we want to help Rylin find ways to express her feelings that don’t escalate conflicts and cause harm to others.

We’re concerned about how this might affect her in the long run, especially with all of the sudden changes at home. ”

“Please don’t pretend like you know anything about our situation. You should be more concerned about your fucking security,” I snap, barely able to contain my thinly veiled anger. Luca places a hand on my thigh, calming me with a simple touch.

“I apologize if I overstepped.”

Before I can respond, Luca cuts in. “Can we just take her home?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll bring her in.”

As soon as Catherine leaves the room, Luca turns to me, his gaze softening. “She’s tough, Ivy. None of this is fair, but she’ll be ok. We’ll be ok.”

I nod, hating the uneasy feeling taking root in my chest. The details of the incident are vague at best, but I heard enough to know that my business has gotten around town so much that it’s coming right back around to my daughter.

And fuck if that doesn’t make me feel like the biggest piece of shit.

I’ve done everything in my power to keep her separated from all the drama, but in a small town like Oak Ridge, the efforts are futile.

Rylin rushes into the room, throwing herself into Luca’s arms, and my heart melts instantly at their easy affection.

“Here’s her backpack,” Catherine says. “We’ll let you know if anything else comes up. See you tomorrow Ry.” She smiles softly at my daughter, and we turn to leave.

As Luca leads us outside, Rylin rests her head on his shoulder, finding comfort in his presence.

His thumb traces a soothing pattern along my palm as I savor every brush of his skin against mine.

Weariness seeps into my being as I continue to fight this relentless battle between Austin and me.

It’s exhausting, both mentally and physically.

Everything in me is telling me to take Rylin and run, but I know he would still find me.