Page 35 of Single Mom's Undoing

“Isn’t it obvious?” she shoots back, sounding almost insulted. “I’m here to see you and our gorgeous daughter. Where is Shiloh, by the way?”

“You’re not going anywhere near her,” Damon says.

Elizabeth’s eyes widen with consternation. “Excuse me?”

“You waived your parental rights,” I say, my motherly instincts causing the words to slip out of my mouth. “If you want visitation, you’ll need to go through a lawyer.”

Much to my dismay, I now have Elizabeth’s full and undivided attention. She has never struck me as the decent and reasonable type of girl.

She looks at Damon, a tinge of irritation flashing in her eyes as she puts two and two together where he and I are concerned, then sets her sights back on me.

“I see you’ve lowered your standards, Damon,” she says.

I hear Carter and Jace getting up from their seats, glasses clinking on the table from their sudden movements. Damon steps between Elizabeth and me as she’s about to come closer.

“Watch your mouth before I wire it shut,” Damon tells her.

Elizabeth gives him a stunned glare. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he replies. “You don’t get to waltz back into my life and insult the people in it after you walked away and left your daughter behind. Piss off, Elizabeth. And don’t even think about coming anywhere near Shiloh again, or I will call the cops, and you will be arrested.”

“You’re threatening me, Damon. Can you hear yourself?”

“You’re lucky I’m not doing much worse. Don’t think for a second that I’m afraid to follow through on any promise I might make. Now, unless you want to be dragged off in cuffs, I suggest you get your ass out of here.”

“This isn’t over,” she hisses, then glowers at me for good measure. “You’re not slithering into my family, Clara. You’ll regret this.”

“Just go before you make this worse for yourself,” Damon says.

She scoffs and shakes her head, her face turning red. I assume she expected a different, much warmer reaction. From what I remember about Elizabeth, along with what Damon’s mother and Jodie told me, the woman is a raging narcissist and somewhat deluded as to what she can get away with.

Personally, the fact that she chose to leave Shiloh behind so she could go out into the world and buy and sell art for filthy-rich folks tells me everything I need to know about her.

I don’t like her.

Finally Elizabeth walks away without so much as a glance in Shiloh’s direction.

“Are you okay?” Damon turns around to carefully look at me.

I give him a slight nod. “Yes. Just rattled. Did not see that coming.”

“No one did,” he says.

“What the hell is she doing back in Blackthorn Falls?” Jace asks, eyeing her until she’s completely out of sight.

I move away from the picnic table, determined to go check on the kids. I can see them, still laughing with Jodie and the bubble machine, but part of me aches for that little girl. She didn’t see or hear her mother, but I did, and my heart breaks for her.

“Clara,” Carter grabs my arm and pulls me aside.

He’s so close, I can feel his body heat. There are people watching us, but he doesn’t care.

“What is it?” I ask.

“You don’t get to let people talk to you like that anymore. You’re ours now,” he says, breathing hard.

I expect a kiss, but he keeps himself under impeccable control. He dips his head, lips brushing my neck, his hand gripping my waist for the briefest moment.

“Don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re less than, especially not someone like Elizabeth,” Carter adds, his voice trembling with fury and want as his words trickle into my ear.