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me that she believed what I had said.
    “Right,” Julie said skeptically and I caught the
tail end of an eye roll when my gaze returned to her, “the guy couldn’t keep me
satisfied, I doubt that you’re anything more than a-”
    “A slut?” Alissa’s lips formed a thin line.  If
she were a cat, I would have been able to see those hackles of hers rise.
    I knew that Julie’s poor choice in words not to
mention awful manners had rubbed her the wrong way.  How couldn’t they?  If the
woman was cruisin’ for a bruisin’ , Alissa struck me as more than capable
of holding her own.  Call me crazy but the thought of seeing her in a cat
fight, defending my honor kind of turned me on.
    Not the time, Paxton, I reminded myself and
tried to focus.
    “That’s right,” Julie said and crossed her arms at
her chest.
    I felt the tremor of anger shake my body and knew
that Alissa had felt it just by the squeeze on my hand.
    I eyed daggers at my ex.  “I’ve heard enough,” I
said.  “Where the hell do you get off…hell, you don’t even know her, Julie.  I
shouldn’t have to explain myself to you since you didn’t give me the courtesy
of being informed while you were out gallivanting with multiple others.”
    “ Three ,” Julie said, “there were three, including
Todd so don’t make me out to be the village whore.”
    “You certainly weren’t Mother Theresa.  Let me
make my point clear.”  I took a deep breath to make sure I didn’t say anything
I’d live to regret later.  “Alissa is not a slut nor do I sleep around.  I
suggest you get the hell out of my house and go find your boy toy.  Your
pregnancy problems are yours, not mine.”  I geared to end my rant.  “How about
you tell me why you’ve brought our son into this.  It’s clear enough that it
wasn’t to deliver your baby news.”
    She took the backpack I had failed to notice and
set it beside the coffee table.  “I’m going away on business.  It’s a last
minute thing and Todd’s busy with work.  I need you to look after him,” she said. 
“I should be back by tomorrow night.”
    “Next time, you might want to call ahead.  Jasper!” 
I heard his miniature feet stomping as he came barrelling downstairs and
latched on to my free hand.  “Time to say goodbye to Mommy,” I said, my icy
gaze meeting Julie’s, “she’s leaving.”
    With a chaste kiss to his forehead, she stood
erect and eyed Alissa with utmost disgust.  Snorting her disapproval, the woman
spun on her heel and stomped out the door, slamming it.  I swallowed the foul
taste in my mouth.
    Damn her.
    Walking to the door, I turned the deadbolt to lock
it.  I was baffled at her intrusion and insulted for her callous behavior and
far from warranted comments toward Alissa.  Leaning forward on the door, I shook
my head in frustration.  I hadn’t expected both women to meet so soon and
definitely not in the manner it had happened.
    What’s done is done.
    I heard some hushed whispers before a tiny set of
arms wrapped themselves around my legs.  Whatever frustration that lingered,
most of it melted away in that instant.  I turned and picked my son up,
ruffling his hair with my free hand and giving him a wide grin.  I wanted to
talk to Alissa about what had transpired and I worried that her evening—our
day—had been ruined but all she gave me was a genuine warm smile and I knew
right then that it would all be okay somehow.
    “I see you’ve met Alissa, huh?”
    “Yup,” he said.  “Daddy, can we watch a movie
before bedtime?  It was Allie’s idea.”
    “What do you think, Daddy , can we watch a
movie?” Alissa asked with a teasing smirk.
    My lips quirked up at her and when Jasper grabbed
my face in his hands for my undivided attention, I nodded.  “Go change into
your jammies while Allie and I set everything up,” I said and handed him his
bag.
    “Yay!”
    ***
    I left Alissa and Jasper to watch the movie in my
room while I got the pull-out couch