one more piece of ammunition in his case to keep full custody of Josh.
Annette took a deep breath and walked to the window. âNo. I met Edward after.â Flicking the curtain open, she looked out. âGod, how can you live here? When I drove in from the airport I thought I was in Mayberry.â
âThey had a job opening and it was two thousand miles away from you,â Chance said. âAny resemblance to fictional towns is just a bonus.â
âIâm suing for full custody of Josh.â She turned from the window, her expression as cool as though sheâd just said she wanted chicken for dinner. âMy lawyer says that since Iâll be married and able to provide a stable two-parent home for Josh, I have a good shot.â
Rage flooded his veins, his muscles trembling with the effort it took not to throttle the woman. He took a deep breath, kept his voice even. âStable? A bookie who was threatening your life came to our house. Spoke to Josh while he was playing in the front yard. Youâre not even safe for our son, much less stable.â
She sighed. âDonât be so dramatic. And besides, I donât owe any bookies, and Iâve been to counseling. Iâm not gambling anymore.â
Yeah, she didnât owe bookies anymore because Chance had borrowed against his pension to pay off her debts. It had pissed him off, writing that check, cleaning up after the mistakes of a woman heâd stopped loving years ago. But it had been the best way to keep his son safe.
He fisted his hands so tightly, the knuckles on his right hand cracked. âI donât care what your lawyer says. Youâre not taking Josh.â
âEdward said youâd say that.â Her bright pink lips twisted. It was a mystery that heâd ever wanted to kiss that scheming mouth.
âI would say heâs a smart man, but heâs marrying you.â He pushed off the desk. âI know Josh would like to see you while youâre in town. When do you want to come over?â
âI thought Iâd take him out to dinner,â she said. âThereâs got to be some sort of pizza place that heâd like.â
âNo.â
She cocked her head. âThis pathetic town doesnât even have a pizza parlor?â
Moving to this small town had been a bit of a culture shock for him, too, but Annetteâs bitchy attitude was one more nail scraping down the chalkboard of his patience. âYes, thereâs a pizza parlor, but thereâs no way in hell youâre taking Josh out by yourself. If you want to see him tonight, you can have dinner at our house.â
Narrowing her eyes, she asked, âWhat exactly do you think Iâm going to do? Kidnap him?â
Chance remained silent.
âChrist,â she muttered. âFine. Dinner at your house. Remember, I donât eat red meat anymore.â
âGot it.â Steaks on the grill tonight. âHow long are you planning on staying in town?â
âAs long as I want to.â She jutted out her chin. âHeâs my son, too.â
Yes, unfortunately he was. And Chance understood her need to spend time with Josh. Respected it. But the way Annette was now, she could hurt their son more by spending time with him. Put him in danger.
Maybe it was a good thing she was marrying that Edward character. It might anchor her to the West Coast, keep her far away from Josh.
With a curt goodbye, and directions to his house, he left. Striding down the hallway, Chance kneaded the back of his neck. Now to find Jane. From one angry woman to another. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.
He punched the elevator call button, considered the metal doors in front of him, and turned for the stairwell. Jogging down the stairs, Chance knew the comparison between Jane and his ex wasnât fair. Jane might have a reason to be a bit pissed off. Technically, he hadnât lied. But he hadnât been eager to share the