Protecting Her(53)

I straighten up and look him in the eye. “Garret is only fourteen months old. Pearce and I have not yet discussed his education, but when we do, we will be the ones deciding which school he will attend. I appreciate your concern about Garret’s future, but it is not your place to put him on a list for a school I know nothing about. I don’t even know if we’re sending him to private school.”

“Of COURSE he’s going to private school,” Holton says, raising his voice again. He uncrosses his legs and sits up taller. “My grandson is not going to be educated in a public school filled with inferior teachers who graduated from state colleges and are nothing more than babysitters. And his classmates will not be low-class delinquents with degenerate parents. He will not be associating with those people. It’s bad enough you force him to live in this trashy neighborhood.” He huffs out an angry breath. “If my son were able to say no to you, he would never live in a place like this. This tiny run-down house is a disgrace! It sickens me to know that this is where my grandson is being raised!”

I sit there, waiting for his rant to end. It reminds me of the time Holton came to the loft, trying to convince me to divorce Pearce. When Holton gets like this, it’s best to just let him get it out of his system.

I notice the silence and say, “Are we done here?”

He stands up and removes something from his suit jacket. It looks like a brochure. He hands it to me as I get up from the couch. “This is where my grandson will be attending school. You will be receiving paperwork from them in the next day or so. You and Pearce will sign the paperwork so that Garret is on the official wait list. My signature only allowed him to be on the temporary list.”

“I need to discuss this with Pearce before we make a decision.”

“That is where he is going. There is no need to discuss it.”

“As I said earlier, where Garret goes to school is not your decision.”

Holton steps closer to me, his eyes like daggers, glaring back at me. “Do not challenge me. I will always win.”

An icy chill runs through me and I feel myself shaking a little from his words and the dark, eerie tone he used when he said them.

He turns and walks to the door.

“Did you have me followed?” I blurt out.

He pivots back to me and smirks. “Why would I have you followed?”

“I…I don’t know. I just…I just wanted to ask.” I shouldn’t stammer. I don’t want him knowing how he intimidates me.

“So you feel as though you’re being followed?”

“I’m not sure. There was this car and I felt like…I felt like it was following me.” I shouldn’t be telling him this. I should tell Pearce, not his father.

“And you didn’t feel safe?” The sides of his lips turn up just slightly.

I quickly shake my head. “I’m sure it was nothing. Just forget it.”

“You should be more careful.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You’re married to my son.” Holton opens the door, and as he walks out, I hear him say, “You’re always in danger.”

I shut the door and lock it. Was he threatening me just now? Or just trying to scare me into doing whatever he says? Whatever he was doing, I didn’t like it.

I look at the brochure he gave me. It’s for a prep school and has photos of children wearing navy and white uniforms. How dare Holton just sign Garret up without even asking Pearce and me. It’s not Holton’s decision and he needs to stay out of it.

I pick up the phone to call Pearce, but then decide to wait until he gets home. We need to discuss his father’s visit in person.

At five-thirty, Pearce walks through the door. I’m relieved. Part of me was sure he was going to call and say he’d be late.

“Dada!” Garret toddles over to him, going so fast he almost falls.

Pearce picks him up and kisses his cheek. “Were you waiting for Daddy to get home?”

I go up and give Pearce a kiss. “He’s been looking at the door all afternoon. He keeps coming over here to check if you’re home.”

Pearce talks to him. “I’m right here. And I’ll be here all weekend.” He tosses him in the air and Garret laughs.

“Pearce, could we talk for a minute?”

“Yes, but let’s go to the bedroom so I can change.”

The three of us go upstairs. I take Garret from him and go sit on the bed.