Now I was watching the same scenario playing out with my nieces and Randy, Hannah’s loser of an ex.

A loser of an ex who was apparently waiting inside the trailer, despite the fact that he didn’t have a key. I must’ve forgotten to lock it when we left for the park.

Hannah was gonna kill me.

Callie took off running and I pushed the stroller faster, wondering why the hell he’d finally decided to visit. He lived nearby but we never saw him, even though it would take less than ten minutes for him to swing by and see his own kids.

I’d love to say I’d been surprised by how things had turned out, but I really wasn’t. Randy had never been a winner. The first time I’d met him, he’d gotten drunk and made a pass at me, but Hannah was pregnant and in love. I wasn’t going to be the one to burst her happy little bubble.

Right after Callie was born, he’d been arrested for possession. He’d gotten less reliable after that and started cheating on Hannah with Vera Blount. Vera was ten years older than him and had gotten money in her divorce. Six months ago he’d taken off to buy a pack of smokes and never came back. Hannah had finally acknowledged reality and changed the locks when she learned they were living together.

Better late than never.

“You’ve been growing!” Randy was telling Callie, all smiles as I walked in with the twins. He glanced up at me and his expression was a lot less friendly. Fair enough—the feeling was mutual.

“What are you doing here?” I asked bluntly.

“Stopped by to see my girls,” the bastard replied, his voice so sweet I wanted to vomit. “You know I’ve been missing you, don’t you baby?”

Callie hugged him hard, although I noticed the twins didn’t seem the slightest bit interested. Probably couldn’t remember who he was.

“Callie, can you go into your room for a few?” I asked, forcing myself to stay polite. The little girl frowned, but she followed my instructions. The twins followed as usual, muttering in their own little language. I waited until they were out of earshot and then laid into him. “You aren’t supposed to be here, Randy.”

“Last I checked, I owned this trailer.”

“No, your parents do,” I corrected. “And they’re as sick of your shit as the rest of us. Unless you’re here with a child support check and your balls in a jar, you need to get the hell out.”

“I have a right to see my children,” he said, taking a step toward me. His stance was anything but friendly, and it suddenly occurred to me that maybe I shouldn’t be picking fights when there weren’t any witnesses.

Little late for that now.

“Hannah has a lease from your parents,” I reminded him. “It’s all official. You’re trespassing, and if you don’t leave I can call the sheriff and have you thrown out.”

“The sheriff spending a lot of time here these days?” he asked, the question a snarl. “I hear things. Hannah’s fucking a deputy, isn’t she?”

“Hannah’s working hard to support her children,” I countered, his visit suddenly making sense. He didn’t want Hannah, but he didn’t want anyone else to have her either. Typical. “And what she does in her private life is none of your business. You need to leave. Now.”

“Or what?”

“Try me and find out,” I bluffed, because I had no idea what the hell I’d do. Bite him, maybe? You’d probably catch something. Randy locked eyes with me and I held my ground, praying desperately he’d back down. Finally, he shook his head slowly, laughing.

“You’re fucking pathetic, Mandy,” he said. “But I was leaving anyway. Tell Hannah not to bother changing the locks again. There’s nothing she can do to keep me out of here. Those kids are mine, this house is mine, and she’s mine, assuming I want her fat ass, which I don’t. Make sure she knows it, too.”

He started toward the door and I held my breath, praying he’d actually leave. When it shut behind him I ran over and tried to lock it, only to discover he’d broken the deadbolt. The metal had held, but the door frame itself was so weak and rotten that it’d crumbled like cardboard.

Fucking hell. At least I hadn’t forgotten…

Pulling out my phone, I sent Hannah a quick text.

Me: We got a problem. Randy was here. I made him leave but I think he’ll be coming back soon. He broke in

Hannah: Shit

Me: Pretty much. I fucking hate this town. For the record.

Hannah: We’ll figure it out. Heath might be able to help

Me: Sure and I’ll just give Shade a call too. Maybe Rebel. If we get enough men here that’ll totally solve the problem.

Hannah: Don’t be such a bitch

Me: Sorry

Hannah: Its ok. We WILL figure this out. Just hang in there. Love you

Me: Love you too. Gonna go check on the kids now. Be careful walking home.

Hannah: I think Heath is giving me a ride

Of course he was. I still didn’t like the idea of the guy, but better him than Randy. Of course, best of all would be us figuring out a way to get through this on our own.

Yet another thing to add to Future Me’s to do list. Poor thing was going to be crushed under the weight of it at this rate.

Chapter Eleven

It was almost a relief when I clocked in at the bar that night. I’d been dreading going in to work for two days because I didn’t want to see Shade.

Randy’s visit had offered me some perspective.

Shade I understood. He was a bad guy, definitely. A threat. But he was a threat to me and me alone—I didn’t need to worry about him hurting my sister and her family.

I couldn’t say the same about Randy.

Me and Hannah had talked more once she’d gotten home, trying to figure him out. We were both confused about why Randy had come to the house because he sure as shit didn’t give a damn about her or the kids. Her theory was that he’d hidden some money there, which made as much sense as anything. I had a bad feeling, though. The same kind of feeling I’d gotten while I was waiting for Trevor in the liquor store parking lot, when the cop knocked on my car window.

The fact that she was all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed about Deputy Hottie didn’t make me feel any better, either.

I’d seen his kind before.