Page 38 of Far from Destined

“No. I like being the favorite auntie. I have no plans to procreate.”

“Clearly, you do not understand that all those activities mean that someone needs to drive him there. He’s already thinking about soccer and swimming. And peewee football. And karate. And art classes. All of those.”

“Yikes.”

“Yep. And that means money for all those classes, someone to drive him to and from those activities. Someone to make sure that he gets his homework done while he’s doing all those fun new things that he might not like after a week. And his schoolwork is just going to increase as he gets older. I need to find a way to work this out. Single moms do it all the time.”

“And single moms sometimes have to learn to rely on others,” Pop said softly.

“I am. So much more than I used to.”

“Okay, then. Now, let’s get to making up some recipes for strawberries. My mouth is watering.”

“You’re a dork.” I laughed.

“Hey, um, Dakota?”

I looked over at the man behind us. “What is it, Jason?”

“There’s a guy out front asking for you. But I don’t recognize him. He may be a customer, but he didn’t order anything. He said he wants to see you.”

My hands went clammy, and my mouth turned dry. “What does he look like?”

“A white dude with dark hair and a scowl on his face,” Jason replied with a shrug. “I’m sorry. He just looks very vanilla.”

That could be a thousand people, but it could also be Adam.

I let out a breath and nodded. “Okay, it’s probably just a customer wanting to ask something. Or maybe a vendor. I’ll deal with it.”

Pop gave me a look, and I shook my head before I made my way up to the front.

I knew who it would be as soon as I walked out. “Dakota,” Adam said, his voice gruff as if he had run sandpaper along his throat.

“Adam.” I swallowed hard.

He had gained some muscle since the last time I’d seen him, but he was still slender and looked wiry. He appeared harder than he had before, though. For a man that’d dealt drugs and handled conflict with his fists more often than not, prison seemed to have hardened him even more, at least in subtle ways.

I could see parts of Joshua in his face, and I hated that.

Loathed that my choices had led to this moment.

I hated that he had helped me create the best and most precious thing in my life—Joshua.

“I see you’ve done well for yourself,” Adam said, his eyes on mine.

“There’s a restraining order in place, Adam. You can’t be in here.”

“I’m just a paying customer. I should be allowed to go wherever the fuck I want.”

Jason was at my back, tension strumming through his body. I didn’t look back at him. I didn’t want Adam’s anger directed at anyone else. No, this was just for me. I needed to keep his focus there and not on any of my staff or my friends, or God help me, my son.

Notourson.

Adam had nothing to do with Joshua.Nothing. And I needed to keep it that way.

“I am the proprietor here. The owner. I have the right to refuse service. And, as it happens, you aren’t a customer. You haven’t ordered anything. You’re loitering. Plus, it’s illegal for you to be this close to me.”

I knew it was wrong to antagonize him, but I needed him to go.