“I’m sorry, Angie. I wish we could just go shopping.”

“Me too,” she answered, and then Lucy’s stomach dropped when she realized they were in the parking lot of Walmart.

No. Not yet. Fuck. Shit.

When her phone vibrated, she looked down to see it was a text from Benji.

Benji: You’ve got this. Keep your cool. Don’t give him any fuel for his fucked-up fire. Okay?

She was shaking too badly to text him back, and when she looked up, she saw Rick’s car. Her heart dropped into her stomach as River stopped in the spot beside him. Lucy hit her dad’s name in her phone and he answered but she didn’t speak, holding it in her hand. She went to turn, tell Angie that she was sorry again, that she loved her, but Angie took a deep breath and opened the door, her chin held high. Lucy almost lost it. She felt like she was falling apart, and she knew she would never remember getting out or walking around the car.

Before Rick could say anything, Angie took Lucy’s hand and said, “I don’t want to go to your house, Dad.”

He snorted, folding his arms over his chest. “That right? Your mom tell you to tell me that?”

“No,” Lucy said, her hands shaking at her sides as her mom and River got out of the car.

He laughed. “Brought the cavalry, I see. Where is that boyfriend? He off cheating on you again?”

Lucy’s head tilted to the side, her eyes narrowing. She’d had no reason to assume so, but now she was pretty sure Rick had something to do with that website. With Nikky Jiggler. “Why would you say that?”

“Word on the street—or blog, I guess,” he snarked and Lucy’s glare deepened.

“So you’re following hockey blogs now?”

He shrugged. “When they have the name of the dude who’s trying to play daddy to my daughter, yeah, I do.”

“Well, that’s fine. But one thing is for sure, Benji is not you, Rick,” her mother spat, but she pressed her lips together when River squeezed her hand.

“Aw, I don’t miss you, Autumn. Why are you here?” he sneered at her and then he rolled his eyes. “Angie, let’s go.”

“No. I don’t want to go.”

“Get in the car, Angela,” he said more sternly, his eyes boring into Lucy’s.

“No, Dad. I don’t want to go. I want to stay with my mom,” she said louder. “Go home, go to Disney World with Heidi and Nina.”

Lucy looked up. “What? That’s where you’re going for Christmas?”

“Yeah. So?”

While she didn’t want Rick to take Angie anyway, he couldn’t even want to take her? “You didn’t tell me this.”

“Why would I?”

“Um, I’d assume you’d take Angie.”

“No, I can’t afford it.”

“Wow, Rick, that’s low. Even for you.”

He scoffed. “What?”

“You don’t think she’d want to go? You can’t make that work?”

“I can’t make money appear,” he said simply and Lucy shook her head.

“But you have all kinds of money for all these lawyers?”

He rolled his eyes, taking a step forward. “Angela, let’s go now.”

“No!” she yelled and his face started to turn red.

“I won’t tell you again, Angela Lynn. Now.”

“I said no,” she said, wrapping her arms around Lucy’s waist.

Meeting Lucy’s gaze, he pointed to Angie. “Let her go and make her get in the car.”

Lucy only shook her head no, her tears spilling over her cheeks. “No. According to my lawyer and our parenting plan, I don’t have to force her to go with you.”

“You stupid bitch,” he muttered, pulling his phone out.

“Watch your mouth, Hart,” River warned and Rick laughed.

“Shut it, old man. You don’t even belong here,” he spat back, and Lucy looked back at River, shaking her head.

River sucked in a deep breath as Rick yelled into the phone. “She won’t fucking come. What? No, this is my time. No, I’m sure her mom talked her into this. Whatever. Okay.”

He hung up and then looked over at Lucy and Angie, his eyes full of anger. “Get in the car, Angela, or I’ll make you.”

Angie’s eyes widened as Lucy’s heart broke into a million pieces. This was really about to happen. Holding her breath, Lucy looked down at her daughter as Angie said, “I don’t want to.”

“I don’t care what you want. Get in the car.” Rick practically stomped his foot.

“No!”

“Lucy, make her get in the car!” he yelled, his fists clenching at his sides, his voice rattling her soul.

Lucy’s lips trembled as she said, “No.”

“Lucy, be a fucking adult here and give me my kid.”

“I don’t have to,” she said simply, trying to keep her cool, when she really wanted to rip his head off.

“Mommy, don’t cry,” Angie said then, her arms tightening around Lucy. “It’s okay. I’m not going.”

“Yes, you fucking are,” Rick said, grabbing Angie’s arm and yanking her to him. Lucy cried out, wanting to hold on to her, but she couldn’t.

She fucking couldn’t.

Pulling away as hard as she could, Angie dug her fingers into Lucy as she screamed, “Mommy, make him stop!”