Page 53 of Reunion at Mistletoe Lodge
“Could you call your brother for me, please, Paige,” Barb said with a tight smile. “I really need to have a word with him. I also have to make sure Oscar is ready.”
“Of course,” Paige said, nodding and smiling at Barb. “Barb, Zac didn’t mean any harm last night. Ryder was going to lift Oscar as your friend Emily didn’t let usnear Oscar after Priscilla introduced me. It was Oscar who asked Zac to lift him.”
“Thank you for telling me that, Paige.” Barb nodded. “But I still need to have a world with Zac. It was nice to finally meet you.”
Paige stared at Barb for a few seconds before giving a nod and turning back toward the chalet as Zac walked down the path. Again, Barb’s traitorous heart skipped a few beats as he drew nearer.
“Why don’t I take Oscar to the lodge so you and Zac can talk?” Paige offered.
“That won’t be necessary,” Barb told her.
“Oh, okay,” Paige said. “It was nice to finally meet you, too.” She turned and walked toward her brother.
They were too far away to hear what Paige said to him, but his head turned toward Barb, and their eyes met.
“Is that Dad?” Oscar was back by her side in a flash, waving at Zac fromthe door.
“Honey, I need to have a word with Zac in private,” Barb explained. “I need you to watch Charlotte and make sure she doesn’t wiggle out of her rocker, okay?”
“Is Dad in trouble?” Oscar looked at her suspiciously.
“No, baby,” Barb lied, shaking her head, turning to take Charlotte's rocker off the table and put it in the middle of the living room floor. “But I just need to tell him something. Now go watch your sister for me, please.”
Oscar did as he was told while Barb stepped out of the bungalow, closing the door behind her. She hadn’t grabbed her coat, and the cold felt like it was blasting through her jumper as she walked down the path to meet Zac.
“Hi,” Zac greeted her with a tight smile. “I can see you’re upset with me for asking Oscar to come with me to Frisco, but…”
“There’s no but here, Zac,” Barb seethed. “I explicitly told you twice, no, three times yesterdaynotto approach my kids without my consent.”
Something flashed in Zac’s eyes as they met hers. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, but she could see he was angry as a muscle in his jaw ticked. “I met Oscar on my way to the main lodge this morning. He asked me what I was doing today, and I told him. Oscar wanted me to help you decorate the bungalow with him today and was disappointed I couldn’t spend time with him.”
“So you asked him to go to Frisco with you before clearing it with me?” Barb hissed. “Or did you do that on purpose because you knew I wouldn’t say no to my son?” Her eyes narrowed as her anger grew hotter. “I have no option now but to let him go with you. But I’m warning you, don’t make any more promises to him or invite Oscar anywhere without speaking to me first.”
“You know, Barb,” Zac said, his eyes flashing with anger and darkening with pain, “they are my kids, too, and I have a rightto see them.”
Barb’s hands clenched at her sides.Did he really just say that to me?“Rights?” She looked at him in disbelief. “First, Zac isnotyour biological son and Charlotte… well, she was bornwithouta father—check her birth certificate. Any rights you thought you had disappeared when you did from our lives eleven months ago.”
Zac’s eyes widened, and he looked like Barb had just punched him. He stared at her in shock. “I’m not on Charlotte’s birth certificate?”
“No!” Barb sneered, allowing her anger, hurt, and bitterness to take over as her headache started to increase. She rubbed her arms as the cold began to seep further into her bones. “I didn’t think you cared as I’d left you numerous voice messages and texts. Which you didn’t even bother to read.”
“Barb… no…” Zac reached toward her, but Barb recoiled as the pain of his abandonment rose once more.
“Oscar’s ready to go,” Barb told him through gritted. “Have him back before lunchtime. Don’t feed him too much sugar, and try to keep him away from grape soda, please.”
With that, she spun around and stormed back to the bungalow, stopping before she opened the door. “And I’m warning you, don’t make any more promises to Oscar without speaking to me first.”
She yanked open the door, took a deep breath to calm herself, and forced a smile onto her face. “Oscar, Zac’s here.”
“Dad!” Oscar called from the living room. “Come say hello to Charlie. She’s so excited that you’re here.”
Zac’s figure loomed behind Barb as she stepped over the threshold and froze at her son's words. She spun around and knocked into Zac, who was so close to him. His hands reached out to grab her in case she stumbled backward.
“You're freezing cold,” Zac said in alarm.
“I’m fine,” Barb said, pulling out of his arms, hoping he couldn’t hear how loudly her heart was beating or how his touch had instantlywarmed her skin.
“Dad!” Oscar yelled again.
