Page 68 of Single Mom's Bodyguards
My knees give a little, and I sit down on the trunk. “Mira?—”
“Go celebrate,” she laughs. “Call me back when you can breathe.”
I hang up, and the sound bursts out of me before I know I’m moving. I run down the hallway, my voice echoing off the high ceiling. “They said yes!”
In the living room, Maeve and Eli are sprawled on the couch. Maeve frowns. “To what?”
“The Friedburg film!” I stop short, grinning. “I got the part.”
Eli sits up so fast the remote clatters to the floor. “The one that could win you a gold statue?”
“That’s the one!” I scoop him up and spin until we’re both dizzy, then grab Maeve’s hands. “We’re celebrating.”
Maeve taps her phone and music blasts—a pop anthem with a heavy beat. She starts dancing, and Eli flails in something that might be breakdancing. I jump in, my laugh bubbling over.
Sean appears in the doorway, brow arched. “What’s going on?”
“Mom got the part!” Maeve shouts.
Huck grins wide. “Then why are we standing here?” He bounds in, hauling Eli onto his shoulders. Wesley strolls in behind him, smiling as Maeve pulls him into the fray. Even Sean steps forward, moving to the beat with an understated sway.
It’s chaos—Maeve teaching Huck a TikTok move, Eli making up his own, Wesley spinning me once before handing me off to Sean. Sean leans in close. “We’ll need a private celebration later. Just the four of us.”
“Focus,” I tease.
He smirks and lets me go. I’m still dizzy when the gate buzzer cuts through the music. Everything stills. The guys exchange glances. Sean’s phone is in his hand instantly. His expression hardens. “It’s David.”
My body sinks inside of itself. The music clicks off. Maeve looks from me to the guys, sensing the change. Eli edges toward Huck. Two words is all it took to kill the mood.
I hate the power that bastard has in my house.
Sean presses the intercom on his phone. “State your business.”
David’s gaze goes straight to the camera. “Bailey, open the gate. I’m here to pick up the kids.”
“They’re not going with you until tomorrow,” I say, stepping into view over Sean’s shoulder.
“I have a new court order,” he says smoothly. “Full custody to me. You get the weekends.”
The words feel unreal. “Bullshit. This was already litigated?—”
“It’s signed by a judge. Effective immediately. And I brought officers—I’d hate for your guards to get arrested for interfering.”
No. No, no, no.I fumble for my phone and call my lawyer. “Please tell me you know about this.”
“I just got the notice,” she says, voice tight. “He filed an emergency motion—claims of immediate risk. It’s baseless, but a judge signed it. I’m already challenging it, but for now, you have to comply.”
My stomach twists, and only now I realize I’m shaking. My voice is too. “So, I have to let him take them.”
“For now. I’m sorry, Bailey.”
I hang up. David’s still looking into the camera, calm and smug. “Are you going to comply, or do we get to do this the fun way?”
Sean glances at me, waiting. There’s no real choice. I hit the button on his phone to open the gate. We walk down the driveway together—Sean on one side, Huck on the other, Wesley a step behind. Maeve and Eli follow, quiet. The sky is clear and bright, as if this was just a normal day.
David’s car idles just beyond the open gate. The officers stand back as he steps forward. Two cruisers are parked behind his SUV. David grins at the kids. “Ready for a fun week with Dad?”
Eli glances up, bottom lip wobbling. “No.”
