Holiday Hockey Tale The Icebreaker's Impasse (By Ivory Row) novel Chapter 79

Luci

“Mmm I’m ordering the spicy shrimp pasta.” l tell Sydney as she drools over the entire menu with me.

Mrs. Isabelle laughs as she sits down and then Janet arrives. “Stormi Britton, this is Janet Granger. Janet, our other triangle tip, Stormi.” I introduce them.

“Nice to meet you. If Sydney and Luci like you, we will get along great.” Janet assures Stormi.

“How are finals going girls?” Mrs. Isabelle asks after we order.

We all tell her not too badly.

“Luci, will you join us for Christmas Eve brunch?

You can bring the Colester and Easton. All the Reed boys if you’d like.” Mrs. Isabelle offers.

“I need to ask. I really haven’t made any plans beyond Friday.” I tell her truthfully.

“You can call while you’re opening the back door. You know that.” She winks at me. “Janet, you want to come and bring Joel?”

“I think so. He’d enjoy it. Are you going skiinglike normal after Christmas Day?” Janet asks her.

“No, we decided to stay home this year.

Banning has to work and I want Barrett to spend his time off with him. We’ll go to the beach for spring break instead with him.” She answers as the appetizers come out.

“I heard you two are rescuing Stormi from a boring Christmas party Thursday night.” Janet says with a smirk.

“We might and I emphasize might plan to call her and say that we need a ride home due to a flat tire. If she doesn’t fall for that, we’re going to set one of those cage snare traps with a cheesecake beneath it.” I say grinning.

“Totally ignoring you now when you call, so l can get the cheesecake trap.” Stormi proclaims, popping a fried mushroom in her mouth.

“Got a flavor preference, like one that will make you run under the cage fastest in case anyone else spots it?” Sydney asks mock seriously.

“Hypothetical research purposes and all.”

“Oreo all the way.” We all laugh, but I know Syd will order it. They will join me and the little boys at the Reed house that night for dinner.

“Now time for you to spill Luci Lou about whathappened when the ahem, ratchet toad arrived.” Mrs. Isabelle says, suppressing the laugh. “I must say I’ve enjoyed that nickname.”

I recount the whole spiel to her and Janet. They sit back shaking their heads at certain parts.

“That girl….she’s never even asked about him, her little boy?” Mrs. Isabelle is angry.

“Not once. It hurts.” They all nod in agreement.

“Easton is honestly struggling, but hiding it.

Though I am staying on him to talk about it.”

“I’m proud of him. When I spoke to him alone, l warned him that he needed to figure out what he’d do when she came back. I wanted him to be proactive about addressing it, and it seems he was.” Janet smiles.

“I wondered what you said to him. He wouldn’t tell me.

” Janet reaches over and takes my hand.

“He was very smitten with you, Luci. But an ex like that with a binding tie of a child will always lead to some type of issue. She can cause issues on her own, but I wanted him to get rid of any doubts he had about his feelings before she showed up. How is Cole handling this?” Janet’s concern for him isn’t fake.

“He doesn’t seem to be bothered about it at the moment. After that afternoon, he hasn’t asked

about her again. I’m sure he does care, but it’s not a pressing concern for him. Christmas, school play, Barrett playdate….so much more important things for a four-year-old. It will come out soon though. I know how this works.

He’s still processing her being around and deciding what he wants from it. I told him he gets to dictate their relationship at the moment.”

“Hopefully. I can see her trying to weasel her way before a judge with a sob story.” Mrs.

Isabelle says softly. “Cole is the sweetest angel, like Barrett. How both of them came from pariah mothers I don’t understand.”

“I have no idea how to progress if he asks to see her.” I confess.

“The lawyer can arrange a supervised visit with a legal agreement.” Janet interjects. “Keep it out of the courts if you can.”

“Jessie is filing for Easton to obtain sole permanent custody. She thinks it’ll be an easy win, but I’m like you, Mrs. Isabelle. There’s so much bias in family court.” I stare down at my fidgeting fingers.

“Out with it Luci Lou.” Syd grips my hand.

“I only hope I don’t become the detriment to the custody case.” I confide in them.

“Why would you?” Stormi looks completely bewildered by that.

“The nanny girlfriend with focus issues. That can be twisted against Easton easily. I’m influencing him against his mother to keep my relationship. Unsafe to watch him.” I admit to her.

“That’s utter bullshit! Easton pursued you. He’s crazy about you and you are the best to Cole.

You focus fine when he’s around.” She’s angry.

“Luci’s right though. Some scummy lawyer can find an expert to talk about the dangers of Luci’s ADHD around a child.” Janet says darkly.

“There is an ugly side to family court that people don’t talk about. Money and

“Ooh, can I be Starlight?” I ask quickly.

“No Luci is Starlight. You’re Kimiko or Sailor Moon. You pick.” Syd smiles.

“Are you done?” Lorelei says with irritation.

“Maybe.” I answer pleasantly. “May I remind you, you interrupted our party RT.” I pause and pretend to consider dramatically. “And we didn’t invite you to join us.”

She looks confused. “I’m sorry.”

“You are.” It slips out of my mouth before I can even think about stopping it. I need a filter.

“Why did you want to meet me?” Luci asks her.

“Because I’m going to be rebuilding my relationship with Cole and I might need your insight into him.” She says with a smile. “I heard you’ve been keeping him for over two months.

I’m sure you have some tips to help me with him. Like his favorite ice cream or superhero.

What time he goes to bed…that sort of thing.”

“Things a mother should want to discover on her own or already know…” Mrs. Isabelle says softly as she watches from her side of the table. Janet has her eyes narrowed intensely on Lorelei.

“Unfortunately, I had some other commitments that I had to attend to. But now I’m home and can make sure he’s taken care of. Maybe I could meet you for lunch or coffee, and you could give me a list of things. Or I could text you. That might be easier for you to….keep your focus on school. Not take up so much time, especially with finals this week. I don’t know how well things are going with exams. l know I’m terrible at studying, and you have to keep grades up to stay enrolled or on scholarships or whatever. I know you need to consider your future.”

We all go silent at those little jabs. They might be couched with a soft voice and a smile, but‹ 79: Warts Part 1

they are barbed insults nonetheless. Janet’s voice whips out. “Well, I can express for the entire table that we are done with you interrupting our evening out. You should go rejoin your friend before they find someone better to spend their evening with.

She looks taken aback. “I merely wanted to ask Luci for her expertise. Cole is very important, and I don’t want to screw things up.”

I’m about to open my mouth when Syd kicks me under the table. Luci has straightened her spine. Her face is impassive, yet I see what Syd saw quickly. Those eyes of hers are glittering with fury. Her voice is normal, but I detect the slight bite behind it. “Then you should ask him yourself to tell you those things. If he wishes you to know anything, he can choose to answer you. That is, if and when he wants to see you. I will not betray his confidences to….a stranger.” She drops those last two words deliberately while I internally cheer. “Now if you will excuse us, I think your friend is trying to get your attention.” She points behind Lorelei at a woman waving frantically.

Lorelei purses her lips. “I guess you are protective of him. A good quality in the paid nanny. Perhaps we can talk later.” She tries to sweep off dramatically, but none of us care enough for it to register that way.

Luci stares down at the table. “That was awesome, Luci Lou.” Syd tells her softly.

She’s angry, which I haven’t seen much. “She abandoned him, and yet he’s very important, and now she doesn’t want to screw things up.

How very f***g dare she come over with that nonsense?”

I laugh at that as does the rest of the table. “Oh Luci, you are a one of a kind. You insulted her and yet did it eloquently.” Mrs. Isabelle says taking her hand.