A Home for Christmas by Ann Vaughn Page B

to
know, OK?”
    “OK.  What do you want to do tomorrow?”
    “I’ve got to work in the morning but I’m free
after that.”
    “Just come by when you’re done.  We’ll be
waiting.”
    “Will do.  Goodnight, Jenna.”
    “Goodnight, Riley.”
    The next morning, Jenna was awakened by pounding
on her front door.  Grabbing her robe, she got up and ran to the door, Cam
close behind her.  When they saw who was on the other side, they exchanged
shocked looks. 
    “Go call Riley,” she told Cam and waited until he
was in his room before she opened the door.  “What are you doing here,
Wade?”
    “Is he here?” he snapped.
    “He’s in his room.”
    “Not Cam.  Your boyfriend.”
    Jenna’s eyes bugged.  “Are you freakin'
kidding me?  You couldn’t be bothered to come to your son’s last race last
weekend but you flew all the way here overnight because I’m seeing
someone!?!?!”
    “You’re my wife, Jenna!” he snapped.
    “Ex-wife, Wade!”
    “Only because you were being stubborn,” he shot
back, pushing past her into the house.
    Jenna looked at him as if he’d just sprouted two
heads.  “You have got to be joking!”
    He shot her a lethal glare.  “You didn’t
answer my question.  Is he here?”
    “No, he isn’t, not that it’s any of your
business.”
    “Who you bring around my son is one hundred
percent my business.”
    “OK.  Now you’re just being
delusional.  We’ve been divorced five years.  In that time you have
gone through at least six live-in girlfriends, all of whom were around Cam at
one point or another and I never said a single word, did I?”
    “That’s different,” he growled.
    “Excuse me?”
    “I never intended any of those women to be around
for any length of time.”
    “And that makes it better?!?!  What kind of
an example is that for you to set for your son?”
    “Are you sleeping with him?”
    “That is none of your business!”
    He took a step closer to her, she knew he thought
to intimidate her, but her days of caring what Wade Blackwell said and thought
were long gone.  When she didn’t back down, he scowled at her.
    “You’ve changed,” he noted.
    “Yes, I have.  You need to go, Wade. 
Go on back to L.A.”
    He reached out to touch her hair but she jerked
back.
    “You cut your hair.”
    “A long time ago, Dad,” Cam said, coming up
behind him.
    “Go on back to your room, Son, your mom and I
need to talk.”
    “No, sir.  I’m staying right here with Mom.”
    Wade rounded on Cam, who took a step closer to
Jenna’s side.
    “Wade, you really need to…” She stopped when they
heard tires squeal outside.  Cam crossed over to the front door and opened
it to let Riley in.
    “Hey, baby,” he said, coming to Jenna’s
side.  “Wade.”
    “Do I know you?”
    Riley shrugged.  “You knew my brothers,
Trevor and Aaron Stanton.”
    Wade nodded, eyes narrowing.  “Riley
Stanton.  The oldest brother.  Heard you were a SEAL.”
    “Guilty.”
    “Wade was just leaving, weren’t you?” Jenna cut
in.
    Wade’s gaze shifted from Jenna to Riley, then
back to Jenna.
    “We need to talk,” he told her.
    “So talk.”
    “Privately.”
    She slid her arm around Riley’s waist, ducking
under his arm. “Anything you need to say to me you can say in front of Riley.”
    “Dammit, Jenna, I…”
    “Watch your tone, Blackwell,” Riley warned him,
his own tone menacing.
    “Now, listen here, I don’t care what your
background is, you can’t come here around my family and…”
    “We’re not your family!” Cam exploded.  “You
left us!  This is our house, not yours!  Mom bought
this with her own money and we don’t want you here so get the hell out!”
    “Cameron!” Jenna gasped.
    Riley, seeing the anger in Wade’s eyes, released
Jenna and stepped in front of Cam when he saw Wade make a move to grab his son.
    “You need to go.  Now,” Riley told him.
    “You’re not going to tell me what to do regarding
my own family,” Wade