in the back.”
Stiffly Kayla followed him, ignoring the not-so-subtle glances of the other restaurant patrons. She slid into the seat and scowled as Jackson sat across from her.
“I told you I’d be in contact if Alex wanted to meet you. Why did you call the house today?” she demanded.
“What’s the big deal?”
“Oh, nothing, except now it might take another fifteen years for Alex to decide he wants to meet you.”
Jackson’s jaw dropped; he seemed genuinely surprised. “It was a private conversation. How did Alex even know I called?”
“If you’d take your head out of your ass for a minute, you’d remember that teenagers sometimes eavesdrop.”
“A good mother should teach her son not to listen to other people’s conversations,” Jackson shot back. “Of course, he’s probably just following your example.”
“Excuse me?”
“You listened to my call at the bar.”
“That wasn’t eavesdropping,” Kayla said tartly. “Everybody in the room heard you explain there are different rules for girls than for boys. It’s obvious where you stand on equal rights for women.”
He glared.
“But I must say,” Kayla added in a sugary tone, “with such high standards of parenting, your daughter must be an absolute paragon.”
Despite the restaurant’s low light, Kayla could see the antagonism in Jackson’s face. He had to know she’d heard stories about Morgan’s outrageous behavior.
“Leave Morgan out of this,” he said curtly.
“Hey, you’re the one who brought up the issue of parenting skills. As for Alex, meeting you is his choice. But if you do, my concern will be finding the right words to vaccinate him against your influence.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Think about it. You got two girls pregnant within a few months, so who knows how many other children you might have fathered? As I recall, you dated quite a few girls after breaking up with Marcy. Maybe we should plan a reunion and find out.” Perhaps she wasn’t being fair, but at the moment she didn’t care.
“There aren’t any others,” Jackson shot back.
“Oh? I bet a few days ago you would have sworn Morgan was an only child.”
She had him there, as the dull red on his neck could testify. To think she’d once felt lucky because he’d asked her out. Jackson McGregor might have been the biggest heartthrob of the high school, but that didn’t excuse her teenage self from being an idiot. After all, she’d seen her mother in action for years and should have known better.
As for the adult Jackson?
Kayla didn’t particularly like him. He was more attractive than ever but still seemed to be the same stubborn jackass who’d gotten her pregnant and left her high and dry. It wasn’t that she’d expected a romantic marriage proposal, but to be accused of sleeping with half the boys in school?
“All right,” he said through gritted teeth. “But I didn’t have sex with most of the other girls.”
“Most of them?” Kayla let out a mock groan. “Damn, that means Marcy and I were among the few who were foolish enough to fall for your line.”
A muscle twitched along the edge of Jackson’s jaw.
“What’s the matter?” she taunted. “You can dish it out, but not take it?”
“Look, can we just talk about my son? To be frank, I called your grandparents because I thought you might take Alex away without telling him about me.”
Kayla narrowed her eyes. A hot temper was one of her weak points, and right now she wasn’t motivated to keep it in check. “I told you that I’d explained everything to Alex. You thought I was lying?”
“Not exactly, but I couldn’t be sure you were telling the truth, either. Marcy proved how many ways a lie can be told. Since then, I’ve encountered more than my share of women who do the same thing and—”
He cut off his words, possibly because he’d realized how sexist he sounded. Obviously it wasn’t people in general he distrusted, it was the opposite sex.
“Let me guess,” she said. “I’m a woman, so my integrity is automatically in question.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. Growing up with a misogynist must be delightful for your daughter.”
Jackson glared. “I don’t hate women.”
“No, as long as they stay in their place, follow special rules and have a man vouch for them.” She folded her hands and assumed a meek expression. “Please, Mr. McGregor, I’ll have my grandfather testify that I told my son the truth.”
“Oh, God,” Jackson muttered.
“I’ve missed Schuyler,” Kayla continued, ignoring him, “but now I realize how lucky I am to be raising my children in the twenty-first century. I’d recommend restraining your macho attitudes if Alex ever agrees to see you. His best friend is a girl and he firmly believes she’ll be president someday—of the United States, not the ladies’ guild.”
“Fine, I’ll vote for her. In the meantime, what upset Alex about a simple conversation?”
Kayla fought a new surge of temper. The memory of her son’s worried eyes was hard to forget. As soon as she’d returned to the house he’d asked if they could go back to Seattle immediately. The reason? Because he didn’t want to meet the guy who’d “ticked off Grandma on the phone.” And that was all he would say.
So she’d asked Grams about the call. Elizabeth had muttered something about Jackson wanting to be sure Kayla hadn’t run off with Alex to Washington and how he’d talked about his rights as a dad, so she’d put him in his place.
It had been a revelation. Apparently Elizabeth Garrison shared her granddaughter’s quick temper, at least when it came to defending her family.
Just then a food server came by with menus and a flirtatious smile for Jackson.
“Just decaf coffee,” Kayla said.
“Plain cherry pie and coffee,” Jackson ordered. “Thanks.”
Neither of them said anything until their cups were filled and the pie delivered. As the server walked away, Jackson shoved his plate to one side and leaned forward. “Kayla, what’s going on with Alex?”
She gazed at him for a long minute. Her grandmother and son had probably overreacted, but Jackson had only phoned in the first place because he’d assumed the worst of her.
“Alex asked if we could go to Seattle today or tomorrow,” she explained reluctantly. “I talked him
