Daddy Issues (Andy Barber x OC)

23

3 Months Later

Spring break was in full swing, which meant that Jake was home and Isla was spending it with them.

As was Pippa.

They'd settled into a nice little routine since deciding to rekindle their relationship with Pippa and Isla spending the weekends in Newton, and Andy and Jake visiting them in Northampton. Pippa had managed to get the week off work and so she and Isla were now back in Newton. Unfortunately for Andy, duty still called but it was nice to come home and see the three of them there.

"I gotta go..." He kissed Pippa's bare shoulder as he went to get up for work one morning.

"If I had my way then you'd be late". She smirked and watched him get dressed.

"That why you didn't go for your run this morning?"

She grinned. "What? Because I was hoping for a quickie before you went to work? Yes I suppose".

He chuckled at her sarcasm and did up his tie. He's got the court date through for the divorce hearing - two weeks ago and it could not come quick enough.

Laurie had tried to contact him on various occasions, and Jacob had only met with his mother a couple of times - but that was his decision. Other than that, the only contact he'd really had was by text message. And Andy? Well he'd avoided all contact whatsoever. Anything that she wanted went through Joanna. He was just well and truly done with her.

Thinking about it angered him, the pain that she'd put Pippa through, the life that she'd reduced her to lead. She'd struggled and Laurie had thrived in the satisfaction of knowing that she'd got what had been meant for Pip. The guilt still lingered in his mind, the though of Pippa having to work countless hours to feed their daughter, being alone. It really did make him want to cry - and he had, but in private.

The sooner Laurie was fully out of his life, the better.

"I'll see you tonight" He kissed her as she got out of bed, giving her ass a quick squeeze. "I'm out of court for a lunch break at one if you wanted to meet?"

"I shall be waiting on those steps with your usual coffee order and your lunch". She grinned, giving him another light peck on the lips.

His hands skimmed her waist as he moved in and deepened the kiss , "You're gonna make me late..." He growled.

Pippa pulled away. "Go on, tonight I'll make it worth your while". She winked.

Andy groaned. "Geez, how can I leave you knowing that? You're gonna have me wanting you all day sweetheart".

"Good."

He sighed and shook his head. "Cock tease, I'll see you at lunch"

With one last kiss he went downstairs and shrugged on his coat, giving her a small smirk as she came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs and watched him leave.

**

Isla was busy watching a film later on that afternoon. Jacob had gone to grab some snacks from the store but she couldn't be bothered to go with him, the house was quiet and she turned her attention away from the TV and looked around the room.

This felt like home now.

Her mom and dad were finally back together as she wanted, and even though her brother was irritating as hell, she enjoyed hanging out with him. She was still working at trying to convince her parents to just move in together. Watching them sometimes made her wonder whether this is how they had been back in college, picking up where they'd left off. They were a perfect match like she'd always imagined they had been 

There was a knock on the door and she swung her legs off the sofa, getting to her feet and striding towards it. "Seriously Jake, you have a damn key..." she trailed off as she opened the door and didn't see her brother there. "Oh...erm, hi?"

The woman on the porch stared back at her, a little bit in shock.

"Can I help you?" Isla frowned

"No...no it's, never mind..." she turned and began to walk down the path, only stopping in her tracks as she heard Isla call back to her.

"You're Laurie...aren't you?" It only clicked in Isla's mind after the woman turned around to leave.

Laurie turned back to her, "And you must be Isla..."

She nodded, "grown up since you last saw me, y'know when mom came to find dad and you turned her away".  Now she became a little defensive. "Why'd you come back here?"

"It's between me and your dad".

Isla shrugged, "If you say so"

Laurie looked the girl up and down. "When you see your dad, tell him to call me. We have things to discuss". 

"I mean I could? But I don't wanna piss him off. He and Mom have been pretty happy lately. You turned her away all those years ago and me too, so seeing as she isn't here to do it herself? I'm gonna do it for her instead. Dad says he's done with you - you kept me from him and took everything from my mom. You can say what you need to through his lawyer." 

Laurie stared coldly at her. "You really think that you are something special, don't you? You were an accident, and your saint of a mom? Well, did she tell you that she was on the brink of getting rid of you?"

"She told me everything, how you almost pushed her to make that decision, but she didn't because she'd already decided that she loved me enough already. Looks like you lost when it came to that - oh and that ring your wearing? It wasn't the one dad got for mom" Isla watched smugly as Laurie's face changed at the news. "Hers is nicer anyway, guess it's hard now knowing you were second best all that time". And with nothing left to say she closed the door, locking it and then the back door in case Laurie tried to suddenly break in. 

Isla's hands shook but she felt satisfied that she'd put the bitch, that caused her mother so much pain, in her place. Her parents didn't have to know about this unwanted visit, she'd keep it to herself.