The babysitter

Out

Tim shoved Michelle away from him with enough force that she stumbled backward, his face a mask of shock and anger. "Get away from me!"

Lucy appeared in the living room doorway, grocery bags in her hands and a smile on her face that died the instant she took in the scene—Tim backing away from a blonde woman she recognized from his description, his face flushed and furious, the woman looking far too comfortable in their home.

The grocery bags hit the floor.

"What the hell is going on here?" Lucy's voice was deadly quiet, the tone that made seasoned criminals think twice about their life choices.

"Lucy!" Michelle turned toward her with a bright smile that somehow made the situation even more disturbing. "You must be Tim's wife! I'm Michelle, from the cooking class. I was just bringing over a casserole and—"

"And assaulting my husband in my living room," Lucy finished, her eyes taking in Tim's obvious distress and Michelle's lipstick that was now slightly smeared.

"I'm calling the police," Tim said, already reaching for his phone, his hands shaking slightly with adrenaline and anger.

"Tim, honey, there's no need to be so dramatic," Michelle said, smoothing down her dress as if nothing had happened. "It was just a friendly kiss between friends."

Lucy stepped forward, and Tim recognized the dangerous stillness that came over his wife when she was about to take someone down. "Friendly kiss? You broke into our home and sexually assaulted my husband."

"I didn't break in! He invited me—"

"I absolutely did not," Tim interrupted sharply. "I told you to leave multiple times."

Emma's voice piped up from behind the couch fort: "Dad, who's the weird lady? She's really loud."

The mention of Emma seemed to snap something in Lucy. Her protective instincts, already at full alert for Tim, went into overdrive at the realization that this woman had forced her way into their home while their children were present.

"You need to leave," Lucy said, her voice carrying all the authority of her badge and the fury of a mother protecting her family. "Right now. Before I arrest you for breaking and entering, assault, and harassment."

Michelle's friendly mask finally slipped, revealing something cold and calculating underneath. "You can't prove anything. It's his word against mine, and honestly, who's going to believe he didn't want it? Look at him."

That was the wrong thing to say.

Lucy moved faster than Michelle could react, closing the distance between them and getting right in her face. "Let me explain something to you very clearly. That man is my husband, the father of my children, and the love of my life. You just committed a felony in my home, in front of my kids, against the person I care about most in this world."

Michelle took a step back, finally seeming to realize she might have miscalculated.

"I could arrest you right now," Lucy continued, her voice never rising but somehow becoming more intimidating. "I could make your life very, very complicated. But I'm going to give you one chance to walk out that door and never contact my family again. If I see you, if you call, if you so much as drive down our street, I will make sure you face the full consequences of your actions today."

"You can't threaten me—"

"I'm not threatening you. I'm making you a promise." Lucy stepped aside and gestured toward the door. "Leave. Now."

Michelle looked between Lucy's implacable expression and Tim's angry face, clearly realizing that she had severely overestimated her charm and underestimated the consequences of her actions.

"This isn't over," she said, trying to maintain some dignity as she headed for the door.

"Yes, it is," Tim said firmly, his arm coming around Lucy's waist as Michelle finally left their home.

The moment the door closed behind her, Lucy turned to Tim, her fierce protectiveness shifting to concern. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Tim said, though his voice was still shaky. "She just... she caught me completely off guard. I was trying to get her to leave, and then she just..."

"She assaulted you," Lucy said gently, her hands cupping his face. "This isn't your fault, Tim."

"I know," he said, leaning into her touch. "I just can't believe she actually thought... And with the kids here..."

"Daddy?" Emma's voice was small from behind her fort. "Is everything okay?"

Tim and Lucy exchanged a look before Tim walked over to where Emma was peeking out from behind the pillows.

"Everything's fine now, sweetheart," he said, gathering her into a hug. "That lady won't be coming back."

"Good," Emma said seriously. "I didn't like her. She made the house feel yucky."

"Smart kid," Lucy murmured, checking on Evan who had somehow slept through the entire confrontation.

Later, after the kids were settled with a movie and the casserole dish had been thrown in the garbage, Tim and Lucy sat on their couch, Lucy's arms wrapped protectively around her husband.

"We should file a report," Lucy said quietly.

"I know," Tim agreed. "I just... I can't believe this happened. In our home."

"She's clearly unstable," Lucy said, pressing a kiss to his temple. "And she's not going to stop on her own. But we'll handle it. Together."

Tim nodded, grateful once again for the fierce, protective woman he'd married. Michelle had picked the wrong family to mess with.