Not My Brute (Angels of War Series #2)

Chapter Two

"I'm so sorry I'm late. I had to drive a patient to the doctors," I say to Hayley, Cameron's ex-wife, who doesn't look best pleased with me.

"The kids are doing their homework. I don't really want to disturb them right now," she says, opening the door wider to allow me into her beautiful home.

It's a photographer's dream.

I carefully wipe my feet on the funky doormat, so I don't tread dirt on the gleaming marble floors with the staircase in the middle of the entranceway carrying on the marble theme as we head to the children's bedrooms.

"I can't apologise enough. I know how busy you get with clients. It won't happen again," I say, wincing at the tension in the air.

"It isn't your fault. Cameron shouldn't be putting the responsibility of looking after our children on you. It's getting way past old now," she says, tension lines showing around her eyes when she faces me.

We go towards Timmy's room first, the multicoloured sign spelling out his name on his door glowing in the darkening light. I always feel the need to make excuses for my boyfriend, but when it comes to it - yeah, he's in the wrong. There isn't a night he doesn't come in late, often missing the nightly routine with the kids. I don't like to say too much because they aren't my children, but I can see how much it hurts them not to have their daddy around.

"Cam's busy with work. He promises to be there more once he completes a deal with the guys at MotorSport," I reply, unsure why I always feel the need to excuse him.

"Yeah, heard it all before." Hayley stops at Timmy's door and leans in closer. "To be honest with you, I'm grateful my kids have you in their life. You soothe the burn of his constant disappointment."

Ouch.

I lower my voice so Timmy won't hear us. "Cam adores those kids. Please don't get that mixed up with his busy lifestyle."

"It's his busy lifestyle that caused me to leave him in the first place. Do you know he missed Timmy's first football match last Sunday? All because of a last-minute call from the office?"

I lower my eyes to the floor. "No, he told me he went to the match. He gushed about how awesome Timmy was all night."

"Thought so," she says on a laugh, biting the corner of her mouth. "Cameron is a liar. Always has been. You can't just be realising this now?"

Little white lies here and there that amount to humongous lies that break your heart in two.

"No," I break off, not wanting to involve his scorned ex into our relationship troubles. "We've had our problems like everyone else."

She shakes her head. "Don't let him walk all over you, Diana. Because he will."

I give her a shaky smile. "I won't. I'm not a pushover." Most of the time. I just want everyone to be happy.

Hayley reaches for Timmy's bedroom door and opens it, aiming her raised eyebrow in my direction. "Are you guys still okay to have the kids this weekend? Gareth and I are going away."

I try to remember the last time Cameron and I went away for a long weekend and come up short. It's been a while. "Nice, anywhere special?"

"Gareth booked us into a log cabin near Woodhall Spa. We -um- we got some exciting news last week."

I raise my brow. "You did?"

"Yes," she says, lowering her voice, smoothing her hand along her stomach with affection. "I'm expecting."

I beam. "No way! That's amazing, Hayley. Congratulations."

Her pale cheeks redden. "We're over the moon. It's unexpected, but we're ready for the change. It feels like forever since I was pregnant. It'll be strange to get all the symptoms again."