Behaving Badly in Vegas (Vegas Love #3)

47. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Charli

I was sick of Jennifer Johnson.

Ever since she came into our lives, she’d been sucking the life out of me.

Every day it was the same. She’d show up shortly after Hunter got home from work and then stay well into the evening. I barely got any alone time with him anymore.

I was sick of her shrill laugh.

I was sick of her too-sweet perfume.

And I was sick of her cleavage popping out like a jack-in-the-box.

Worst of all, she treated me like a servant who was there to meet her every need.

Carina needs her diaper changed, Charli.

Oops! She spit up on the carpet, Charli.

Can you get her snacks, Charli?

Guess what, lady? Handling those things was part of being a mother. Besides playing with Carina, she was completely useless. I wondered how she raised Carina for six months on her own because she didn’t have a freakin’ clue.

Hunter and Jennifer sat on the couch drinking wine while Carina played on the carpet with her toys. The two of them laughed and chatted like they were old friends while I was in the kitchen making dinner. Yes… she’d been having meals with us, too.

It made me ill.

“Oh, my god! Look! I think she’s getting ready to crawl,” Jennifer shrieked. “I need to record this.”

I turned the vegetables on the stove down to simmer and hurried into the other room where Jennifer had her phone aimed at Carina. Sure enough, Carina was on all fours, rocking back and forth. She moved one tiny hand forward, then her opposite leg followed. She repeated the process with her other hand and took another step forward. Three more movements forward and she fell on her butt, looking incredibly pleased with herself.

I’d been practicing with her for weeks, getting her comfortable on her hands and knees and encouraging her to move, but usually, she fell to her belly and laughed. This was a huge milestone.

I rushed around the couch and wrapped my arms around Carina. “Good job, baby girl! I’m so proud of you,” I said with a kiss to the top of her soft, blond head.

“You’re ruining my video.”

“What?”

“I was recording my daughter, and you got in the picture. Ugh! I’ll have to cut that part out.” Jennifer huffed. “Can you move, please?”

Reluctantly, I backed away. “Sorry. I got excited.”

“No worries,” Hunter said. “I think we’re all excited.” Then he turned to Jennifer. “Can you send that to me?”

“Yep. No problem.” She pushed some buttons on her phone. “All sent.”

Hunter’s phone pinged with the incoming message .

They were texting each other now? Huh? I wondered when that started. For a guy that wanted nothing to do with the woman a couple weeks ago, they seemed super chummy.

“Dinner smells good,” Jennifer said with a fake smile. “Is it almost time to eat?”

“Umm… almost. It’ll be ready in a few more minutes.”

“Charli’s a phenomenal cook. She only tried to burn down my kitchen once.” He chuckled. “The stove’s not on right now, is it?”

“Of course not,” I lied. It pissed me off that he even brought it up, especially in front of Jennifer. Was he trying to be cute? Because it wasn’t cute at all.

I retreated back to the kitchen and drained the vegetables, then pulled the chicken and potato wedges from the oven. Usually, I would cut my own potatoes and drizzled them with olive oil and seasoning, but Jennifer didn’t deserve my fresh potato wedges. I bought these in the freezer section and dumped them on a cookie sheet. Same with the green beans. Frozen. I’d be damned if I slaved away in the kitchen while those two cavorted on the couch. “Dinner’s ready!”

Hunter carried Carina and put her in the high chair. “Everything looks great,” he kissed me on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Jennifer plopped her ass in my chair—the one right next to Hunter—and scooted closer to him than was necessary. She helped herself to heaping portions before I even had a chance to sit down. “Are these fresh green beans? They’re healthier than canned or frozen, you know? My daughter needs proper nutrition.”

That was it! I was fucking done.

“She’s not eating regular green beans yet.” I slammed down a jar of green bean puree. “If you have a problem with the nutrition, take it up with Gerber.”

I made my plate and took it to my bedroom, closing the door behind me. Eating on my bed was better than sitting across the table from her . I couldn’t stand to be around that woman for one more second.

I’d been the one caring for Carina for the last few months, while she spied on us and gallivanted around town .

I’d been the one feeding Carina. Bathing her. Changing her diaper. Tucking her in at night. Making sure she felt loved. If she wanted to do it, she should have never abandoned her daughter.

I was still stewing when Hunter knocked on my door and came inside. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me ? What’s wrong with you ?”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s absolutely awful to me and you’re all chummy-chummy with her.” He stared at me with a blank look on his face. “When are we going to get our life back? Why does she have to be here every day?”

His eyebrows knitted together. “Do you hear yourself right now? You sound like a teenager having a tantrum. There’s nothing wrong with Jennifer. Yes, she’s made some mistakes, but so have I. You can’t blame her for wanting to get to know her daughter again.”

“I’m not saying she shouldn’t. What I’m saying is you need to put her on a schedule or something. This is getting ridiculous.”

“If anyone is being ridiculous, it’s you. Are you jealous? Is that it?”

“I’m not jealous!” Okay, I was a little bit jealous. The differences between the two of us were glaring. Where I had mosquito bites for boobs, she had the fucking Rocky Mountains on her chest. I was practically a beanpole next to her voluptuous curves. A woman like me couldn’t compete with a woman like her. Not physically anyway.

“Then stop acting like a child and do what’s best for Carina. Give Jennifer a chance. If anything, you should feel sorry for her.”

“And why is that?”

He leaned against the doorjamb. “Come on, Charli. She’s obviously had a rough life, especially if she felt giving up her daughter was her only choice. Have some empathy.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. After all the bitching he did when she showed up, now he was on her side? It was pure craziness, but the last thing I wanted to do was fight with Hunter. “I’ll try harder.”

“That’s all I ask. Do it for Carina.” He hiked a thumb over his shoulder as he backed out of my room. “I should get back out there.”

Do it for Carina ?

Who the fuck did he think I’d been doing it for? Everything I did was for that little girl.

And how dare he call me jealous? Even if it was a teeny bit true, he had no right to call me out on it. I mean, who wouldn’t be jealous of her curvy body, perfect hair and flawless makeup? It wasn’t like she was going to steal Hunter away from me.

I slapped a hand over my mouth.

That was totally it! Subconsciously I was afraid Hunter would fall for her and kick me to the curb. Our relationship was tenuous at best; it was possible.

I was being a jealous bitch.

I was not a jealous person. Ever.

Jennifer was turning me into a person I didn’t know. I was letting her have too much power. Hunter was with me. I was the one he shared his feelings and his bed with, not her. I was the one he depended on. I was the one he called his girlfriend.

Not her.

Jesus Christ! What was wrong with me?

When I finally got up the courage to leave my bedroom, I found Hunter giving Carina a bath. I went in and sat on the edge of the tub. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I know this has been a stressful situation for both of us.”

“You want me to finish her bath?”

“Nah, I got it. Why don’t you go tidy up the kitchen. Then have a glass of wine and limber up. I plan on having your ankles next to your ears tonight.” He waggled his eyebrows at me.

Alrighty then.

I guessed I didn’t have to worry about Jennifer, but a part of me wouldn’t let it go. I trusted her about as far as I could throw one of her silicone-filled implants, which wasn’t very far.