So far, Miranda Buckley is raising her ex-lover, Dougie's son, Waylon. When Dougie disappeared and made no contact, Miranda was granted temporary custody. Now, Dougie is back and Miranda is afraid he's going to take Waylon away.

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Waylon finally gets dropped off around midnight. I go to the door and wave, reminding myself that if I act half way civil to Dougie, maybe Waylon will keep me in the loop about Dougie's plans. He's smiling ear to ear when he comes in.

"Sorry I'm so late. We drove around and Dad showed me where he used to party back in the day. Showed me where he ran off the road in high school. Man, he was wild, wasn't he?"

I listen to the excitement in his voice and know that Dougie told him stories that were ninety per cent bull shit and ten per cent imagination. He painted a picture where he was the coolest guy who ever lived. I believe that just as much as I believe Waylon saw him as a super hero.

"You go on and get ready for bed. I'm gonna run out and talk to your dad for a second." I open the door and hold up my hand to keep Dougie from pulling out of the driveway.

He rolls down his window and smiles at me. He has the same sleazy smile as always. "Hey, Babe."

"The name's Miranda now, at least to you." I clench my jaw and look away. "When did you get back into Patterson?"

"Few days ago. Had to lay low in case anyone was still looking for me."

"Who? The police?"

Dougie grins. "The police are the least of my worries. There were a few good old boys who were hell bent on getting to me. I figured it was easier on everyone if I just disappeared. Missy helped me set everything up. We owe her a debt of gratitude."

"You owe her. I don't owe that psycho anything. Where have you been all this time?"

"Not too far away. I went down to the Keys for a while then ended up back in Myrtle Beach and finally made my way back here." He lays his arm across the edge of the door frame and gives me a once over. "You look good, girl. You been working out?"

"Dougie, cut the crap. Why did you come back?"

"He's my son."

"And? He was your son when you ran off and left him and me to start your new job. He was your son when you were hiding for the past two years. Why the sudden interest now?"

Dougie looks at the house, not at me. "Look, it's late. I'm gonna go and you can go back inside and neither one of us will say anything we will regret later."

I pat the door of his truck. "I'm pretty sure I won't regret anything that comes out of my mouth."

"Well, I'm back, whether you like it or not. See ya."

He puts the truck in reverse and is about to pull away when I remember the teacher. "Hey, what do you know about Waylon's teacher?"

"Who?"

"Mr. Tomlin. He's a science teacher. Waylon said he knew you in high school. Apparently, you bullied him and now he's taking it out on Waylon."

Dougie frowns and I can see him thinking. "Tomlin? Is it Dennis Tomlin?"

I shrug. "Very pinched looking face. Not a shiny happy character."

"If it's Dennis Tomlin, yeah, I know him. He was a butt pirate."

I shake my head. "Butt pirate?"

"Gay. But not the cool kind of gay. He preyed on the younger guys, you know ninth graders and the smaller guys. I caught him playing grab ass in the boys' locker room one day after school. Poor kid was trying to get away from him and Tomlin was pushing him around, trying to get the kid's towel off."

"Did you tell anybody?"

He looks down at me and smiles proudly. "I did better than that. I punched him in the nose and then told everybody what he was doing. Word spreads around in a small town."

I roll my eyes. "Don't I know it."

"Maybe I should go talk to him, you know, man to man."

I shake my head to keep from laughing at either of them being called men. "If you do, wear something sexy for him."

I walk back inside and close the door. So, this guy has always been a bully. For a minute I panic that he is harassing Waylon like he did that boy in the locker room, but I think Waylon might have told me, or if not me, then Aaron.

Waylon is standing by the kitchen sink drinking a glass full of water. He probably has been standing there since I went outside just to make sure I don't scare his dad off.

"So, you had fun tonight," I say, smiling at him. "How long is he back for?"

"That didn't come up. Yes, it was a lot of fun. He didn't treat me like a little kid this time. We talked, really talked." He looks down into the sink and sets his glass down. "You're cool with him being back, aren't you?"

"Of course. He's your father. Now, you really need to get a little sleep before school tomorrow."

Waylon nods and crosses over to his little bedroom alcove.

I need to ask him about Mr. Tomlin. "Hey, Waylon, how are things with Tomlin going?"

"Okay, why?"

"He's never, you know, made you feel uncomfortable, has he?"

"Like how?"

I wince, now feeling stupid for bringing it up. "Just uncomfortable. Maybe standing too close to you, putting his hands on you."

I flinch at the face Waylon makes. "Ew, gross, Miranda. No! He has his golden boy in class. Terrence Evanoff. The sun rises and sets on him."

"Does Terrence, rather, is Terrence okay with that kind of attention?"

Waylon shrugs. "I never asked him."

I let the subject drop and decide to pay my reptilian ex-mother-in-law, Elaine, the principal at Waylon's school, a visit soon. If anyone can stop a predator at the school, it will be her.