stuttering. The boy stutters,” Abby said.
“Okay, so he was trying to say something and this big kid came over and started laughing at him. Lucas told him to st-st-st-op. And the big kid kept laughing at him. I told him to stop, but he wouldn’t, and Lucas started to cry. The big kid called him a sissy and pushed him, so I punched him.”
Dominic met his wife’s eyes over Judy’s head. “Sounds like she did the right thing.”
Abby rubbed a hand over her eyes. “If we didn’t live in a society with rules, maybe. Judy, what could you have done instead of punching the boy who was laughing at your friend?”
Judy made a face. “I could have told the teacher.”
“And what would the teacher have done?”
“She would have told the boy to stop.”
“So you didn’t have to hit anyone, did you?”
Judy gave her father an imploring look. “Dad, sometimes mean kids get sneaky mean when you tell. Or they call you a tattletale. I’m not a tattletale. Lucas is my friend, and if that boy makes Lucas cry tomorrow, I’ll punch him again.”
Abby crouched before her daughter so they were eye to eye. “You are not punching anyone, understood? I’ll speak to the teacher tonight, and we’ll make sure no one bothers your friend tomorrow. Deal? Let us take care of this. You just keep your hands to yourself.”
Dominic nodded in agreement. “Judy, what’s the older boy’s name? Do you know it?”
Before Judy could answer, Abby straightened and said, “Judy, Mrs. Kirsten is tidying the living room. Could you ask her if you could help her?”
“I thought we were going to the library tonight.”
“That was before you got a bad note from school. Go find Mrs. Kirsten, please.”
“Dad?” Judy looked to Dominic sadly.
“You heard your mother. Go.”
Once Judy was out of the kitchen Abby walked over to Dominic, shaking her head. He slid his arms around her and pulled her to him for a kiss. He felt the tension ebb out of her as the kiss deepened.
She broke off the kiss first, but she was smiling. She wagged a finger at him. “Don’t try to distract me. This is serious stuff.”
Dominic nuzzled the spot on Abby’s neck he knew drove her wild. Her breath became shallow, and her hand tightened on his shoulder. He loved how quickly the heat still flared between them nearly six years and one child later. “It is. I’m listening.”
Abby’s lids lowered and her eyes burned with desire as he continued his gentle assault. “We don’t want Judy to think violence is the answer.”
Dominic’s mouth stilled. “Sometimes it is, Abby. No one threatens my family or my friends. I protect what is mine, and Judy takes after me in that respect.”
Abby laid a hand on Dominic’s cheek. “Dom, you and Judy may have some of the same qualities, but she’s not growing up in the household you did. Your father—”
Dominic pulled away from Abby. “Can we not make this about my father? He’s dead, along with any desire I ever had to talk about him.”
Abby stepped in front of Dominic. “Look at me, Dom. Don’t pull away. I love you just the way you are. We both want the same thing for Judy. We want her to grow up happy, healthy, and strong. I’m merely suggesting she can be strong without getting physical. If you don’t want to see her thrown out of every private school in New York, we need to nip this in the bud. I know she’s your little princess, but she’s going to be our little devil if we don’t set boundaries.”
Dominic sighed, wrapped his arms around Abby again, and rested his chin on top of her head. She was right. “I’ll talk to her. I do want the name of the boy who was bothering her friend, though.”
Abby hugged her husband tightly, and he felt her chuckle. “No, you don’t. You are not calling his father and threatening him.”
“He should know what his son is doing.”
“I’ll make sure the school contacts his father.”
Dominic looked into Abby’s eyes and marveled at the emotion
“Okay, so he was trying to say something and this big kid came over and started laughing at him. Lucas told him to st-st-st-op. And the big kid kept laughing at him. I told him to stop, but he wouldn’t, and Lucas started to cry. The big kid called him a sissy and pushed him, so I punched him.”
Dominic met his wife’s eyes over Judy’s head. “Sounds like she did the right thing.”
Abby rubbed a hand over her eyes. “If we didn’t live in a society with rules, maybe. Judy, what could you have done instead of punching the boy who was laughing at your friend?”
Judy made a face. “I could have told the teacher.”
“And what would the teacher have done?”
“She would have told the boy to stop.”
“So you didn’t have to hit anyone, did you?”
Judy gave her father an imploring look. “Dad, sometimes mean kids get sneaky mean when you tell. Or they call you a tattletale. I’m not a tattletale. Lucas is my friend, and if that boy makes Lucas cry tomorrow, I’ll punch him again.”
Abby crouched before her daughter so they were eye to eye. “You are not punching anyone, understood? I’ll speak to the teacher tonight, and we’ll make sure no one bothers your friend tomorrow. Deal? Let us take care of this. You just keep your hands to yourself.”
Dominic nodded in agreement. “Judy, what’s the older boy’s name? Do you know it?”
Before Judy could answer, Abby straightened and said, “Judy, Mrs. Kirsten is tidying the living room. Could you ask her if you could help her?”
“I thought we were going to the library tonight.”
“That was before you got a bad note from school. Go find Mrs. Kirsten, please.”
“Dad?” Judy looked to Dominic sadly.
“You heard your mother. Go.”
Once Judy was out of the kitchen Abby walked over to Dominic, shaking her head. He slid his arms around her and pulled her to him for a kiss. He felt the tension ebb out of her as the kiss deepened.
She broke off the kiss first, but she was smiling. She wagged a finger at him. “Don’t try to distract me. This is serious stuff.”
Dominic nuzzled the spot on Abby’s neck he knew drove her wild. Her breath became shallow, and her hand tightened on his shoulder. He loved how quickly the heat still flared between them nearly six years and one child later. “It is. I’m listening.”
Abby’s lids lowered and her eyes burned with desire as he continued his gentle assault. “We don’t want Judy to think violence is the answer.”
Dominic’s mouth stilled. “Sometimes it is, Abby. No one threatens my family or my friends. I protect what is mine, and Judy takes after me in that respect.”
Abby laid a hand on Dominic’s cheek. “Dom, you and Judy may have some of the same qualities, but she’s not growing up in the household you did. Your father—”
Dominic pulled away from Abby. “Can we not make this about my father? He’s dead, along with any desire I ever had to talk about him.”
Abby stepped in front of Dominic. “Look at me, Dom. Don’t pull away. I love you just the way you are. We both want the same thing for Judy. We want her to grow up happy, healthy, and strong. I’m merely suggesting she can be strong without getting physical. If you don’t want to see her thrown out of every private school in New York, we need to nip this in the bud. I know she’s your little princess, but she’s going to be our little devil if we don’t set boundaries.”
Dominic sighed, wrapped his arms around Abby again, and rested his chin on top of her head. She was right. “I’ll talk to her. I do want the name of the boy who was bothering her friend, though.”
Abby hugged her husband tightly, and he felt her chuckle. “No, you don’t. You are not calling his father and threatening him.”
“He should know what his son is doing.”
“I’ll make sure the school contacts his father.”
Dominic looked into Abby’s eyes and marveled at the emotion
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