“Emma is okay…” Then her voice dropped. “It’s about the man who picks her up.”

Every warning Ryan had given me rushed back at once.

I barely remembered the drive. By the time I reached the school, my hands ached from gripping the steering wheel.

Emma’s teacher met me near the front office.

“Come with me. The principal will explain.”

That only made my fear worse.

She opened the office door.

Emma was inside with Travis—and someone I never expected to see there.

Melissa.

The principal sat behind his desk.

Emma looked furious and close to tears. Travis stood in the corner with his arms crossed, angrier than I’d seen him in years.

I went straight to Emma.

“Baby, are you okay?”

She wrapped both arms around me. “I’m fine.”

I looked at Travis. “What happened?”

The principal stood. “Ma’am, there seems to be some confusion about pickup today. Your sister-in-law arrived to collect Emma this afternoon.”

I turned toward Melissa.

She raised both hands. “Ryan told me to.”

The principal continued.

“She told our staff that Emma’s father had authorized her pickup. Emma refused to leave with her. Shortly afterward, Mr. Travis arrived for his regular pickup.”

“They didn’t know who they were supposed to release her to, so I asked them to call you.”

The principal nodded. “Which is what we did.”

A headache began forming behind my eyes.

“I never approved you picking her up. I don’t understand why you’re here.”

“What?”

Melissa’s expression changed.

“I didn’t know anything about this, Mel.”

“Ryan said you did. He told me you guys decided Travis wasn’t picking her up anymore.”

Anger replaced my fear almost instantly. “We didn’t decide anything.”

Melissa looked genuinely hurt. “Why would he tell me you did?”

I had no answer.

Whatever Ryan feared, he’d gone behind my back to act on it.

Emma tugged my sleeve.

“I want to stay with Travis.” She stared at the floor. “I trust Travis. I don’t trust Daddy anymore.”

Everything inside me stopped.

“What?”

Emma’s eyes filled. “I don’t trust Daddy.”

I looked at Travis.

His expression told me he knew more.

“Why would my daughter say that?”

Travis glanced toward Emma. “Talk to Ryan.”

My temper snapped.

“No. If you know something about my daughter, you tell me.”

His jaw tightened.

“She told me something on our walks. I talked to Ryan about it.”

“You talked to my husband about my daughter?”

“Yes.”

“And neither one of you thought I should know?”

“I thought he was going to handle it.”

I could barely process what I was hearing.

“Handle what?”

Travis shook his head. “Talk to Ryan first. Then if you still want to talk to me, we will.”

For a moment, I hated him too.

Apparently, two men had been discussing my child while I remained completely unaware.

I took Emma home.

Ryan came through the door shortly after six. I was already in the kitchen.

He saw my face and stopped.

“Why was Melissa at Emma’s school today?”

Ryan slowly put down his keys. “I changed the arrangement.”

“Without telling me?”

“You weren’t listening.”

I stared at him. “So you lied to your sister and told her we both agreed?”

“I didn’t want to drag her into an argument.”

“You dragged her into our daughter’s school instead.”

He rubbed his face. “I don’t trust Travis.”

“Why?” I threw my hands up. “Give me a reason.”

He stayed silent.

I stepped closer.

“You changed Emma’s routine without telling me. You lied to Melissa. You created conflicting pickup instructions. Emma was standing at school today wondering which adult she was supposed to believe.”

“I was trying to protect her.”

“From what?”

“From him.”

“What has he done?”

Ryan said nothing.

Then I said, “Emma told me she doesn’t trust you anymore.”

His face went pale. “She said that?”

“Yes.”

“She’s seven. She doesn’t understand what she’s saying.”

“Don’t decide she doesn’t mean it because you don’t like hearing it.”

He went still.

I asked, “What did Travis confront you about?”

Ryan’s eyes shifted.

“He stuck his nose into our parenting.”

“How?”