Lemon Cake

Chapter Fifty-Three

"You can't take her!" Neisha shouted forcefully with Lachlan standing a couple of steps in front of her and Sidney holding tightly around her waist. "She's not going with you!"

"Who's that?" Jasper threw the car into park and jerked his seatbelt when it moved too slow for his liking. "What the hell is going on?"

"It's Irvine." Tulip groaned out holding her side as she tried to undo her seatbelt but twisting her body wasn't something she wanted to do. Her ribs rebuked the movement and so did the skin that had sutures running through it. She didn't listen to its complaints though. She had to get out of the car because of the fear and anxiety that birthed inside her the day the nurse took a newborn Sidney out of the delivery room and visited her again.

"My crutches." She grunted out as released the seatbelt and let it zip back in place. "I need..my crutches."

Jasper stopped halfway out of the car. "Let me handle this. I don't need you popping a stitch."

"I—" She started but he didn't wait for her to finish her statement nor did he close the door behind him.

His sight was trained on the man standing by a luxury car with a driver that craned his neck toward the closed window trying to hear all the drama unfolding but did not want to be involved. Neisha stopped shouting at Irvine and he turned around to find out why. Irvine's eyes went to Jasper then to Tulip in the car, he narrowed them on her and then refocused on the man who was a couple of inches taller than him. His entitlement didn't falter though. He just tightened his grip on the suitcase and tipped his chin up in a 'who's this mother fucka' type of demeanor.

Tulip fumed at the sight of Irvine's arrogance and the notion that he believed since he knew Sidney when Amelia had her that she belonged with him. She reached at her crutches, ignoring and gritting her teeth through the pain. She didn't care if she popped a stitch she had to put him in his place and tell him where to go and exactly how to get there.

Sidney pounced on Jasper and glued herself to his side as soon as she lifted her head from Neisha's waist.

"I don't want to go, Fasa," Sidney whined and begged once in Jasper's embrace. "Don't make me go. I want to stay. Je veux rester ici."

"Vous serez." Jasper insisted, picking Sidney up and she immediately latched her arms and legs around him koala bear style. He stroked her back trying to ease her sobbing then turned his attention back to the angry man. "I don't know who you are or who you think you are but you're not taking my...our daughter."

"Oh!" Irvine's face lit up with sarcasm while the corners of his mouth sneered with disgust. "The absentee father has demands and claims without paperwork and the authority of law."

"Do you think any court or judge will believe that this scene that you're causing is beneficial for her growth?" Jasper held Sidney a little tighter trying to stop her little body from the shiver and quell his need to throttle the man. "No. I don't care what paperwork you have. You're on my property and I want you to leave before I make you leave."

Irvine chuckled, "If I leave it'll be to get the sheriff and I don't think that would be good for her either or you."

"Are you threatening me?" Jasper took an instinctual step forward with anger storming his features.

"I'm just telling you all the facts." He scowled at Jasper and then lowered his sight to Sidney. "I'm only trying to give you the best, Sid."

"Don't call me that!" Sidney seethed in the crook of Jasper's neck. "You're not my mommy. You're not my mommy." She hugged Jasper's neck tighter. "I want my mommy. This wouldn't be happening if she was her. Rien de cela."