Everyone froze. After a few moments, Ashton coldly surveyed our ensemble. His gaze landed on John’s hand, maintaining its tight grip on mine, and lingered. Without betraying any hint of emotion, Ashton said coolly, “Wasn’t it enough for you to take Audrey away? You had to come back and take Scarlett too, hadn’t you? Did you think I’d stand idly by and let you do that?”
John laughed in derision. Narrowing his eyes, John looked at Ashton with evident contempt.
Ashton, however, did not take the bait. He slowly shifted his gaze to Audrey, who was still perched on John’s arms. Ashton’s gaze softened. Gently, he cooed, “Audrey!”
Audrey’s face burst into an expression of rapturous joy. Squirming in John’s arms, she proclaimed, “Mr. Fuller, you’re so handsome!”
We were all rather nonplussed by Audrey’s sudden confession. Bemused, I reflected, Is this really the best time to be talking about looks?
The charged atmosphere was abruptly reduced to a state of awkwardness.
John’s face looked glum. Meanly, he snapped at Audrey, “Audrey, what did I teach you?”
“I remember now!” Audrey’s features were squished in a moment of intense concentration. Suddenly, she raised her finger and intoned, as if she was reciting her lessons, “Other than Uncle John, any other men who are handsome are bad men!”
“That’s right,” John nodded his head in satisfaction. He gestured dismissively at Ashton, then turned to look at Audrey solemnly. “I’ll give you another chance. What do you call this man?”
Audrey’s mouth rounded into a perfect O. Proudly, she hollered, “You’re a bad man!”
“Good girl! I’ll buy you a new dress when we get home,” John said approvingly. Even as he teased Audrey, however, his eyes never once left Ashton’s face. The two men continued staring defiantly at each other, neither willing to concede.
What strange theories has John imparted to Audrey? I wondered in mild surprise. Does this mean that besides John, no other man in this world can talk to her?
I groaned inwardly. Men’s egos can really manifest in the oddest forms!
Ashton, however, looked utterly unfazed by the ridiculous skit he’d just witnessed. Beaming brightly at Audrey, he said in a mellow, cajoling tone, “Audrey, it’s Daddy! Are you sure you don’t want a hug?”
Aghast, John immediately tried to intervene, but to no avail.
“Daddy?” Audrey’s ears instantly pricked up. Wide-eyed with delight, she exclaimed, “Are you really my daddy?”
“Of course.” “No!”
Ashton and John answered Audrey both at once. The difference between the two men could not be starker. John had spoken vehemently, his eyes wild. He looked as if he was on the verge of erupting with fury.
Ashton, however, had given his answer confidently, with a look of serene assurance on his face. Entirely blasé about John’s indignation, he continued, this time extending both his arms to Audrey, “Come to Daddy!”
As he spoke, Ashton threaded his arms beneath Audrey’s, coolly lifting her out of John’s arms altogether.
Audrey looked at Ashton, hesitating for a brief moment. She then leaned towards him tentatively.
John was astounded by Ashton’s audacity. He tightened his grip on Audrey, then quickly retreated a few steps backward, ordering hotly, “Take your dirty hands off her!”
Ashton’s hands were left barren. They hung limply in the air for a moment, then fell back to his sides. A wry smile hovered on his lips, “It’s fine. Thanks for coming all this way to deliver my daughter to me, anyway.”
A cold gleam flashed across John’s narrowed eyes. Maintaining his firm grip on my arm, John drew Audrey and me aside. After gently setting Audrey down, John knelt before her, saying meaningfully, “Princess, you haven’t sung for Uncle John in a while, have you?”
When Audrey heard those words, she immediately danced in glee, clapping her hands joyfully. “Oh, goody! Uncle John’s going to fight!”
Without another word of warning, Audrey turned me around. Our backs facing John and Ashton, she immediately began singing enthusiastically, “Jingle bells, jingle bells…”
I found this entire scene peculiar and twisted my body to look back at John and Ashton. In those brief moments, the air behind me had become charged once again with clear animosity.
Ashton glanced at Joseph. Joseph, immediately comprehending, walked forward and rested an arm on John’s shoulder. Briskly, almost apologetically, Joseph said, “Mr. Stovall, why don’t you step outside with me? Mr. Fuller will take care of Ms. Audrey here.”
