Casey's face had lit up. "Really, Dad? You'd really want me to live with you?"
Matthew had reached across the table and given him a fierce hug. "It would be a dream come true for me," he'd replied somberly. "Though it would mean you'd have to live in San Francisco, and change schools. Think you could handle that?"
Casey had shrugged. "I'm starting high school in a few weeks, so I'd be at a new place anyway. And, yeah, I'd have to make new friends and stuff, but I'd be okay with that. It would be worth it in order to live with you all the time, Dad."
Matthew had blinked back tears. "Consider it a done deal, then. We'll have to move fast, get you enrolled in a new school, and I'll probably have to offer up a few bribes or call in some favors to get it done. But one way or the other it'll happen."
Casey had slurped his milkshake loudly. "Mom won't be happy about it," he observed.
"Like I care?" Matthew had snorted. "And believe me, by the time I'm done with her, your mother will be the unhappiest woman in the state of California. But it's what she deserves. Now, let's go over our story one more time, okay?"
"What should we do after dinner?" inquired Lindsey cheerfully. "It's early yet, and since the kids are still on summer break maybe we can go see a movie together. It's been ages since we've done something fun like that."
Lazily, Matthew took another drink of his iced tea. Unlike Lindsey, who'd been guzzling wine all during the meal, he had declined any alcohol, wanting to keep his wits sharpened for what was about to unfold.
"Actually, I was going to suggest that you take Hayley shopping for maternity clothes tonight," he drawled, observing his daughter very carefully to gauge her reaction. "After all, honey, it's about time, don't you think? How much weight have you gained so far - ten, fifteen pounds? Perfectly normal, of course, for being almost five months pregnant, but it's pretty obvious that you just can't wear your regular clothes any longer."
Matthew had to force himself not to smirk, and hoped that Casey was doing the same, as he watched the expression of mingled shock and furor that crossed Hayley's face. Lindsey paled noticeably beneath the layers of heavy makeup on her face, and he knew his words had definitely hit a sore spot.
"Omigod, Dad!" shrieked Hayley. "How can you say something like that? I have not gained anywhere near that much weight! In fact, I've actually lost a few - uh, I mean … "
Hayley's voice trailed off as she realized her flub, and she glanced anxiously at her shell-shocked mother for guidance. Lindsey was quite obviously flustered, and quickly tried to cover up Hayley's blunder.
"You're embarrassing her, Matt," chided Lindsey. "You know Hayley doesn't like to talk about anything having to do with her pregnancy around you."
"Hmm. Could that be due to the fact that she isn't actually pregnant, and never has been?" inquired Matthew calmly. "And that the two of you, along with your so-called friend Nicole, have cooked up this entire series of lies for the sole purpose of getting me to call off the divorce?"
Lindsey and Hayley both gasped simultaneously, with Hayley once again looking at her mother in a panic.
"Are you out of your mind, Matt?" exclaimed Lindsey in feigned outrage. "How can you even suggest that we'd make up something like that? Of course Hayley is pregnant, almost five months along now. Why would you think otherwise?"
"Because I heard the two of you talking a couple of days ago," chimed in Casey. "You were out by the pool and arguing about how much longer Hayley had to keep up the pretense. And she said this had to all be over with by the time school started because there was no way she was going to wear baggy clothes on the first day back. And then you told her that during Dad's next business trip she'd conveniently have a miscarriage, and it would all - "
"Shut up!" Lindsey screeched, surging to her feet and storming over to where Casey sat. "You deceitful, lying little brat! How dare you eavesdrop on me! You take that back right now, admit to your father that you made all that up, or I'll - "
She had raised her hand menacingly, and started to bring it around as though she intended to slap Casey across the face. But Matthew forestalled her, gripping her wrist so tightly that she yelped in pain. And there was real fear in her eyes when she saw how furious he was.
"Don't you dare," he warned her in a dangerous voice, "ever even consider laying a hand on either of my children. I'd have you charged and arrested for child abuse before you could blink an eye."