Shit. Hattie Montgomery.
I look over my shoulder at Ellie, who’s turned white, when I hear, “What in the hell are you doing in my daughter’s house?”
And Kipp.
Fucking great.
* * *
The last time I was in the presence of Kipp Montgomery and his youngest daughter at the same time was in the hospital. Ellie and I had just found out we lost our baby and March ninth would forever be a date we’d mourn.
It was the day after Ellie told her parents she wasn’t going to Juilliard, that she was staying in Texas, marrying a ranch hand, and that they were going to be grandparents.
This was not a part of their plan for the baby of the family and my being a Barrett only made it worse.
My angel was on cloud nine. Her parents, on the other hand, were not. I was the devil who took their jewel, dirtied her, knocked her up, and essentially ruined her life.
Ellie wouldn’t let go of me in the hospital. She cried and clung to my body like I was an essential organ she needed to survive. Her pain bled into me and I took it all.
Because I loved her and I deserved every bit of it.
We had two days to mourn our loss together. I thought that time would be my worst on earth, but then I left her while she was sleeping to go home, shower, and change, and that was the end. It didn’t matter that she was eighteen, that she was an adult, or that she had rights. Her father made sure I couldn’t get to her and that I knew she was done with me.
Then the investigation started and my only alibi wouldn’t talk. Not only wouldn’t she talk, she lied about where she was and that she was sleeping with me at the time I was supposedly buying enough ephedrine to cure asthma around the world twice-over.
Or, so I was told.
Kipp Montgomery might’ve fucked with me once, but not again.
I shrug and even my tone because Kipp doesn’t deserve my energy. “Your daughters seem to enjoy their time in court. I’m just here to make sure Ellie stays out of jail.”
I hear Ellie gasp from behind me and Hattie looks to her youngest child. “Is that true? I thought your daddy told you to call Scott Lehman.”
The man I used to respect and look up to glares at me. If looks could kill, I’d have been buried six-feet under ages ago. Kipp doesn’t faze me, but it pisses me off he thinks he can intimidate Ellie just to get his way.
Kipp turns his glare on his daughter. “I talked to Scott the other day while we were checking out of the villa. He said he was on his way to your office.”
“Ellie changed her mind,” I state, before adding, “She can think for herself, Kipp.”
He narrows his eyes, but his wife doesn’t give me a second glance. She moves past me in a rush to her daughter, which doesn’t surprise me. Cam was the golden boy, Jen was all Kipp’s, but Ellie? She was her mama’s. I’d know it even if Ellie hadn’t told me all those years ago. It was easy to see who favored whom back in the day.
“We wrapped up our trip a couple weeks early. We skipped Italy, which isn’t a big deal. We’ll go back after all this has settled down. I knew we shouldn’t have left you so soon.”
Ellie returns her mother’s embrace as she looks at me over her shoulder. “It’s okay, Mom. You didn’t need to come back. I’m fine.”
Hattie pushes her daughter back to get a good look at her. “You’re not fine. You’re skin and bones. Are you even eating? How’s my grandbaby? I wanted to get here before his bedtime, I miss that lil’ bugger. Wait ‘til you see what all I got him. The grandkids thought they were spoiled before. Your daddy tried to stop me but couldn’t—I shopped my way across Europe.”
Ellie gives her mother a sad smile and doesn’t respond. Hattie can carry on a conversation in a room full of people and no one needs to utter a word in exchange. I wonder if that’s why Ellie liked my mom. She was a listener.
Kipp moves past me like I’m invisible or the scum of the earth, not deserving his time or attention.
Kipp and Hattie Montgomery haven’t changed an ounce. I didn’t think they would’ve but it’s good to know what I’m dealing with.
It’ll be a fucking uphill battle if I have to win her over while her parents still hate me.
Kipp kisses his daughter on the head before stepping back, still ignoring the elephant in the room—me.
“Really, Ellie? Marijuana? Tell me what’s going on,” Kipp demands.
