Logan set up his mom with an iPhone before she left, but they haven’t had a chance to video chatyet.
“Thanks, Tori. I appreciate it. And thank you for looking out for my son. He’s told me what a great job you’re doing there, taking care of the kids. Taking care ofhim.”
“It’s my pleasure.” And it hasbeen.
When we’re off the phone, I do my best to keep myself busy in the kitchen even though I’m dying to know what happenedtoday.
Is he upset his marriage is over? He doesn’t seem like he’s pining over Allison, but it’s not like I knew them as a couple. Maybe they alwaysargued.
It’s none of your business, Tori. If Ethan wanted to tell you, hewould.
My heart aches at the prospect. It’s true. I’m not entitled to know anything. I’m just a babysitter. Not his girlfriend. Certainly not anyone he needs to confidein.
I’m chopping vegetables for a stew when his voice cuts through thesilence.
“Hey.”
I clutch my chest. “Damn, you scaredme.”
Ethan grabs a cup of coffee and pulls up a chair. “Sorry ’boutthat.”
When he sits next to me, I catch a whiff of alcohol coming off his breath. Maybetequila.
“You okay?” I askgently.
“No.” He rubs his bloodshot eyes as his brother joinsus.
Logan slides a notepad across the table to his brother. “Let’s list everything. How much she invested. How much you’ve paid her already. The balance. How we can make up those funds and pay the bitchback.”
“Stop calling her that.” Ethan grabs a pen and begins scribbling on the paper. “What if Mila hearsyou?”
“I just can’t believe her crap.” Logan’s grumbling trailsoff.
I look between the brothers, not sure what tosay.
Logan must see the question in my eyes. “Allison wants us to pay back the two-hundred-thousand-dollar investment her parents made on theranch.”
“Okay.” I guess that happens when people get divorced, right? They split upassets?
“In one lumpsum.”
“Damn.” Yeah, thatsucks.
“But it gets worse. She claims it’s so she can be financially stable enough to petition the court for part-time custody of the kids, which”—he lowers his voice—“we all know is bullshit because she can barely handle them four days a month. Our attorney didn’t want to challenge her on that rationale because doing so might make us look bad in the eyes of the judge. He said that since Allison already agreed to let Ethan have the kids for the time being, there’s no point stirring thatpot.”
Logan explains how Ethan provided spousal support for the last year as payment on that investment from her parents in a show of good faith. He didn’t technically owe her alimony because they hadn’t been married ten years, which is one of the requirements for spousal support in Texas. “But Ethan being Ethan, he wanted to help her out because he’s a good guy.” Logan groans and shoves his hands through his hair. “We have three weeks before we have to go back to court and settlethis.”
Ethan seems lost in thought. “It was the right thing to do. She’s the mother of my children. I couldn’t let her starve. It’s not like Allison had the chance to build any kind of career while she was living here.” He gets up suddenly, his chair scraping across the floor. “I know her family has money, but it’s not hermoney.”
Fists tight, shoulders rigid, he shakes his head, stalking around the kitchen before reaching for a beer in the refrigerator and slamming itshut.
All of the glassrattles.
Whoa.I’m not expecting his fierce tone or the anger radiating off him right now, especially after how Allison spoke to him onSunday.
With a loud smack to the bottleneck of the beer to the edge of the counter, Ethan pops off the metal lid, which rolls around on thefloor.
Although the bartender in me is impressed, the haunted expression that flashes on his face before he gazes out the kitchen window tugs at myheart.
