by Snow, Nicole
I pinch my lips to keep from responding, from telling her that if they hadn’t slipped their fingers in those rental pies in the first place, things could’ve turned out differently.
“Just think about the money we’ve spent on you over the years. Enough to put most people in the poor house. Signing these papers and helping us out of this mess is the least you can do. Your father’s the only person qualified to sit on the board, anyway. He’s the only one who should be dealing with the Reed Oil company.”
Then why are you here? I wonder. Her 'Reed Oil company' remark isn't lost on me, either.
That’s what she’s always called it. She’s never stopped denying that there might be a family connection to Amelia Earhart like Gramps insisted.
“Dad won’t be sitting in any seat,” I say, “because if I were to sign those papers, you’d sell North Earhart to Avery Briar in ten minutes.”
She shakes her head, huffing out a sigh. Her attempt to look demure is lost on me.
I’ve seen it too many times and know it’s not real.
“Nonsense. Your father and I discussed that, but it’s simply an option, Annabelle. We understand what Reed Oil means to the locals. And I suppose...” She slowly glances around the room. “I suppose we know how much this place means to you. So we’ll let you keep the ranch. It will be all yours, to do as you’d like. We’ll simply take over Reed Oil and make the best decision for the company, the town, and our family.”
It’s a wonder they haven’t blown town with the attention they’re getting. Erin said the town thought Gramps left everything to my father.
Whether they like them or not, the locals are probably fawning all over them, hoping it’ll influence what they’ll do with North Earhart. Attention like that means almost as much as money to mother.
I’m sure she’s already relishing the idea of being the queen bee, even if it’s a throne in a town she hates.
Sadly, once the letter I’ve just finished hits the press, that attention will turn, and my life is going to get worse. It’ll give her one more thing to blame me for.
I’d ruined her body by simply being born, what will she have to say about denying her a future?
“Your father and I also know what’s best for you,” she says. “And the current situation is hardly what’s best for anyone.” She waves a finger. “This, you living out here with a virtual stranger who makes you act out is ridiculous. Dangerous, Anna. You can pretend all you want, but you don’t know a thing about that man.”
“I know enough,” I snap, finally losing my patience. “And I know this 'stranger' treats me with more dignity and respect than you’ve got in your pinky finger, Mom.”
“Well, I know something too, and let me tell you – anyone who’d live out here with an asinine old goat is up to no good. For all we know, he could’ve killed Jonah, and just claimed it was a heart attack.”
I’m trying to not react to anything she says, but that pisses me off.
Darting to my feet, I point at the door. “Get the hell out, Mother.” Then, pointing at her folder on the desk, I add, “And take that crap with you. I’m not signing anything today or in the next lifetime.”
I expect anger. Shouting. Maybe even a full-on frontal assault.
But disgust fills her face. “What’s gotten into you? I thought you were smarter than this. Think about it, Annabelle. That man could’ve been poisoning Jonah. A lot of things can cause a heart attack.”
I am smart, and that’s why I’m utterly sick at how dumb she thinks I am. “So now you’re a forensics specialist? Because you’ve thought about it? Researched it? Considered killing off Gramps for years yourself, maybe? His death was your greatest dream come true. If I knew you wouldn’t be caught dead here in Dallas without your damned money, I’d think you poisoned him.”
She huffs out a breath. “Oh, please! I’m not a murderer. That old bastard hated me as much as I hated him, you know.”
“And why’s that, Mom? Because you lied to him from the beginning? Said you were pregnant so Dad would have to marry you, when you really weren’t, just so you could get your hands on the Reed fortune?”
That strikes a nerve. Not even the layers of her makeup can hide how red her face glows.
“That’s all you’ve ever wanted, and whenever Gramps wouldn’t give you more, you used me to get it.” I take a step closer, coming out from behind the desk. “Do you honestly think I didn’t know what you were doing? Forcing me to lie to him? Saying I wanted to move when I didn’t? Saying I wanted a new house or car? Kids don’t want those things. He knew it, and so did I. He knew you were an abuser.” Stepping between her and the desk, I grab the folder. “I know what you’re doing now, too, and it’s not what’s best for me. Or for anyone. It’s just what you want.”
“You don’t know what’s best for you. You never have!” she shouts.
“Really?” Rather than handing her the folder, I rip it in half. I’m so angry the thick folder comes apart in a sudden, shearing rrrrrip!
For a split second, I regret it.
Only for a second.
The fury flashing in her eyes scares me. I’ve had my face slapped by her before, but can tell right now, she wants to do worse.
“You sick, selfish, ungrateful little –” she sputters, seething so much words won’t form.
I take a step back as she raises her hand. The backs of my thighs hit the desk.
Knowing I can’t escape, I twist and duck, trying to shield myself from the inevitable, knocking her purse off the desk in the process.
Then out of nowhere, there’s thunder. A man’s voice.
Drake.
“Don’t. Don’t even think about laying a finger on her,” he snarls, fury coiled in his chest like a snake ready to explode as he walks past her, his huge arm snaring my waist. “Touch her, and I’ll drag you to your car.”
Holy hell.
I don’t know how he arrived so quickly, but he did, and that shatters the fear that had me frozen.
“Try it, you brute! See what happens. This...this isn’t any of your business,” Mother growls, confusion crossing her face as she tries to sound supremely offended. “It’s strictly between my daughter and me.”
He pulls me closer to his side. “Bullshit, lady. Takes two to tango, and you’re old enough to know it. Look at her. She doesn’t want any part of what you’re offering.”
“You’re wrong,” Mother insists. “And you have no right to even be in this house or anywhere on this property. I wasn’t born yesterday. You’re nothing but a con man, trying to snatch everything you can before poor Annabelle figures it out. Now get the hell away from my daughter. Stop turning her against me.”
Drake glances at me, and then at the floor. He stiffens before he looks back at her.
My gaze goes to the floor, wondering what made him go stock-still.
Then I see it.
Crap. Apparently, when I knocked off her purse, I’d also sent the red folder tumbling off the desk. Our marriage certificate is face up, next to Mom’s purse.
Needing to grab it before she notices, I move, but Drake grabs me first.
“She may be your daughter,” he says, “but more importantly, she’s my wife. We’re hitched, and your reign over her is over.”
“Your wife!” Mom’s wide-eyed cackle turns into a croak. “That’s...preposterous. Totally impossible!”
He nods toward the floor. “Go on. See for yourself. There’s a marriage certificate right there.”
Mom glances down, and the blood drains from her face as her chin drops. “What the—”
I bend down and grab it before she can, knowing she could rip it in two as easily as I had her folder. I pick up the red folder, too, glad nothing else had fallen out.
Shock curdles her face. “Married? Since when? Since how?”
“More than a month ago,” Drake says, pulling me closer to his side.
It’s true the proxy marriage was set up well before I’d signed, while Gra
mps was alive.
Mom glares at me. “I don’t believe it. This has to be a hoax. You didn’t even know him a month ago!”
“How do you know?” I ask her. “How are you so sure this little visit here is the first and only time I’ve ever met Drake? You don’t, Mom. You don’t know much because you’ve never cared enough to find out.”
Drake releases my side and before I even realize what he’s doing, he’s sliding a ring on my left ring finger.
“You heard her. Our secret’s out,” he growls. “You might as well start wearing this all the time, darlin’. No need to keep 'Mom' in the dark anymore.”
Three things happen at once.
My heart nearly stops as I look at the ring, a wide gold band with a large oval cut diamond in the center.
Mother is speechless for the first time in her life. She’s staring at it, too, and the way her eyes nearly pop right out of her head tells me this diamond is real, and expensive. The way her lips pinch together in a raw, furious thunder line, says it might even be worth more than the one she’s wearing.
And Drake? Drake just grabs my hand, holds the ring to his lips, and gingerly brushes it across them before kissing the back of my head. “Love you, Bella. Love you till the day I die.”
Holy, holy helllll.
Mom sniffs, breaks from her trance, and starts to talk again in a muted whisper. “This is psycho. That certificate is fake. Forged somehow. All of this! You...you’re both trying to drive me out of my mind and it’s not going to work.” She reaches down and yanks her purse off the floor. “I’ll prove it, just wait and see.” She marches across the room and stops at the door.
I swallow something thick in my throat. Drake’s arm wraps around my waist and pulls me tighter.
Leveling a glare at us, she stops. “You won’t get away with this, missy. You’ll regret the day you ever thought you’d outsmart me, I promise you.”
This time, her heels smack against the tile, and the door slams so hard it jostles the house.
Oh my God. Things just went to eleven, and it could be dangerous. I’m not even sure how dangerous.
* * *
After what seems like an eternity, Drake bends down and picks up the folder I’d torn in half.
“You all right?” he asks, setting both pieces on the desk.
“I’ll live. I think.” I can’t help but glance at the ring again. “Did Gramps buy this too?”
“Nope. I did.”
“When?”
“Last week.”
I raise an eyebrow. He hasn’t left the house. Not that I know of. “Where?”
“Got a friend from the Army who owns a big jewelry brand in Phoenix. Ever heard of Black Rhino?”
I nod. It’s a luxury brand, expensive, the sort of stuff Mom wishes she was decked in.
“Knox owed me.” He leans against the desk. “I called him and he shipped it over, no questions asked.”
“But...why?”
“Because Erin said she’s expecting to see one next time we’re in town. That goes for everybody else, too, if and when news about us hits the local gossip circuit.”
I nod, then shake my head at how it hurts to swallow against the swelling of my throat. Mom’s crappy visit affected me more than I wanted it to.
And let’s be real – so does the fact he’d bought me a ring.
“Why’re you doing this?” I ask quietly.
He pushes off the desk and walks around to the window. With his back to me, he finally says, “We’ve already been through this, Bella.”
“No, we haven’t. Not completely. So maybe you were good friends with Gramps and his employee, and promised to help with things after his death, but...” I look at the huge rock on my hand again, and how it catches the sun, spinning light into pure oscillating glitter. “But this – this crazy charade is more than any friend would agree to. It’s more than any sane person would ever do.”
He turns around. “You calling me insane, darlin’?”
Eep.
Okay, maybe I am.
I shake my head and shrug. “Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe we’re both insane for doing this. I mean, I started that game at the diner, trying to assert a tiny shred of control in the messiest way possible.”
“I’m not nuts and neither are you. The jury’s still out on your ma.” Then he flashes a shit-eating grin.
My heart flips. It’s not fair how a simple smile transforms his face from broody hellraiser into Prince Damn Charming. He’s wickedly handsome all the time, but when he grins, he’s flipping lethal.
The idea of doubling down on crazy and walking over to kiss him right now flusters me.
This whole debacle flusters me. Every last bit of it.
How can I even go on like this, spun every which way between Gramps’ wishes and Mom’s demands and a company I know next to nothing about and living with this strange, gorgeous man pretending to be my husband?
“Look, I’ll give you whatever Gramps promised. Money. Land. Shares in North Earhart Oil. Name it. Just do me a favor?”
“I already told you, Bella, when it’s over, I leave with what I had when Jonah died. Nothing more.” He walks away from the window, passing me with a soft, infuriating brush of his shoulder. Now I know how it must feel to have a huge tiger glide past.
Wait. He can’t be leaving in the middle of this, right?
Aaaand he’s leaving.
He’s almost to the door when I fly over and grab his shoulder. “Stop it, Drake. Just stop.”
Turning, his eyes are a cold, crisp blue. “Stop what?”
“Everything!” I’m nearly breathless.
He lifts a brow.
Frustration storms through my blood. This doesn’t make sense.
There has to be more to it. Has to be a reason he’s doing this. Has to be.
And if I can’t get respect from Mom, then I’ll at least have answers from Drake.
“Don’t know what you mean by everything, darlin’. Talk to me.”
“Just talk? That easy, huh? I could say the same thing.” My lip curls as I put my hands on my hips. “All right, fine. Let’s start with why you’re lying to me.”
He grins and fully turns, facing me head-on.
“Then I’d love it if you’d stop ignoring me.”
12
Honest Mistakes (Drake)
Ignoring this strange, sweet, wildcat of a woman is damn near impossible.
I’d have an easier time ignoring a black bear tearing apart my truck from the inside out than ignoring Bella Reed.
Even when she’s not in sight, she’s up in my head, including while I’m asleep.
Hell, maybe especially while I’m asleep.
Those dark-green eyes of hers haunt me right out of bed and into a cold shower earlier and earlier every morning.
“I mean it, Drake, you either come clean, or...or I’ll sign it all over to my parents.”
I usually don’t respond to threats, and shouldn’t this time when I know she’s bluffing.
If those green eyes weren’t shimmering like tears about to burst, I’d walk away.
Actually, I still should. This has already gotten too deep. Too convoluted.
I gave Jonah my word I’d help, and I have, but how much fucking punishment can one man take?
“Your choice, darlin’, and yours alone,” I say. “Always has been. Obviously, I hope you won’t.”
The hurt on her face guts me.
It shouldn’t.
I can’t afford to care. Not now. Not ever. Not again.
“Fine. Thanks for showing me what an idiot I’ve been.” She marches past me and out the door.
I watch her cross the entryway and head into the living room, telling myself to go back outside.
She’s not going to sign anything. I huff out a breath.
Nothing about this is going to change, either. I’m the only one who can make that happen.
Fuck.
I follow her path, all the way into the kitc
hen. She stops at the table and picks up her phone.
“You want to know the real reason I’m doing all this?” I ask.
“No.” She punches a button. “Not anymore.”
I have no idea who she might be calling, nor should I care.
But I do. That’s the pure hell of it.
Pressing one hand against the curved archway dividing the kitchen from the living room, I brace for my own sucker punch. “It’s because I failed. I failed my father. I failed my sister. I fucked up and failed my niece and nephew, Bella.”
Sucking in a breath, I don’t say Winnie. Not out loud.
Don’t need to. That failure might just be the worst of all, and it’s forever embedded in my soul.
Blinking, she lowers the phone from her ear and punches another button.
“Look, dammit. I know this won’t make up for that, my demons, but maybe some part of me hopes.”
“Hopes what?” Her voice softens. “I’m listening.”
“That by helping you, by fulfilling Jonah’s wishes, I’m able to repay him a fraction for helping me when I needed it. I couldn’t make the others square, it was too damn late. But your grandfather, maybe.”
“I don’t understand. How did he help you?”
“By being a damn good friend when I needed one. A 'helper,' as he liked to call it. On paper, that old man hired me to look after him and this place, but it was the opposite in the beginning. He saved me, Bella. Saved me from myself, from being eaten up with so much reckless guilt I would’ve died of frostbite or something worse a long time ago. And that’s what he wanted me to be for you, too. A friend when you need one the most.”
She’s looking at me, waiting for more, because she knows there’s plenty. She’s right.
There’s a hell of a lot more to it than that, but there are things I can’t tell her, won’t tell her. “I’d been out of the Army for some time when I blew that tire by the mailbox. In a lot of ways, I was still going through withdrawals ever since I came home to the States. Not from drugs, but from a life I’d known for years. The only life I’d ever known as a grown man. When my tour ended and I didn’t re-up for a third, I thought I was ready to come home to Montana, pick up where things were when I left. But things weren’t the same and neither was I.”