by Larkin Rose
Tessa couldn’t hug Monty. She couldn’t tell her everything was going to be okay. Because right now, she wasn’t sure anything was going to be okay. Wasn’t sure it was ever going to be okay again. She didn’t have a magic solution, but one thing she did know, Monty was being genuine. She would never deliberately hurt Tessa. That fact she would go to her grave knowing.
“Can you do me a favor?” Tessa mumbled.
“Anything.” Monty’s shoulders lifted and her posture heightened.
“Next time you need attention, just fucking photobomb my ass.”
Monty stared for several seconds before she finally cracked a smile.
Tessa wasn’t sure why she felt the need to put that smile on Monty’s face, but it sure beat the alternative. That sad expression was one she never wanted to see again. Even if Monty had done something horribly wrong.
“How dare you bring that piece of shit here!” Marci bellowed.
Tessa spun around to find Marci marching down the sidewalk, Wendy running behind her.
This was embarrassing. Too dramatic. This was her minute. Dammit. Her time. Her future and possibly her new world.
And Monty’s inability to keep her hands to herself was going to make it all crumble down around her.
“Marci! Stop it right now!” Wendy yelled through clenched teeth as she grabbed for Marci, clearly shaken by the drama unfolding without her control.
Tessa hated that more than anything. That her boss was involved in any of this. But at least they had one thing in common. Both of the people they loved the most in the world couldn’t act right.
“I’m sorry, Tess. I truly am,” Monty mumbled beside her.
“I know. But you’re still on my shit list.”
Tessa focused on Marci, her angry posture as she pounded down the sidewalk, her heart knowing Marci wouldn’t do anything stupid. If she was going to stoop that low, she would have done it the day she caught Monty fucking her wife.
No. Tessa wasn’t afraid of that. But she needed Marci to know where her loyalty lay.
She did the only thing she knew how to do. The only thing she would ever know how to do. The only thing a good sister should ever do.
She stepped in front of Monty and lifted her chin. Right or wrong, Monty was her sister, and no matter how disgusted Tessa was with her actions, she’d never let anyone threaten or hurt her.
Not even Marci. Especially not Marci.
Marci came to a breathless stop a few feet from Tessa, her eyes drilling into Tessa’s. “What kind of sick game have you been playing?”
“Oh, God. That again?” Tessa controlled the need to roll her eyes.
Maric’s gaze darted to Monty then stabbed back on Tessa. “You knew all along, didn’t you? Admit it!”
The anger in Marci’s eyes made Tessa sad for some reason. Ashley had done a number on her confidence. She’d pushed Marci into this sheltered, non-trusting space, and it was ugly coming out of her.
“Knew what, Marci? Tell me.”
“That she fucked my wife! That’s what!” Marci took a step closer, looking enraged.
“Not until two minutes ago. It’s not like I keep up with the notches on my sister’s bedpost.” Tessa planted her hands on her hips, damned if Marci was going to point fingers all over again. “Do you even hear how incredibly ridiculous you sound right now?”
“I’m the one you have an issue with. Not her. Let Tess go enjoy her night then you can yell and scream at me all you want,” Monty quietly said.
Marci’s jaw clenched. “Shut up, you home wrecking twerp. No one is talking to you.”
“Marci. Please go back inside. This isn’t the time,” Wendy pleaded and tugged Marci’s arm.
Marci pulled her arm free. “When was the time, Tessa? Tell me? When were you going to tell me that it was your sister who fucked up my whole world?”
Tessa angled her head and studied that angry expression. Even with her eyes wide, her mouth set and grim, she was so handsome. But she was damaged. So damaged.
“It wasn’t my sister who fucked you over, Marci. That person was Ashley. Your wife. Your wife did this to you. Not Monty. And the sooner you get that through your thick skull, the faster you can move on with life.”
Marci felt the sting of her words. The calm way in which she’d said them. The identical words Wendy had been preaching for months now. But what she saw was Tessa standing in front of a lowlife, guarding her, protecting the very person who was the cause of her entire world shattering.
She was protecting her sister. Siding with her.
Marci stepped forward again, knowing she shouldn’t. She was too angry. Too hurt. “Go to hell, Tessa.”
Wendy lightly tugged her arm again as Monty pulled Tessa back and stepped in front her.
She leveled daring eyes on Marci. “I’ll say it one more time. Your problem lies with me. Not her. If you want to talk, we’ll talk. If you want to take it out in the parking lot, we can do that too. But if you take one more step toward my sister, this night is going to end in disaster, and from all the great things Tess had told me about you, it doesn’t sound like you want that ending.” She lifted her chin. “But I need you to know that choice is completely yours.”
Marci tightened her hands into fists, not liking the challenge in those eyes. Not sure she could walk away from the dare. From the choice.
Wendy tightened her grip in warning. “Marci. Right now. Get your ass walking right this second.”
Marci moved her focus to Tessa. To those sad eyes. To those beautiful, sad eyes. She hated herself for letting Tessa into her world. Hated that she’d let her guard down.
She looked back to Monty, the very sister Tessa had told her so much about, the very one she admired for her accomplishments, for her maturity, she’d said, but who hated one little thing about her. That very little thing had ripped her marriage apart. That very thing was why Marci was far away from the place she’d made home. Why she was still hurt and angry at the whole damn world.
And Tessa was standing only feet away from her, protecting and siding with that very piece of shit.
“Stay the fuck away from me.” Marci narrowed her gaze on Monty. “Both of you.” She pulled away from Wendy and charged down the sidewalk.
Tessa watched her retreating steps, wanting to go after her, to beg her to see how wrong she was, that Monty wasn’t the bad guy here, but she knew it would be a useless attempt tonight.
Marci was too angry. Too hurt. And Tessa couldn’t truly blame her. Deep down, she was blaming Monty as well. Of course, she knew it wasn’t Monty’s fault that Ashley had cheated on her, but it sure felt that way at this moment when a party was waiting for her inside, where her crew was probably wondering what in the world was going on.
Wendy turned a frown on Tessa. “I’m sorry, Tessa. I tried to stop her.”
“No. I’m the one who is sorry. This is all too much.” Tessa shook her head. “Talk about dumb luck.”
Monty entwined their fingers and gave a squeeze. “Tell me what I can do?”
“You can stop asking me what you can do. You might not want the answer.” Tessa tried to add a notch of teasing to her words although she wasn’t completely against rolling Monty off this mountain.
That would sure solve one problem.
Dammit. Of all the women, it had to be Ashley. What kind of shit luck was that?
“I know it’s all crazy right now, but tomorrow is a new day. Give Marci some alone time with her thoughts and I’m positive she’ll see how ridiculous she is.” Wendy extended her hand to Monty. “I’m Wendy, by the way. Best friend to that hothead. And under normal circumstances, I’d hug the living shit out of you. I hated Ashley with every ounce of my body.”
Monty lightly took her hand and looked down the length of Wendy. “You can still hug me. I won’t mind a bit.” She gave that sweet smile.
“I will drop-kick you off a cliff,” Tessa growled.
Monty laughed and let go of Wendy’s hand. “I’m kid
ding, big sister. Just trying to bring some light to the dark moment.”
“It will be good and dark at the bottom of this mountain.” Tessa cocked a brow. “Don’t try me right now.”
Wendy snickered. “You guys are cute, and as much as I’d like to stay and help make the dark moment bright, I need to go check on Marci.” She reached out and patted Tessa’s hand. “And I know everything looks bleak right now, but Marci is a great person and this isn’t her normal behavior. Seeing your sister was just too much. Everything will be okay. I promise.”
Tessa gave a tight nod, still considering going inside to make an attempt to talk to Marci. Her inner voice objected too loud, and right now she had to listen to anything that sounded sane.
“Thanks, Wendy. And I’m so sorry about this,” Tessa added.
“I wish I could say the same. But I can’t.” Wendy gave Monty a flirtatious wink. “It was great meeting you, Monty. I hope to see you around during the week.”
Monty nodded. “That’s a must.”
Tessa watched Wendy make her way down the sidewalk, her words ringing back on her ears, and she knew what she had to do.
“Take me home, Monty.”
“You mean the cabin?”
“No. Home. Home.” Tessa turned and started for the Jeep. “I quit.”
Chapter Fourteen
Tessa leaned against the railing, her sights trained on Marci’s cabin. Her heart ached. Why, she didn’t know. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet she still felt like everything was her fault.
She just wanted Marci to listen to her. To hear her. To see how crazy this whole thing was. But most of all, she wanted to look Marci in the eye with every word, to make sure she got it.
Four times this morning alone, she’d gone to Marci’s cabin to knock on the door, the fourth was full on banging, yelling for her to open the fucking door and to stop being such an immature toddler, hoping that her words would piss Marci off enough to jerk the door open.
It hadn’t.
She had no idea what she would have said if she’d been faced with Marci’s enraged stare again, but she knew she had to say something. Had to get it off her chest once and for all.
This was all insane. Completely and ridiculously insane. What were the odds that Monty, her very own sister, was the one who crushed Marci’s world? Yet here she was, living the reality.
And if not for Monty and Seth talking her off the ledge last night, she would have packed her bags and left this contest. She was still prepared to. Ready to get the hell off this mountain, away from Marci, out of her life forever, because that’s what she thought was best.
Not for herself. But for Marci.
And here she stood in the freezing cold, watching Marci’s cabin for any sign of movement. Praying she would change her mind and open the door, motion her over, and have makeup sex right after she told her off for being so over-the-top.
But the longer she stood on the porch, the more she realized that wasn’t going to happen. Marci wasn’t going to invite her in. She wasn’t going to sit down and talk this out.
That made her even madder. And clueless. Lost. Why did she feel so lost? Why was she still so mad? And sad. And confused.
One minute she was blaming Marci for being out of her mind. The next, she blamed Monty for being such a slut. The next, she felt that fighting spirit she’d inherited from her mother take back control, and she wanted to tell them both to go fuck themselves.
This was truly the most twisted scenario she’d ever found herself in. Utterly and completely twisted.
The door opened behind her, and Tessa looked down into her mug of coffee that was probably as cold as the ice crystal dripping off the trees for as long as she’d been staring across the distance to Marci’s house.
Monty joined her against the railing.
“Will it help for me to say I’m sorry again?”
“No.”
“Then stop.”
“Stop what?” Tessa took a sip of her coffee and as suspected, it was freezing cold.
“That face.” Monty propped her foot against the rail. “Don’t do that face.”
“I don’t have a face.” Tessa poured the coffee over the porch and set the mug down.
“Yes, you do. It’s a defeated face. It’s a white towel waving kind of face. We Daltons don’t do defeated faces.”
Tessa glanced toward Marci’s cabin. Was she there? Had she been ignoring Tessa all morning, watching her trek through the snow, through the trees, all the way to her cabin, watching Tessa through the curtain like a coward?
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You’re mad. She’s mad. And I’m the root of it all.”
“You’re not the root, Monty. And the more you say that, the more pissed I get at you. So stop.”
“Fine. I’ll shut up. But please don’t throw in the towel, Tess. You’ve bossed your way through this whole contest. Don’t you dare bow out now. I’d never be able to forgive myself.”
It sucked that Monty was right about one thing. The Dalton girls weren’t allowed to show defeat. It was a sign of weakness. And they didn’t do weak. However, Tessa had always assumed she and Michelle had gotten that independence from their mother. After all, it was their mother who had held all the pieces together while their father got to start a brand new life, brand new wife, brand new house, and a brand new baby that turned out to be the most glorious, hellacious thorn in Tessa’s side. God, how she loved that little brat. The very one blaming herself right now.
Yet Monty possessed that strong will also. Possibly far stronger than she or Michelle. So had they inherited that watch me win gene from their father? Unlikely. As awesome as he was, as much as she loved him, he was weak. He couldn’t say no. Hadn’t said no. His weakness had cost him dearly. Was still costing him. Tessa wasn’t sure his bond with Michelle would ever be repaired. Likely, after all of these years, it never would be.
Yet their mother had never blamed Monty’s mother. Not once. Even when her world was spinning out of control, she hadn’t blamed the wrong person. Her finger had always stayed pointed at their father. Exactly where it deserved to be pointed.
Maybe Tessa should send her mother to have a word of prayer with Marci. Surely she could set her twisted mind straight.
Suddenly, her sorrow turned into a bit of anger.
Why was she the one waiting for Marci to show herself across the woods? Why was she the one banging on her door all morning? She hadn’t done anything wrong. Neither had Monty. Marci was her own worst enemy, and Tessa needed to lift her chin and drive right back into the game. She should have never taken her eyes off the prize in the first place. Her intrigue over Marci had made her do that. She’d succumbed to lust and it was biting her in the ass right now.
Marci would never see how wrong she was. She didn’t want to. She needed someone to blame. Needed to blame the wrong person. And as much as Tessa could understand why, she couldn’t keep dwelling on an outcome that wasn’t going to change. An outcome she couldn’t change.
Monty would always be her sister. A sister she loved no matter what.
Meanwhile, more importantly, the new client’s video was waiting for her to view. A contest was waiting for her to win.
A new life was just around the corner.
It was all hers for the taking.
Fuck Marci and her brick wall.
Fuck her.
Tessa snagged her mug off the banister and spun toward the door. “Let’s get to work.”
“Now you’re talking!”
* * *
Marci listened to the secretary take yet another phone call while she sat in the lobby waiting for her lawyer to prepare the paperwork for both the closing on the house as well as her divorce papers. Two birds. One stone.
She was more ready than she thought to get this final step over with.
She thought she’d be nervous. She was about an hour away from being a divorced woman and no longer a homeowner.
Two for one. This should be easy. Especially when she and Ashley didn’t have anything to settle on. Ashley hadn’t put anything down on the house. Hadn’t even helped Marci choose a house. Hell, she hadn’t even helped her house hunt. Not one dime had she put into Marci’s new home, no matter how far Marci had had to travel to find it. The house was hers and hers alone. Had been from the minute she sat alone at the closing and then waited patiently for the next year for Ashley to move her belongings in.
From the minute Marci’s feet touched Arizona dirt, she’d done all she could to prove to Ashley that she wanted a forever life with her. To provide for Ashley. What a mistake that had been.
But at least she’d get something back. Every dime of her money as the last bid had been exactly what she’d been looking for, even though she hadn’t jumped fast enough, and after the Realtor contacted them they said they were still more than interested in buying the house and were ready to sign the papers immediately, with cash.
Marci couldn’t get back the time or the heartbreak she’d put into Ashley, but she could damn well chalk the loss up to a lesson learned and a mistake she would never make again.
Never, ever again.
The secretary ended the phone call and the room was silent again. Her mind slipped to Tessa. To the last time she’d seen her. Those eyes. Watching her. Those sad eyes pleading with her to stop. To listen. To hear.
There was nothing to hear. She’d heard all she wanted to hear. Seen all she needed to see when Tessa protectively stepped in front of her slutty sister. How dare she take her side. How dare she.
With a huff, Marci raked her fingers through her hair and shifted in the chair, wishing her lawyer would hurry up with the paperwork so she could sign everything and get the hell out of this stuffy office.
She wanted out of this state. Out of this heat. Out of Ashley’s life and her world forever.