by Piper Stone
That was also the moment I think I fell head over heels in love with him. I was stunned by his words, so very Jack Stone in tone as well as frankness and I was giddy inside, the butterflies overwhelming. My lower lip was quivering as I walked closer, resting my cheek against his chest and his heartbeat. For a few precious seconds, all time ceased around us. I listened to the rapid beating, feeling more cared for than I had since my mother was alive.
Growling, he wrapped both arms around me, his grip firm. “I’m sorry you had to live with that kind of abuse. You deserve so many wonderful things. Answer me this, does your stepfather have any particular ties over you?”
My throat tightened. “Ties?”
“Financial? Do you have any obligations to him?”
“I...” Fuck. Fuck! I was baring my soul, more fearful than ever that someone like Jack couldn’t tolerate any kind of baggage. Still, I wanted to share with this man, but maybe for all the wrong reasons. “My college education for one. He paid for it.”
“O-kay. How the fuck much? I’ll figure out a way to pay him back, so you can have nothing to do with the fucking moron.”
Palming his chest, I pushed away, more shocked than I had any idea what to do with. “Um, no. Even if you are my daddy, I couldn’t ever let you do that. Besides...” The words died off.
“I can and will do exactly what I want, baby girl. You should know that by now. And besides what?”
“Yale? Even with some scholarships, we’re talking well over a hundred thousand dollars.” I even lied about the entire amount. I was simply ashamed at being beholden to such a greedy, nasty, and very ruthless man.
“Ah, fuck. Me.” His eyes remained full of fire. “There has to be a way.”
“He owes me for the way he treated my mother so paying a portion of my way through college, even if he mortgaged the house to the hilt in doing so serves him right. Bastard.” The words slipped out.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “That caustic mouth of yours.”
“Now, you can understand why.”
“To a point, yes. So, you chucked this fabulous education for the luxurious life on a floating oil rig.”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” I said, giving him a sheepish look. He was quiet once again, as if he knew there was more to the story. “I had to get away from him. I just had to, and this man had powerful friends. He doesn’t like to lose. Trust me, there are very few places that I could hide. When the job came up, I thought it was a sign, karma finally turning in my direction. I didn’t think he’d be able to find me on an oil rig. Okay?” This time, I turned away, fearful he’d see the lie in my eyes.
“Is that why he threatened you?”
Whirling around, I was lightheaded realizing he must have seen the message on my phone. “What?”
“I saw the message. Now, I think it’s time for you to tell me the full truth. I won’t tolerate lies, Summer, no matter what we’ve shared together. That’s just the kind of man I am. Lies will end this.”
Hearing the words, I almost panicked. Everything about me was a lie. Everything. What in the hell was I going to do?
Chapter Seven
Jack
“I’m not lying to you,” Summer said with her usual defiance. She looked me straight in the eyes, never blinking. “But why did you look at my phone? Why?”
I exhaled, trying to find the right words. If she wasn’t lying, she certainly wasn’t ready to tell me the full truth. What kind of hold could this man have over her? I was pissed, more so than I cared to admit even to myself. “I looked at your phone because I could tell something upset you that had nothing to do with the rig or any of the crew. Why did your stepfather threaten you?”
“That wasn’t the asshole!” Every part of her body was trembling from an obvious combination of anger and anxiety. She was petrified this Jonathan person would find her.
Holding my breath, I studied her expression. This time it was easy to tell she was lying. I’d allow her this leeway. Pushing her would do nothing more than force her into permanent silence. Whatever relationship she had with her stepfather was caustic at best. I did my best to soften my tone, even as the rage continued to build. The asshole had certainly done a number on her. “Kitten, I only want to help you if I can. That’s all. I also need for you to be able to trust me.”
“I do trust you, as crazy as that sounds.” She nibbled on her bottom lip, another clear sign she didn’t want to tell me anything else about her past.
I remained quiet, allowing her space.
“Okay. Fine. Yes, my stepfather was the one texting me. Jonathan doesn’t like to lose anything, including his ugly duckling daughter. He acts like I’d give a shit if I was cut out of his will. Big freaking deal.” A flash of anger crested along her jawline, creating splotches of red.
“So, your stepfather is wealthy?”
“Hell, no. He just likes to think that he is. He’s seriously mortgaged to the hilt with everything. What little money he had he got from my mother, squandering the measly sum the first year after she died. Bastard. His company is doing well enough, but he lost significant wealth in the stock market, just another gambling event for him.” She looked away, folding her arms, an obvious chill racing through her.
“And your sister?”
She curled her lip. “My half-sister. He’ll never do anything to Dierdre. I know that in my heart. She’s truly the only thing, other than money, that he seems to care about. I do miss her, but she’s better off without me.”
Her statements were stilted, her reactions obviously practiced. “And this guy you’re being coerced to marry?”
“Christian is the same kind of asshole. Educated. Arrogant. He sucks up to my stepfather like he’s a God. I can’t stand him.”
“Why would your stepfather go to the lengths of threatening you? I don’t buy it’s because you wouldn’t marry some prize pick he had. We don’t live in the nineteenth century and you’re one tenacious girl.”
“No, but he thinks he can command everything I do. I don’t really know why other than I’ve always defied him. He controlled my mother, so he believes I’ll fall into line.”
I exhaled, seeing no sign of her budging. She wasn’t going to tell me all the details, but I did notice a glimmer in her eyes, only for a split second.
Her stepfather’s threats were more about keeping her from divulging some massive secret. Huh. I was more curious than ever.
“Look, I—” Hearing a sharp rap, I groaned and held my finger over my lips as I walked to the door. “Yes?”
“Mr. Stone, Riley asked me to come find you. He said you have a call from your father. He says it’s urgent.”
Shit. This was the last thing I needed. Instantly, the hair stood up on the back of my neck. “Okay. I’ll be right there. Thank you.”
“No problem, sir.”
I waited until I heard the sound of boots walking away before turning to her. “I have to take this call then get back to work, but we’re not finished with this conversation.”
The tension seemed to return, the mask of steel she kept so firmly in place locked once again.
“I’ll get dressed and be right there,” she said, moving toward the bathroom.
“Not today. We need to have a serious discussion before I’ll let you back on the rig and that’s only after you’ve rested that arm of yours for a few days.”
“What? Oh, come on. You’re punishing me by not allowing me to work or get paid?” She narrowed her eyes and stormed in my direction, shaking her head. “I need the money. You know why I have to forge a new life and that takes cash. Hell, I need to get any kind of life.”
“Whoa, little filly. Jesus. Calm down. I’m not stripping you of your pay or your job. I just need to make certain you’re working in the right department. I can’t have you beating up my crew. I also can’t have you injuring yourself any further. You heard what the nurse said.”
“Very funny.”
“I’m being serious
, Summer.” I gave her an authoritative look. “You are going to stay right here. I’ll be back as soon as I can and we’re going to finish our discussion. And something else,” I said as I rubbed her other arm. “I don’t care that Jonathan is your stepfather. I won’t tolerate him threatening you. Do you understand me?”
Summer opened her mouth as if to object then seemed to think better of it. “Yes, Daddy.”
I grabbed my clothes, rushing to get into them, my thoughts drifting to my father. He never called me. Never. I was always the one who tracked him down. I had a bad taste in my mouth for both reasons. What dark secret was Summer hiding and what could she have as a hold over this man? Whatever it was, she was willing to risk her relationship with her sister for the rest of her life.
“Daddy?”
Hearing her voice, not the usual insubordinate tone that came and went, but the one that was so unsure of her place in the world, I cringed deep inside. Whatever this Jonathan person had done to her was much more horrific than she wanted to admit. I would hunt the man down. Making certain a smile crossed my face, I took long strides in her direction, gathering her up into my arms. “Never forget how amazing and beautiful you truly are. You’re brilliant, a hard worker, and a woman that I adore, even with all her foibles.”
Crushing my mouth over hers, I cupped her chin with one hand, keeping her pulled tightly against my chest with the other. I would never get over the incredible taste of her, this time laced with a hint of her sweet pussy juice. Everything about this luscious woman I craved, including the little girl side that needed reassurance. I entwined my tongue with hers, allowing the kiss to remain a passionate moment, a beautiful sharing experience.
She palmed my chest, her delicate fingers kneading my shirt then clinging to me as she rose onto her tiptoes, wrapping her other arm around my neck.
I was forced to break the kiss. “I have to go.”
“I know. I just wanted to say thank you.”
I don’t know what I was expecting but the honest gratitude gave my heart a series of flutters. I made a promise to myself at that very moment that I would protect her no matter what I had to do.
And I had a terrible feeling that whatever her stepfather was holding over her head would be coming our way.
Well, fuck him.
I eased out of the door, looking back only once. Her subdued mannerisms tugged at me, every inch. So many thoughts rambled through my mind as I headed to the communications room, grabbing the phone and moving as far away from the three crewmembers working the station. “Dad. What’s wrong?”
“Shit, son. I was ready to hang up. Took you long enough.” The heavy twang held a hint that my father had been drinking. This also wasn’t like him, at least in the middle of the damn day. My hackles remained raised.
“Sorry. Just was in the middle of something. What’s going on, Pops?”
“Well, son, I came home to find a notice slapped on my door. Don’t think I can avoid this shit any longer.”
“Notice?” I immediately bristled, red flags raising. “What kind of notice?”
“Notice of foreclosure in ten days.”
“What. The. Fuck?” Rage rushed through me, the kind that wouldn’t be calmed easily.
He snorted. “None of that, my boy. The bank.”
“Haven’t you been making the payments?” I suddenly knew the answer.
“I missed the last one, but I’ve got it now.”
“What about the money I’ve been sending you?”
“Went to fix damage on one of the barns. I can’t have the animals suffering because of me and because the barn is a piece of shit!” My father’s voice had as much strain as mine did.
I exhaled, rubbing my forehead. “Did you call the bank?”
“I did. Of course I did. Shit. Would I be calling you if there wasn’t a good reason? There’s some damn clause in the contract when I refinanced about the payments. I’m in breach so they can pretty much do what they want to do with the house.”
Wait a minute. What in the hell was he talking about? “What the hell kind of contract did you sign? They can’t foreclose on you after missing one payment and when did you refinance?” I heard the hesitation in his voice. Seething, I hated the fact my father continued to keep things from me. Maybe if I’d been around more, this shit wouldn’t have happened.
“I told you that the last time you were here. Course, I’m not sure you were listening to me. You were far too eager to get out of town.”
I took the barb, knowing he was at least partially correct. I’d done everything to get the hell away from Monica. “They can’t do that, Pops. Not legal.”
“It is if I signed on the dotted line with my free will.”
I was beginning to wonder if he had. “Look, email me a copy of that contract. I want to find what in the hell is going on.” I hated hearing the glitch in his voice. He was a proud man, never showing any emotions so his pretense that he simply didn’t care had a haunting quality.
“Well, if you really think you might find the time to do something then I’ll do that, son, but I don’t think there’s any way to stop them. These buzzards are out for blood. Old man Jameson’s place shut down just last week. I never thought the man would sell, especially not after being threatened the way he was.”
The term ‘threat’ had been tossed around one too many times in less than an hour. Every cell in my body stood on end, boiling to the point I found it difficult to focus. “Trust me, Dad, I’ll stop these buzzards. No matter what I have to do.”
Grumbling under his breath, he coughed before answering. “It’s all right, son. I’ll figure something out. You have your life. I keep telling you that. The ranch had a good run and I’m getting too old to keep up with everything. Florida is looking better and better.”
“We’re not going to get into the same argument, Dad. I love the ranch. You know that.” I’d never told him the real reason for taking the offshore gig. Money. Every penny was being saved to try to fix up the place, whether my dad stayed on or not. Maybe I’d wanted to surprise him with returning home, even though I’d had mixed feelings. Right now, all I could see was blood.
“No, son, we’re not going to argue. I’m a big boy and I can handle this as necessary.”
Then why did you call me, Dad? I held my tongue, taking a deep breath before speaking. “Look, just email the contract as soon as you can. I’m going to get to the bottom of this. Then you can decide what’s best for your life, not mine.” The tension was ridiculous. We’d always been at odds, butting heads about everything.
But damn him for not confiding in me sooner.
“Okay. Just don’t do anything stupid.” My father’s words had a hint of resolution.
I had a sick feeling that the bank was in some kind of cahoots with the conglomerate trying to purchase my dad’s ranch. Maybe all my huffing and puffing had actually drawn too much attention to my dad’s place. I fisted my hand, boiling with rage. “I’m just going to do what should have been done months ago. I’ll call you after I review the paperwork. And Dad, if you have anything on this corporation trying to buy all the ranches, send that to me as well.”
“Fine, but I’m serious. I don’t want you risking your career for this.”
“My career is the least of my worries, Dad. Talk to you soon.” I hung up the phone before I cracked the receiver, the anger boiling from deep within. Nodding to the technicians, I stormed out of the room, ready to take on a bear. One thing I knew for certain, I’d be forced to take some leave sooner than I’d intended. As I headed down the stairs searching for Riley, my thoughts drifted to Summer. What was I going to do with her while I was gone? Shit.
I found him checking the latest stats, his face as pensive as mine had to look. “Do I want to know?”
Riley exhaled before turning in my direction. “Not too bad. We’re actually up in production today by almost twenty percent, if you can believe that. If the weather and the equipment holds, we might make our first q
uota next week. All hands on deck though, including you.”
“Well, that’s what I’ve come to tell you.”
“How did I know that was coming given your dad called? What now?”
Squinting, I glared at the sky. “I think he’s being railroaded all the way around. Bank’s threatening on foreclosing.”
“I thought you’ve been sending him money.”
“Enough to pay the mortgage, but seems my dad had other things in mind. One payment is all it took for them to attempt this.” I shook my head, my adrenaline running on high.
Riley walked closer, shutting off the iPad. “That’s just shit if you ask me. Damn banks nowadays. You need to take care of this. Family comes first. When are you leaving?”
“First helicopter that I can get out here, hopefully in the morning. Shouldn’t take more than a couple of days.” All I could think about was cracking heads together.
Riley lifted an eyebrow. “I guess that depends on what you find when you get there. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. We’ll make this damn quota no matter how many hours of overtime the crew has to work.”
“Always the slave driver,” I said, chuckling and damn grateful I could count on Riley. “I appreciate you taking over. I wouldn’t go, but Dad has no clue about these kinds of things. Plus, I kinda feel guilty for sticking a hot poker in a hornet’s nest.”
“I hear ya.” He gave me another once-over and took a step back. “How’s Summer, or shouldn’t I ask?”
I exhaled, trying to find the right words. “Her wrist is sore, maybe sprained.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “She’s got a nice right hook.”
Riley nodded. “Well, Mike is still pissed, but I think I finally calmed him down. If you ask me, I don’t think he appreciated being knocked down by a girl.”
“I bet not.”
He grinned, looking from right to left and lowering his voice as a couple of the men walked by. “So, big man in charge, what exactly are you going to do with the spirited filly since she can’t work for a couple days?”