“He’s not sleeping with her?”
She shook her head, standing next to me. “I installed a program on the computer so I can monitor all his emails and social media pages.”
Um. Holy shit? I felt my jaw falling.
“She’s been private messaging him, but so far he’s not responded. He’s just been polite, as he’s been with all of them.” Her gaze lingered on Lydia before moving on to Miranda and Amelia. It stayed the longest on Amelia.
“She’s the one you’re worried about?” I felt so proud of her. I couldn’t explain why, but it was like my little sister had grown up before my eyes.
“Yeah. She’s the one he shares the most with.”
“They were friends in school.”
“Not that great of friends. It changed a year ago. They worked on a project together at college. It’s been…different since then.”
“What about Miranda? She dated him.”
“She’s in love with Peter.” Becky shook her head. “I used to worry about her, but she only talks about how great Peter’s been in their messages. She asks about me, too. Amelia’s never brought me up.”
“That says a lot.”
“I know.”
“You just needed me to say it, didn’t you?”
She let out a deep breath, her eyes downcast. “I needed someone to say it. I’ve felt horrible thinking it, but yeah. I needed someone else to voice the same concern. I’ll be fine now. It’s like you gave me permission to doubt the man I love.”
“You’re going to still marry him, aren’t you?”
She turned away from the window, looking me square in the eyes. Her gaze held mine steadily. “Yes. I’m not going in blind, and I do love him. I always did. I chose him over you. I turned my back on a good friend, and I’ve felt regret ever since. Marrying him is a small way of making it right. I know that probably doesn’t make sense, but he can provide me with a good life until we divorce, if that’s what happens.”
“You’re going to keep monitoring him?”
“Oh yeah. If he leaves me, he won’t know what hit him. I’ll have years of evidence.”
I reached out and took her hand. This time, I meant it when I said, “I’m glad I have your friendship again.”
She squeezed my hand so tightly. “Me, too.”
We were heading back to the pool when Malinda stopped us as we crossed the lobby. “Hi, Becky, honey.” She touched my hand, still beaming at Becky. “Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials. I’m so happy for you and Adam.” She looked at me. “Sam, can I have a minute with you?”
“Uh, sure.”
Becky hugged Malinda before she went back outside, and my stepmother pulled me in the opposite direction Becky and I had just come from.
“What’s going on?” I asked her.
She didn’t answer, just increased her pace. She wound back outside, but we took a hidden path behind the pool. Palm trees and shrubbery blocked us from view. I heard raised voices, but couldn’t place them until we rounded a corner.
Standing in a small group outside an entrance to the country club’s tennis courts, with a bunch of golf carts behind them, were James Kade, Steven Quinn, Adam, and Mason. There was no sign of Matteo or Nate.
I leaned forward. “What’s going on?”
She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and whispered. “Your father is coming to help with the situation, but I thought it was a good idea to have a woman present. I can’t stay. I have to get back to the party or someone will start wondering if something’s wrong.” And on that note, she pressed a kiss to my forehead, then hurried back.
I approached, hearing Mr. Quinn yell, “It’s my son’s engagement party. I can enter if I want to.”
Oh, goodness. He was drunk. He flung an arm in the air and would’ve hit Mason if he hadn’t ducked. Instead, Mason caught it, twisting it around Adam’s dad’s back and pulling it tight.
Ignoring Mr. Quinn’s yelp of pain, he said quietly, “All of Adam’s friends are celebrating over there, and yes, it’s your son’s party, but you’re drunk, sir. I don’t think you want their memory of Adam’s party to be about your drunken antics. Or do you?”
He bucked against Mason’s hold. “You’re just jealous. Your future’s been mapped out since before you were born, and you can’t stand how happy Adam is.”
I didn’t move closer. I wasn’t sure if I was the best female presence for this job.
Mason shot Adam, who looked exasperated, a dubious look.
“Dad.” Adam reached out, touching his dad’s shoulder. “That’s not the case, and you know it. Yes, I’m very happy with Becky, but Mason’s happy with Samantha.”
“Samantha.” Mr. Quinn gurgled out my name. “That’s the girl, Adam. You should’ve been with her. I like your little Becky, but she doesn’t have the breeding Sam Strattan does.”
I wasn’t hearing this. There was no way.
“Dad!” Adam barked out.
Mason’s eyes took on a murderous glint, but he didn’t say anything. He continued to hold Mr. Quinn’s arm behind his back.
“Steven,” James waded in. “You had too much whiskey playing golf. Let your son call a car for you and go home. Sleep this off.”
“Oh, yes. Breeding.” Mr. Quinn’s smile turned into a leer. “You know what I’m talking about, James. I bet she’s like Analise in the sack—”
No. No. No.
I was rooted in place. I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t even lift my hand to cover my ears. So I closed my eyes.
“Steven!” James yelled.
“Dad!” Adam screamed at the same time.
“Hot…writhing…” Quinn’s tone was warm, gushing, and I felt sick again. He kept going. “She can buck you like a wild mustang, if you know what I me—”
My eyes flew open as I heard a punch.
Quinn would’ve fallen if Mason hadn’t been holding him up. After a second punch from James, Mason let go. Adam grabbed his father, and Mason moved to shove his own father back.
“Dad,” he said. “Stop.”
“When did you sleep with her?” James strained against Mason’s hold. “When?!”
Quinn looked oddly calm. He wiped his mouth and looked at the blood on his hand. Then he laughed. “Wow. I can’t believe—James, you punched me.”
“When did you sleep with Analise?”
Adam held his dad back, but he didn’t need to. Steven Quinn wasn’t moving. Adam looked over his shoulder, his eyes closed in pain at James’ question.
“Not when she was with you,” Quinn said.
I heard another set of footsteps behind me. I knew those steps. I’d been listening to them all my life, and I reached out when the man who raised me drew near.
“Dad,” I said, my voice a hoarse whisper. “Don’t.”
“It was when she was with Strattan,” Steven continued. “She was with almost all of us. You had to have known, James.”
James was shaking. If Mason hadn’t been holding him back, he would’ve been on Adam’s dad again. Adam and Mason looked strained and tense, alert for any other attacks. No one was paying my dad or me any attention.
“I don’t care if it was when she was with David. You don’t talk about her like that!” James yelled.
My dad turned and left, as silently as he’d come.
I looked back, and Mason met my gaze. When he saw David’s retreating back, he nodded. That was all the permission I needed. I hightailed it out of there, hurrying after my dad. I ran across Nate on my way, and ignoring what he started to say, I pointed to where I’d come from.
“Mason needs your help. I gotta handle something of my own.”
“But—”
I was already gone.
I found my dad in the parking lot, weaving through the vehicles to find his. He wasn’t even waiting for the valet. “Dad! Wait.”
He was close to his truck when he turned around, keys in his hand. “Honey, I’m okay.”
She shook her head, standing next to me. “I installed a program on the computer so I can monitor all his emails and social media pages.”
Um. Holy shit? I felt my jaw falling.
“She’s been private messaging him, but so far he’s not responded. He’s just been polite, as he’s been with all of them.” Her gaze lingered on Lydia before moving on to Miranda and Amelia. It stayed the longest on Amelia.
“She’s the one you’re worried about?” I felt so proud of her. I couldn’t explain why, but it was like my little sister had grown up before my eyes.
“Yeah. She’s the one he shares the most with.”
“They were friends in school.”
“Not that great of friends. It changed a year ago. They worked on a project together at college. It’s been…different since then.”
“What about Miranda? She dated him.”
“She’s in love with Peter.” Becky shook her head. “I used to worry about her, but she only talks about how great Peter’s been in their messages. She asks about me, too. Amelia’s never brought me up.”
“That says a lot.”
“I know.”
“You just needed me to say it, didn’t you?”
She let out a deep breath, her eyes downcast. “I needed someone to say it. I’ve felt horrible thinking it, but yeah. I needed someone else to voice the same concern. I’ll be fine now. It’s like you gave me permission to doubt the man I love.”
“You’re going to still marry him, aren’t you?”
She turned away from the window, looking me square in the eyes. Her gaze held mine steadily. “Yes. I’m not going in blind, and I do love him. I always did. I chose him over you. I turned my back on a good friend, and I’ve felt regret ever since. Marrying him is a small way of making it right. I know that probably doesn’t make sense, but he can provide me with a good life until we divorce, if that’s what happens.”
“You’re going to keep monitoring him?”
“Oh yeah. If he leaves me, he won’t know what hit him. I’ll have years of evidence.”
I reached out and took her hand. This time, I meant it when I said, “I’m glad I have your friendship again.”
She squeezed my hand so tightly. “Me, too.”
We were heading back to the pool when Malinda stopped us as we crossed the lobby. “Hi, Becky, honey.” She touched my hand, still beaming at Becky. “Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials. I’m so happy for you and Adam.” She looked at me. “Sam, can I have a minute with you?”
“Uh, sure.”
Becky hugged Malinda before she went back outside, and my stepmother pulled me in the opposite direction Becky and I had just come from.
“What’s going on?” I asked her.
She didn’t answer, just increased her pace. She wound back outside, but we took a hidden path behind the pool. Palm trees and shrubbery blocked us from view. I heard raised voices, but couldn’t place them until we rounded a corner.
Standing in a small group outside an entrance to the country club’s tennis courts, with a bunch of golf carts behind them, were James Kade, Steven Quinn, Adam, and Mason. There was no sign of Matteo or Nate.
I leaned forward. “What’s going on?”
She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and whispered. “Your father is coming to help with the situation, but I thought it was a good idea to have a woman present. I can’t stay. I have to get back to the party or someone will start wondering if something’s wrong.” And on that note, she pressed a kiss to my forehead, then hurried back.
I approached, hearing Mr. Quinn yell, “It’s my son’s engagement party. I can enter if I want to.”
Oh, goodness. He was drunk. He flung an arm in the air and would’ve hit Mason if he hadn’t ducked. Instead, Mason caught it, twisting it around Adam’s dad’s back and pulling it tight.
Ignoring Mr. Quinn’s yelp of pain, he said quietly, “All of Adam’s friends are celebrating over there, and yes, it’s your son’s party, but you’re drunk, sir. I don’t think you want their memory of Adam’s party to be about your drunken antics. Or do you?”
He bucked against Mason’s hold. “You’re just jealous. Your future’s been mapped out since before you were born, and you can’t stand how happy Adam is.”
I didn’t move closer. I wasn’t sure if I was the best female presence for this job.
Mason shot Adam, who looked exasperated, a dubious look.
“Dad.” Adam reached out, touching his dad’s shoulder. “That’s not the case, and you know it. Yes, I’m very happy with Becky, but Mason’s happy with Samantha.”
“Samantha.” Mr. Quinn gurgled out my name. “That’s the girl, Adam. You should’ve been with her. I like your little Becky, but she doesn’t have the breeding Sam Strattan does.”
I wasn’t hearing this. There was no way.
“Dad!” Adam barked out.
Mason’s eyes took on a murderous glint, but he didn’t say anything. He continued to hold Mr. Quinn’s arm behind his back.
“Steven,” James waded in. “You had too much whiskey playing golf. Let your son call a car for you and go home. Sleep this off.”
“Oh, yes. Breeding.” Mr. Quinn’s smile turned into a leer. “You know what I’m talking about, James. I bet she’s like Analise in the sack—”
No. No. No.
I was rooted in place. I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t even lift my hand to cover my ears. So I closed my eyes.
“Steven!” James yelled.
“Dad!” Adam screamed at the same time.
“Hot…writhing…” Quinn’s tone was warm, gushing, and I felt sick again. He kept going. “She can buck you like a wild mustang, if you know what I me—”
My eyes flew open as I heard a punch.
Quinn would’ve fallen if Mason hadn’t been holding him up. After a second punch from James, Mason let go. Adam grabbed his father, and Mason moved to shove his own father back.
“Dad,” he said. “Stop.”
“When did you sleep with her?” James strained against Mason’s hold. “When?!”
Quinn looked oddly calm. He wiped his mouth and looked at the blood on his hand. Then he laughed. “Wow. I can’t believe—James, you punched me.”
“When did you sleep with Analise?”
Adam held his dad back, but he didn’t need to. Steven Quinn wasn’t moving. Adam looked over his shoulder, his eyes closed in pain at James’ question.
“Not when she was with you,” Quinn said.
I heard another set of footsteps behind me. I knew those steps. I’d been listening to them all my life, and I reached out when the man who raised me drew near.
“Dad,” I said, my voice a hoarse whisper. “Don’t.”
“It was when she was with Strattan,” Steven continued. “She was with almost all of us. You had to have known, James.”
James was shaking. If Mason hadn’t been holding him back, he would’ve been on Adam’s dad again. Adam and Mason looked strained and tense, alert for any other attacks. No one was paying my dad or me any attention.
“I don’t care if it was when she was with David. You don’t talk about her like that!” James yelled.
My dad turned and left, as silently as he’d come.
I looked back, and Mason met my gaze. When he saw David’s retreating back, he nodded. That was all the permission I needed. I hightailed it out of there, hurrying after my dad. I ran across Nate on my way, and ignoring what he started to say, I pointed to where I’d come from.
“Mason needs your help. I gotta handle something of my own.”
“But—”
I was already gone.
I found my dad in the parking lot, weaving through the vehicles to find his. He wasn’t even waiting for the valet. “Dad! Wait.”
He was close to his truck when he turned around, keys in his hand. “Honey, I’m okay.”
