Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
There were thousands of millionaires in Dallas. One more wouldn’t make them blink…
Plus, I wouldn’t have to deal with whatever bullshit was heading my way at that moment.
“Ma’am,” the woman said. “We can’t take this check.”
My brows rose. “Why not?”
“Because you don’t have that kind of money to back it up,” someone muttered from the partition two down.
I glanced her way and saw a girl I’d graduated with years ago.
I thought about fighting it but then decided…fuck it.
“Okay,” I said. “Give that check back, then. I’ll take it to my other bank.”
Her brows rose. “We can’t return fraudulent checks.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“You do realize, right, that the check is in my name?” I asked.
“Yes, we do,” the man, who had to be the branch manager, said.
“And you do realize, right, that if I leave, I’m taking a very large account with me?”
There was another snort from my asshole classmate.
“Ma’am…” the branch manager said in a patronizing tone. “Please leave.”
I pulled out my phone, then pulled up my bank account.
When it was up, I turned it around to her and said, “That’s my bank account right now. In the other bank.”
The manager’s eyes went wide.
“Oh…”
“Now, give me my check back,” I ordered. “And let’s get my account closed down while I’m here. Where’s your office?”
When I got home, I was exhausted, and Kent and Anders agreed with me.
Neither one of them had much to say as we drove to the ranch.
Kent, instead of going inside, went to the barn where he could see Posy working and picked up a shovel.
I carried the groceries inside and got started on dinner.
By the time everyone was surrounding the table, it was apparent that everyone was in a mood, even Posy.
Everyone went their separate ways, and I headed outside when Posy said he still had more work to do.
I followed him outside, thinking I would find him in the barn, but he was nowhere in sight.
Twenty-Five
I have the paper towel habit of a wealthy person.
—Searcy to Posy
POSY
I was angry.
So. Fucking. Angry.
Earlier we’d gotten those papers saying that both Taryn and her own mother were suing her. Then, I’d been in the barn when my mother had stopped by and let me know that she’d ‘appreciate it greatly if I could make it to her formal dinner this week.’
When I’d said I wasn’t going, she’d told me I was, and then informed me that if I didn’t go, she’d be helping Searcy’s mother form a suitable case against her.
And since my mom didn’t bluff, that’d just pissed me way the hell off.
I’d agreed to go to dinner, but only because I wanted to buy myself some time.
Her parting shot of ‘don’t bring the girl’ had only made me even more mad.
As soon as I’d eaten dinner, I’d headed to my office over the barn and got onto a call with Apollo.
After ensuring that he was looking into my mother and her bullshit, I headed back downstairs and came to a halt when I saw my girl feeding Bumbo an apple.
“You’ll make him fat.”
She jumped and turned, her eyes wide.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” I apologized.
She smiled, but it didn’t meet her eyes.
“Bad day?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Ignorant people. Plus, had an issue with the bank in town. I closed my account.”
My eyes widened. “What happened?”
She explained, and I gritted my teeth.
“That might’ve been my mom’s fault,” I said. “She’s determined to cause problems with me.”
“What do you mean?”
I explained what’d gone on with my mom today, then explained what she had to say about the dinner, and how she’d told me not to bring Searcy. I’d followed it up with, “My stepfather runs that bank.”
“Well,” she shrugged, “I closed my account regardless. It doesn’t matter what they say now. I closed my account.” She hesitated. “My mom has a lot against her. She’s bitter and angry at the world over something my father did years ago. She can’t hurt me. She doesn’t even have complete custody of her kids anymore. If she wants to fight me for them, she’d have to take me to court, and Anders and Kent are old enough now that their opinions will be taken into consideration. She can’t win.”
“That’s not going to stop me from going to this dinner and figuring out what it is my mother wants,” I grumbled as I gave Bumbo a good scratch.
“Well,” she said, “I’m not letting you go alone.”
I winked. “I like you a lot, Searcy.”
She stuck out her tongue. “Just like?”
My eyes moved to hers, and I studied her for a long moment before I admitted, “Not just like.”
Eyes twinkling, she said, “It’s for my sparkling personality, isn’t it?”
“Of course.” I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder.
Then I took her to my office so we could christen that space, too.