Not just any woman. Amy. Not that Amy even looked at her—her brown eyes were glued on Hunte
r. She stepped forward, blond hair swinging, all sass and attitude. “Are you kidding me?”
“Amy?” The look on Hunter’s face told Josie he wasn’t expecting his ex-wife any more than she was.
Amy laughed, a hard, angry sound. “Talk about a homecoming.”
Hunter’s calm was surprising. “What are you doing here?”
“Eli called and asked me to come home.” She tossed her head back, her hands resting on her hips. She’d kept in shape—her skintight jeans and plunging neckline made that clear. “So, I did. It’s Christmas and all. But I’m guessing you weren’t expecting me. Or maybe you were. Maybe you knew I was on my way.” She leveled Josie with a glare so hostile there was no mistaking her implication.
Whatever Amy was thinking, it wasn’t pretty. Josie had never been on the receiving end of such unfiltered aggression. Amy might be looking for a fight, but that was the last thing she needed. Eli disliked her now, but he would really hate her if she went toe-to-toe with his mother. “I was just leaving,” Josie muttered.
“I sure as hell hope Eli isn’t home.” Amy put her hands on her hips. “A boy his age doesn’t need to see his dad sleeping around.”
“Are you serious?” Hunter’s tone was hard.
“Hell, yes, I am. Where is he? Where’s our son?” Josie heard Amy stress our son—it was impossible not to hear it. As if she needed to be reminded that Eli was their son.
“He’s sleeping over at Greg’s,” Josie said.
Amy’s nostrils flared, her eyes narrowed. “Was I talking to you? Did I ask you where my son was?” She stepped forward, fists clenched.
“Amy, that’s enough,” Hunter said. “This is my place—”
“Where my son lives,” Amy argued. “I don’t give a shit about who you’re sleeping with. But her? I know Eli has a problem with her. You know it, too. You might not give a rat’s ass about your son’s feelings, but I sure as hell do.”
“You really want to go there?” Hunter’s voice was deceptively soft.
Amy’s eyes went round, her lips thin and pinched. She didn’t say a word, but it was hard for her, Josie could tell.
“I think you need to leave.” Hunter crossed his arms over his chest. “Now.”
Josie glanced at Hunter, torn. Amy was laying it on thick, but she wasn’t entirely wrong. And they all knew it. Hunter must have guessed what she was thinking, because he frowned and shook his head. “Jo—”
“I’m going to be late,” Josie said, stepping blindly around Amy and hurrying to the barn. It was one of the longest walks she’d ever made. Her heart echoed in her ears with each step, and her eyes burned from the tears choking her.
She heard Hunter call after her, but ignored it. She couldn’t stop. Not with Amy primed for battle, screaming at Hunter. “What the hell is the matter with you? You bring that woman here, into Eli’s home? After everything—”
Hunter’s voice was too low to make out, not that she wanted to hear their conversation. Instead, she walked faster. What was she doing? What had she been thinking? What if Eli had come home last night? He would have been devastated to find her there. And his relationship with his father would have suffered for it.
She fumbled with her keys, trying to unlock her door, but dropped them instead. She knelt quickly, reaching for them, slipped on the dew-slicked grass and ended up on her knees. She sat, leaning against the car and staring up at the pale blue sky. The wind whipped her curls around her face and stung her eyes, making it okay for her to cry—a little. She sniffed, hugging her knees to her chest.
How many years had she spent avoiding complications? How many opportunities had she passed up because she didn’t want pain? When she’d left Stonewall Crossing, she’d been testing Hunter. She knew that now. Was it fair? No. Had she set him up for failure? Maybe. She knew what a catch he was. Amy wasn’t the only one waiting to swoop in when she wasn’t around. But she’d gone, anyway. And life, in all its complete misery, had eventually moved on. She had moved on. Sort of. Her attention followed a stray cloud across the blue sky.
She’d never stopped loving him. And that one, stupid emotion was the reason everything was falling apart. All those years of proving she wasn’t her mother, only to act exactly like her. Following her heart, regardless of the consequences to everyone else.
“Jo?” Hunter’s voice was soft. He stood, jeans unbuttoned and shoved into his boots, shirt flapping wide enough to reveal every gorgeous ridge and dip of his muscular chest and stomach.
She almost groaned in frustration, angrily wiping the stray tears from her cheeks. “I dropped my keys.” She pushed up, turning to unlock the door.
“You locked your car? Out here?” His hand came around, taking the keys.
She wouldn’t face him. Instead, she held her hand out. “Keys.”
“Nope.”
She clenched her fist, then opened it again. “Keys!” She waited, and waited, but he didn’t say a word or give her the keys. She spun around, all restraint gone. “Give me the keys,” she hissed.