“I’ve never given you much of any thought,” I reply. Earl Justice’s women have come and gone over the years, much like how the leaves fall and new buds peek out of the soil in the spring.
She sucks in a swift breath. “I will do anything to keep my daughter from falling into the clutches of a Justice. She deserves a better life than what you can provide. If you don’t love her, she’ll be replaced in a few years, and if you do love her…” She trails off, her brows lowering. “I might as well order the casket tomorrow.”
It’s my turn to pin her with an angry gaze. “You talk like that again and I’ll boot you so far and so fast from this ranch, you’ll have a hard time remembering what your name is.”
“Do that and I’ll take Ladybird with me. Even though we have had our troubled past, she will listen to me.”
“You were no mother to her.” Over her head, I catch the eye of Blake and motion him over with a jerk of my head.
“Widow Justice, Cameron Frank-Hyde was over there telling me she hasn’t seen you in two moons. She’s having a soiree on her new yacht docked over in Galveston. It’s a beast. You need to check it out with your own two eyes,” Blake announces with a champagne glass in hand.
Widow Justice’s eyes grow wide, and her hand flies to her chest. “Cammy is asking about me? Why I thought she ha—” Laura cuts herself off and smiles. “Never mind that. I’ll go over myself. Yacht, did you say?”
She scurries off.
“Good job. Did you make all that up?”
“Not a word. Cameron has a yacht docked in Galveston. She also said that the last time she saw Widow Justice was at Earl’s wedding.”
“I see you conveniently left out that there was no invitation for said soiree.”
“No. That’s true. I also left out that Cammy thought Widow Justice looked like she’d aged ten years and wondered if we had bad water out here.”
“Our water’s fresher than anything those city girls are drinking, even out of the bottle.”
Blake pats me on the back. “I know. She’s just jealous because this is the first time she’s ever been to the ranch and it’s ‘offensive’ she said that we’ve been hiding this place away. She wants us to host next year’s Black and White Ball.”
“I don’t know what that is, and I don’t want to know. Unless…” I ruffle my hair. “I guess if Birdie wants to host something here, that’d be okay.”
Blake laughs. “Don’t let Tucker know. He’d burn the house down before another party gets held here.”
“Hush up. Birdie’s coming over.” We both plaster on big grins for our successful girl who nearly skips her way to my side.
Her smile is stretched from ear to ear. A waiter sweeps in front of her and trips, sending a tray of champagne glasses flying. Someone lets out a shout. Birdie’s happy face turns to alarm, and she tries to reach for the waiter to keep him from falling, but he careens into one of the orange trees brought inside for the show. The tree tips into a scaffolding holding up the curtains draped across the sides of the room, and the whole construct tips forward.
“Birdie,” I shout.
She looks up and raises her arms to shield her face. I race forward and sweep her out of the way, turning so that my back takes the brunt of the blow of the steel beam. I let out a pained grunt when it hits. The curtain collapses on top of us, pushing us into the ground. Velvet weighs a fuckton. I push off the ground and run my hands over Birdie.
“You okay? Hurt anywhere?” It’s pitch black under the velvet, but she feels fine.
“No. I’m good. Are you?”
“Yeah. It’ll take more than a steel rod to bring me down. The velvet might suffocate me first though.” I bat the never-ending fabric to the side but can’t seem to find an opening.
She gives off a nervous laugh. “I love having you on top, but maybe now is not the time, Calder.”
“Right. I get it. Time and place for everything.”
Light pours in when the heavy fabric is lifted off my back, and I find three of my cousins peering down.
“You two taking a snooze or what?” Blake jokes.
“Yeah. I was tired of standing upright so I thought I’d take a load off,” I reply, pulling Birdie to her feet. Now that I can see, I inspect her more carefully. “Nothing bumped or bruised?”
I cup her head and turn it from side to side.
She catches my hand and presses it to her mouth. “I’m really fine.”
“Good.” I turn to Blake. “Find out who set this up and send him up to my office. I’m going to have a talk with him.”