Wrangled (Steele Ranch 2)

“You are an idio

t! He now has half your property.”

“I don’t think I formally introduced myself. I’m Boone Montgomery. Of the Butte Montgomerys.” When my mother didn’t even blink, he continued. “Never heard of me?”

She shook her head, writing him off. I had no idea who the Butte Montgomerys were either, but I didn’t really care who his family was. Based on my mother, family didn’t make a person. I just wanted Boone.

“No? Then perhaps you’ve heard of Nathan Montgomery, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He’s my uncle. I believe he’s in your neck of the woods. Then there’s Jed Montgomery, but he’s a little before your time. He was Senator from Montana back in 1924. Then there was his father, Garrison Montgomery, who was one of the great Copper Kings. You’ve heard of them. They had more money than the Rockefellers, but that was only a small amount of money. It’s been over a hundred years and I’m sure the sum’s much bigger now. Are those enough big names for you or did you want me to go further back on my family tree?”

Mother sniffed. “So she married you, after two weeks? She must want you for all that money.”

“So am I after her money or is she after mine?” he asked. When she realized she’d gotten caught in her own words, Boone relaxed, smiled. “You think she’s after me for my money? Please. She wants me for my big dick.”

I choked on my own spit. Jamison outright laughed. Sutton’s lips quirked up, his version of a smile.

“That will be quite enough,” she replied tartly.

“That’s right. We’re done here.”

She glanced down the table at me, but didn’t say anything.

“Tell Borstar to stay off my land or I’ll have them arrested. And you as well. You’re not welcome here. At first, I thought you walked away from my father. My real father. But now, I’m sure he walked away from you. What were you guys, drunk? Is that how he got you pregnant?”

I shook my head when she pursed her lips so tight, it looked as if she were sucking on a lemon. She did flush a bright red, but made no comment. It didn’t matter. I didn’t really want to know about her one-night stand.

“If you come back, or make any contact with me, I’ll talk,” I added. “About Borstar. About Aiden Steele.”

“You’ll be ruined,” she said. While she was full of bravado, I saw her powerful walls crumbling.

Slowly, I shook my head. “No, I won’t. You will. Goodbye, Mother.”

I went around the table, stood between Jamison and Boone.

She gave me one last disdainful look, then turned and left. The security detail followed. We didn’t move until the SUVs started up and pulled away, their engines fading into the summer day.

“They didn’t even close the front door,” Sutton said. He stood, grabbed his hat and walked out, closing the door behind him.

“Are you all right, Kitten?” Jamison asked, coming over to me, putting his hands on my shoulders, leaning down so his gray eyes met mine.

I smiled. Brilliantly. My mother was gone. For good. “Fabulous.”

He smiled. “That’s right, you are.”

“You told that woman she’d interrupted something important.”

I flicked my gaze up to Boone. “That’s right. She did.”

“Oh, and what was that?” he asked.

Seemingly content I wasn’t going to burst into tears over the confrontation, Jamison stood to his full height, crossed his arms over his chest. Waited.

“It’s not Scrabble.”

16

BOONE

“You really have an uncle who’s a judge?” Kitten asked as I worked to undo the buttons on her shirt. Again.