Page 9 of Just (Fake) Married (Calloways vs. McGraws #1)

FIVE

ETHAN

The Calloway women walked into my father’s study dressed in black, with bright red lips, smelling of perfume and brimstone.

“Jesus,” Mac muttered. “When they’re together like that, they look like a coven of witches.”

Amity had dropped her winter coat, revealing a tight, black denim dress that showed off her tiny waist, and curvaceous top and bottom. That, along with her viper red lipstick, did not bode well for my brother’s peace of mind.

Mac turned his back on her, finding a spot to stand and scowl and pretend like he wasn’t haunted by Amity Calloway’s breasts, in the far corner of Dad’s study.

Poor guy.

“Come on in,” I said. The fires had been burning for a while, but the old house was still cold. Winter wind found its way in, no matter what.

“Can I get you something?” I asked Monica Calloway. We had tea and coffee set up in the corner, and Mrs. Walker had made some muffins and coffee cake.

“Oh, no, thank you. I’m fine,” Monica said. She was a beautiful woman, you could see where her daughters got their looks. Her skin was still smooth and her green eyes were bright. But she looked around the room like she was expecting an ax murderer to come out from behind the curtains.

“I’ll take a whiskey,” Bliss said, collapsing backwards into one of the big leather couches on either side of the rug in front of Dad’s desk.

She put her boots up on the coffee table, and every McGraw in the room stiffened, remembering the hiding we’d get if we put our feet on that coffee table in front of Dad.

I glanced at Mac. Was he going to say something? Should I?

But we didn’t. Boots on the old coffee table seemed like the least of our problems today.

“Hey,” Bliss said, stretching her arm across the back of the couch and looking around. “So, is Eli going to make an appearance, or what?”

“Overseas,” I said, and Bliss pursed her lips and looked away.

Tag poured whiskey into a cut glass tumbler and brought it to Bliss. “Thanks, handsome,” she said with an outrageous wink, and he lifted a corner of his lips in a smile.

“Where’s Sunshine?” Tag asked, and all of us were surprised to hear him talk. Especially about Sunshine Calloway.

“Our sister doesn’t leave her office, much less the city. Also, she thinks this is a trap,” Bliss said, and sucked back half the whiskey. “Harmony will report back everything she needs to know.”

Today was going to be hard enough, and it felt like four lit fuses had just walked into the room. My eyes searched out Harmony, and I found her in the corner, pouring coffees and teas, adding sugar and milk.

The cold winter sun hit her hair and turned it to fire. She had it pulled back, but the curls were fighting their way loose and I had a memory bob to the surface of my brain. Me pulling one of those curls taut and then letting it bounce back. It had felt like silk.

“Ethan,” she said, her face still and careful. “You’re staring at me and it’s freaking me out.”

“Sorry. Let me help you,” I said, reaching for the plate she’d piled high with coffee cake and fruit.

“No need,” she said with a smile. “I’ve got it.” She handed tea and coffee to her sisters, delivered a plate of cake to her mom, and sat down on the couch. She slapped Bliss’s legs until Bliss removed her boots from the table.

“So,” Harmony asked, looking around. “When does this little shindig get started?”

I looked at my watch. Mr. Prescott, Dad’s lawyer, was already late, and Carter wasn’t here yet.

“Any minute,” I said.

“In that case, I’ll have a whiskey, too,” Amity said, wincing as she took a sip of tea.

She crossed her mile-long legs and I practically heard my brother’s increased heart rate.

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Mac said. “You know what happens when you have too much whiskey.”

“Oh, you wish,” she said, touching a finger to those red lips.

Tag poured a finger of whiskey in a glass and brought it to her while Mac continued to glower.

“Why do you hang out with this family, Tag?” Harmony asked, delicately wiping crumbs from her lips. She wore deep red lipstick and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever seen her in lipstick. It made her look like a different woman.

“They pay me,” Tag said, and the Calloway women laughed and laughed.

Mac squeezed the top of his nose. “I’m getting a headache,” he muttered.

“Where’s Carter?” I asked, and Mac shook his head.

“I don’t know, man, he’s just like this now. Late all the time.”

“Is it the kids?”

“Of course, it’s the kids,” Mac laughed, and then lowered his voice. “The guy needs help.”

“Hi! Hi!” Carter said, finally walking in the door. His hair was still damp and there was a big wet spot on his shirt. “Sorry I’m late. Mr. Prescott is coming in right behind me. “

“Everything okay?” I asked, because beneath his smile he seemed like a man at the end of his rope.

“Just a little dust up between Taylor and Luke. Mrs. Walker is watching over them.” He was clearly downplaying a situation.

“Everything okay with… them?” he asked, cocking his head towards the Calloway women, sprawled all over the couch.

Amity was drinking her whiskey and staring daggers at Mac.

Bliss looked like she’d rather be anywhere else. Monica looked nervous, and Harmony…

Harmony looked like she was casing the joint.

As I watched, she leaned back and picked up a brass statue of a horse that had sat on that end table for probably a hundred years and weighed fifteen pounds and …swear to God, tried to put it in her purse. When it didn’t fit, she put it back.

I laughed, and when her eyes flew up to mine, I just kept laughing.

The little kleptomaniac.

Her eyes narrowed and she put that nose up in the air like she hadn’t been caught doing anything.

“Hello, everyone,” Mr. Prescott swept into the room, like the strange vibes were nothing, and walked right over to the desk. “We have a lot to cover today.” He put his briefcase on the desk and looked up at all of us gathered there. “Everyone here?” he asked.

“Everyone is here who can be,” Carter said.

“If you all don’t mind, I’ll go on about my business,” Tag said.

“You’re part of this family, Tag.” Carter reminded him.

“Appreciate it, but this business isn’t about me, and this ranch doesn’t run itself.”

“Tag!” Bliss cried. “If you leave, you’re taking all the handsome with you.”

“Somehow, I think you’ll survive,” Tag said, and left.

Carter nodded in the lawyer’s direction. “Okay. You can go ahead.”

Mr. Prescott looked over at the Calloway women with their red lips and indolence, and did a double take.

“Glad to see you came,” he said graciously, if not nervously.

Harmony lifted her coffee cup and took a long sip before setting it back down on the saucer. There was something about her indifference that made me…crazy.

I didn’t give a shit about what was in that will, but I knew that whatever it was, it was going to be a problem. Probably a lot of them. Like a series of small strokes that led to catastrophic arterial damage.

Why did Dad want these women here?

“So,” Mr. Prescott began. “I want to be very clear that Leroy McGraw changed his will six months ago. He was of sound mind and body when he did so, but I believe he sensed the end was near for him. He was explicit in his instructions, and you should know this is a legally binding will.”

“Well, shit,” Carter muttered. “This doesn’t sound good.”

“I am to read this letter.”

Mr. Prescott cleared his throat and started to read.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Harmony picked up her sister’s empty whiskey glass and slipped it into her bag.

I coughed and her eyes flew to mine. However, instead of looking guilty or embarrassed, she looked me dead in the eye like all she was doing was taking her due.

It had always been just another wedge between the Calloways and McGraws. Yes, they owned most of the businesses in town, but in a place like Last Hope, those profit margins were always pretty thin. Growing up, the Calloways didn’t have much in the way of material things.

Whereas, the McGraws…well, we appeared to have it all. At least from the outside.

So, yeah, if Harmony thought she was getting some revenge by stealing a crystal glass, let her have it, I thought.

She lifted her finger and wiped the edge of her lip, like she was cleaning up that deep red lipstick. There was something about the stress in the room, her perverse nature, and the sight of her now smeared red lips that made my skin too tight.

Suddenly, all of my unease and frustration turned on her. A frustrated electric pulse traveled through me. I imagined lifting the skirt of that dress she wore, sliding my hand along her thigh. My face in front of hers, breathing in her air. Forcing her to breathe in mine.

Asking her what the hell she was doing, coming here and stealing…my peace of mind.

Our eyes were locked and I could see the rapid lift and fall of her chest. She was not as indifferent as she wanted to be.

It had been ages since I’d felt like this.

Like I wanted to take everything out on someone.

This instinct, this feeling, had always reminded me too much of my dad, and so I’d squashed it.

Now, twenty-four hours back in his house, and faced with Harmony Calloway – that feeling was back with a vengeance.

God, the things I wanted to do to her.

“ Monica, ” Mr. Prescott read from the letter, and everyone in the room stiffened. I pulled my attention away from Harmony. “ I hope you did what I asked, and are wearing the ring I gave you. ”

Everyone, especially her daughters, turned to stare at Monica. Stared at her while she spun a small diamond ring around her left ring finger, and looked like she might burst into tears.

“ I should have kept the promise I made when I gave you that ring. I am sorry I listened to my father. I’m sorry I let my pride get in the way .” Mr. Prescott read. “ And I’m sorry for everything that happened after that . I know I let you down. ”