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Twenty-Four

Someone stealing your parking spot at your own house is a different kind of feeling.

— Searcy’s secret thoughts

SEARCY

I’d just written a five hundred-thousand-dollar check.

Never in my life did I think that would be something I would have the ability to do, yet there I was, experiencing the feeling.

I was going to have a panic attack.

“Calm down, you’re shaking the bed.”

I grinned and looked over my shoulder. “I’m hyperventilating over here. Leave me alone.”

“You could be sleeping,” he grumbled.

“It’s two in the afternoon on a Wednesday,” I pointed out.

“And?” he asked.

“And we could be doing so many other things,” I responded. “Like riding through the pasture.”

“It’s eight hundred degrees outside,” he interjected. “The horses get too hot. I get too hot. I’ll teach you to ride, but it has to be first thing in the morning.”

I grimaced.

Posy and I had two very different ideas of ‘first thing in the morning.’

I rolled out of bed at seven-thirty to get the kids up and to school.

When I got back, I made everyone breakfast that wanted it—as in Posy and Yates—and brought it out to them.

Sometimes I would enjoy the show that Posy provided when he was working with his horses. Other times I’d join him riding the side-by-side to visit with him while he was working. Then there were times where I got on my computer to work and never made it out of the house after breakfast.

Every once in a while I’d venture into town to Starbucks and watch Calliope work while I waited for Kent to get out of practice.

But ultimately, life had been pretty peaceful for me.

Until I’d had to write a check for that much money…

I squealed and put my hands up onto the naked chest that hovered over me, gasping just before his mouth hit my own.

I wrapped my arms and legs around him, cursing my jean shorts and tank top for being between us.

Just when his hand was reaching up underneath my tank to go for the boob grab, there was a banging at the door.

“Shit,” he sighed, pressing his forehead against mine.

I looked at the clock. “There goes your nap.”

“Yeah,” he grumbled. “Wonder if it’s more deliveries?”

I scrunched up my nose and said, “None are supposed to arrive until the end of the week.”

I’d been purchasing stuff for days, outfitting the room that both Calliope and Kent were staying in.

I’d gotten Anders some small things, but it’d been mostly furnished by a bunch of Scottie’s old furniture, so there’d been no need.

My bank card had been getting so many hits on it lately that they’d called and asked me if it was stolen.

“Dammit,” he muttered. “I only wanted an hour nap.”

I didn’t blame him.

He worked too much and barely got any sleep.

The precious hour he could steal here and there was important.

I followed behind him with the check that I’d be depositing into my bank account in town to then get a cashier’s check to take to the titling office later this evening when I picked the kids up from practices.

Kent was in football, and Ms. Smarty Pants Anders was in UIL practice.

I had an appointment at the title office in an hour, and that should give me enough time to…

“What the fuck?”

“Ms. Hodges?”

I looked past Posy’s broad shoulders to the woman standing beyond.

“Yes?”

“You’ve been served.” She paused. “Twice.”

I rolled my eyes.

We’d been expecting this, but I hadn’t been expecting two.

Posy took the papers and muttered ‘thanks’ before slamming the door.

I reached for the papers, and he handed me one set before tearing into the second set.

I read over the information, unsurprised to see Taryn’s name.

What did surprise me was Posy saying, “Your mother is suing you.”

An hour later I was at the bank by myself, and I was depositing a check into my account.

The nosy bitch behind the counter kept glancing at me over her counter, eyes wide.

I tapped my foot instead of my fingernails, waiting for her to get on with the show.

She said, “Oh, I’ll be right back.”

I crossed my arms over the other and looked around the bank, wondering if maybe I should find a different bank while I was at it.

It’d be nice to walk into a random bank in Dallas and them not give me a second look.

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.