Page 50 of The Mountain Echoes

It wasn’t built for business or books but for the quiet elegance of handwritten letters, perfumed stationery, and a crystal inkwell that once held more sentiment than ink.

It looks out of place now, covered in legal folders and Mac’s leather bag.

When he came in he’d pointedly asked Maverick, “What the fuck are you doin’ here?”

Celine had clung to him, a single tear shimmering down her cheek like she was auditioning for the role oftragic heroine. “I need him here. Mav’s been so supportive. Emotionally, I mean. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

Hudson storms in and looks around the room. He leers when he sees his wife with Maverick. He flops down in the chair next to me, which is close enough so I can smell the bourbon on his breath.

“Shouldn’t you sit with your wife?” I suggest.

I don’t want him here, stinking up my space.

This man is unrecognizable from the man who discarded me.

“There was a time when you wanted me around,” he mocks.

Mac looks up from what he’s doing. I shake my head to let him know I’m okay. He shrugs and goes back to his papers.

“Alright, so, let’s get this started, yeah?” Mac gets comfortable in a desk chair Earl dragged in from Papa’s office, when he refused to sit on the pink velvet one that paired with thesecrétaire.

A cowboy has to draw a line somewhere!

Celine makes a sound. It’s a sob. Then she dramatically leans her forehead against Maverick’s arm.

Earl snorts.

Nadine shakes her headandrolls her eyes.

What in God’s name is going on?

I glance at Maverick. He doesn’t seem perturbed at all as he bends his head and whispers something to Celine.

Hudson chuckles softly. “You not gonna say what goes around comes around?”

I turn to face Hudson, not sure what the hell he means.

His lips curl into a mockery of a smile. “She’s doin’ to me what I did to you.”

I just managed to calm my migraine down. This kind of bullshit is not what I need to be driven into my own personal pain house again.

“She’s fuckin’ him in front of God and everyone,” he says with scorn.

His tone is low. Even he doesn’t want to announce to the world that he knows he’s a cuckold.

“She got what she wanted,” he continues, staring across the room at Celine and Maverick.

I lean back in my chair and hope that Mac will get started so Hudson will shut the fuck up.

“I made a mistake.” He leans closer to me, his lips all but brushing against my ear. Before I can move, he adds, “I married the wrong sister.”

I get up.

Fast.

The heavy armchair’s legs scrape loud against the wooden floor.

Both Nadine and Earl shift to either side of the couch to make room for me.