Landon (Lighthouse Security Investigations Montana #3)

Chapter 1

1

Stan stared at the woman in front of him. Her perfectly made-up face was marred by the sneer twisting her red lips. Her long dark hair shimmered as she tossed it over her shoulder with a practiced flick. He’d once found it attractive. Now, it was just a distraction. Her hands were planted on her hips in a stance meant for maximum intimidation. Her towering heels elevated her height, making her legs appear endless, while the snug cashmere turtleneck sweater clung to the curves she loved to flaunt.

“You’ll be sorry!” she spat, her voice sharp.

He recognized the pre-tantrum tone, and his jaw tightened. “I already am! I was sorry years ago!”

As the words tumbled out, he remembered how his feelings had changed over the years. She had counted on her allure to draw him in from the beginning. She was captivating, and he was the dumb fuck who fell for her practiced charms.

She continued to lead him by his dick for a long time. A new designer bag after every argument. Designer clothes when she felt down, which, now that he thought about it, was more often than not. Jewelry for whenever business took him away for a few nights and she had to care for their children… which meant his mom and the help they hired did all the caring just like they had since the children were born.

His mind drifted to their early days, wondering if she was like this when he first started dating her. Back then, he’d been more interested in her beauty… hell, just a chance to bang her rocking body drew him to her. His parents warned him. “She’s a gold digger, Son.”

And when she got pregnant, they’d murmured, “Told you so.” But he’d still been so excited about impending fatherhood that he placed a ring on her finger and thought he’d hit the jackpot. But it was Pamela who’d hit the jackpot.

She gave birth to twins, then declared she was done having more children. But his son and daughter were the light of his life… something else she resented. She never liked how much affection he showered on the children and demanded that she be given the same attention.

For years, it was easy to satisfy her with gifts, giving her the lifestyle she craved—the house, the cars, and the status of being in the Fugate family in Montana. After all, with his father owning a massive ranch, she had married into wealth. Over the past thirteen years, she allowed her true self to shine through more and more. She was never satisfied.

The final blow had come when he discovered her latest boy toy had been in the house with her while Stan was gone, and the children were just down the hall. Stan filed for divorce. Even though she had been pregnant when they were married, his father and their family attorney had insisted on a prenuptial agreement. It was very generous to her, so she’d readily signed it.

Now, she was back, wanting more. Stan had given in when she’d cried about needing more child support even though there was joint custody. He’d added generously when she declared that their daughter needed designer dresses for a school dance even though Penny was only ten years old at the time. And when their son, Tad, was eleven, she’d insisted that his growth spurt meant he needed all new clothes. Of course, Stan had already taken Tad out shopping and bought an entire wardrobe that would last until the next growth spurt. However, Pamela insisted that their son needed equal clothes to be kept at her place. According to Tad, he still had to carry clothes back and forth since that money was never spent on him.

Even her expensive condo overlooking a golf course and lake was paid for by Stan in the divorce agreement. He wanted the kids to have a nice place to stay when they were with her.

And now, she was back, wanting more. The words of his father rang in his ears. “As long as you keep giving, she’ll keep taking. You’ve got to put a stop to it at some point.” Stan had argued that with the twins now being twelve, he only had six more years, and then he’d cut out all the child support, just paying for everything Tad and Penny needed without giving Pamela anything.

She wanted to take the kids out of school for a weeklong trip to the Caribbean—paid for by Stan, of course. The kids would be at her condo for the weekend, so she’d hurried to the family ranch house to argue with him about more money.

“Enough. I’m done,” he said quietly, but his words shook with resolve. “Tad has soccer, and there’s an upcoming game he won’t want to miss. Penny is the first chair violinist for the school orchestra, and taking a week off during school could cost her the honored placement.”

“I don’t know what the big deal is,” Pamela fumed, arching a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “It’s just a vacation. Don’t you think the kids deserve a vacation?”

Stan sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the blooming headache. Sucking in a deep breath, he steeled his expression as he pinned her with his stare. “The kids have vacations we plan when their school is out—not in the middle of their education and activities.”

She huffed, then surprisingly stopped glaring. “Fine. Have it your way. I’ll just tell the kids you won’t allow them to have a Caribbean vacation. You can deal with their despondency.”

“Christ, Pamela. Why do you have to make everything so complicated? If you want to plan something for the kids, do it when they’re out of school. And if it’s when they’re with me, I’ll be more than happy to let them go with you.”

The tight, fake smile she aimed his way bounced off, like most of her expressions and words nowadays. He’d spent ten years trying to make things work for the sake of the children, but now, he cared more about them than trying to keep her satisfied. Thank God, with the help of his parents and other good people in their lives, Penny and Tad were down to earth and not obsessed with designer shit.

Pamela flounced out of the office in the family home on the ranch. He moved to the window and watched as she stomped in her heels to her sedan and settled behind the wheel. He slowly shook his head as she gunned the car down the long driveway.

“Woman’s a mess. Always has been.”

The words came from a familiar deep voice approaching from the doorway. He nodded, then turned to see his father enter the room. “You’re not wrong, Dad. But then, if I hadn’t met her, I’d never have Penny and Tad.”

His dad nodded slowly. “You’re right. They’re worth everything… even putting up with that moneygrubbing—” He sighed. “Sorry, Son. I never say anything about her when the kids are around.”

“I know, Dad. It’s fine. You and Mom were right all those years ago. I was young… thinking with my dick and not realizing that what she was after had nothing to do with me.”

A deep chuckle came from Thurston Fugate as he looked at his son. “You aren’t the first man to fall into that particular trap.”

“No, I guess not.” Stan glanced out the window again, the sedan of his ex-wife long gone. But his gaze moved over the ranch with the mountains in the background, and he couldn’t help but smile. This was his heritage. Passed down for several generations. And would be passed down to Tad and Penny at some point. Without the prenup his parents insisted on when he’d married Pamela, he could have jeopardized the whole ranch.

“She’ll ask again to take the kids when they have their next vacation from school,” he said, then shook his head. “Actually, forget that. She wants a vacation now and wants me to pay for it. She probably promised her latest side piece that she’d take him. She'll want something else by the time the kids have a break.”

His father clapped his hand on Stan’s shoulder. “Your mom had Janelle fix a good lunch. Harvey is joining us, so let’s eat. Good food and good company… it’ll take your mind off what Pamela is up to.”

With that, the two men walked out of the office and headed toward the dining room.

Pamela’s eagle eye stared at the clothes she had packed and nodded with a sly grin.

“Hey, babe, you ready?”

She looked over her shoulder at the man walking into her bedroom. Roger. Tall, tanned, muscular. His blond hair was just a few weeks beyond needing a haircut, curling slightly over his ears and the back of his neck. His blue eyes never left hers, and his smile quirked upward on one side. He didn’t stop until he was directly in front of her, and his arms snaked around her waist. He jerked her sharply to him until her breasts were crushed against his chest. His lips slammed down onto hers, and his tongue thrust deeply.

Roger worked for the condo association. She’d had no problem catching his eye the previous year as she learned to be at the pool on the days he handled the maintenance. The boob job was worth the money.

Of course, their relationship would never become serious, considering he had no money, but she liked the adoring attention he was willing to offer. As their kiss ended, she wondered if she could keep him around once she found her next money honey. Besides Roger, she’d latched onto an older gentleman, Henry, who lived in one of the larger condos. He was stuffy, but she could have the best of both worlds since he willingly spent freely on her.

Henry split his time between his home in Montana and a Jamaican resort, having invited her several times. The last time, she’d flown down with Roger after Henry’s plans fell through, but he’d already arranged for her to have a vacation on the island. It had been glorious… a private resort house, Roger sharing her bed, and not having to pretend to be enthusiastic about sex with Henry.

Taking Roger had been sneaky, but she’d paid the housekeeper extra to make sure she didn’t say anything to Henry.

Looking up at Roger, she said, “The kids will be home from school in a few minutes, and I’ll spring the surprise trip on them.”

“And our plans?”

Her smile faltered, but she straightened her spine. “Don’t worry… once we get there, it will be fine.” She wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him closer until their lips met. Sucking on his bottom lip, she felt his cock thicken. Her free hand snaked downward, but the front door opening and her children’s voices made her pull back. Seeing Roger’s narrowed eyes, she placed a forefinger on his lips. “No pouting, baby,” she cooed. “Let’s get ready for a vacation.”

Stepping back, she walked out of her bedroom and met Tad and Penny at the bottom of the stairs. She swung her hands wide to the side, her eyes bright with anticipation. “I have a surprise for you. We’re taking a trip for the weekend. Who wants to go where it’s warm and has sandy beaches?”

“Seriously?” Penny asked, eyes wide. “We’re going to the beach?”

Tad tilted his head to the side. “What’s up? You didn’t tell us about this earlier.”

“It’s a surprise,” she huffed. “Can’t a mom surprise her children?”

“We haven’t packed—” Penny began.

“I had the housekeeper do it for you. Your suitcases are being loaded into the car as we speak.”

A dubious expression remained on Tad’s face. “Does Dad?—”

“Who do you think had the idea for this retreat?” Pamela quickly said, her smile still wide.

“What about our homework?” Penny continued.

“Bring all your books with you. You’ll have plenty of time on the airplane. Let’s hurry, and we can start our weekend getaway to Florida!”

Penny and Tad shared a look, then shrugged. They grabbed their backpacks from where they had been tossed onto the floor near the front door and headed to their mom’s car.

Pamela winked at Roger, then inclined her head toward her luggage. “Don’t forget to carry that last one down. After all, we need to keep up the appearance of you coming as our assistant.” With that, she made sure to offer him a close-up view of her ass showcased in her tight skirt as she sashayed out of the room.