24
The Dick strikes again
Several hours later, Preston popped into her bedroom. “The gate just called. Dad is here.”
And just like that, her headache returned. With a groan, Brandy-Lyn forced herself upright and pushed her hair from her face, wincing when her hand glided over her wound.
“Not sure why he’s here,” Preston grumbled. “It’s not like we need him.”
“He’s your dad, Pres. And he does love you.”
“Yeah, right,” he scoffed. “He’s such a hypercritical two-faced jerk.”
“Preston.”
He lifted his chin, mouth tight, his eyes narrowed to slits. His scornful look was so alike to the ones Richard had aimed her way over the years, but she didn’t think remarking on their similarities would go down too well.
“Maybe you can tone down your animosity today? He drove six hours to get here, so let’s hear him out before you lob accusations. Or throw attitude.” She lifted her brows. The move hurt. Rubbing her forehead, she squinted at her son. “Please?”
Preston’s unyielding glare negated the “Fine,” he gritted out before storming from the room.
Unfortunately, her son had hit the nail on the head when describing his father.
“You let a drug addict stay overnight with my children?” Richard exploded, storming closer.
She stood her ground, her own fury bubbling to the surface.
But she tamped it down, not in any frame of mind to have a full-blown argument with the man.
“A recovering addict. Rafferty is a friend, Richard. One who stepped up when we needed help. I trust him with our children. And I expect you to trust my judgment,” she implored.
What had she seen in this man to marry him? Oh, right. She had been pregnant and let him talk her into doing the right thing .
“You, of all people,” he spat, pushing right into her personal space, “should know not to trust an addict.”
The barb found its mark, piercing the barrier to that dark place she seldom accessed. And it galled her that Richard knew how to touch a raw nerve. “He’s different.”
“Are you serious?” He gave a sharp, disbelieving laugh. “Wasn’t it you who repeatedly told me, ‘Once an addict, always an addict’?”
She braced herself, refusing to flinch beneath the weight of his accusations.
“He’s right, Red.” Rafferty strode into the room, his expression unreadable. “I will always be an addict.”
Amelia, hot on his wheels, wasn’t quite as agreeable. “Do you have to be such an ass?” she shot at her father.
Richard’s gaze swung between the two, before settling on Rafferty. “What are you doing with my daughter?”
“Cool your jets, Springer. Merely got her behind the wheel of the car before she lost her nerve.”
“He taught me defense driving. Out on the old racetrack.” Amelia stepped closer to Rafferty, taking hold of his arm with both her hands. “It was awesome,” she added with a lift of her chin.
Snapping his gaze back to her, Richard thundered, “And you allowed this?”
Brandy lifted her chin. “I did.”
Richard threw his hands into the air. “Have you completely lost your senses? He’s been in prison , for God’s sake,” he yelled, and stormed across the room and yanked Amelia away from Rafferty.
“Dad!” Amelia cried, stumbling against the couch, rubbing her arm. “That hurt.”
“Daddy! Stop it! You’re being so mean,” Olivia sobbed.
“You’re a jealous hypocrite,” Preston spat. “He’s an ex-DEA agent who was undercover in prison. He’s a hero . Twice the man you’ll ever be.”
“Y’all fools,” Richard boomed. “The man’s lived with scum — become scum. He’s tainted. Covered in filthy prison ink.”
“You are right. I am tainted,” Rafferty said without inflection.
“I have never denied that fact. And I certainly do not deserve to be part of the pure goodness of this family.” His stare hardened, heat simmering just beneath the surface as emotion returned to his face.
“But, Springer, lift your hand to any of your children again in anger, and I will flatten you. That’s the second time I’ve caught you manhandling your daughter.
And you’re the fool. Because only a fool would do something so idiotic as step out on a woman like Brandy-Lyn. ”
Richard aimed an incredulous look at her.
“Is this what’s been happening behind my back, Brandy?
You sleeping with an ex-con ? Inviting a druggie into the home where my children live?
Are you really so hard up to belong to the Lawsons that you’ll lower yourself to fuck” — he sent a fulminating look at Rafferty — “him?”
Brandy finally emerged from the shock of Richard’s appalling accusations. She grabbed at his arm. “Richard, control yourself.”
“Control myself?” He let out a bark of laughter, harsh and sharp.
“I’m not the one whose lost their mind. You have, Brandy.
For cryin’ out loud, I spent years trying to measure up to the ghost of Golden Boy Sullivan, and that soon became tedious.
Don’t be a fool and think you can get a do-over with his twin. ”
He shook loose from her grip and focused back on Rafferty. “Let me tell you, the only reason Brandy’s with you is because you look like him. So, tell me, Mister Druggie,” he sing-songed, “what’s it like to fuck a woman pining for your look-a-like?”
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Richard!”
And to her horror, he lifted his arms and shoved both hands into Rafferty’s chest. “ Your wife died because of your heedlessness. I am trying to protect my kids and wife.”
An almost inhuman growl emerged from Rafferty.
Tension radiated from him, and he focused a stare on Richard — sharp, cold, and absolutely withering. The kind of look that makes you feel judged, found lacking, and thoroughly scorched without a single word being spoken.
For a moment, Brandy feared he would pounce and pummel the crap out of Richard.
Something the moron deserved.
But not in front of his kids.
She opened her mouth to say something, to try and defuse the situation, but she snapped it shut as fast as she watched the change in Rafferty’s demeanor.
There weren’t really words to describe the intense stillness that settled over him. Like an instant freeze.
And when Rafferty spoke, it was devoid of emotion.
“Watch your words, Springer. This is not the time, nor the place to air your petty grievances. Your family experienced a harrowing ordeal last night, and they do not need your childish tantrums.” His gaze swept to Amelia, his muscles in his face softening somewhat.
“You practice what we went over today. Yeah?”
Amelia nodded, a tear tracking over her cheek.
He moved his focus to Preston, some unspoken message moving between them. Her son had his arm slung around a softly crying Olivia, and he met Rafferty’s stare with a chin lift and a silent nod.
Brandy’s heart shattered when his eyes settled on her and she read the finality in those deep blue depths. “Look after yourself, Red. The doc said three days complete rest.”
Rafferty turned and walked away. At the door, he stopped and looked over his shoulder, giving Richard a hard look. “I’d take a bullet for any one of them. And Springer, Brandy-Lyn is not your wife. Not anymore. You threw that away when you abandoned your marriage vows.”
The snick of the front door closing reverberated across the room.
“I hate you,” Amelia snapped at her father.
“Mimi,” he protested, making a move toward her.
Stepping back, she said, “You don’t get to call me that anymore. My name is Amelia.” She held up her hand. “And I don’t want you near me.”
Richard stopped dead in his tracks, frowning. “I drove all the way here to make sure you all were okay.”
“Bullshit,” Preston called out.
“Don’t use such vulgar language, son,” he rebuked. “And I did drive six blasted hours to this godforsaken place.”
“I don’t dispute the time it took you to get here. But you certainly didn’t come here to make sure we’re okay, because you haven’t asked us if we are okay. No, you only came here because you heard Rafferty was with us.”
“Nonsense,” Richard protested.
“You were so mean to him, Daddy,” Olivia accused. “He helped us.”
Richard flinched under the accusing words of his greatest fan and ally.“I do not want that man around you. Any of you,” he added, his eyes moving around the room before meeting hers. “I don’t want you on this ranch. It’s time to move back to Austin.”
“You sold Weeping Willows from under us!” Amelia called out. “What was Mom supposed to do?”
He ignored his daughter, a defiant gleam entering his eyes.
Brandy braced.
“In fact, I’m considering contacting my lawyers and filing for full custody.”
Even expecting his threat, the shock slammed into her chest, rippling through her limbs like an electric current, leaving her shaky. She grabbed hold onto the back of the couch lest her legs give way.
“Don’t you dare!” Preston shot out amidst cries from his sisters.
“They chose to be with me,” Brandy whispered.
“Well, Brandy, it’s time to revisit that. You clearly aren’t setting a good example for them, what with you fornicating with a drug addict, and allowing him unsupervised access to our children.”
Strength surged back, fury replacing shock. “We are not fornicating!”
“As if living under the roof of a liar and cheater with his mistress and bastard child is a good example,” Olivia accused.
“Hold your tongue, Olivia!” Richard barked.
“Why should I?” she cried. “You’re just being mean and nasty.
We were in an accident , Dad. Mimi swerved for a dog and the Yukon rolled .
And Mom was bleeding and unconscious. Rafferty dropped everything when Mimi called him.
And he didn’t leave us alone, not for a second.
He made us his special scramble last night when we got home from the hospital.
He stayed up all night watching Buffy with Mimi because she had bad dreams. And then he cooked breakfast for us, blueberry pancakes, before fetching Mom this morning.
He even took Mimi driving before she lost her nerve about getting behind the wheel.
” She sucked in a ragged breath, brushed the tears from her face, and delivered her fatal blow.
“He took care of us, Dad, in a way you’ve never done.
There’s no way I’m living with you again.
And I’ll tell that to a thousand judges. ”
“Truths, Twin,” Preston said, slowly clapping his hands. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Brandy wanted to applaud with her son, but at the same time she grieved for her daughter’s lost innocence, because today her Livvie-girl came face to face with the real Richard Springer.
Richard leveled a scornful look at them. “And to think I cancelled my golf and drove six hours for … for this .” He waved his hand around.
Amelia snorted, stomped to the door, and pulled it open. She looked defiant, but Brandy could see the hurt simmering below the surface.
“I think it’s best you left, Richard,” Brandy said. “Thank you for driving here, but as you can see, we are fine.”
Not that you’ve even asked , you pompous ass.
Her body was aching; the wound an incessant throb.
Her heart breaking.
Alas, the man wasn’t finished. “Should’ve listened to Nadine when she said you’ve poisoned my kids against me.”
“Argh!” Olivia exclaimed. “Mom has never spoken a mean word about you to us. But you … you allow that homewrecking tart to call Mom all sorts of nasty names.” Her slim shoulders slumped, and she pointed to the open door.
“Just go, Dad. We are fine.” Her laugh was short and bitter.
“Actually, we are not fine. Not anymore. But we were fine. Until you arrived and spewed hurtful stuff,” she added.
“My twin has a point, Dad . Time to go.”
“Enough.” It distressed her to watch her kids turn on their father. Brandy called upon every ounce of strength left in her, walked to Richard, and looked at him head on. “You need to go. You’ve sown enough hurt today.”
Richard’s lips thinned to a tight, straight line. “Fine. But Brandy, mark my words, you will be hearing from my lawyer.” He whirled away, without even saying goodbye to his children, stomped out the door, and down the veranda steps, leaving a shellshocked silence in his wake.
Olivia looked at her, her lower lip trembling. “We’ve lost Rafferty, haven’t we?”
That her Livvie’s first thought was about Rafferty and not Richard …
Brandy blinked rapidly, wanting nothing more than to collapse and sob her heart out. “I hope not.”