Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
WHITNEY
Itoss a cheese puff in my mouth, and watch as Brinley does the same on my lap.
We sit across from a red-headed lawyer named Tessa.
Ana and Elise dropped Brinley off shortly after the mom group ended.
Amaya and I have exchanged phone numbers with a plan to grab brunch.
Blake ran down to see Wesley, and Vivienne was off to the clinic.
That left us, Tessa, and Brinley’s five massive bags stuffed full of clothes and toys.
Tessa is stunning. And she sure as shit did not come to play.
I owe Vivienne the largest box of pizza the world can make after this, or a first-class ticket to SeaWorld for those turtles she always talks about.
My confidence skyrocketed during the time we went over all the paperwork, talked about strategies and possible angles.
She knows what she’s doing, and it’s obvious she fights for her clients like she’s personally invested.
“I did some digging.” Tessa says, flipping through a manilla folder. “It turns out Andrew hired a private investigator. He’s been following you around for quite some time.”
My face burns as her words hit me. The invasion of privacy wrapping around my skin like a bad sunburn.
The invasion of Brinley’s privacy. The balls on this man to do something so low when he was the one who wanted nothing to do with us.
I realize, then, that the next time I see Andrew, I will kill him.
“Bad news or good, first?” she asks me, leaning forward on the table with her elbows.
“Bad.” I reply. She nods, tilting her head at the stack of papers between us. “The bad part is that your dirtiest and darkest secrets could very well come to light.”
“And the good part?” I ask, resolve crumbling. It’s not like I’m an undercover criminal, but I’m sure photos with little context can make nothing look like something.
“He can’t say he had no clue Brinley was his. The investigator has pictures dating back to even before Brinley was born.” Tessa leans forward to lay a hand on top of mine. “That’s a pretty big win, Whitney.”
I let my eyes close for a brief moment, grip tightening on Brinley. A win. That’s what I’ve needed. This momentary dip of relief is exactly what I needed. When I open them again and find Tessa’s bright green eyes, my own begin to water. I give her hand a squeeze. “Thank you,” I say.
She nods, a small sad smile on her mouth.
She pulls away, before gathering all of her belongings.
We make plans to reconvene later, and then she’s on her way.
I watch, and the second her car is peeling out of the driveway, I take Brinley to the kitchen.
Wyatt is there, leaning against one of the countertops, his truck keys dangling between his hands.
“How much did you hear?” I ask as Brinley squeals and reaches for Wyatt. I hand her over as he moves towards us.
“All of it.” he replies.
“We could have walked.” I shoot a pointed glance at his keys.
He sighs in return, clearly not in the mood to pick a fight. “It’s dark. Now let’s go.” He motions with his head towards the door. “Brinley’s up past her bedtime and you need to eat something other than cheese puffs.”
When we settle into the truck and make it quickly down the road to the ranch, he shoves the truck into park. Before I can open my door and get out, his hand lands on my thigh. “We have family dinner tomorrow. We’ll announce our engagement, then.”