Page 126 of Embracing the Change

“I’m not sure you made that clear.”

“No, Ned. I made it very clear when she made a pass at me while my wife was dying.”

Ned flinched before he murmured, “Good Christ.”

“Yes. She’s a vulture. When she’s not being a viper.”

“Perhaps desperate times,” Ned suggested.

“I don’t give a fuck what it is,” Jamie clipped.

He’d not had time to find a way to get in touch with Paloma and share some truths.

The priority level of that had changed with this lunch.

“I hesitate to share that isn’t all the bad news I have,” Ned said.

“Terrific,” Jamie muttered.

Ned didn’t make him wait. “Roland, and I can only assume this is through Paloma, is making a number of meetings.”

“To do what?” Jamie asked.

“To gather the capital to buy the note on your family’s ranch.”

Jamie could do nothing but stare at his friend.

“Roland isn’t in ranching, he’s in shipping,” Ned stated. “But even with that, I can’t imagine what he’s trying to do, outside of fuck with you.”

Oh, he was doing that.

“The note isn’t for sale,” Jamie stated.

“It doesn’t have to be. AJ can pay it off if he remortgages with Roland’s group.”

“Goddammit,” Jamie bit.

He needed to stop delaying. With Chloe pregnant, then JT coming, and Nora and he what they were, then becoming who they are, not to mention, Jamie had to be emotionally ready to do all he needed to do, he hadn’t leaned into his father in order to decimate his resources so he could call the note.

By Texas law, his father was not as yet in default, but in Jamie’s estimations (which were never wrong), AJ had three months of assets before that would happen.

Once it happened, they’d send a 30-day breach trust letter, which would include the twenty days AJ would be given to cure the default, something he wouldn’t be able to do.

Unless someone bankrolled it.

“This is bigger than Paloma making a play for a meal ticket,” Jamie said to his glass, his mind turning through the possibilities. He looked to Ned. “Roland is definitely angry Nora and I are together, but this is even bigger than that. I don’t recall Roland ever playing nasty. Inside his sandbox, yes. Outside it, no.”

“The both of them do seem to have a healthy interest in messing with the two of you,” Ned agreed.

“And AJ is determined to stop me doing what he knows I’m doing,” Jamie added.

“An unholy trinity,” Ned murmured sympathetically.

“Why doesn’t Paloma just make a play for Roland?” Jamie groused.

“He’s already had her, and she’s far too old for him, Jamie,” Ned said. “He wants Nora back because he doesn’t want anyone else to have her, particularly you. You’re worth more than he is. You have more respect than he does. Her finding someone else after all these years, and it being you, is a one-two punch for a man like Roland. If she’s alone, he can convince himself he broke her and she’s pining for him, something that strokes a man like Roland’s ego. If she’s moved on, especially trading up, he’s unable to do that. And he wouldn’t hesitate to use an ex-lover if she proved useful to him. Apparently, Paloma is making herself very useful.”

“His relationship with his children is hanging in the balance on this, Ned. There’s enmity there. Nora has good kids, they’re loyal to her, but she’s not averse to them having a relationship with their father. If they got wind of this, I don’t think that will be in the cards for him in future.”

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