Page 40 of Relentless

Attempting to gain the upper hand, Harper was determined to use all the tools of manipulation in her extensive kit.

“I suppose you’re just going to throw me out into the snow,” she accused. “Just like you were going to throw me out into the storm.”

Maeve remained quiet and calm in a way that infuriated her, causing her voice to rise as she filled in the space left by the uncomfortable silence between them. “I forgot you’re the epitome of moral superiority, right Maeve?”

Maeve sighed, flicking her eyes to the ceiling before connecting them with Harper. “Last I checked, I’ve never claimed to be perfect,” she calmly replied. “And I’ve never asked you to be either.”

Harper felt uncomfortably vulnerable. Maeve’s posture was firm, but her tone was simply welcoming her to be better.

She excused herself from the room, feeling unsettled by the entire interaction.

I’m not falling for it — whatever this is.

Harper returned to her bedroom and dumped the warm winter clothes in a chaotic pile on the bed. She had never been at the mercy of anyone, and she especially wasn’t going to allow thedisgraced outcastof the family to have the upper hand.

Holding up the hideous items of clothing, she wondered how she had ever managed to get herself stuck in such an awful predicament.

Although — she would never admit it out loud, but there was something mildly comforting that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Whatever it could be was fractionally better than being left all alone at Davenport Estate.

Chapter 12

Gray Skies

Harper arrived downstairs in the baggy layers of winter clothes. The vivid image of her toes falling off from the cold was still deeply etched into her thoughts.

Oakleigh was heading out the front door, when she stopped mid-stride.

“Wow, Mom,” Oakleigh said, her pitch swinging high as she bit her lip to stifle her laughter.

Maeve swept past them both and pulled her tan hat off the rack. “Oakleigh, knock it off.”

Oakleigh immediately complied with Maeve’s stern, motherly rebuke, making Harper’s irritation rise.

“We need to get ready for Peaches,” Maeve instructed, reaching for the door handle, “And let’s figure out what we can do with these infamous new animals I’ve been hearing about.”

She swung the front door wide and let a blast of frozen air into the warm entryway. Along with it came the irritating, squawking call of the rooster still incessantly echoing from the barn.

Maeve’s brow furrowed. “Does he ever stop?”

“I wouldn’t ask him to,” Oakleigh stated, raising her chin high. “He’s doing what roosters do, Maeve.”

Maeve offered a heavy, exasperated sigh. “The bird is still up for discussion.”

“Nugget, Maeve,” Oakleigh corrected. “Can you believe old Murphy threw him in for free?” she chimed, offering Maeve a sympathetic glance. “He’s like me. He needed a home.”

“I’ve never heard of Murphy giving up anything for free,” Maeve replied, her voice fading away as they headed toward the barn. “That should have been your first red flag.”

Harper kept her distance, following a few paces behind. Her eyes stung from the biting wind. She patted her pockets, attempting to locate where she had stashed her sunglasses. Hearing a loud bark behind her, she sidestepped just in time. Bracing herself, she felt her boots slide on the icy driveway. The happy golden retriever dashed past her nearly knocking her the rest of the way down as he pounced through the snow after Maeve.

Harper tottered, struggling to regain her balance. Feeling stable enough to resume forward motion, her boots again crunched across the snowy driveway.

She had been in cold weather before, but nothing as harsh as the conditions around her. Quickly beginning to realize that wearing mascara may have been a mistake, it was confirmed when she brushed across her eyelid. Glancing at her gloved finger, she noticed a lone frozen eyelash.

“My eyelash just — froze off,” she stammered in disbelief.

“Yeah, that happens,” Oakleigh shrugged casually, as though she had also learned that same difficult lesson.

Maeve pulled open the heavy barn doors, and they followed her inside. Making their way through the musty barn, the horses began to shuffle and whinny as they passed. When they arrived at the last stall, Maeve blinked twice when her eyes landed on the flock of baby chicks scurrying to and fro.

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