Page 231 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

“Proof that Lester gave you money.”

“Of course Lester gave me money after Dad died,” she scoffs. “It’s like I said, he was there for us.”

“No, Amanda. Not just after. Before too.” I gesture to the envelope in her hands. “Copies of checks and proof of deposits, both beforeandafter Dad’s death. There’s also an affidavit from one of Lester’s office workers who claims she heard you draw up the agreement—information for money.”

Her eyes round and she swallows. “So? I never did anything illegal.”

“Are you sure about that?” I ask, even though I know she’s likely right. But that doesn’t mean I can’t scare her a little. “There’s no statute of limitations on felonies in North Carolina, remember?”

She gasps, and her gaze drops to the envelope.

“You claim I broke Mom’s heart,” I force past a lump in my throat, “but you did the same to Dad. He loved that business, and the thought of losing it killed him.”

“Yeah,” she says hatefully. Her head snaps up, and her eyes blaze with fury. “He loved that business more than anyone or anything—you, me, even Mom. It always,alwayscame first.”

“So you decided to betray him?” I ask in disbelief.

“Oh please,” she scoffs, her disgust palpable. “Don’t sit there and pretend that you and Dad had some wonderful relationship. He was terrible to you too, Jace.Especiallyto you.”

“You sold him out, Amanda. We lost the business.”

She waves her hand dismissively. “Please, it’s not like you wanted it anyway. You told him so. I tried to do you a favor, but then you insisted on trying to keep it running.”

“I had to findsomeway to support you and Mom,” I plead, although I’m not sure why I’m pleading. So that she’ll understand my motivations or because I want her to help me understand hers?

“I did you a favor,” she snaps. “Didn’t you just say you’re livin’ high on the hog in Asheville?”

“I’m only in Asheville because you turned your back on me.” My throat is tight, the grief damn near burning a hole in it. “I never would have willingly left Ben.”

“You left Ben when you went to prison!” she shouts, getting to her feet and looming over me. “Do you know what you didto him? What you did tome? I didn’t have anyone to help me anymore, especially after Mom died.”

“It’s all about you, isn’t it?” I ask quietly. Deep down, I’ve always known she was selfish, but I’d never considered it might go this far.

“What the hell are you talking about?” she demands, still furious.

“I want to start seeing Ben again,” I say calmly. I’m not feeding her rage.

She shakes her head. “What?”

“I thought I was pretty clear. I want to see my nephew. I’ve missed him. I want to be part of his life.”

“And I want to be the Queen of England,” she sneers. “We don’t always get what we want.”

“I have information on Lester too,” I say, looking her in the eye. “How he sold Dad and other business owners out. How he bribed his way into contracts. Some of it’s illegal. Some of it’s immoral. All of it makes him look like the slimy dirtbag he is.”

She takes a step back. “What the fuck?” She sucks in a breath. “Are youblackmailingme?”

“No,” I say, getting to my feet. “Not at all. Iamturning that information in to the state attorney general, however, because the county prosecutor stinks as bad as three-day-old fish. We have proof that Lester bribed him and the judge to give me a stiffer sentence.” A slight exaggeration—it’s circumstantial—but the other stuff we have is more than solid to take care of Lester. “I’m just here to give you a heads-up about what’s coming.”

Panic has seized her eyes.

I gesture to the envelope. “That’s just a small portion of what we’re handing over next week. We already have an appointment to present the whole portfolio.”

“We?”

“Me and my lawyer.” No need to tell her my attorney is also my girlfriend. It might be a conflict of interest, like I joked with Mary last night, but she insists this is too important to entrust to anyone else.

“You’re giving them information aboutme?” she squawks. “You’re gonna get me sent to prison?” Her face reddens with rage. “Is that how you plan to see Ben? You’re going to try to takecustody?”

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