Page 41 of Taming His Brat

“Wasn’t the lawyer able to get ahold of you? Even so, I mean, you must have guessed when the money stopped coming, right?”

“Money? What? Charlie, I don’t understand where all this is coming from.” Vicky’s dark eyes predictably filled with tears.

“The money dad was paying you to stay away for my whole life. The money you happily took to support your lifestyle when you gave up seeing me forever. If the lawyer couldn’t find you then I guess you must have realized when the money dried up, huh?”

Her mother’s expression crumbled, and she seemed to age ten years in front of her. For once there was no delicate dabbing at her eyes. The tears ran freely cutting streaks through the make-up. But it was still an act.

She must have known that it was over, but she made an effort to deny it even so. “You can’t possibly believe I would—Charlie, I love you. I always loved—it was yourfatherwho wanted me out of your life. I had no choice but to agree to his terms!” The words managed to sound both hurt and outraged at the same time.

Charlie wanted to laugh but it hurt too much. “Yeah. Well, I’m going to make you a new deal. We’re not going to negotiate. I’ll give you my terms, take it or leave it.”

“Charlie, please. You don’t understand what it was like. I hated it here. The animals, the dirt, none of it was what I thought it would be. I knew you’d be okay here. You always loved Jimmy more anyway.” Vicky’s expression was full of pleading for Charlie’s understanding.

Maybe some of it was real, or maybe she was just sad she’d messed up her payday. Well, if that was the case she didn’t need to worry. Charlie wasn’t going to throw her out with nothing. Vicky was still her mother. She held up a hand to cut her off and the older woman went silent.

“I’m going to go and find Sam, and I want you gone by the time I get back. Leave your contact and bank info on the table. I’ll go through my finances and set up a monthly stipend for you. I don’t know what dad was paying you—” She paused and looked at Vicky expectantly.

Her mother looked down and named a number that seemed huge to Charlie, who had never felt wealthy, but if Jimmy had been able to afford it then she assumed she could probably carry it too. “I’ll discuss it with my lawyer and see what I can do.”

Vicky looked up and Charlie thought maybe, maybe she was finally seeing the woman’s true emotions. There was sorrow there, but gratitude too, and a little resentment. “You’re just like your father.” The words were without heat, resigned.

“Yes, I am. I guess that’s what happens when you grow up without a mother around. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re okay, but I’ve got some rules.”

The older woman laughed; it was a brittle sound. “Of course you do. I suppose you want me to go away and never come back.”

“Not exactly.” Charlie shook her head. She’d thought about it, but that wasn’t what she really wanted. “I want you to go away and not come back until Iinviteyou. I need time to cool down and think about everything that happened. But then … I want—I’d like a chance to get to know you without the masks and hidden motivations, but there are going to be boundaries this time.”

Charlie wasn’t sure what Sam would think about that, but one thing hadn’t changed. She did still want a relationship with her mother. It couldn’t have all been fake. They’d spent too much time together for her to think Vicky had been in-character every moment.

She was judging the hell out of the woman right now, but nothing was ever as simple as it seemed. And her dad’s letter, while warning her, had still shown an unexpected amount of fairness when he’d talked about Vicky. If he could be fair … then so could she.

Vicky seemed shocked. “You really want that?”

Charlie took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out slowly with a nod. “I do. Vicky, I missed having you in my life growing up. I don’t know if Dad was right or wrong in keeping you away. I know he thought it was for the best, and maybe it was, but I’m an adult now. We might never be super close, but I want to at least try to be friendly.”

Her mother seemed so fragile in that moment. Her eyes were wide and glossy with tears. Make-up smeared a clown mask across her face, but there was a vulnerability in her expression. Hope.

Charlie might have been imagining it or seeing what she wanted to see, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to be fooled again and next time Vicky came back it would be on new terms. She felt confident that if they couldn’t be friends, at least she could have the closure she needed to finally get past all her childhood issues.

“I’ll see about setting up the money, and once I’ve had some time to think I’ll be in contact with you.” She hesitated and then leaned in and laid a gentle kiss on her mother’s cheek. “Bye mom.”

She didn’t look back as she left. Vicky was her past, but Sam was her future and she needed to go make things right with him before it was too late.

Chapter Twelve

He hadn’t planned on getting in a huge fight with her mother. He’d gone there with the sole intention of taking his girl home, even if he had to sling her over his shoulder and carry her there himself.

She wanted some space, so he’d given her three days. That was more than reasonable, but the whole point of her moving in had been to prove she was ready to commit. To be fair neither of them had expected to be tested like this, but he was her Dom. She couldn’t just take off without talking to him.

The worst part was how obvious it was that she wanted to come home. He could see it in the way she leaned into him and looked off towards the ranch with a sad expression, but she wouldn’t give in. He probably could have talked her into it if her mother hadn’t come storming out.

He’d given up any pretense of liking Vicky. She was hurting Charlie. She was manipulative as hell, and whatever her plans where they werenotin his girl’s best interests. He’d still done his best to be polite to her for Charlie’s sake, until she started insulting him and then it had escalated quickly.

The fight took up his entire focus, so he didn’t actually notice Charlie staying out of it. He saw her as she ducked inside the house and let her go. It was probably better for her not to be in the middle of the mess, and he felt bad that he’d let Vicky goad him into losing his temper.

It couldn’t be easy for her to watch her partner and mother fighting. But once she was gone, he stopped holding back and let Vicky have it with both barrels. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing hereMs. Townsend, but it’s going to stop. I love Charlie too much to let you continue to take advantage of her.”

“That’s my daughter you’re talking about, and she’s too good for you. I can’t believe she fell for a scruffy ranch hand, but believe me, once she sees what else is out there, she’ll drop you in a hot second.”

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