Page 11 of Vodka and Chocolate Drops

“I need my trailer. My stuff.”

“And you plan to pull it with that?” Scott asked, tipping his chin toward the sports car.

“The trailer might be a problem,” Amber murmured.

“I have a friend coming with a truck in a few minutes. He’ll tow it.”

Scott faced Amber. “Are you going to tell him, or should I?”

“It didn’t take you long to move on.” Russell smirked.

“You called that one,” Sabrina whispered to him, eyeing Scott with what looked like hunger.

“Move on?” Amber stepped in front of Scott, rage boiling through her. “Move on? You moved on to her while I was still in your bed.”

Sabrina looked away, a flush tingeing her cheeks.

“Still stuck in the friend zone, huh?” Russell said to Scott. “Sorry, pal.”

Amber lunged at him, but Scott held her back. “Not worth it,” he stated. “I’m sure karma will have a heyday and do a more effective job than we ever could.”

When Russell stepped closer to the door, Scott widened his stance, arms crossed, blocking him. “You’re not coming in. Not now. Not ever.”

“I paid half the rent this month. Therefore, yes I am.”

“Do I need to issue a restraining order on Amber’s behalf? She doesn’t want you here. She’s removed everything of yours. You left,pal.”

“I need to make sure she got everything.” Russell laid a hand on Scott’s chest, trying to push him out of the way. But he had the writer’s arm twisted and pinned behind him in a matter of seconds, his face smushed into the doorjamb.

“Were you trying to assault a police officer?” Scott growled in his ear. “That’s a court appearance and wouldn’t be good publicity at this point in time. You might be a newscaster on sabbatical, but remember, Amber comes from a small town. She’s good friends with local reporters and a story like this wouldn’t stay local for very long.”

Amber bit her bottom lip so she wouldn’t smile. She loved Scott so very much at this moment.

“You know where your trailer is?” Amber was half excited, half nervous. She pointed to the edge of the cliff, her finger shaking. “It kind of became a lesson in physics for me. Sorry. I hope you didn’t have anything important in it. Other than everything of yours that I put in there first.”

Russell and Sabrina followed her finger, their faces pinched in confusion. Finally, comprehension dawned.

“You pushed my trailer off the edge of a cliff?” Russell’s voice was high and scratchy.

Amber crossed her arms. “It was an accident. However, I don’t think your lies, cheating, or basing a fictional character on me was.”

Scott released Russell and the man massaged his shoulder, moving down the front steps, putting a safe buffer between them.

“This isn’t over, Amber,” Russell said, his voice shaking with anger.

“I say it is,” Scott retorted.

Amber spoke over Scott’s shoulder. “You’re right. I think I still owe you one for all of the secrets you kept from me.”

As Russell and Sabrina backed up the Beemer moments later, Amber turned to Scott. “No more secrets. I’m going to find out who my father is. And if you’re the friend you say you are, help me.”

2

Amber decided enough was enough. She’d hinted around for days about Philip and yet her mother had revealed nothing but obvious discomfort.

There had to be something there. There had to be more. And if Amber was going to get to the bottom of the secrets and figure out who she was, then she needed to somehow force Gloria to tell her the truth. Amber was a grown-up. She could handle it. Both of them could.

And then there was Scott. He had promised to help, but hadn’t come up with a thing she hadn’t so far. Which was nothing.

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