Page 106 of The Lies We Told Ourselves

“Sure.” Trace nodded once and then stood from the table.

“Let’s have dessert outside,” Delaney declared, following Trace into the kitchen to have a hurried, whispered conversation.

This seemed too much and too fast for Trace, but he’d do whatever it took to make Cade happy. That was what you were supposed to do for your kids.

My gaze found Reece, and for the first time in my life, that thought made me happy. Because I’d do anything to make her—and the kids I wanted us to have one day—as happy as they could be.

And I couldn’t wait.

“Come and play, Uncle Booker,” Cade cheered, and I waved my broken arm in his direction with a sad expression on my face.

Finally, a good reason to be wearing a cast.

Some days I forgot I had it on, and others, I was seconds away from finding a saw and taking the damn thing off myself. Reece would probably kill me, though. I dreaded to think where I’d be right now if I didn’t have her as an excuse to look after myself for once.

We’d all only just stood from our seats when someone hammered on the front door of the farmhouse, and Delaney came through from the kitchen, her eyes wide in surprise.

“Who could that?—”

The door flew open, slamming into the window as it did, and a huff of distaste flowed through the house that could only have come from one person.

Xander froze, and that wonderful woman I was so in love with stepped in front of him, shielding him from the harpy that was invading Delaney’s home.

Only Regina Farrington would have the nerve to step foot into a house she couldn’t have been less welcome in like she owned the place.

“I didn’t,” Jasper rushed out, pale at the thought of getting the blame for being the one to bring her here.

For the first time in my life, I actually believed him.

“There you are,” Regina hissed as she stormed into the kitchen. She looked at the table we’d just been eating at and sneered before she turned her glare on my father. “Here, I’m not signing these.”

She threw a file of papers across the room, and then Regina looked around at the people silently watching her. There was no sorrow on her face that she’d walked into a family gathering she’d been excluded from. Any semblance of propriety she might have had before was completely gone, and there was nothing but hate on her face.

No one spoke. Xander silently picked up the papers that were now strewn across the table and shuffled them into a pile.

“You’re not welcome here,” Delaney said firmly, stepping forward while the rest of us stood in shocked silence. “If you don’t leave immediately, I will take an enormous amount of joy in calling the police to remove you from my property.”

Even I felt the corners of my lips twitching at the thought of poor Ethan, our police chief, having to drag Regina out of the house.

“There’s no need,” the woman answered, lifting her chin a fraction so she could look down on everyone like she so lovedto do. “I’m leaving for Washington immediately. I just had to come and deliver your father’s ridiculous papers. I’m not signing them, Jasper.”

“They’re more than fair,” Jasper said, finally stepping forward and putting himself between the family he wanted and the woman who’d driven them away.

Regina scoffed. “Oh, dear stupid Jasper. If you think I’ll just sign your documents and leave without a fight, then you never did really know me, did you? You can have this tiny insignificant town, but I’ll be taking the rest. Everything. When I’m finished with you, you’ll be nothing but a penniless fool in the gutter with the rest of this trash.”

“Enough,” I growled, stepping to my father’s side.

I was so done with this woman. Why had she stayed all these years when she was clearly so unhappy? Why make the rest of us as miserable as she was? Didn’t she have even the smallest shred of decency inside her?

“You,” Regina sneered in response. “At least you’re not the only failure of a son now.” Her eyes darted to Xander, and I saw Reece stiffen out of the corner of my eye.

But Regina’s attention came squarely back to me, and I was actually relieved about that for once. This was my place in the family. Standing up for them against anyone that wanted to hurt them. Even if it was our own mother. And it was a place I’d gladly stand in any day of the week.

“I should probably finally confess that I’m your mysterious investor,” she said smugly, an evil smile touching her lips when I gritted my teeth. “I would have enjoyed taking that patch of land from you, but obviously, I’ll be pulling my money, along with the rest of them. I’m almost impressed that you could upset someone as important as the governor, Booker. Maybe you’re not the biggest disappointment of the family after all. Knowing that your project is dead in the water is nearly as good asbreaking it myself, though. You should know by now, Booker. You’re not meant for success. If you could just learn your place in life, things would go a lot smoother for you.”

My mouth opened to finally tell her exactly what I thought of her, but Xander took that moment to gently move Reece aside and come to stand with me.

“The ranch project isn’t dead in the water. I’ll be investing,” he said firmly.

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