Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
I was relieved. Than seemed like he might just dislike me enough to drop the box with Momma’s collection of shot glasses on purpose. I’d wrapped each one up tight, but I wasn’t sure they could survive a fall to the pavement.
They were the most important things I had with me. I could remember Momma buying many of them. Whenever we had gone somewhere new, she always had to get one. A smile touched my lips when I thought about her lining them up in the china cabinet for display, like most women did with expensive plates or crystal serving pieces. We’d had forty-two shot glasses in ours. But my box only had forty. Two of them I’d tucked into the casket with her. She’d always said they were her favorite and that she was taking them to the grave. She had been sure she could convince the folks at the pearly gates to let her bring them in.
“It can’t truly be heaven if they don’t serve up unlimited lemon drop martinis without the hangover or weight gain.”
The two she had loved the most weren’t expensive or even rare.
One had been my grandmother’s. She’d bought it in Graceland in 1982, the day it opened to the public for tours. Momma said that my grandmother loved Elvis and raised her on his music. Every time Momma had heard an Elvis song, no matter where we were, she’d start singing along. And although she could dance, she could not sing. I would get so embarrassed when she did it, and now I’d give anything to listen to her belt out “Don’t Be Cruel” in the aisle of the grocery store.
The other shot glass was one we had found at a yard sale. It said Montana on it. She picked it up and squealed, then hugged it to her chest like a little girl who had just found her favorite doll. It was one of those that you could probably get at any service station in the state, but to Momma, it was perfect. I never understood why, but she had kept it front and center, right beside the Graceland glass.
Once both men were out of the room with my boxes, I slipped my Taser into my purse, then took the handles of both suitcases and followed them. Unfortunately, the back side of Than Carver was as nice as the front.
Three
Than
Linc nodded his head for me to walk with him away from the cabin after we dumped the governor’s bastard off with her shit. He didn’t say anything for a few moments, and I realized he wanted to be sure we were out of hearing distance. I was guessing the fact that someone knew about her paternity was an issue.
“You think you can handle this?” he asked, cutting his eyes at me.
“Do I have a fucking choice?” Because if I did, I wanted out of it.
“No. Now that I’ve seen her, it sure as hell can’t be Gathe.”
I scowled. Yeah, well, it would have been nice to have had a little heads-up on what she looked like.
“Keep on scowling,” he drawled. “The less you like her as a person, the easier it will be to overlook her, uh, physical appearance.”
That wasn’t exactly something that was overlookable, but I didn’t say it. I’d get the don’t fuck her lecture. I’d pictured an older version of the governor’s younger daughter, who was round with large front teeth and bright orange hair. Montana Carrigan was none of those things.
When the door had opened, I’d almost swallowed my fucking tongue. Thankfully, I’d gotten my composure and funneled the instant lust to anger. She wasn’t to be trusted, and I was saddled with making sure she kept her mouth shut and did as she’d promised.
“She doesn’t look like his other kid,” I muttered.
Linc let out a short chuckle. “Well, her momma was a stripper at the only elite club in North Louisiana. She doesn’t have all Baskin DNA.”
No shit. “Are we sure that paternity test is legit?”
Linc nodded. “Baskin had it done himself. He wanted to be certain.”
“Damn.”
“I’d hoped the last bullshit we had to handle because of his infidelity would be it. He swore he’d stop it before he was caught. Didn’t see a past offense coming back to haunt him.”
I let out a heavy sigh. This was going to be a long three months.
“So, what happens on Monday morning?” I asked him.
“She goes to school, gets registered,” he replied.
“Without a parent?”
“She’s nineteen, remember?”
Oh yeah. For someone who was supposed to be dumb, she had been sharp with the manipulation. I’d have admired it if it wasn’t us she was manipulating.
“I’m taking her to Madison High?”
He nodded.
“I’m going to call Doskins tomorrow and tell him she’s a friend of the family, staying here until graduation, because her mother just passed away,” he explained.