She stared at Andy, furious with herself at how all her old childhood reactions for this man were still so strong and potent. What was wrong with her? This man had tossed her and her helpless sister out into the night as if they were garbage. He had ground them into the dirt and would do it again without an ounce of remorse. When she looked over at Jed, she couldn’t help wondering if that saying that blood was thicker than water was true. Would he toss her out? Well, of course. Wasn’t that what wealthy, prominent families did—each other’s dirty work?
Andy was staring at her now with narrow, flashing eyes, and Diana found herself flustered enough that she had to take a step back.
“What are you doing here? I told you to get out of town and never come back.”
“Well, I’m living here and starting my law practice in North Lakewood.”
Diana had known that there would be a confrontation with Andy, but she didn’t expect this, and not so soon. She moved away again, and then Andy smiled with a ruthless gaze, and she realized he was very aware of the effect he was having on her. It wasn’t wise to give him that kind of power over her, so she forced herself to stay still and face him squarely. She had to lift her chin to look up at him, hardening her bright blue eyes with an expression that was chilly and unruffled. It took a lot of effort, but she managed.
“Don’t get comfortable. You’re not staying.”
With a confidence she had to work at, she said, “Well, I don’t think you have much say in the matter.”
“Well, that’s where you’re wrong. Jed, throw her out.” Andy never looked at Jed as he tossed out his order.
The old, familiar panic stung the back of her throat as she watched Jed uncross his arms and fist both hands.
“You don’t order me to do anything on my property. Not ever, Andy.”
This time, Diana really didn’t know what to do as she stared open mouthed at this man who overwhelmed her with his size. Obviously, that hasn’t been the response that Andy, a man who had the entire town doing his bidding, expected.
“Jed, listen to me. You don’t want this piece of trash here. She’s a Claremont looking for a meal ticket. And she doesn’t care whose family she breaks up with her trashy behavior.” He glanced back at Diana, running his gaze over her breasts and lingering on her thighs. “You’d like to be my whore, wouldn’t you, Diana?” He gave a harsh laugh.
“I’m not looking for a meal ticket. I have my own money, and I always pay my own way.”
Andy leaned into her space. “I think you’re just looking for your next sugar daddy, Mrs. Fulton. What did you do, hook up with some old guy who financed your school and bought you a fancy SUV before you divorced him, taking him for everything he had?”
Diana’s face paled, and she knew she was trembling as she bit out her reply. “I was adopted by a very kind, loving older couple who gave me their name and were killed in a car wreck during my first year of university.”
Andy’s face colored, and his expression immediately changed. Jed was just as quiet, but he watched her intently and listened to her every word in a way that was kinder.
“Sorry. I didn’t know. I shouldn’t have said that,” Andy replied a bit sheepishly.
“No, you didn’t know. But then, concern for someone’s feelings has never been the trait of a Friessen.”
“Oh, I think coming from a Claremont, that’s a little like the pot calling the kettle black.”
Diana squeezed her fists, knowing she was getting louder. “I never hurt anyone ever. Me and my sister Louisa just got caught in the midst of a battle we never signed on for. We didn’t deserve to be treated like dirt.”
“You weren’t all innocence in that skimpy nightgown, sashaying around me and my men with little care that we could see everything. I’d say you’re just like your mother, Faye. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.”
Diana lunged and shoved both her fists forward, pounding Andy’s chest. Jed stepped in between them.
“Back off, cuz.” Then he turned to Diana and said, “The same goes for you, Diana. I’m a Friessen and I’ve never taken advantage of anyone or knowingly hurt someone. So both of you need to knock it off before this really gets ugly.”
Diana ignored Jed and ignored where he’d touched her, her skin still tingling. “I was only thirteen, Andy, and I was yanked out of bed in the middle of the night in a thin nightgown while all our things were tossed out into the dirt. I had my little sister to look after, who was hysterical and couldn’t speak a word. I didn’t have time to change into something more suitable for you and a bunch of grown men who should have known better instead of leering at a kid. I had to try to salvage what I could of our things before you burned down our house and everything we had. It may not have been much to you, but it was everything to me. I couldn’t find her medicine when you chased us out of there, and I couldn’t save her. Louisa didn’t deserve what happened to her.” Her voice was strangely distant, and Andy appeared confused. “You didn’t even know her name.” She wasn’t going to let him off easy. He was responsible, and she was angry at herself for how Andy still managed to make her feel.
“The retard?”
She leaped past Jed and started slinging her fists anywhere she could to inflict any pain, just a tiny ounce of hurt of what she suffered. But Andy grabbed her hands, and Jed was behind her, sliding his arm around her waist to pull her back.
“Let go of her, Andy.” Jed’s voice was pure steel.
“You got a lot of fire in you there, red. And I like that fire from my women when they’re in a different position.”
Diana tried to jerk her hands away, but Jed held tight.
“Andy, I’m warning you, let her go.” He was close behind her. She could feel the heat pressing into her from his thighs, his chest. She wanted to lean into that, to feel, to trust, but she couldn’t do that. So she pulled away from both of them, stumbling in the dirt.
“You may have thought you could come on back here and get the same arrangement Faye had with my dad. Did your mama teach you all about the fire and how to wiggle that tight ass of yours, flaunting yourself to a man to get him hard? Is it that you’re looking to be my whore, just like your mama was my dad’s?”
Diana froze and struck back with the only weapon she was good with. “Andy Friessen, fifteen years ago, you threw us out in the middle of the night into the dirt and stepped on us like trash. My baby sister, Louisa, was four years old. She was not retarded but had severe epilepsy and, I suspect, fetal alcohol syndrome. She needed her medicine to survive, to stop a seizure. A few days later, they started and she went down, hitting her head. She never woke up. She died. Did she deserve that, Andy?”
His face paled. “No, I’m sorry.… Of course not. I didn’t know.”
“Maybe not, Andy. But your actions were criminal. I’m not a helpless thirteen-year-old girl anymore. And I know my rights.”
Andy shot a glance at Jed. “Are you threatening me, Diana? Because you don’t want to pick a fight with me. I guarantee you’ll get hurt. I don’t ever want to be embarrassed by the likes of a Claremont again. So, sweet thing, you just pack your bags and get on out of here, because I’ll make sure you have no business. No one’s going to come knocking on your door looking for a lawyer, and not being able to get groceries will be the least of your concerns. Doors are all closed to you here.” He dropped his eyes to Diana’s breasts and swept his hooded gaze down as if he were picturing her naked. “But you are right about one thing—you’re not thirteen anymore.”
This time, Jed moved Diana behind him and stepped into Andy’s space, their faces mere inches from one another. He never turned to look at Diana when he spoke in a voice that sent a shiver up her spine. “Diana, groceries are in the truck. Go grab them and take them into the house. Put them away before the ice cream melts.”
Diana just stared at Andy before jerking her gaze to Jed. She was shaking when she went to his truck and lifted out two bags of groceries. Three more were on the floo
r. She carried them in his house, trembling. The last thing she wanted was for Andy to notice her as a woman he wanted to bed or, even worse, to think she was like Faye. The very thought that he had compared her to Faye made her sick—as did the idea of being a whore for a Friessen. Either way, it worried her more that she didn’t know what Jed was going to do.
Chapter 14
It had been a long, stressful night. When Diana had hopped off the old crate to get the rest of the groceries, Andy’s Corvette was speeding toward the highway. Jed grabbed the remaining bags and shoved his truck door closed.
She didn’t know what to say, and instead of making it easier and just asking what he needed to know, Jed carried the bags into the house, leaping up and darting inside. Diana shuffled her feet, unsure of what to do, when Jed reappeared and said, “I left the last of the groceries on the table for you. The girl working said she was pretty sure this was everything you picked out.” That was all he said before he strode to the barn and began unloading hay from a covered trailer parked there.
Diana didn’t know what to make of Jed. He confused her. She needed time to think—to plan. So she put away the groceries, made herself a salad, and still Jed never came in. Giving up, she washed her plate, putting it away in one of his newer pine cabinets. Half the kitchen was renovated quite nicely with a newer gas range, oversized refrigerator, lots of cupboards, and a center island. Attention had been paid to detail, and Diana could see Jed was chipping away at each room, turning a rundown old shack into a comfortable masterpiece. The sun was setting, and Diana still hadn’t seen Jed, so she showered, washing away the dust of the day, and was wandering back to her small cabin, wearing her thin robe, with the setting sun nearly blinding her when she almost walked into Jed. He was leaning against her cabin, obviously waiting for her. The light, tattered cowboy hat always on his head shadowed his eyes so she couldn’t quite see him. She supposed it was his way of hiding, but then, she’d know all about that. Hiding was what she’d done as a kid.
“Do you want me to leave?” She said it with all the confidence she could muster.
“No. But I want to know what the hell that was about. And why my cousin’s got a hard-on for you.”
Diana drew a breath, a little confused. After all, living in a small town, she had found that gossip was constantly rehashed and nothing ever forgotten. How could he not know now who she was?”
“I lived here fifteen years ago. I suppose you could say my mama was Todd’s plaything. Faye liked to party, get around. Don’t know everything that happened with Faye and Todd, but I know Andy was angry enough when Todd disappeared to blame Faye and throw us out. We lived in a dump owned by Todd Friessen; Andy burned it after he tossed us out with our things.” The towel wrapped around her wet hair began to slip, and Diana pulled it off. Her hair hung in a twisted and tangled mess down her back.
Jed never moved, but he crossed his arms across his wide chest, one booted foot crossed over the other. He looked relaxed but still dangerous, and Diana couldn’t make out what he was thinking.
“Look, I need to know if I should be worried that you’ll toss everything of mine out on a whim. Because if this is where it’s headed, I’d just as soon pack and leave on my own. I didn’t deserve to be treated that cruelly as a kid, and I wouldn’t appreciate it now. And my baby sister… That was criminal, what he did.”
“Nobody tells me what to do on my land. This is my place—whatever issues my cousin has with you stay off this land. I won’t throw you out. And you won’t be threatened here again. But I can’t help wondering why you’d come to a place where you’re not wanted. What is it you’re really doing back here?” He stepped closer. He was bigger than Andy and, she had no doubt, far more dangerous. Lying in wait like a viper ready to strike, he’d bide his time, and with no warning, he’d lash out. What Diana feared was that she didn’t know how far she could trust him.
“I’m here for justice,” she said.
Chapter 15
Andy was in the living room before dinner, pouring himself a finger of whiskey. The door slammed, and he didn’t need to turn around to know who had come in. He took a sip, then settled into one of the deep leather chairs, resting a booted foot over his jean-clad knee.
Todd whistled, and considering the day Andy had, Todd, with his silver-streaked mane, was in an awfully good mood. For a man in his sixties, he stayed in shape, with the same height and build as all the Friessen men, but his belly was beginning to go soft. He continued to whistle as he poured himself a drink, then sighed as he sat, facing Andy in the other leather chair. It was a masculine living room, with high ceilings, and the artwork covering the walls was worth more than the large house itself.
“Heard Caroline came back this morning. You seen your mother yet?” Todd asked.
Andy just shook his head. His mother hadn’t changed, and he had no illusions that she ever would. She was as cold as ice. The only motherly concern she’d ever shown Andy was when she had worried he would tomcat around like his dad and sully the family name. No, it was best to hide it away, making sure their dirty laundry and secrets were stashed where no one would ever see them. But she was still his mother, and he wouldn’t ever embarrass her. “No,” he said.
“The strangest thing happened earlier today. I swear I saw Faye strutting down main street, posting some flyers up all over the place.” Todd grinned in a way that said he was both worried and having ideas Andy wasn’t going to like.
“Not Faye. Definitely a Claremont, though.” Andy got up and poured himself another whiskey, tossing it back and needing it after his encounters with Diana. She was now a Fulton, an orphan, and she had such lush, deep red hair, and she was young and gorgeous in a way she didn’t flaunt. But her fiery temper had him feeling scorched after she touched him. Hell, she’d leaped at him and tried to knock his teeth out, not that he could blame her. He felt bad for what he had said, but he couldn’t get over the determination she had. She appeared so cool and together, and she had a brain on her. He thought, if it were a different time and she were someone other than a Claremont, he’d love nothing more than to spend time stoking that fire. She had grit, too, and had not been the least bit intimidated by any of his threats.
“One of the Claremont girls? Which one?” Todd asked, resting his foot and showing off his black snakeskin boots. He was displaying an interest that Andy didn’t like.
“The middle one. She always looked like Faye.”
“Get rid of her now.”
Both men jumped when Caroline strode into the room. She held her head high, and she was dressed impeccably, her slender body outlined by a green silk dress. Her blonde hair, which refused to show a hint of gray, fell just short of her shoulders. She looked like she could have been a president’s wife.
She took a seat on the large leather sofa, crossing her long legs. “Pour me a glass of white wine, Andy.” She didn’t ask—she demanded.
“Yes, Mother.” Andy pulled a bottle of chardonnay from the fridge behind the bar and poured his mother a glass, delivering it to her. She took it and sipped, dismissing him as coldly as the chilled wine.
“I will not be embarrassed because you cannot keep your pants zipped, Todd. Hasn’t that girl caused me enough embarrassment? I want her gone, Andy. Take care of it.”
Andy stared into his whiskey and swallowed what remained, considering what had happened to Diana before. Frankly, the whole town knew what he’d done. It had become a local legend how Andy Friessen cleaned up the local trash and tossed the Claremonts out of the county. But he wasn’t particularly proud of what he’d done. That night still haunted him: Diana’s fear and the little retarded girl, Louisa, screeching and carrying on, grabbing for Diana as she raced around the yard, the only Claremont gathering up what they had—and his men, how they had quite an eyeful watching Diana in her thin nightgown, the headlights shining right through, and all they could see was how much she looked like Faye. Shame on all of them. She had been just a kid. She didn’t deserve wh
at happened.
After what she’d said out at Jed’s that afternoon about Louisa dying … he prayed he and his men weren’t responsible, but in a way, he already knew they were.
“It’s not that easy, Mother, getting rid of her. She’s determined to stay. She rented a cabin out at Jed’s. She’s a lawyer, too, trying to set up a practice here in town.”
“Ah, hell. Go on out there and tell Jed to toss her out. She’s gotta go, son,” Todd said.
His dad sounded pretty convincing, but he realized it was for his mother’s benefit. Even watching the two of them together, he could never figure out why they had gotten married.
Todd didn’t give him time to answer, saying, “Where the hell would a Claremont get money for law school? She rip off some unsuspecting old geezer?”
“Well, first, I’ve already been to Jed’s, and he made it quite clear that if I ever show up on his property and demand for him to do anything again, I’ll be meeting the end of his rifle. He also said Diana’s staying. She’s rented one of his cabins fair and square, and he won’t be cheating her out of anything. If he finds out we’re making it difficult for her in town, we’ll be answering to him, and he told me to give you a message, Dad.” Andy found some amusement when all humour left Todd’s face. “He ain’t cleaning up nothing when you can’t keep your pants zipped.”
Todd’s light eyes flashed as a hint of color rose high in his cheeks.
Caroline gasped and carefully set her glass of wine on the table, rising elegantly. “I will not have vulgar talk in this house, Andy. And that lowlife nephew of yours, Todd, maybe it’s time you did something about him.”
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