by K. A. Linde
Everyone in the building could hear what I had to say. It didn’t matter to me any longer. Miranda’s threats weren’t valid. Whatever she wanted from me, she was never going to get. And I was tired of hiding my feelings for Heidi. She was the one for me, and I didn’t care who knew it.
“You’re not serious,” Miranda cried. “You’re so desperate to be with someone that you hooked up with your ex-girlfriend’s best friend? Were you disappointed that Jensen had claimed Emery, so you went for second best? I mean, God, it’s fucking repulsive.”
“Shut your mouth.”
“Just face it, Landon. You can’t be alone. You’re addicted to being in love, to being in a relationship.”
“Maybe I don’t like to be alone, but I’d rather alone than be with you any day. And, fuck, Miranda, you have no room to talk. You were already trying to replace me with another golfer in Atlanta.”
Miranda rolled her eyes. “I had no interest in Ben. I was trying to check up on you. And it turned out, you had been lying to me, so I had good reason to do so. And, God, look at what you are trying to replace me with.”
She sneered at Heidi, and I felt her shift, as if to defend herself, but I shook my head. It wasn’t worth it.
“Miranda,” I warned.
“I mean…you went slumming,” Miranda said with a coquettish laugh. “So cute that you think Texas trailer trash with a drug-dealer daddy could ever replace someone like me.”
Heidi lunged out from behind me. Really, after that comment, I didn’t blame her.
“Go to hell!” Heidi cried. “Why do you have to try to ruin everyone else’s lives just because you’re miserable?”
“Oh, honey, I’m not miserable. I had the best years of Landon Wright. Are you enjoying my sloppy seconds?”
Heidi’s back straightened, and I saw more fire in her in that moment than I’d seen all week. It was like my firecracker was back…and she was about to explode.
“You’re not even worth his time. You’re certainly not worth mine. The fact that you flew all the way out here because you were so desperate and thought you could get him back if you got me out of the way is really pathetic.” Heidi tilted her head and furrowed her brow. “I actually pity you.”
Miranda laughed. “I don’t need anyone’s pity.”
“You’re a sad little putt slut who snagged herself a pro golfer and now will do anything to keep him. He’s finally seen you for who you really are,” Heidi said. “And you can insult me all you like, but you’re never going to get him back. Not with your winning personality.”
“Fucking bitch,” Miranda croaked. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“She does,” I said. I placed my arm around Heidi’s shoulders and squared off against Miranda.
Miranda opened her mouth to respond, but my family stepped up on either side of me and Heidi. We were all facing her—Jensen, Austin, Morgan, Sutton, and even Patrick, Emery, and Julia. Us against her. I knew who I would place my bet on.
“You should go,” I said firmly. “You’re not wanted here.”
“Fuck all of you fucking Wrights. I’ll take the scandal to the press!”
Jensen shook his head. “I bought out your PI. I don’t think that will be happening.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t even that hard to track down when I knew what I was looking for,” Morgan said. She changed her tone of voice and grinned at Miranda. I knew she was enjoying herself. “So, you can go bye-bye now.”
Miranda’s eyes roamed between my family before landing back on me. “God, I am so glad that I got that abortion.”
My stomach dropped out of my body. My head felt dizzy, and I couldn’t seem to process what she had said. “You…what?”
“Yeah. You fucking thought I miscarried? No, I just didn’t want to have your fucking kid and have it grow up and be a Wright. So, I got rid of it,” Miranda spat at me.
The last year sped before my eyes. All the times I had defended her and catered to her and moved mountains for her comfort because of the miscarriage that I believed we were both mourning. Even when I’d wanted out, I’d been there for her through everything. Then she had done this without even telling me and lied about it for a year.
“Get the fuck out,” I said, pointing at the door. “Right now.”
Miranda opened her mouth to respond, but Jensen, Austin, and Patrick took over, acting as my own personal guards to escort her out of the building. I hoped this was the last time that I would ever see her. I’d wanted out for a long time, but I’d never fathomed the depths of her deceit.
Heidi put her hand on my back. She knew what that meant to me. She knew how much I had wanted a family and what I had sacrificed to try for one.
“Hey, that’s not your fault,” she said softly.
“She killed our unborn child.”
“I know,” she whispered. “And nothing could ever make that right.”
“She actually did it.”
“I know,” she repeated. Her hand ran circles around my back, trying to ease my pain. “But…but I’m here, Landon. If you need me.”
I saw the sincerity in her eyes. That she was still upset with me but couldn’t walk away from me when I’d found out something like this. I loved her even more for it.
“I can’t believe it.”
“I think it explains a lot about her behavior. The way she’s always acted so jealous and angry. When you first told me she had the miscarriage, I thought her actions were from guilt that she might not be able to have a child,” Heidi explained. “Now, I see it’s guilt because she got rid of the one you wanted and lied about it. The fact that she wielded the news like a weapon just showed how desperate she was. She wants to hurt you.”
“It worked,” I admitted.
“How could it not?” Heidi asked. “What she did was despicable. Going behind your back and lying and then making you cater to her for so long about something that wasn’t even true. She’s just crazy. Aren’t you a little glad a child isn’t involved?”
My eyes moved to Jensen, who was striding back toward us. He was proof enough that a divorce was bad when a child was involved. I nodded. I was glad. I didn’t want children with Miranda or to be shackled to her forever.
But I would never forgive her for terminating the one we could have had. The possibility. It felt like losing the baby all over again.
“God, what a bitch!” Morgan said. “I mean…phew! You picked a real winner, Landon.”
“Thanks, Morgan,” I said with an eye roll.
“She sure knows how to put on a show though. And, seriously, I wouldn’t take anything she said to heart.” She gave me a pointed look. “At this point, she would do anything to hurt you—lie, cheat, steal, hire a private investigator to get your girlfriend fired. You know, totally normal psychotic behavior.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “Well, there’s one good thing that came out of all of this.”
“Yeah?” Heidi asked.
“You’re talking to me again.”
“Um…yes, that’s great,” Morgan said, “however, I have to say that the best part is that when Jensen escorted her out, he threatened her within an inch of her life. I’m pretty sure we’ll have the signed divorce paperwork by tomorrow.”
I took that first breath of relief at the thought. Even though Miranda had wrecked my life and slaughtered my heart with that last comment, it was going to be over soon. I could move on, and hopefully, I could do that with Heidi on my arm.
Morgan winked at Heidi and then disappeared toward the small stage at the front of the room. I turned to face Heidi, who was still staring at me with round blue eyes full of concern.
“You know that I am totally in love with you, right?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I think I noticed that.”
“I don’t want us to be apart. I don’t want what happened here or with our jobs to pull us apart. I’ll really quit this time, Heidi. I’ll get you your job back, and we’ll make this work. It’s not w
orth not having you.”
She waved me off. “Look, I didn’t want to break up with you. I want us to be together. That’s what I’ve wanted for so long. I just blamed you for everything. And, sure, it was Miranda’s fault, and we both could have been more careful, but we should have worked through this together. I’m sure that’s why Emery and Julia insisted I come here.”
“I would love to make this work as a team. I don’t want to go through life, wondering about what-ifs. I want you.”
I cupped her face in my hands and then gently pressed a kiss to her lips. She leaned into me, and I tasted sweet victory in that little movement. Heidi was mine.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention,” Jensen said from the stage. “I’m Jensen Wright, the CEO of Wright Construction, and I wanted to thank everyone for coming out tonight for our annual Charity Benefit. I hope you’re losing all of your money at the tables, so we can donate an enormous check to the Lubbock Children’s Hospital!”
The crowd laughed and cheered at his comment, raising glasses to toast the night.
“While I have your attention, I have a special announcement. Wright Construction has recently opened a new division of the company where a percentage of all proceeds will go to our partnership with Lubbock Children’s Hospital. We’ll be opening Wright Golf Club, a PGA-style golf course focused on teaching the beginner to bringing the professionals in town.”
My heart stopped beating. My jaw dropped open. Time itself stopped.
“And here to run this new division, I give you my brother Landon Wright.”
Thirty-Nine
Heidi
Landon’s shock oozed out of every pore.
His family was grinning at him. They had all been in on it. Even Sutton, who was the only Wright not working for the company. And my heart went out to them all. They had seen his depression and the toll that losing golf had pressed on him. And then they had done something about it. I didn’t know how long this had been in the works, but I couldn’t be happier for him.
Landon went up onto the stage and shook hands with Jensen and Morgan. After they said a few words to each other, Landon turned on the charm as he thanked the crowd for this incredible opportunity and then said he hoped to see them all out there on the course.
Emery nudged me. “How about that?”
“Did you know?” I asked her.
“I had an idea about it, but I think it was a glimmer of an idea. I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want to say anything if you didn’t know. Especially if Landon didn’t know.”
“I’m so happy for him. This is where his heart is. I think he eventually would have died from working in an office every day.”
“You’re probably right,” Emery agreed. “So…aren’t you glad you came?”
“Is this why you lied to me?”
“Jensen told me I had to get you here, no matter what. So, I did. And I’m so glad that I did, too.” Emery nodded her head behind me. “Speaking of.”
I turned around and came face-to-face with Jensen Wright.
“Heidi,” he said with a dimpled smile.
“Hey,” I said. “Um…sorry about that text the other day.”
“Forgiven. I probably deserved it.”
“That was a really nice thing you did for Landon.”
“He’s my brother. I love him, and I want to see him happy. I knew he’d never really be happy at Wright. He might have the business degree, but he belongs on the course. And I wanted to give him something that would actually keep him occupied until he could get back out.”
“That’s really amazing.”
“That is why I wish you had answered your phone,” he continued.
“Yeah. I…this wasn’t a good week.”
He nodded. “I imagine not. Had you answered your phone though, I would have told you about what I had in the works for Landon. I wanted it to be a surprise for him. When he told me he was dating someone, I never guessed it was you, so I ignored the problem. I deeply apologize for that error and how it resulted in you losing your job.”
“Oh, yeah…getting fired. Pretty much one of the worst days of my life.”
“I know that I can’t make up for the emotional strain that the company has caused you, but with Landon in a different position in the company, I would be happy to offer you your job back.”
I froze in place. My mouth popped open. My eyes were wide.
He laughed. “Is that a yes?”
“I…I don’t know. I mean, yes, I want to come back,” I admitted quickly, “but I don’t want to return to an environment where people believe that the only reason I got my promotion is because I slept with my boss. There’s enough sexism in the engineering department without that bullshit, too.”
“I understand,” he said with a nod. “We’ve had your boss and Julia sign an NDA where they would be liable if they disclosed the information they had found in that email. That means that the only people left who know about the videos are you and my family. I would never want to place you in a position where you would be uncomfortable.”
“And I would…keep my promotion?” I whispered, thinking this all sounded too good to be true.
“I don’t see why not.”
“What’s the catch?” I asked with a laugh.
“No catch. What happened was a mistake. Losing you would be a huge loss to the company. We really want you back, Heidi.”
My heart stuttered, and I felt faint. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah,” I said with a nod. “I’ll take a ten percent pay raise for my emotional discomfort, and I’d like a real office.”
Jensen laughed boisterously. “Oh, man. I see why Landon loves you.”
I shrugged. “Didn’t hurt to try.”
He nodded and extended his hand. I put mine in his, and we shook.
“Done.”
“Oh my God,” I whispered. Then, I saw Landon striding toward us, and I couldn’t help it. I dashed toward him, throwing myself into his arms. “Oh my God!”
“What?” he asked, his voice half between concern and excitement.
“Jensen just gave me my job back.”
“Heidi, that’s amazing.”
“With a raise and an office!”
Landon laughed. “You outmaneuvered Jensen Wright. Bask in the glory of that feeling, love. Happens only once in a lifetime.”
“God, Landon,” I said. I pulled back and sighed heavily. “I am really so sorry for this week.”
He held up his hand. “You don’t have to apologize to me. I can understand exactly how you felt. I’m sure I was not nice to anyone the week after I injured my back.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s a reason but not an excuse. I should have believed in you and trusted you. Blowing up like that was just…reactionary. I hurt, so I was blind. It didn’t matter how much I loved you or any other thought. Just the pain. I don’t ever want to feel that again. I don’t want to lose you over something like that.”
He pulled me closer and planted a kiss on my lips. “The truth is, you never lost me. I’ve been right here all along, and I always will be.”
I knew that now.
The fog that I had been walking through all week cleared, and I could finally see what was in front of me. Landon Wright was the best damn thing that had happened to me. We might have had our ups and downs, but there were no longer any barriers between us.
“Do you want to get out of here?” I asked.
He grinned. “I’d like nothing more.”
He held out his arm, and I placed my hand in the crook of his sleeve. Without a backward glance, we left behind our friends and family and the entire party. With the week we’d had, I wanted to get away from the crowd and fall back in love with him.
He had valeted the Mercedes, and we waited until the valet returned it to us. Then, he drove me across town. He didn’t even ask, Your place or mine? He just drove to my apartment and helped me inside.
I didn’t know how he kne
w that I wanted him to come to my place instead of his little tree house. But I wanted to erase the negative memories I had here with him.
My hands slipped under his tuxedo jacket before I even got the door closed. He laughed at my eager behavior, but when I kissed him with everything I had in me, his humor evaporated. I wanted him and needed him like nothing else. I’d felt warranted in my anger over the last week, but I wanted to forget that it had ever happened.
“Heidi,” he murmured against my mouth.
“Mmm,” I groaned, tossing his jacket to the floor.
His hands were clutching my slip dress. And it was the thinnest material possible, so he was actually digging into my skin. And, fuck me, I wanted him.
“I want to savor you.”
“I want you to fuck me.”
He slipped his tongue across my bottom lip. “I want to taste every inch of your body.”
“I want it rough and fast.”
“I want to make you come so many times, you see stars.” His fingers met the slit of my dress and eased up to my hips where I was without panties for the night.
“Harder,” I practically breathed against his lips. “Much harder.”
“And only remember my name.” He moved his hand between my legs and stroked my pussy before exploring my clit.
I purred at the touch, my body heightened with arousal. “Take me,” I pleaded. “Own me.”
“You’re not the kind of woman who can be owned,” he told me as he did a damn good job of owning my body.
“Prove me wrong,” I groaned.
“Fuck, I missed you.”
“I know. It was awful.”
“I wish I could fucking throw you over my shoulder and carry you into the bedroom. This injury is…” He shook his head.
I leaned forward and tenderly kissed him. “Your injury is of no consequence to me. You are not less of a man because you can’t act like a caveman. Trust me, I have firsthand experience.”
He grinned. “Would you like more firsthand experience?”
“Yes, please.”
He removed his hand and directed me to the bedroom. As I walked past him, he smacked my ass. Once I was in the bedroom, he took his time in pulling my dress over my head and discarding the expensive piece of material onto the floor. I couldn’t seem to care.
