Page 69

Thank god. An emergency vet visit was not on my list of things to do today. “That’s good news. Thanks for watching out for him.”

After it was quickly determined that Luddy was more of a hindrance than a help with the nursery, we tasked her with keeping Russell away from getting paint everywhere. I’m a little shocked she managed to keep them both busy for the last hour.

“Wow, Mama. That looks so good,” Luddy gushes.

Kylie steps back from the wall. A scene of a red barn with a field of sunflowers has been projected onto the wall. She’s been working on it for most of the morning while I’ve been painting the rest of the walls a pastel yellow.

“Thanks, Luddy girl. I’m about ready for a break. Are you getting hungry?”

“I’m starved,” she complains with dramatic flair.

“Then I’d better get cleaned up and feed you before you turn into beasts.”

Both girls protest my assessment of them when they get hungry, but they can’t deny it’s best not to let them get anywhere close to hangry.

I scoop up our naughty puppy to make sure he doesn’t get his little paws into the paint and head to the bathroom to wash my hands.

When I get into the kitchen, I scrounge around for something to eat. I end up throwing together some grilled cheese sandwiches with fruit and chips on the side.

I’m setting the table when my phone rings. It’s not a number I recognize, but I answer it, knowing it could be a farmer needing help with a horse.

“This is Grayson Reed.”

“What the fuck have you done to my wife?” Chris’ irate question makes me stiffen. I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s calling me, given how Kylie has cut him off from speaking to her.

“I think that’s a question you should be asking yourself.” I wish I could fucking record this conversation. We never expected him to call me, so I don’t have the same program that Holt used on Kylie’s phone.

“No!” he screams. “You took her away from me. I saw the camera footage at the house. You snuck in here like a common criminal and manipulated her. She never would’ve left me if it weren’t for you.”

“For me? Who’s the one who left their wife alone when she needed you at the hospital? Who’s the one who decided to fuck their secretary in their office instead of getting therapy to fix their marriage? It sure as fuck wasn’t me. I’m the one who’s picked Kylie up every time you left her to suffer alone. I’m the one who’s always been there without ever asking for anything in return.”

He scoffs. “Don’t lie. You’ve been fucking my wife for much longer than any of my transgressions have been an issue.”

“Jesus. Do you hear yourself? Are you that desperate to blame everyone else but yourself for the direction your life has gone?”

“I’ve done nothing to deserve this,” he spits. “She’s the one who has taken everything from me. And I know you’re the reason. If she doesn’t end this farce of a divorce, I will end you. Do you hear me? Everything you hold dear will be gone in a blink when I’m finished. And that whore will finally understand the consequences of what she’s done.”

Chris hangs up, and I rest my palms on the counter, dropping my head between my shoulders. That was fucking horrible. The man is clinically insane. I can’t fathom why else he would stoop to this level of depravity.

“Who was that?”

Kylie’s soft question has me spinning around. “Hey, Ladybug. I made grilled cheese for lunch. I hope that’s okay.”

“Gray, who were you talking to on the phone?”

I sigh, running my hand through my hair.

“It was Chris. He called you, didn’t he?”

I pull her into my chest, needing her comfort as much as I want to give it back to her. “Yeah, Ladybug. He did.”

“What did he say?”

“Nothing worth repeating. Some empty threats and other shit that doesn’t matter.”

Kylie leans back to look up at me. “He got to you though. What did he say?”

I snort. “He did not get to me. He pissed me off, I guess, but what he actually said didn’t get to me. It was mostly about how I stole you from him and manipulated you into leaving him. He threatened me, and I can’t even remember what else, but it was all a bunch of bullshit. He can’t do anything to us, and if he tried, we’d annihilate him in court for it.”