finger.
It was hardly a surprise that the ring had stayed put for less than two years.
“Trouble was, we didn’t know each other. It was hot pants and gambling fever.” Philosophically, Louella crushed out her cigarette on her empty plate. “I wasn’t cut out for life on a goddamn cattle ranch in Montana. Maybe I could’ve made a go of it—who knows? I loved him.”
Tess swallowed cake before it stuck in her throat. “You loved him?”
“For a while I did.” With the ease of years and distance, Louella shrugged. “A woman couldn’t love Jack for long unless she was missing brain cells. But for a while, I loved him. And I got you out of it. And a hundred large. I wouldn’t have my girl, and I wouldn’t have my club if Jack Mercy hadn’t walked in that night and taken a shine to me. So I owe him.”
“You owe the man who kicked you, and his own daughter, out of his life? Cut you off with a lousy hundred thousand dollars?”
“A hundred K went a lot farther thirty years ago than it does today.” Louella had learned to be a mother and a businesswoman from the ground up. She was proud of both. “And from where I’m sitting, I got a pretty good deal.”
“Mercy Ranch is worth twenty million. Do you still think you got a good deal?”
Louella pursed her lips. “It was his ranch, honey. I just visited there for a while.”
“Long enough to make a baby and get the boot.”
“I wanted the baby.”
“Mom.” Most of Tess’s anger faded at the words, but the injustice of it remained hot in her heart. “You had a right to more. I had a right to more.”
“Maybe, maybe not, but that was the deal at the time.” Louella lit another cigarette, decided to be late for her afternoon session at the beauty parlor. There was more here, she thought. “Time goes on. Jack ended up making three daughters, and now he’s dead. You want to tell me what he left you?”
“A problem.” Tess took the cigarette from Louella’s hand and indulged in a quick drag. Smoking was a habit she didn’t approve of—what sensible person did? But it was either that or the several million calories still on her plate. “I get a third of the ranch.”
“A third of the—Good Jesus and little fishes, Tess, honey, that’s a fortune.” Louella bounced up. She might have been five ten and a generous one-fifty, but she’d been trained as a dancer and could move when she had to. She moved now, skimming around the counter to crush her daughter’s ribs in an enthusiastic hug. “What are we doing sitting here drinking coffee? We need ourselves some French champagne. Carmine’s got some stashed somewhere.”
“Wait. Mom, wait.” As Louella tore into the fridge again, Tess tugged on her robe. “It’s not that simple.”
“My daughter the millionaire. The cattle baron.” Louella popped the cork, spewing champagne. “Fucking A.”
“I have to live there for a year.” Tess blew out a breath as Louella cheerfully clamped her mouth over the lip of the bottle and sucked up bubbles. “All three of us have to live there for a year, together. Or we don’t get zip.”
Louella licked champagne from her lips. “You have to live in Montana for a year? On the ranch?” Her voice began to shake. “With the cows? You, with the cows.”
“That’s the deal. Me, and the other two. Together.”
One hand still holding the bottle, the other braced on the counter, Louella began to laugh. She laughed so hard, so long that tears streamed down her face, running with Maybelline mascara and L’Oréal ivory base.
“Jesus H. Christ, the son of a bitch always could make me laugh.”
“I’m glad you think it’s so funny.” Tess’s voice cracked like ice. “You can chuckle over it nightly while I’m out in bumfuck watching the grass grow.”
With a flourish, Louella poured champagne into the coffee cups. “Honey, you can always spit in his eye and go on just as you are.”
“And give up several million in assets? I don’t
It was hardly a surprise that the ring had stayed put for less than two years.
“Trouble was, we didn’t know each other. It was hot pants and gambling fever.” Philosophically, Louella crushed out her cigarette on her empty plate. “I wasn’t cut out for life on a goddamn cattle ranch in Montana. Maybe I could’ve made a go of it—who knows? I loved him.”
Tess swallowed cake before it stuck in her throat. “You loved him?”
“For a while I did.” With the ease of years and distance, Louella shrugged. “A woman couldn’t love Jack for long unless she was missing brain cells. But for a while, I loved him. And I got you out of it. And a hundred large. I wouldn’t have my girl, and I wouldn’t have my club if Jack Mercy hadn’t walked in that night and taken a shine to me. So I owe him.”
“You owe the man who kicked you, and his own daughter, out of his life? Cut you off with a lousy hundred thousand dollars?”
“A hundred K went a lot farther thirty years ago than it does today.” Louella had learned to be a mother and a businesswoman from the ground up. She was proud of both. “And from where I’m sitting, I got a pretty good deal.”
“Mercy Ranch is worth twenty million. Do you still think you got a good deal?”
Louella pursed her lips. “It was his ranch, honey. I just visited there for a while.”
“Long enough to make a baby and get the boot.”
“I wanted the baby.”
“Mom.” Most of Tess’s anger faded at the words, but the injustice of it remained hot in her heart. “You had a right to more. I had a right to more.”
“Maybe, maybe not, but that was the deal at the time.” Louella lit another cigarette, decided to be late for her afternoon session at the beauty parlor. There was more here, she thought. “Time goes on. Jack ended up making three daughters, and now he’s dead. You want to tell me what he left you?”
“A problem.” Tess took the cigarette from Louella’s hand and indulged in a quick drag. Smoking was a habit she didn’t approve of—what sensible person did? But it was either that or the several million calories still on her plate. “I get a third of the ranch.”
“A third of the—Good Jesus and little fishes, Tess, honey, that’s a fortune.” Louella bounced up. She might have been five ten and a generous one-fifty, but she’d been trained as a dancer and could move when she had to. She moved now, skimming around the counter to crush her daughter’s ribs in an enthusiastic hug. “What are we doing sitting here drinking coffee? We need ourselves some French champagne. Carmine’s got some stashed somewhere.”
“Wait. Mom, wait.” As Louella tore into the fridge again, Tess tugged on her robe. “It’s not that simple.”
“My daughter the millionaire. The cattle baron.” Louella popped the cork, spewing champagne. “Fucking A.”
“I have to live there for a year.” Tess blew out a breath as Louella cheerfully clamped her mouth over the lip of the bottle and sucked up bubbles. “All three of us have to live there for a year, together. Or we don’t get zip.”
Louella licked champagne from her lips. “You have to live in Montana for a year? On the ranch?” Her voice began to shake. “With the cows? You, with the cows.”
“That’s the deal. Me, and the other two. Together.”
One hand still holding the bottle, the other braced on the counter, Louella began to laugh. She laughed so hard, so long that tears streamed down her face, running with Maybelline mascara and L’Oréal ivory base.
“Jesus H. Christ, the son of a bitch always could make me laugh.”
“I’m glad you think it’s so funny.” Tess’s voice cracked like ice. “You can chuckle over it nightly while I’m out in bumfuck watching the grass grow.”
With a flourish, Louella poured champagne into the coffee cups. “Honey, you can always spit in his eye and go on just as you are.”
“And give up several million in assets? I don’t
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