My phone rings, and because Mabel doesn’t call me, I’m assuming it’s Quinn, finally, and answer it eagerly, right away.
“Quinn?” I breathe, sitting up so quickly the swing rocks, making Sadie grip the armrest.
Marnie Montgomery responds. “Hello, Landry. This is Mrs. Montgomery.”
“Oh.” My heart free-falls from the disappointment. “Sorry, I… thought you were my wife. She’s on her way home.” I hate lying, but until this custody suit is behind us, I can’t give it up or else it would all have been for nothing.
“Ah.” A pause, then Mr. Montgomery is on the line. “Landry, congratulations on your victory today.”
I didn’t see them there, but then again, the day was a blur ofbeat Twister and don’t let your broken heart kill you. “Thank you.”
Charles clears his throat. “We’re dropping the custody suit.”
Those five words are music to my ears, the only five words I’ve wanted to hear since this began. “It’s the rightthing to do. We see that now. And on behalf of myself and my wife, we’d like to extend our apologies.”
They can’t just say I’m sorry, can they?
“I tried to save Amelia,” I hear myself saying, because after all these years, it somehow foolishly feels like it needs to be said.
“We know,” Marnie says, rejoining the call. “We thought that if we had Sadie, we could keep Amelia’s spirit alive, but… you’re her father. And that’s more valuable.”
Sadie gets off the swing and slips out the door, running wildly into the long grass as moonlight tosses a glow over the lawn.
Mr. Montgomery speaks up. “And it’s what Amelia would have wanted.”
I agree wholeheartedly. “I’m angry with you two for putting me through this, but, at the same time, I don’t want this to ruin your ability to have a relationship with your granddaughter.”
The line fills with silence, but I’ve said my piece, and I wasn’t the one who put them through hell.
“We’re sorry Landry, for all of it. You lost her, too. Both of you did,” Charles finally says, causing the backs of my eyes to sting.
“Thank you.”
“We will call you next week and talk about setting up a 529 for Sadie, and maybe look into setting up visits. Once a month?”
“Sure.” I lean back and watch Sadie collect wildflowers from the yard.
“All right, you’ll hear from us soon. Goodbye, Landry and… congratulations.”
Today has been the best news of my life. I won the rodeoand saved my damn land. Saved my little girl from being stolen away from me. I did it.
But I didn’t do it alone, and I don’t deserve the outcome all for myself, either.
“C’mon, sugar,” I tell Sadie, taking the bouquet from her hands as we trudge back inside the house. “Let’s get you in the bath and get you to bed.”
She nods, but stops in her tracks at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m so glad you won today, Daddy. And now that the rodeo’s over, that means Miss Quinn’s movie’s comin’ out and then she can come back home!”
I can’t shut my mind off at bath and bedtime. I can’t stop thinking about Sadie’s words. Quinn’s home is here. She’s right.
Then I make the sixty-fourth call before crashing out on my bed.
CHAPTER 35
I DON’T WANNA BE MABEL
My phone rings,but it’s currently lost in a sea of used-up tissues. I run my hands beneath the pile of snot rags, and find it, seeing DEVIN on the caller ID.
“Hi,” I greet, infusing my voice with faux happiness that I do not feel. I spent the last week holed up at the inn, only leaving my suite at 11:45 each day to meet Sadie for lunch. Otherwise, all other times I’ve been in this room. Mabel brought me food and drinks, tissues, and my Amazon packages, and I’ve ignored every single one of his calls. He calls so much. I almost answered so many times. But without answers as to why he kept secrets, why he lied, what’s going on with Jenna… answering the phone is pointless, and I’m not having an important conversation over the phone.
