I peer through the screen to see Sadie inside, lying on her belly, feeding pieces of bread to Big Bertha. She must’ve let them in, and of course they took advantage of her by coming in. They both know Landry and me would have offered politely to speak on the porch.
Thefrontporch.
I hate these people, and there’s so much I don’t know about them. They could be animal rights activists, they could donate all their money to unhoused people, or advocate forbetter social programs. They could be a lot of things, but it doesn't matter, because they’re trying to tear a family apart, and I am not sure that’s redeemable.
“Hi there,” I greet them, wearing an infallible smile, for Sadie and for Landry. “What brings you guys by?” I drop a thumb over my shoulder. “My camera’s rolling. Tate Collier’s out there getting everything ready. Landry’s about to ride.” That’s my way of saying we’re busy and don’t appreciate pop-ins.
Charles outstretches his hand, and the envelope lingers in the sunlight before Landry reluctantly takes it.
“What might this be?” he asks, caution laced through his words.
“The process server will deliver the official papers today.” Charles smooths his hand down his silk tie, then over his silvering locks. “But for Amelia, we thought we should tell you first.”
Process server.They’re moving forward with the custody suit. I glance up at Landry and find his nostrils flaring and the veins in his throat flexed, swollen and bulging. His restraint is immense as he calmly asks, “What’s in the envelope?”
“A copy of the custody papers that we filed in Dallas.”
“Dallas?” Landry repeats, his hand leaving mine as he tears open the packet and starts to consume the paperwork. “I can’t go back and forth. Dallas is three hoursone way.”
I rock to my toes and peer over his forearm at the sea of text, snagging statements like “unstable lifestyle”, “a suspicious quick marriage”, and “the ranch and the property are significantly underwater financially”.
A moment later, Sadie guides a thin man through the house, and the four of us fall silent. Sadie, engrossed in Big Bertha who is in her arms as she keeps the porch door openwith one boot, ignores us easily. I’m thankful for that right now.
“Landry Vaughn,” the man says, handing an identical envelope to him. Landry nods, confirming. The man’s smile is forced and almost apologetic as he says, “You’ve been served.”
“See?” Marnie gloats. “We thought it would be better if we broke the news first.”
“There is nothing about our relationship that is suspicious,” I try to explain, or at least my intent is to explain, but my words come out bloated with anger, loud and large. “Landry did everything in his power to save your daughter,” I say, my hands shaking as I step what feels like too far out of line, but keep my voice low to protect the little girl inside.
My eyes lift, searching for Sadie through the open screen door that she let shut a moment ago. I put a hand over my eyes and peer up, spotting her upstairs through the foggy old window. She’s wearing my Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt, and my chest nearly explodes from the duality of this moment, of this little girl being in love with me and idolizing me, and these awful people trying to hurt the incredible man that raised her.
“Quinn, you don't have to,” Landry begins, but I step forward and snatch the paperwork from his hands so he doesn’t have to see it. I keep it pressed tight to my chest.
“You think he didn’t do everything he could?” I peer at the papers, then press them back against my chest. I really don’t want Landry to look at this shit. Not ever, but certainly not this close to rodeo day. “Why do you think this land that has,might I add, been in his family for all of his life and all of his daddy’s life, and all ofhisdaddy’s life—why do you think this land is suddenly not fruitful?” I step nearer, and in the back of my brain, a small voice cautions me, because I knowI’m tiptoeing the edge of my own self-control. “He gave every last penny to her treatments and trials, he took out money against the land. He hasn’t been able to treat this place the way it needs to in order to turn a profit, because he spent everything trying to keep Amelia here, for you two, for Sadie, for himself.” I shake my head, remembering a woman who I never met based on the beautiful things everyone around me has said. “For everyone who loved Amelia. He did everything he could.”
Silence. Marnie’s eyes don’t leave mine, and while her expression softens, still, she doesn’t apologize. She doesn’t retract the papers, she doesn’t do anything but stare at me. I won’t back down. Landry deserves someone to stand up for him.
“And instead of making his life easier, you’re trying to take the only thing in the world that matters to him.” I clutch the papers to my heart as Landry’s hand lands on my lower back, a weight in the storm of my emotions. “Shame on you. Shame on you both. And we will see you in court.”
With that, I stand tall and firm, and don’t move a muscle. Marnie and I have a showdown where neither of us breaks our gaze, and I win, because Tate approaches from behind, stealing her focus.
“Landry, I got Twister rigged and in the chute. You ready?” Tate doesn’t even acknowledge the presence of the Montgomerys but Landry told me they grew up together, he and Tate. He obviously knows who they are.
Landry nods, and we go. And when he’s defeated Twister, that’s when the real work begins.
I swear they picked as near to the rodeo as possible to do this. It is strategic, and underhanded. If the Montgomerys really believed that they are the best guardians for Sadie, they wouldn’t do anything but file the papers. But filing them and having Landry served just two weeks before the rodeo? Asking him to go to a custody hearing a week before the event he’s been training for?
I don’t like the Montgomerys.
But being in Landry’s life has shown me that we have people. I always have Mom and Lane back home, and here, we have people.
The moment Landry got off that practice ride last week, Tate called his sister Maeve over to watch all the girls, Love brought a basket of food and a pitcher of sweet tea over, and Elena Vargas and Mabel joined us.
Dr. Vargas had her Rolodex of contacts, and so did Mabel, though hers was all kept in her memory and Elena actually had a day planner. Still, the six of us had a plan in under three hours, and a lawyer on retainer in under four.
The lawyer apparently just happened to have connections to the judge in this case, and after just a five-minute phone call, she had the case moved from Dallas back to Sable Sky. That in itself felt like a win, and not just because of the ease it will bring us during this hearing. But because it feels like defeating the Montgomerys is just a little more possible.
Now, the hearing is today, and I’ve not stopped sleeping in Landry’s room since the other night. It’s been a week of bliss, and while there hasn’t been much sex, it’s not because the desire isn’t there. It’s because we can do real life together, too, and that’s what we’ve been doing. Tackling this awful thing being thrown at him. I’ve rubbed him down in lotions and oils, kneading his overworked muscles and sore body, and we’ve discussed the hearing, what we expect,all of it.
