Page 65 of Five Mountain Daddies

I suspect Ingram had something to do with that, but I don’t know why. All I know is, a lot of money just suddenly became mine, along with a company I don’t want. I thought I was going back to New York, back to my life as a budding young urban lawyer, but that future’s gonenow.

My life is in Wheelville, and I don’t even know if I want it. But I feel obligated to my father and to this town for some insane reason, and so I’m stillhere.

I sigh and curl up in a ball on my bed. I grab my phone and slowly scroll through it. An old friend of mine messaged me on Facebook a few days ago, saying we should get together, and so I text her on awhim.

Callie May was my closest friend when I was a little girl. She was a neighbor back then, although apparently they moved in the years since I last saw her. She invites me out to a coffee place in town and I agree to meet her, since it’s way better than lying around feeling sorry formyself.

As I drive over there, I can’t stop thinking about him. Samuel Carter, big and bold and beautiful and so fucking arrogant, is the father of the baby that’s growing inside of me. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t imagine raising a child with that beast. I have a ton of money now, so I can probably get by on my own, even if I don’t stay the President of Evans Energy. Daddy made some great investments, and I’m set forlife.

That worries me too. I’ve never had this much money, and I don’t know what to do with it all. I don’t really need to work, but I feel obligated to stay on with the company, to help keep my father’s legacy alive. I’m angry that he died in that stupid accident, but I shouldn’t be so surprised. My father was an adrenaline junky, barely missing death over and over, and finally it caught up withhim.

Now I’m here, broken and picking up thepieces.

I park outside of the little coffee shop and spot Callie inside. She’s changed a lot, although of course she has, it’s been over thirteen years. We were twelve the last time I saw her, right before I was sent to boardingschool.

“Hi, Amelia!” she says, standing up. She’s a bubbling little brunette in jeans and cowboy boots. Her southern accent is thick, which just makes me smile. I’ve lost most ofmine.

“Hi, Callie,” I say, hugging her. “It’s been solong.”

“I know, right? I got you acoffee.”

I sit down and thank her, sipping it. We fall into small talk, basically catching up on each other’s lives. When my father finally comes up, she frowns andsighs.

“I’m so sorry about him,” she says. “Everyone in town lovesTommy.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Tommy?”

“Sure,” she says, grinning. “He always insisted we call himthat.”

I sit back, surprised. I never heard anyone call my father anything but “Tom” or “Mr. Evans,” although I only ever saw him around his businessassociates.

“He did a lot for the town, you know,” she continues. “Funded the firehouse himself for years. Started a bunch of local charities. I think he even bought the publiclibrary.”

I nod, smiling to myself. I knew about all that. He was proud of Wheelville, for whatever reason. “He loved his home,” I say toher.

She nods, smiling. “That’s why we’re happy you’rehome.”

“Yeah,” I say softly, glancing away. “I’m happy to be home,too.”

“I hear you’re having some trouble with SamuelCarter.”

I look back at her, surprised. I’m a little taken aback, and she laughs at myexpression.

“Girl, nothing’s secret here in Wheelville. You’ll learn thatagain.”

I sigh. “It’s not reallytrouble.”

“He’s the head of the union, and you’re his boss now. You’re, like, enemies,right?”

I bite my lip. “Something likethat.”

She leans forward, grinning a little, and for a second I’m terrified she’s going to bring up the night he brought me home. It was dark in that bar, and everyone was drunk as hell, so I’m assuming nobody remembers or recognizes me. Well, he remembers, but I don’t want it to be common knowledge that I slept with him. That’ll only complicatethings.

“That Samuel, he’s really something, isn’the?”

“What do you mean?” I ask,hesitating.

She gives me a sly little smile. “He has a nickname, youknow.”

---