Page 1 of Landon

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Stan stared at the woman in front of him. Her perfectly made-up face was marred by the sneer twisting her red lips. Her long dark hair shimmered as she tossed it over her shoulder with a practiced flick. He’d once found it attractive. Now, it was just a distraction. Her hands were planted on her hips in a stance meant for maximum intimidation. Her towering heels elevated her height, making her legs appear endless, while the snug cashmere turtleneck sweater clung to the curves she loved to flaunt.

“You’ll be sorry!” she spat, her voice sharp.

He recognized the pre-tantrum tone, and his jaw tightened. “I already am! I was sorry years ago!”

As the words tumbled out, he remembered how his feelings had changed over the years. She had counted on her allure to draw him in from the beginning. She was captivating, and he was the dumb fuck who fell for her practiced charms.

She continued to lead him by his dick for a long time. A new designer bag after every argument. Designer clothes when she felt down, which, now that he thought about it, was more often than not. Jewelry for whenever business took him away for a few nights and she had to care for their children… which meant hismom and the help they hired did all the caring just like they had since the children were born.

His mind drifted to their early days, wondering if she was like this when he first started dating her. Back then, he’d been more interested in her beauty… hell, just a chance to bang her rocking body drew him to her. His parents warned him.“She’s a gold digger, Son.”

And when she got pregnant, they’d murmured, “Told you so.” But he’d still been so excited about impending fatherhood that he placed a ring on her finger and thought he’d hit the jackpot. But it was Pamela who’d hit the jackpot.

She gave birth to twins, then declared she was done having more children. But his son and daughter were the light of his life… something else she resented. She never liked how much affection he showered on the children and demanded that she be given the same attention.

For years, it was easy to satisfy her with gifts, giving her the lifestyle she craved—the house, the cars, and the status of being in the Fugate family in Montana. After all, with his father owning a massive ranch, she had married into wealth. Over the past thirteen years, she allowed her true self to shine through more and more. She was never satisfied.

The final blow had come when he discovered her latest boy toy had been in the house with her while Stan was gone, and the children were just down the hall. Stan filed for divorce. Even though she had been pregnant when they were married, his father and their family attorney had insisted on a prenuptial agreement. It was very generous to her, so she’d readily signed it.

Now, she was back, wanting more. Stan had given in when she’d cried about needing more child support even though there was joint custody. He’d added generously when she declared that their daughter needed designer dresses for a school danceeven though Penny was only ten years old at the time. And when their son, Tad, was eleven, she’d insisted that his growth spurt meant he needed all new clothes. Of course, Stan had already taken Tad out shopping and bought an entire wardrobe that would last until the next growth spurt. However, Pamela insisted that their son needed equal clothes to be kept at her place. According to Tad, he still had to carry clothes back and forth since that money was never spent on him.

Even her expensive condo overlooking a golf course and lake was paid for by Stan in the divorce agreement. He wanted the kids to have a nice place to stay when they were with her.

And now, she was back, wanting more. The words of his father rang in his ears.“As long as you keep giving, she’ll keep taking. You’ve got to put a stop to it at some point.”Stan had argued that with the twins now being twelve, he only had six more years, and then he’d cut out all the child support, just paying for everything Tad and Penny needed without giving Pamela anything.

She wanted to take the kids out of school for a weeklong trip to the Caribbean—paid for by Stan, of course. The kids would be at her condo for the weekend, so she’d hurried to the family ranch house to argue with him about more money.

“Enough. I’m done,” he said quietly, but his words shook with resolve. “Tad has soccer, and there’s an upcoming game he won’t want to miss. Penny is the first chair violinist for the school orchestra, and taking a week off during school could cost her the honored placement.”

“I don’t know what the big deal is,” Pamela fumed, arching a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “It’s just a vacation. Don’t you think the kids deserve a vacation?”

Stan sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the blooming headache. Sucking in a deep breath, he steeled his expression as he pinned her with his stare. “The kidshave vacations we plan when their school is out—not in the middle of their education and activities.”

She huffed, then surprisingly stopped glaring. “Fine. Have it your way. I’ll just tell the kids you won’t allow them to have a Caribbean vacation. You can deal with their despondency.”

“Christ, Pamela. Why do you have to make everything so complicated? If you want to plan something for the kids, do it when they’re out of school. And if it’s when they’re with me, I’ll be more than happy to let them go with you.”

The tight, fake smile she aimed his way bounced off, like most of her expressions and words nowadays. He’d spent ten years trying to make things work for the sake of the children, but now, he cared more about them than trying to keep her satisfied. Thank God, with the help of his parents and other good people in their lives, Penny and Tad were down to earth and not obsessed with designer shit.

Pamela flounced out of the office in the family home on the ranch. He moved to the window and watched as she stomped in her heels to her sedan and settled behind the wheel. He slowly shook his head as she gunned the car down the long driveway.

“Woman’s a mess. Always has been.”

The words came from a familiar deep voice approaching from the doorway. He nodded, then turned to see his father enter the room. “You’re not wrong, Dad. But then, if I hadn’t met her, I’d never have Penny and Tad.”

His dad nodded slowly. “You’re right. They’re worth everything… even putting up with that moneygrubbing—” He sighed. “Sorry, Son. I never say anything about her when the kids are around.”

“I know, Dad. It’s fine. You and Mom were right all those years ago. I was young… thinking with my dick and not realizing that what she was after had nothing to do with me.”

A deep chuckle came from Thurston Fugate as he looked at his son. “You aren’t the first man to fall into that particular trap.”

“No, I guess not.” Stan glanced out the window again, the sedan of his ex-wife long gone. But his gaze moved over the ranch with the mountains in the background, and he couldn’t help but smile. This was his heritage. Passed down for several generations. And would be passed down to Tad and Penny at some point. Without the prenup his parents insisted on when he’d married Pamela, he could have jeopardized the whole ranch.

“She’ll ask again to take the kids when they have their next vacation from school,” he said, then shook his head. “Actually, forget that. She wants a vacation now and wants me to pay for it. She probably promised her latest side piece that she’d take him. She'll want something else by the time the kids have a break.”

His father clapped his hand on Stan’s shoulder. “Your mom had Janelle fix a good lunch. Harvey is joining us, so let’s eat. Good food and good company… it’ll take your mind off what Pamela is up to.”

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