Page 64 of Hot Shot
“No, I wouldn’t.” Corbin turns his gaze to Bran. “I swear, if I believed her, I would have said something in spite of you cutting us out. I would have made you listen.”
“I…” Bran swallows hard. “I honestly don’t know that I would have. I was in protection mode.”
“You would need an armored suit to protect yourself from her.”
“Son.” Mom moves to Corbin, cradles his jaw with her hand. “Tell me why Landon had the reaction he did.”
“I’m not sure. He hasn’t said anything, but I know when Bran and Celeste got married, he went crazy for a bit. He didn’t tell me details but I know he saw her the week before we found out.”
“You think she told him about the baby?” Dad asks.
Shaking his head, Corbin says, “No. There’s no way he knew before the rest of the world. He would never have let Bran marry her if he thought there was a chance she was pregnant with his baby.”
“The woman seems to have been filled with lies.”
“And venom,” Corbin adds to Mom’s assessment. “Lies and venom and she’d turn it on anyone in her way.”
“But I don’t understand why she would lie to me about the night of the party. Why tell me we slept together and then come at me weeks later? What was her goal?”
“She wanted Landon. He ditched her when she tried to drive a wedge between us. She did it the whole time they were together and for a while it was only little things, things he could overlook but the lie about me and her? Yeah, that was too big a deal to ignore. They had a huge argument because he also found out she’d hooked up with Carl Burgan a few times when they were first together. That was the end for Landon.”
“So why did he see her the week before she came to me?” Bran asks.
“I honestly don’t know. All he told me was that they’d spoken, that she told him to fuck off and he’d be sorry for letting her go.”
“Was he sorry?” Mom asks. “Because I’m not sure what was going through his head just now other than distress.”
“No. He’s been seeing someone. A woman he met at a cafe.”
“He’s got a girlfriend?”
“I wouldn’t call her that exactly, but they hang out. A lot. He hasn’t been with anyone since the debacle with Celeste. As I said, she did a number on his head.” Corbin glances over his shoulder. “I’m not sure how this is going to affect him.”
“So you know what I’m going to say?” Bran asks.
“I’m assuming you’re here to tell us Celeste said Landon is Laura’s father. What I don’t understand is why you’re only now telling anyone.”
“I didn’t know until after Laura… After Celeste…”
“How is that possible?”
“She left a note. Wrote it while washing down a bottle of sleeping pills with two bottles of vodka.”
“Jesus.” Corbin’s gaze moves to Dad. “Someone needs to go find him.”
“I think it should be Branton.” Mom’s words have us all looking at her. “I think it’s between the two of them at this point.”
“But—”
“No.” Mom cuts Corbin off. “She played the two of them. Pitted them against each other even if they weren’t aware of it. I think they both have insight into her that the other can use to understand more of the situation and possibly move past the damage she caused each of them.”
“And they have that in common to bring them back together,” Dad adds with a nod.
“And me?” Corbin’s gaze flits between Mom and Dad. “How do I fit into this?”
“You don’t yet.” Bran leaves my side and goes to my brother. “After, once Landon and I have cleared the air. Then we’ll both need you to add what you know.”
“I don’t know much more than what I just told you all.”
