After the Climb (River Rain #1) - Kristen Ashley Page 0,79

advances to Tom Pierce, which were always rebuffed, we were taking her interview as an act of petty vengeance against Tom, and we could not stand silent about it considering what it meant to our family.

Duncan and I, Mindi and Sheila, on a conference call, decided the rest.

That the things Samantha said about he, Corey and I were “private matters and personal history that will not be discussed.”

This, we knew, translated into “she did not lie about that.”

But we didn’t make that statement to protect Corey. We did it for the exact opposite reason.

The fallout of all of this was seeming to be that the world was Team Duncan all the way and Team Tom, since everybody loved him and wanted him happy. So now, if he was brought up, it was discussing potential women he should date.

So I guessed I had something to thank Sam for.

But I was not going to rush to my personalized stationery.

The feeds were clogged with a variety of unkind memes featuring Sam and even Elsa, taking stills from the interview or other photos to make fun of them.

I could not say this made me happy.

I could say that it I didn’t care much that it probably would not take me long to get over it.

I was cuddled up with Duncan (and Killer) in his big chair, steadily becoming more and more inebriated.

But as yet this had not touched the fact that I was infuriated that a happy day that started with Duncan fucking me and should have carried on with us spending time with our kids, ended like this.

Even if Sasha was having the time of her life repeating the conversation I’d had with Tom in the hallway.

“And then there was the part where she shared Hale was off to find out what was up his mother’s ass,” Sasha said. “Though, my favorite was when she threatened to eviscerate them all.”

“Righteous, and I don’t even know what ‘eviscerate’ means. Still sounds righteous,” was Gage’s reply.

“Baby, I don’t know why you’re in a bad mood. That was totally badass,” Duncan whispered in my ear.

“Huh,” I huffed Chloe’s favorite refrain, and socked back more gin.

The dogs lost their minds (again) and raced to the door, including Killer, who took a flying leap from where she was lounging in both our laps.

This caused Cookie to scatter from where she’d settled in the crease of Gage’s outstretched legs (she’d defected from me, but I wasn’t too torn up about it, she’d come back) and Tuck to rush from his perch on Sasha’s hip (he’d defected too, it was love at first sight, both ways).

Bounce, wisely, was hiding under a table.

“I’ll see who it is,” Sully sighed, and pushed up from his place on the floor.

“You do know, when everyone’s gone or asleep, I’m shoving you in my car and driving you down to your condo, then barricading us in for at least a month, don’t you?” Duncan asked.

I looked to him. “That’s the second-best thing I’ve heard all day, behind the first-best thing which I cannot discuss in company.”

He gave me a sexy smile.

“Yo!” we heard.

It was Sully sounding like he was calling out to someone.

In order to call them to a halt.

We looked to the entryway of the great room, and within seconds, Chloe stormed through it, Sul hot on her very high heels.

“Simmer down, hot guy,” she snapped to Sully, then to me, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, darling,” I replied.

To Duncan, “Are you okay, Bowie?”

“I’m fine, honey, are you okay?”

“I…am…not,” she bit.

“You didn’t have to drive all the way up here,” I said. “We’re—”

“I didn’t?” she snapped. “Bitchface Wheeler declares war on my family and what? I’m supposed to head out to Straight Up at the Adeline and have a smooth whiskey?”

“Sullivan, Gage, Harvey, Beth, this is Genny’s oldest. Chloe,” Duncan introduced.

“Figures,” Gage grunted.

“How do you do, kind people. And Heddy, love your face,” Chloe stated and then to me, “Motherrrr, we need to be on Insta, riding horses and looking beautiful and being happy and rich and making that bitch squirm.”

“I think I’ve made her squirm enough for one day,” I said to my daughter, quite pleased that none of the words were slurred.

“Hardly,” she returned. “But good call on the big fat lie. I approve.”

I sighed.

She turned to Sasha. “What? You don’t see me since Coachella and now I’m invisible?”

“I try not to get too close when you’re in full snit,” Sasha said, pushing up from her place on the floor and moving to her