Under A Harvest Moon by Joleen James Read Free Book Online Page B

in debt. My credit is linked to yours. When I got a job, they garnished my wages. I had to sell everything we owned to clear my name. Did you even think about how I would feed Kaiden? Have you even given your broken-hearted son one thought since you left?"
    "I'm sorry." His words dripped with what she was sure was feigned regret. "I freaked out. Let me make it up to you and Kaiden."
    Suddenly, it was crystal clear to Danielle why he'd called. He wanted a piece of Whitney Vineyards.
    "What do you really want?" she asked.
    "A second chance. I miss you and Kaiden."
    Danielle waited for the pang of loss to hit her, the wave of longing for him she expected to feel, but nothing came. Instead a bitter emptiness throbbed inside her. She didn't want him back, no matter the circumstances. Any love she'd had for him had died long ago.
    "I'm not interested," she said.
    "You can't keep me from my son," Peter returned, his words hard now.
    "I've never tried to keep you from him," she said purposely keeping her voice low. "I didn't even know where you were. Believe me, I wish I had. I would have sent the creditors after you."
    "I want to see Kaiden."
    "Fine. I'll drive him to Seattle. Just say when."
    "No," he said quickly. "I'll come to him."
    "Why?" Danielle asked. "Are you hoping to check the place out, see what it's worth? I'm not stupid, Peter. You haven't even asked about my father's death, or told me you're sorry."
    "It's not like there was any love lost between the two of you."
    Each word he uttered stabbed at her already battered soul. Unexpectedly, tears filled her eyes. "You're a bastard."
    "This is about Kaiden," he said. "I'll be out tomorrow."
    "Mom, is that Dad?" Kaiden asked, coming into the kitchen. He'd put on his X-Men pajamas. "Let me talk." He reached for the phone, his face filled with hope.
    "Kaiden wants to talk with you," Danielle said into the phone, hating how much power Peter had over their son.
    "I'll see you tomorrow," Peter warned.
    Danielle handed Kaiden the phone. He practically snatched it from her fingers he was so eager to talk to his dad.
    What a creep. Danielle turned away, wiping the moisture from her eyes.
    She had no illusions about what was going on here. Peter wanted a piece of Whitney Vineyards. He wasn't going to get one. She'd inherited after their divorce had become final. Still, she wouldn't put it past him to try something, anything, to get his hands on some cash.
    She needed to speak to her father's attorney. She wanted to make sure that the vineyard was protected.
    Peter wasn't getting one penny from her.
    He'd taken enough from her already.
    ***
    Nico left his place at three a.m., bundling a sleepy Maria into the golf cart. He drove the short distance to Whitney House and helped Maria inside, placing her on the couch in the living room like he did every morning. He'd thought the middle of the night move to the main house would bother Maria, but she seemed to sleep through the entire thing, much to Nico's relief.
    For a minute he stood over her, watching her sleep. Love for her tightened his chest. She was everything to him. It hurt to think his divorce from Liz had caused Maria so much pain. Since the divorce, she'd done poorly in school. She'd been depressed, so depressed they made regular visits to a counselor in town. Visits Liz didn't support. Liz didn't support a lot of things, like his choice of profession. She thought of him as a poor dirt farmer, having no idea what he really did at the vineyard, and when he'd tried to explain, or offered to take her into the vineyard, she'd always made some excuse why she couldn't go. They been different from the get-go and probably shouldn't have gotten married, but how could he say he'd made a bad decision when he'd gotten Maria from the marriage?
    The scent of fresh brewed coffee pulled Nico back to the kitchen. He gave mental thanks to the automatic timer Lola set on the machine for him each day. He reached into the cupboard to grab a travel