Page 66 of Quarter Miles (Runaway 3)

“I told her I’d give her five thousand dollars, cash, to leave the ranch and leave you in peace.”

She swallowed hard. “She took it?”

“Yes.”

To her credit, Jessica had waged an internal debate. She’d stood across from me, her eyes cast to the dirt, and weighed my offer for a solid five minutes. As the time dragged on, I almost gave in. I almost offered to go get Kat and bring her to the lodge. But right before I could cave, Jessica held out her hand.

Maybe she thought that my five thousand dollars was more than she’d ever get from Kat. When the selfish bitch accepted my offer, I didn’t waste a second before getting her off my ranch.

“She’d flown to Missoula, then paid for an Uber to drive her to the ranch. I went to the lodge. Got some money out of the safe in Dad’s office. Then I gave it to her and drove her to the airport in Missoula myself.”

The forty-mile trip was the longest of my life. A few times I caught Jessica catching a tear with her fingertips as she stared out the passenger window. When I pulled up to the airport’s terminal, she opened the door, ready to leave without a word, but paused.

Tell her I’m sorry.

Then she was gone.

I’d wondered for the past five years if we’d see her again. If she’d come begging for more money now that she knew a trip to Montana was an easy payday. But I’d never seen Jessica again.

And for years, I’d unsuccessfully prodded Kat for information about her youth. I’d needed to know that I’d done the right thing by sending Jessica away.

“Did she ask about me?”

Damn it, this was going to hurt. “No.”

Jessica hadn’t once asked if her daughter was happy or safe or loved.

Kat dropped her gaze to the floor. Her hair draped in front of her face but I still saw the quiver of her chin.

“I’m sorry.”

“You should have told me,” she whispered.

“I know.”

“How could you keep this from me? All these years?” She looked up and the pain in her expression wasn’t just from her mother’s visit, but because I’d betrayed her.

“It was for your own good.”

“Oh, fuck you,” she snapped.

I flinched. “Kat—”

“You and your family are always trying to protect me. Except what any of you don’t seem to realize is that I don’t need your protection. Carol forbids me from touching base with the resort staff while I’m on this trip and it’s for my own good. Gemma sets up this entire trip and it’s for my own good. You don’t tell me about my mother coming to find me ten years after I’ve seen her and it’s for my own good. I don’t need your protection. I’m capable of judging what’s for my own fucking good.”

“We’re just looking out.”

“I don’t need anyone to look out for me.”

“That’s what family does.”

“Family?” She scoffed. “You sent my only living relative away. You took away the last chance I ever had to see my mother.”

“I’m sorry. If it means that much, we can go find her. I’ll go with you to California. We can leave today.”

“Too late.” Kat’s eyes turned glacial and her expression flattened. “She’s dead.”

The air in the room went still. My heart dropped. “What?”