“Mothers always win.”
“Not always.” And that’s true. A big percentage of the time the woman or birth mother wins, but I think I’ve got more on my side than she gives me credit for.
“I’dwin.” She looks at me with a coy expression.
Oh, she thinks she’d win because she can act? Well, I’ve got the truth behind me. No act in the world is gonna change that. “Ivy. What. Do. You. Want?” Because she wants something. My hope is it isn’t visitation, because I’m not sending Andi halfway across the country to visit her birth mother in California. No way.
“I should have asked for this a long time ago, but I was thinking about you and Andrea.”
“Uh-huh.” I stare at her. She’s got a ton of makeup shit on her face. It makes her look old. Well, older. Much older. I’d tell her, but I don’t need to get into that shit with her.
“I’d like spousal support.”
I blink. A lot. Is she for real? “Spousal support?” Then I laugh. “You’d have to be a spouse for something like that, and we were definitely not married.”
“Common law—”
“Takes seven years in Iowa. You barely stuck around for three.” She’s really doing this? She’s actually asking for money. I shouldn’t be surprised. Disappointed is what I’m feeling though. Disappointed that she, honest to God, isn’t willing to fight for her child. Like always, it’s all about her.
“Fine.” She crosses her arms in front of her, attempting to look tough, I’d guess. “But I think you owe me.”
“I don’t owe you shit.”
“You inherited this huge farm. You can afford to—”
“Pay you off?” What she’s really saying is she wants me to pay her for Andi. I half expected her to do something like this, but that was me thinking the worst of Ivy DeLucas. I guess the worst is the reality now.
“That sounds so crass.” Her face goes soft again. “I gave you a kid, Nashville.”
I’m not even going to respond to that one. Talk about crass. “How much?” I might as well cut to the chase. The sooner this is dealt with, the sooner she’ll ride off on her broom or, in her case, her Mercedes.
“Five hundred.”
I reach back for my wallet. I’ve got five hundred bucks on me. I took it out of the bank to pay for this date.
“Thousand.” She scoffs. “You’ve got five hundred thousand in your wallet.” Then she gives me an eye roll.
I quickly put the wallet back. “You want five hundred thousand dollars? Are you fuckinginsane?”
“You said yourself you’re a millionaire.”
“In land.” Duh. “I don’t have half a mill sitting around. You grew up around here. You know how farming works. What the fuck, Ivy?”
“Well, you’re about to marry the richest gal in the county. You’ll have more land than anyone in the state.”
“That farm belongs to Bruce.”
“He won’t be able to farm. The poor man has only one stupid arm.”
God, she’s pissing me off.
“Who I marry is none of your fucking business. And I don’t have five hundred grand.”You greedy bitch. I don’t say it, but I’m thinking it.
“You could sell some of your land. I’m sure Izzy would buy it for you.”
I shake my head and reach for the phone I’ve got in my other back pocket. “I’m not selling shit. I’m calling my lawyer.”
“No!” she says, holding up one hand. “I need cash, Nash. I’m about to lose my apartment in L.A. That car is a rental, and my credit cards are maxed out. I’ve got to get back so I can work.” She’s full-on whining now. Is this part of her act? I can’t tell anymore.
