I stopped, resting my forehead against the door that separated us, and breathed, regaining my composure before I spouted off more hate that would only stoke my temper.
“Look, what’s done is done, and the only reason I drove out here was to see if you would be reasonable about that money. The divorce is finalized—Mindy insisted—but the fact that we were still married when whoever died—”
“My aunt, Trey. When my aunt passed away,” I said, letting him hear the irritation in my voice.
What had I done to deserve this? Was my marriage so much of a sham that this was my punishment? Forced to part with money that should open the doors to my new beginning?
Trey leered through the closed door and tugged on the handle again, startling me from my pity party as the door shook, still refusing to open.
“Whatever. It’s not like you knew her—or at least you never mentioned her to me in the decade we were married. But because we were still married when she died, if you don’t agree to give me a portion of that money, we will go to court, and you will lose. Now is the time for you to be reasonable. Let me out of this fucking heat, and let’s talk about this like adults.”
Not an ask—but a threat.No matter how beat down I felt, no matter how much this conversation was like a knife to the gut, I wouldn’t let him trample over me.
“Absolutely not. You have no right to that money, and there is no way I’m letting you inside.”
Trey sighed, running his left hand through his hair before kicking the edge of the doorframe. “Listen, Summer. This needs to happen.”
“Nope. No. I’m done. Did the chemicals from your fiancée’s bleach-blonde hair dye short-circuit your brain? What makes you think you have any right to come here? You’ve lost the right to know anything about my life.”
“Just because I admitted our divorce is final,” he hissed, clenching his fists by his sides, “doesn’t mean I’ve lost the right to be involved in your life.”
I swallowed down the anger and desire to dropkick him in the nuts, and took a deep steadying breath, placing my hand on my stomach.
“Actually, Trey, that’s exactly what that means. You lost the right to know anything about me the moment you stuck your dick into that twit who works for you.”
“Don’t speak about Mindy like that. She’s pregnant with my child. We’re going to be a family. How dare you disrespect me like that?”
“How dare I? Really? That’s ballsy. And stupid. Take your pick, then get off my property.” I shooed him away with my hands, taking a step back until I couldn’t smell his overpowering cologne.
“Your property?” he scoffed, stepping closer and slapping his palm against the doorframe. “I’m tired of your convoluted bullshit, Summer. Open the damn—”
“Hey!” a deep, gruff voice yelled from behind Trey, and I pressed my hand to my chest, willing my heart to drop back where it belonged instead of staying lodged in my throat.
Trey jumped back, following the voice as I peeked behind him to see Maverick at the bottom of the front porch with a beautiful, colossal dog resembling an adult version of Bev’s puppies.
“I thought I heard your voice as I pulled up. How are you doing, Summer?” he asked from the bottom of the steps, wrapping one hand around the leash to secure the dog andpropping the other on his hip. I tilted my head, watching Trey clench his fists by his side but making no move to speak.
“Oh. Hi. Hey. Hello. I’m fine, just finishing up a conversation.” I lifted the hand pressed against my chest and gave Maverick a feeble wave with two fingers.
His head tilted as he moved forward and rested a large hand on the railing. I suppressed a gleeful smirk as Trey sidestepped him, taking two steps down while his eyes darted between me and the towering oak tree that was Maverick Hansen.
The difference between the two men was staggering. Maverick stood a good thirty pounds heavier and several inches taller, with scruff on his face and a dark green polo with his company logo on the left breast pocket, while Trey remained lanky and wore socks that more than likely matched his shirt.
“I see that. Mind if I come in?” he rumbled in a low tone as he made his way up the stairs, causing goose bumps on my arms and a delightful tingle to race down my spine. He didn’t glance at Trey, who pushed himself against the railing as Maverick and his dog moved past him.
“Who are you? Summer, what’s going on?”
I ignored my ex’s pathetic pleas as Maverick continued up the porch steps two at a time. His dog tugged at the leash and growled toward Trey, who stepped down until he reached the bottom with his hands in the air and his jaw clenched.
“Want to open the door, pretty lady?”
My eyes darted to his face as my belly swooped with the compliment. It only took an undignified grunt from Trey for me to realize Maverick’s friendliness was purely to irritate the imbecile at the bottom of the steps. Sighing, I nodded and snicked the lock, opening the door just enough to let them pass.
Trey made an indignant noise, but I ignored him, locking the screen door and closing the heavy front door before resting my head against it and shutting my eyes.
“What was that about?”
“Hmm?”
