Forty
“He caught y’all in the barn?” Reillyasked Leah, not at all surprised that the woman had spent the past half hour attempting to sway Reilly over to her side by regaling her with details of her time with Stone.
“Yes, he did,” she said proudly.
Ever since Stone left, Leah had turned on the charm, and Reilly’d let her think it was working because … well, the truth was, it was entertaining as fuck. Like seriously amusing. The woman was exactly what Reilly had imagined her to be after the conversation she’d had with her brother the first day he was back.
Were you boinkin’ the boss’s wife again?
Daughter.
Seriously?
Seriously.
Was she hot?
You could say that.
Spoiled, rich-brat hot?
Exactly.
You got caught, huh?
Not on purpose.
Leah Johnson was definitely a spoiled rich bitch. Everything about her screamed oblivious and entitled. Reilly was pretty sure she was sincerely convinced Stone was going to hop in his truck and follow her back to Houston because she batted those fake lashes and thrust out her chest.
In all fairness, Reilly wasn’t as certain that he wouldn’t, but she would do her part to ensure he didn’t have another choice.
It was petty and childish, sure. But who gave a fuck? Stone was where he belonged.
“I might’ve mentioned I needed his help,” Leah continued.
Reilly was lost. “Who’s help?”
“My father’s.”
“Ah.” Then it hit her. “Oh. You set it up so your dad would pop in and catch you and Stone in the act?”
Leah’s grin was wide and proud. “He would’ve found out eventually. I was just helpin’ things along.”
Then it dawned on Reilly what Leah said. They’d been caught having sex in the barn, and Leah had set it up so her dad would catch them. Gross.
Although she wanted to bleach the mental image from her brain, she was too curious to leave it alone. “Why?”
Leah shrugged. “I knew Daddy would insist Stone do right by me. Since Stone wasn’t in a hurry to move things along, I added a little incentive.”
Reilly nodded as though that made perfect sense when, in reality, she threw up a little in her mouth. “Backfired, huh?”
Leah’s gaze shifted to the doors. “Not really. I knew Stone would react the way he did. At first. But I also know I’m the best thing that’s happened to him.”
“Oh.” Reilly choked down a laugh. “Is that right?”
Her voice lowered as though they were sharing state secrets. “He’s got big dreams, and I’m his meal ticket.”
Wow. Reilly had wanted to be a lot of things growing up—fireman, architect, the door greeter at Walmart—but she’d never wanted to be someone’s meal ticket.
