Debby’s shrill laugh made Savannah jump again. “That’s a load of bullshit. You’re trying to swindle my little girl.” She launched her cherry red fingernail in Zander’s face. “Let me tell you something, buster. I taught my daughter to trust no one. She’s not stupid enough to fall for your swagger and your hot-shot looks.”
Savannah pushed past them both and yanked open the door. “Get out.” She glared at Debby. “Out. You have no business—”
“Shut up, Vanna. Zander is a big boy and…” Pausing, Debby flicked her gaze from the made bed to the unmade one. “Jesus, are you two screwing? What kind of perverted kink are you into? Who fucks their family?”
As Savannah closed the door, acid churned in her stomach.
Crossing his arms over his massive chest, Zander faced Debby full-on. “What your daughter and I do or don’t do is none of your business.”
Her mother glared at Savannah. “I taught you to be smarter than this. Who in their right mind sleeps with their stepbrother? Are you insane or just plain desperate? Some hunky guy with a foot-long hotdog comes along, offers you a littlehelp,” she inserted air quotes for emphasis, “and you go all soft?”
Savannah couldn’t argue. Zander did want her to change her mind about Starry Cove. Just because her mother was a loose cannon, didn’t make her wrong.
“Debby,” Zander said. “I don’t care how you speak to me. But do not talk to Savannah like that.”
“Piss off, Zander. All you care about is taking advantage of a sweet, grieving woman who has a blind spot when it comes to Kyle. In her eyes, he could do no wrong.” She fiddled with the string of bracelets on her wrist. “You weren’t the only one who didn’t get his attention.”
What the hell?Savannah flicked her gaze from one to the other.
“Because of Kyle and his cockamamie, illogical reasoning, Savannah is obsessed with protecting the land.” Debby gave him the once over. “And what doyoudo for a living?”
“I’m a developer.”
“Of what?”
“Land.”
She rolled her eyes. “My God, Vanna. He’s playing you. Can’t you see that?”
The poison Debby spewed made Savannah’s stomach roil. “That’s enough—both of you.” She had a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time, not to mention getting her head back in the game. If there was anything Debby was good at, it was messing with her psyche. “Time for me to go.”
Savannah set the uneaten muffin on a napkin and grabbed the keys to the Jeep.
Debby yanked crumpled papers from her hot pink, polka-dotted, designer handbag and waved them in the air. “As Kyle’s will states, I’m the only one listed as his beneficiary. He left me everything. So, what do you have to say to that?”
“That’s an outdated will.” Zander sipped his coffee.
“How do you know?”
“The one my dad’s lawyer gave us is dated this year. Is yours?”
“I’m contesting your will…er…um, I mean,allegedwill,” Debby bleated out.
Pausing, Zander sipped his coffee again. Savannah marveled at how in control and calm he appeared.
“You’re going to waste money on an attorney that you could be spending on more important items, like clothes or playing the slots,” he said. “Are you prepared to throw that cash away?”
“I was his wife and should be included.” Debby rummaged through her tote bag, unearthed a gum packet, and popped a stick into her mouth.
“But you aren’t,” Zander said. “None of his exes are named, which will hurt your chances of winning. And you’re all about playing the odds, aren’t you? The money he left is tied to a dog park, walking trails, and a nature conservancy.”
The fire in her eyes went out and her upper lip curled. “Vanna can contest that.”
Zander glanced at his watch. “Debby, I’m going to do us all a favor. This is a first for me, but I’m going to make you a deal you won’t want to refuse.”
“How delightful. I love deals.” She gnashed the gum like she was working a piece of beef jerky.
He leaned against the small bureau. “How’s five thousand dollars sound?”
