Page 16 of Promise Me a Forever Texas Love

“I kinda was,” Callum said around a mouthful of pumpkin bread. “I spent more time there as a kid than I did inside.”

Mama picked up a wooden spoon and gave him a slap on the butt. “Don’t be a smarty pants.”

Callum reeled their petite mama into his chest with one arm and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. “Now you know I’ve always been a smartie pants, Mama. Which is why you love me better than your other two kids.”

Mama rolled her eyes, but her smile told a different story. She loved Callum’s teasing. Just as much as she loved Cooper’s solemn personality. She loved all her kids equally and thought each one of them was something to be proud of. Even when her daughter got pregnant at eighteen . . . only months after her husband’s death. Cadee would always feel guilty about that. Especially when she now knew what it was like to worry about your child.

Which was why she had decided to contest Rosie Hennessy’s will.

Rosie had told her about the clause she’d put in her will. If the Hennessy siblings didn’t finish Honky Tonk Heaven in the allotted time, Cadee would inherit everything for Camden. Cadee didn’t want everything. She wasn’t about to take the Hennessys’ family home. Nor did she want a country honky tonk. She just wanted a share of the sale of Honky Tonk Heaven. She didn’t doubt for a second that the Hennessys planned to sell. All the siblings resented the dancehall for taking all their mama’s time.

With her share, Cadee intended to pay off some of the ranch’s debt. Stockton Ranch had been running in the red for years now due to Daddy’s cancer-related medical bills, drought, low market prices, and high production costs. Cooper and Callum had worked hard to pay down that debt, but the possibility of losing the ranch still hung over their heads on a daily basis.

Now Cadee had a chance to take away some of that pressure. If that meant being a hardass with the Hennessys, so be it.

But she lost some of her spunk when her lawyer called a few days later and said the Hennessys and Billy wanted to meet with her. The following day, she couldn’t help her shaking knees when she stepped into Billy’s office and came face to face with the Hennessy Hooligans. All of them but Dawson, who was rumored to be in California with Magnolia Hastings visiting her daddy.

Jaxon and Poppy sat in chairs in front of Billy’s desk while Huck stood in the corner with his arms crossed. Billy was sitting behind his desk talking on the phone . . . with Cadee’s lawyer.

“Now I don’t think we need to postpone the meeting, Ms. Gavin. Especially since everyone is here. We aren’t going to make any decisions without you. My clients just want to talk to your client.” He glanced over at Cadee who was still hovering by the door. “Of course, I’ll let you talk to her. She just stepped in.” He held out the phone to Cadee as Jaxon jumped to his feet and offered his chair.

With everyone’s eyes on her, she felt extremely uncomfortable as she took the phone and sat down. “Hi, Yvonne. What happened? Why aren’t you here?”

“I got stuck in court. I tried calling you but couldn’t get through.”

“Sorry, the cell service is horrible here in Promise Springs.”

“Well, that explains it. Anyway, you’ll need to reschedule. Next Wednesday looks good for me.”

A part of Cadee wanted to postpone it. The other part wanted to get it over with. It was Huck’s intense gaze that made the decision for her. She refused to act like she was intimidated.

Even if she was.

“No. I think Billy’s right. Everyone’s here so we might as well have the meeting now.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I hear the Hennessys can be volatile.”

“Only when provoked,” Poppy snapped.

Since the Hennessys could obviously hear the entire conversation, Cadee brought it to a close. “It will be fine. I’ll call you as soon as it’s over.”

“Don’t sign anything!” Yvonne yelled before Cadee ended the call.

Billy accepted the phone from her and placed it back in the cradle. “Okay, then. Why don’t you take a seat, Cadee?”

Jaxon nodded at the chair he’d vacated. “You can sit here.”

She moved to the chair and sat down, ignoring the mad-dogging she was getting from Poppy.

Billy rested his folded hands on the desk in front of him, flashing his big diamond rings. “The Hennessys wanted to meet with you today, Cadee, in the hopes that we can get things settled without taking it to court.”

“Settled how?” she asked.

Billy smiled widely. “To everyone’s satisfaction.”

Poppy spoke up. “The only way I’m going to be satisfied is if I get what I have coming to me.”

“Poppy.” Jaxon’s voice held a warning. One Poppy completely ignored.