She was all those things.
But for one glorious night, she’d been Chase’s.
And now she was Eliza’s mom. And Eliza thought she was awesome. And that felt really good.
Because growing up, she’d always felt like something was wrong with her. Her grandparents reluctantly raised her, providing for her needs but never loving her. They tolerated her. She’d been the unexpected burden they didn’t ask for and didn’t want. Not after all they’d been through with her mother.
Her birth had not been a happy day. No one celebrated. In fact, no one, including her mother, wanted her to exist at all.
She was the living reminder of a man’s brutality and a woman’s ruin.
The scandal had rocked the town.
People don’t forget things like that when there’s a sordid tale that goes with it.
Her grandmother told her that Shelby’s father broke her mother, and that’s why she committed suicide. But Shelby knew another truth. Her mother went crazy staring at Shelby, the living proof of what happened to her, and couldn’t take it anymore.
Even her own grandparents could barely stand the sight of her.
She reminded them of the daughter they lost and the man who took her from them.
It was a sad tale.
It was a sad life.
One Eliza would never have to endure, because Shelby showered her with love and attention and tried to make each day a happy one.
Even if that meant slamming the door in Eliza’s father’s face once in a while.
And Shelby refused to apologize for who she was when she’d done nothing wrong. So she looked Mr. Wilde in the eye and said, “You’re just mad I beat you to it.”
Mr. Wilde stared daggers at her. “There’s no way you could pull this off on your own.”
“That’s what you think, because you don’t know me at all.”
None of them did.
Not Max, who side-eyed her in town every time they crossed paths. Not Hunt, who refused to help her with the man who kept harassing her, despite the fact he was a cop.
And Mr. Wilde, who’d tossed his son out on his ass for doing what his mother asked of him, for daring to set the ranch on a better course, and for leaving despite not being wanted, he didn’t know her either.
“What the hell is going on?” Chase asked, his gaze ping-ponging back and forth between her and his family.
Damn but they were all the most gorgeous men she’d ever seen. All tall, dark, and handsome. Mr. Wilde’s hair had gone gray at the temples. They all had his striking blue eyes, though Chase’s were more denim blue than ice blue. Each one of them was lean and toned. Again,Chase stood out because of his bulk. The military had honed those muscles well.
But looks could be deceiving.
Each one of them wore a scowl to match their bad tempers.
Mr. Wilde bullied to get what he wanted.
Hunt had the authority and bearing of his position as a cop.
Max was mild-mannered, until you pissed him off. Then, watch out. She’d seen him practically take a guy’s head off in the high school parking lot years ago when a girl tried to push the guy away and he got handsy instead, pinning her against his car. Max and the girl started dating the following week. Of course the hero got the beautiful girl.
Max probably didn’t even remember Shelby from high school. He’d been way out of her league and in the stratosphere of social circles. She bet she could count the people who remembered her on one hand unless they were reminded of the sordid tale about her parents that never seemed to fade from anyone’s mind for long.
And Chase. He really was the wild card in the family. Smart. Thoughtful. Practical. Tough. A little dangerous when angry. But she bet he had the biggest heart of them all.