Before Carter could stop her, Kat shot up from her seat, eyes blazing, the tears and gentle words forgotten. “He gave me his blessing, Mom! He gave me his blessing the day we visited his grave.”
Despite Harrison’s hand and urging not to, Eva stood. “Don’t be ridiculous, Katherine. Your father wouldn’t stand for it. I am not going to stand for it! You are so much better than this.”
“You don’t have any say in my life, Mom. I’m twenty-five years old!”
“You are my daughter, and I want you safe!”
“I. AM. SAFE!”
“How can you say that?” Eva shoved an accusatory finger toward Carter. “He’s a convict, put inside for possessing cocaine, stealing cars, carrying dangerous weapons. He is not safe, and he is not who I want you with!”
“Enough!”
The room rattled with the deep, booming voice of Harrison. Carter gaped at him, speechless that he’d shouted as loud as he had, even though he’d been damn near doing the exact same thing himself. Harrison moved from his spot, behind Eva’s chair, looking pissed. “That is enough from both of you.”
Eva sighed. “Harrison, I don’t think—”
“No, Eva,” he interrupted. “Enough is enough.” He rubbed his forehead with the tips of his fingers. “I’m so tired of seeing the two of you argue and fight. It breaks my heart.” He looked at Kat. “I’ve never seen you like this. Either of you, and I can’t keep my mouth shut any longer.”
“I agree,” Nana Boo muttered from her seat in the corner of the room. “Eva, I love you, but you need to back off.”
“Back off?” Eva repeated. “Your granddaughter is ‘in love’ with a man whose wardrobe is filled with nothing but prison-issue coveralls.”
Carter almost snorted at that one.
“That may be so,” Nana Boo retorted angrily. “But what you seem to be oblivious to, is that the more you shout and dig in your heels, the more you will push them together. And if you’re not careful, you really will lose her.”
Eva blinked. Kat turned to Carter with an apologetic grimace. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles.
“Kat, come with Harrison and me,” Nana Boo instructed in a tone that denied argument. “Eva and Carter, you two stay here.” Her eyes softened when she caught Carter’s eye. “I’m sure it will be easier for you to talk without an audience.”
Eva blanched. “I am not staying in here with him.”
“Why?” Nana Boo shot back. “You afraid he’ll try to sell you an eight ball?”
Eva was rendered wide-eyed and mute while Carter smirked.
“Stay here,” Nana Boo ordered. “Talk.”
She ushered Kat and Harrison out of the room, never taking her eyes from Eva. Carter couldn’t deny he was surprised Kat hadn’t argued, but remained quiet. He fixed his eyes on Eva while she paced up and down the room like a caged animal. He glanced at the large mahogany drinks cabinet across the far side of the room and the decanter of what he prayed to Jesus was whiskey.
Bingo.
“Well, I don’t know about you,” he said with an exhausted groan. He stood and made his way over to it. “But I need a drink.”
Eva watched him pour two fingers into a crystal glass. He gestured toward her with it.
“No, thank you,” she bit back, dropping back into her seat. “It’s a little early for me.”
Carter sipped the bourbon and closed his eyes. Dutch courage never tasted so damned good. Eva avoided his stare, looking anywhere but him, staying annoyingly but not surprisingly silent. Fifteen minutes passed in the same manner until Carter couldn’t take it anymore.
“Kat’s a lot like you, ya know.”
Eva cocked an unimpressed eyebrow.
“She is,” he continued. “Caring, determined, passionate. Stubborn as all hell.”
“If this is your way of getting into my good books,” Eva said firmly, “believe me: it isn’t working.”
“Oh, I know that,” Carter agreed. “Like Kat, you don’t back down when it comes to things you believe in.”
“Katherine doesn’t know what she believes in.”
“Bullshit. Kat is the most strong-minded person I know. You don’t give her enough credit. What she believes in, she does without equivocation.”
“Impressive language,” Eva scoffed.
“Thanks. I had a good teacher.”
Eva sat back and crossed her legs. “Yes, you did. As I understand it, you had an upstanding education, which you threw away without thought so you could run around dealing drugs and boosting cars.”
“It wasn’t quite like that,” Carter remarked, sipping his drink.
“Semantics. The point is you’ve been in prison more times than most people in this country go on vacation, including your most recent stint for cocaine possession.”
The corners of Carter’s mouth pulled down impressed. “You’ve done your homework.”
“I love my daughter. Of course I’ve done my homework.” She eyed him. “I also know that you’re the main shareholder in one of the biggest companies in the continental US, worth millions, and yet you continue to live this insignificant life of crime.”
Carter cleared his throat, too unnerved to fill in the blanks. “Well, at least Kat won’t go hungry, right?”
“Are you trying to be funny?”