I’ll kill him.

Mess with me. Do whatever you want to punish me. I can take it.

But her?

My Kimber?

Watching her fall to pieces in my arms was too fucking far.

He’s lucky I’m in this cage.

They separated us the moment we arrived at the Sheriff’s station. I was put in the empty cell block at the back of the building. I’m not sure where she is now.

It’s been an hour.

Mom’s gotta be in touch with our attorney by now. Any minute now, I expect him and the Sheriff to come back in here and let me out because, as I said, this is bullshit.

Adultery? In 2020?

Are you fucking kidding me?

The cell block entrance opens. I stop pacing and turn to look, hoping to see the lawyer saunter in with that jovial stride of his but my guts churn the second I make eye contact.

Curtis VanHouten.

He pauses in front of the cell and slides his hands into his pants pockets. “Well, this is awkward,” he says, amused.

I stare at him through the bar. “Yeah, I suppose so.”

He grins. “You know, I’ve never been a real big fan of Kansas, in general. It’s a little old-fashioned and boring for my tastes, but...” he chuckles, “the laws sure are interesting. Turns out, I can throw you in jail for fucking my wife and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”

“Prove it,” I say with a shrug.

He laughs. “They never would have arrested you unless I could. We’re way past that now. If photos of you tumbling out of my bedroom window in nothing but your skivvies aren’t enough, the countless witnesses of the two of your gyrating in public last night outta do it. I’m sure there are one or two body fluids still left to be found somewhere in my house. What do you think? Reasonable doubt’s gotta be on lock in there somewhere.”

I straighten up. “Look, Curtis, I—”

“Oh, I’m not done yet,” he says, his voice calm but cold. “You have the right to remain silent and I suggest you use it until I’m finished.”

I close my mouth.

He rubs his chin. “Unfortunately, it’s not a throw-away-the-key kind of situation. Thirty days. Maximum. Five-hundred-dollar fine, but—” He waves a hand. “That’s nothing. It teaches nothing. You learn... nothing.”

“Cut the bullshit, VanHouten,” I say. “What do you want?”

His brow rises. “Okay.” He clears his throat. “I’d like to take this opportunity to re-open our negotiations.”

“What negotiations?”

He stares at me.

I blink. “You can’t be serious.”

“Just sign it over to me and I’ll clear this whole thing right up.”

“You had me arrested because I won’t sell you my farm?”

“No,” he says. “I had you arrested for fucking my wife. The farm is just leverage.”

I flex my jaw. “You’re insane.”

“No, I’m just out of patience. Sign it over today and you’ll walk.”

“It’s not up to me!”

“Sure, it is,” he says. “Your mother is a reasonable woman — stubborn as all hell, sure — but reasonable. I’m sure she’d do anything to keep her precious baby boy out of jail and preserve her family’s reputation.”

I lean into the bars as memories flash in my head.

Waking up beside Kimber and gazing out across the fields on Sunday morning…

I get it now.

I understand what my parents talked about for all those years.

I’m not about to let Curtis fucking VanHouten take that from me.

“You’re not getting my farm,” I say. “Negotiations closed.”

Curtis sighs, defeated. “If that’s how you really feel...”

“It is.” I nod. “Very much so.”

“All right...” He shrugs a shoulder and turns away. After two steps, he turns right back to me and snaps his fingers. “Oh, wait. That’s right. You’re in a fucking cage. Negotiations back on.”

I roll my eyes. “Dude, the Bond villain thing is really lame.”

“I’m just getting started,” he says.

“It’s thirty days.” I shrug. “That’s not so bad.”

“For you, the rugged farmboy, maybe, but… you’re not the only one I put in a cage this morning.”

My chest clenches. “Let her go.”

“Sign over the farm and I will.”

“I’m not saying another word about my farm until she’s free.” I take a step back from the bars and cross my arms. “Your move, VanHouten.”

He cocks his head. “You’ll agree to sign if I drop the charges against her?”

“I didn’t say that. I said free. Peony up, agree to give her the divorce, and we’ll talk more.”

He chuckles. “Did she tell you I wouldn’t?”

“She might have mentioned your stingy ass at some point, yes.”

“The thing about prenups…” He rests his shoulder against the bars. “There’s an awful lot of fine print involved. Sure, should we divorce, we split everything. It’s right there in black and white. But if she commits adultery, then…” He smirks. “Well, she’s entitled to nothing. So, really, you did me a huge favor.”

I shake my head. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”

“I’m surprised Kim skimmed over that little detail. Then again, I didn’t marry her for her brains, but you — of all people — understand what I mean by that, am I right?”

I say nothing.

“Sure.” He nods. “Divorce is officially on the table. Now, about that farm…”

I stand still. “No.”

“You know, Nate, I admire your courage,” he says. “Don’t think I don’t. It takes guts to admit to wrongdoing and accept responsibility for your actions. It’s just thirty days, right? Do you think it’ll be worth it in the end?”

I nod. “Yes.”

He hums. “Okay, then. You’ll serve your time…” his lips curl, “and I’ll spend every single day you’re gone making your mother’s life a living hell.”

I grit my teeth. “You bastard.”

“How long do you think she’ll last?” he asks. “How many days will it take before she’s begging me to take that farm off her little, old hands?”

Panic grips my gut. “You’re really underestimating Madison Scott if you think she’ll put up with your bullshit,” I say.

“Only one way to find out.” He ticks his tongue at me. “But is this really something you want to gamble with? What kind of son would do that to his poor, widowed mum?”

I hang my head. “Please, leave my mother out of this.”

“It’s too late for that.” He pushes off the bars and smiles. “I’ll give you until tomorrow morning to think it over. I do want you to spend at least one night in jail, after all. You did fuck my wife.”

Curtis spins on his heels and walks to the door.

I squeeze the bars in front of me until my palms sting and my knuckles burn.

If I give up the farm, I betray my mother. I betray the land my family has spent four generations living off of.

Every day I don’t give it up, my mother suffers for it. There’s no guarantee Curtis will leave Kimber alone, either. He’s going to try and take everything I have in order to break me down and there’s no one to blame but myself.

The door ahead of me opens again.

I look up and my heart skips the moment I see those big, blue eyes.

“Kimber—”

She rushes over and thrusts her arms through the bars, wrapping them around my neck.

I slip mine through to hold her by the waist. “Are you okay?” I ask her.

“I’m fine.” She closes her eyes and I kiss her nose. “They’re letting me go but I had to see you first.”

“They are?”

“He dropped the charges.”

I exhale. “Good.”

“Kim.”

I lock eyes with Curtis over her shoulder. He stands in the doorway and slides his hands into his pockets.

“It’s time to go home now, darling,” he says, his voice stiff and cold.

She turns her head up. “You’re gonna be okay,” she whispers as she slips from my arms. “I’m going to take care of this.”

“How?” I ask.

“I love you.”

“Kimber.”

She walks out past Curtis and he glares at the back of her head.

I clear my throat. “Hey, Curtis.”

He looks at me.

“If you touch her, I’ll kill you,” I say.

Curtis smiles and follows her without saying a word.