Free The Replacement Wife by Tiffany L. Warren Page A

“Dad! Can I talk to you about something serious?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œDaddy! When are you going to let me off punishment? I’ve learned my lesson.”
    Quentin leaned back on the counter and folded his arms across his chest. “Really? What lesson have you learned?”
    â€œTo always let you know where I’ll be and to not sneak out. Now that we have a nanny, we don’t really have to worry about me leaving Danielle here with the twins. She’ll always be supervised.”
    Quentin shook his head and sighed. Deirdre had apparently learned nothing. He was upset she had snuck out, but he was more angry that she was hanging out with thugs in Decatur. He knew that she was getting older and that boys were now part of the equation, but why couldn’t she pick a nice guy from parents with money? The family absolutely knew enough of them.
    â€œYou don’t even know what the lesson is, so how could you have learned it?”
    â€œDaddy! I have learned! You can’t keep me on punishment forever.”
    â€œYes, I can.”
    Deirdre huffed and pouted. “What about Reese? We were at the same house party. He’s not on lockdown.”
    â€œReese is older than you.”
    â€œSo he can hang out in Decatur because he’s older?”
    Quentin nodded. “Yep. He can. And he did the right thing by getting you out of there. I’m proud of him for having your back, because apparently you don’t have enough sense to have your own back.”
    Deirdre slammed her hand down on the counter, causing cereal and milk to spill out of her bowl.
    â€œThis isn’t fair! You make me go to an all-girls school, and you’re not making the twins go there. And now you’re locking me up like I’m a nun.”
    Quentin calmly grabbed a bottle of water from the pantry while Deirdre continued her outburst. Nothing she said would change his mind about that thug she liked, so she was wasting her breath.
    â€œI think you hate me! You hate me because I look like Mom!” Deirdre yelled.
    Now it was Quentin’s turn to slam the bottled water down on the counter.
    â€œYou don’t get to use your mother to win an argument. I’m done talking about this. You’re on punishment until I say so.”
    Quentin watched Deirdre storm out of the kitchen and let out a tired sigh. One thing she was right about was how much she looked like her mother. Deirdre was Chandra’s twin—in looks, but not in temperament.
    Chandra had been Quentin’s partner with the children. The more disconnected he became from Deirdre, the more he missed Chandra’s levelheaded calmness.
    Quentin thought about Montana and her peaceful, sweet, sunny disposition. He wondered if she’d have an effect on Deirdre. He hoped so, because something had to give. If not, Deirdre was in danger of not surviving her teenage years.

CHAPTER 11
    I t was nearing the end of Montana’s first week with the Chambers family, but Montana still felt like she was interviewing for the job. This afternoon, Ms. Levy had invited her into the kitchen under the guise of having an afternoon cup of coffee, but Montana quickly found out it was really a quiz.
    â€œSo are you ready to handle the pick-up and drop-off schedule on your own?” Ms. Levy asked.
    Montana nodded slowly as she tried to remember it all. “Madison has dance at the studio downtown, and Morgan has soccer at her middle school. Danielle needs to be dropped off at her piano lesson. I stay at the lesson with her, because Danielle will be done first. Madison and Morgan get out at the same time, but I pick up Morgan, and Madison gets dropped off at practice by her friend’s mother.”
    Ms. Levy paused for a long moment with one of her eyebrows raised. Montana held her breath waiting for the woman’s answer. She’d been with the Chambers family for only a week, and she wanted to stay on.
    â€œI’m impressed,”