by Scott, J. S.
“Yes, you can,” she insisted. “And you will. You don’t need to make the announcement yourself. Let Zeke get you out of here, and Jett and I will let everybody know.”
“She’s willing to handle it, Lia. Let her,” Zeke insisted.
I bit my lip for a moment before I told Ruby, “Apparently, Stuart and his mother are taking care of the reception, returning the gifts, and all the rest of the stuff that has to be done.”
Ruby snorted. “It’s the least he can do. You weren’t the one who was sleeping with someone else, or the one who didn’t even bother to show up.”
I felt a painful twinge of guilt. Ruby had no idea that I wasn’t exactly a heartbroken, jilted bride. Had Stuart bothered to show up, I would have cancelled the wedding myself. I just would have done it in a much nicer way than my now ex-fiancé had dumped me, and it wouldn’t have happened because I’d been catting around with another guy.
“Say the word and we’re out of here,” Zeke said in an urgent tone.
“Word.” My answer was automatic, since Zeke and I had been using the same lines since we were in high school. “Word. Word. Word,” I added for emphasis. “Get me the hell out of here, Zeke. Please.”
I really needed to escape to get my head together.
Zeke grasped my hand and pulled me into the changing area so I could gather up my things.
We were outside the church and settling into his sleek, black Range Rover moments later.
“Where to?” he rumbled as he started the engine.
“It doesn’t matter. Anywhere is better than here.” I trusted Zeke completely, so I was game for any place he wanted to go, as long as I was seeing the church in the rearview mirror very soon.
“My place,” he decided. “Nosy people will be a lot less likely to find you there.”
It was doubtful that many people would really care enough about my cancelled wedding to search me out. However, Zeke did have an incredible penthouse in a very nice neighborhood, and the security he had in his building was a lot better than mine.
“Okay,” I agreed absently. “Sounds good.”
I still hadn’t been able to wrap my brain around the fact that the wedding I’d stressed over for the last year wasn’t going to happen.
I watched as Zeke rummaged through the pockets of the suit jacket in his lap. He’d taken it off, along with his tie, before he’d entered the vehicle, and I smiled when he finally found what he was looking for. He tossed the two small packets into my lap as he drawled, “I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a pear or a pineapple kind of day, so I brought both. Now that I know it’s a really shitty day for you, I wish I’d brought some chocolate pudding flavor, too.”
I nearly started to cry all over again. Maybe my taste in men didn’t completely suck. As crappy as the entire day had been, being with Zeke made everything seem a whole lot better.
I hadn’t realized that he still stayed stocked up on gourmet jelly beans for me. We’d rarely seen each other in person outside of my coffee shop during the last year or two, and lately, Zeke had been stopping by Indulgent Brews less and less, even though he was my silent partner.
“Thanks,” I said gratefully as I picked up the small bag of pear Jelly Bellies and ripped them open with small smile. “Right now I’m desperate for any flavor I can get since I’ve been on a diet almost continually for the last year or two. I’ve been going through Jelly Belly withdrawals for months now.”
Never once had Zeke laughed at or made fun of my gourmet jelly bean habit. If anything, he’d been my conspirator and my enabler. Maybe because he knew why I’d developed the fondness for them in the first place.
It had all started when I was twelve, and my Grandma Esther had taken me in after my parents had died suddenly in an accident.
Losing my parents at that age, and making a sudden move from rural Michigan to Seattle had both been traumatic. I hadn’t really been that close to Grandma Esther when I’d first moved in with her, not because she and my dad hadn’t kept in close contact, but because I just didn’t see her all that often. She’d always been the faraway grandma who I loved, but rarely saw since she’d lived clear across the country.
Initially, the two of us had bonded over…jelly beans. Eventually, we’d made a game out of matching a flavor to a certain type of day or emotion.
In hindsight, I understood that my grandmother had been using the sugary treats to help me, and to figure out how I was feeling in the beginning. After that, it had just been an activity that we didn’t want to end because it was entertaining. Not to mention the fact that there were very few Jelly Belly flavors that we didn’t love to eat.
By the time I was fourteen, and Zeke came into my life, I’d been totally addicted to those damn jelly beans.
“Why?” Zeke growled the one-word question, pulling me away from my musings.
“Why what?” I asked as I watched him maneuver through Seattle traffic like a pro because he did it every single day.
I popped a few more jelly beans into my mouth. If there was one thing I never got tired of, it was watching Zeke Conner.
“Why in the hell were you on a diet? There’s never been anything wrong with your body, Lia.” He sounded confused.
I snorted. “God, I adore you for saying that, but I had to fit into this damn dress that Stuart’s mother wore on her wedding day, and she was pretty thin when she got married. I still feel like the seams are going to pop at any second now. My body just isn’t delicately made. I think I was born to have a curvy ass and hips, and it’s really hard for me to take weight off.”
“Because there’s nothing there to lose,” Zeke shot back. “And there’s plenty of men who appreciate your curvy ass and hips. Don’t you find it a little ridiculous that you had to mold yourself into a dress instead of just finding one you liked that actually fit?”
I tilted my head as I studied him. “When you put it that way, yeah, it was just a little bit sick, but Stuart was determined that I had to wear his mother’s dress, and he wasn’t overly fond of my curvy ass or my hips,” I said morosely.
“Fuck Stuart!” Zeke replied tersely. “He obviously didn’t have the brains to recognize or appreciate an amazing, perfect woman when he had one. The bastard never deserved you in the first place, Lia. You’re better off without him. I know you’re hurt and heartbroken right now, Jellybean, but give it some time. You aren’t the kind of woman who is ever going to be happy to walk meekly in some guy’s shadow. It’s not you. The restrictions and continual expectations would have eventually crushed your spirit.”
I blinked hard, and the liquid that had gathered in my tear ducts started to roll down my face. God, when had I last had anyone rush to my defense the way that Zeke always did?
Had I gotten so used to being critiqued all the time that I’d forgotten how it felt to just be…accepted?
“Shit!” Zeke cursed. “Don’t cry, Lia. I promise you, everything will be okay. If it makes you feel better, I’ll try not to criticize Stuart, but no guarantees I’ll do a great job with that particular promise.”
My tears started to fall even faster. “It’s not that,” I said shakily. “It’s not him. It’s me. I don’t know what in the hell happened to me, Zeke, or how I fell into that whole trap in the first place. Maybe it was because Stuart was so wealthy and connected—”
“No. That’s bullshit,” Zeke interrupted. “Not all rich guys are pricks. Jesus, Lia! I’m wealthier right now than Stuart will ever be, and I’ve never treated you the way he did. I never would. Money isn’t a golden ticket to be a complete asshole.”
“Are you really richer than he is?” I asked curiously. “Stuart is a millionaire.” Not that I cared, and I’d always known that Zeke wasn’t exactly poor, but now I was too intrigued not to ask.
He nodded, his eyes still on the road. “I think that’s one of the things I’ve always liked about
you, Lia. We’ve been friends for a long time, but you’ve never even asked about my net worth, or how much money I have in the bank.”
I shrugged. “It’s never mattered. I knew you weren’t poor, and that you didn’t need any help in that department, so why ask?”
“I’m not a millionaire, Lia,” Zeke replied stoically.
“It doesn’t matter, Zeke,” I rushed to assure him. “You’re an extremely educated, successful guy—”
“Technically,” he interrupted, “since my assets exceed a billion dollars, I’m a billionaire.”
Zeke
There was no real reason why I’d never told Lia exactly how much money I had.
Like she’d said, she never asked, and it had never been that important to either one of us. But holy hell, the moment Lia had mentioned Stuart’s wealth, I’d almost fucking lost it.
Suddenly, I’d wanted her to know that if she really wanted to marry a guy who had a lot of money, I was her man.
Yeah, that instinct was totally ridiculous because I knew damn well that Lia wouldn’t hesitate to marry a guy who was dirt poor if she really loved him. So I had no idea what that whole chest-beating, I’m-richer-than-the-idiot-you-were-going-to-marry bullshit was all about.
“How did I not know that my best friend was a billionaire?” Lia asked softly. “I didn’t think there was very much we didn’t know about each other.”
“Now that you do, is it going to make any difference?” I asked.
“No,” she answered in a contemplative tone. “Wait! Maybe it will, a little. I might not feel quite so guilty or argue as much about you picking up the tab whenever we go to a pricey restaurant.”
I grinned. “I always told you I could afford it, Jellybean.”
She snorted. “I guess I never realized that paying wasn’t even going to put a small dent in your bank account. But that still doesn’t mean that you always get to pay.”
I chuckled. If I’d expected my net worth to impress her, I would have been sorely disappointed right now. “So do you understand that money doesn’t make every guy a jerk? You already know billionaires, Lia. Look at Jett Lawson, Ruby’s fiancé, and all of his brothers. Jett treats Ruby like she’s the most important thing in his universe, which I’m pretty sure she is, and the Lawson brothers have some of the highest net worths in the world.”
“I know,” Lia said with a small groan. “Jett adores Ruby, and he acts like he can’t live without her. If she wasn’t my friend, and I didn’t know how much she deserves a guy like that, I’d probably be green with envy.”
“So if Ruby wasn’t with him, you might be interested in Jett?” I prodded.
Oh, way to go, Conner. Lia hasn’t even gotten out of her wedding dress yet, and you’re already worried about who the next guy might be.
Lia let out a startled laugh. “No, that’s not why I’d be jealous. It’s not the guy. It’s their relationship. Nothing against Jett, mind you, but I can’t quite see those two with anyone else except each other. They love each other so much that I’m pretty sure they were meant to be together.” She paused before she added, “I really don’t know what it would be like to have a guy look at me the way Jett looks at Ruby. I don’t think any guy has ever looked at me like that.” She took a deep breath. “I guess Stuart was just…different.”
“A pretentious prick, you mean?” I asked before I could stop myself. “It wasn’t the money, Lia. It was the lifestyle. The snobby private schools, the trust funds, the country clubs, and the whole idea that money gives a person some kind of superiority. If you hang around with an entire crowd who believes that shit, you end up caught up in that theory, and it rules your life. Everyone is trying so hard to outdo each other that appearances become their biggest priority. It’s pretty twisted.”
She was silent for a moment before she said, “Maybe I got caught up in that world, too, at least for a little while.”
I shook my head. “Not for the same reasons. I think you just wanted to fit in.”
“I felt like Stuart’s love was conditional, and if I wanted him to love me more, I had to be the woman he needed,” she replied with a sigh. “It wasn’t like that in the beginning, but things changed.”
“You can hate me for saying this,” I told her huskily. “But I’m pretty damn glad he met somebody else.”
“Me, too,” she answered quietly. “I’m not exactly naïve, but I had no idea he was cheating on me. I guess I was so busy at the store, and with getting that crazy wedding together, that I never noticed any of the signs.”
“Don’t beat yourself up about that, Lia,” I warned. “That was his issue. It wasn’t your responsibility to notice any of the signals. The bastard should have kept his dick in his pants.”
“I don’t even know what she looks like or who she is,” Lia pondered.
“Doesn’t matter,” I reassured her. “There isn’t another woman in the world who’s as beautiful as you are, Lia.”
“Maybe she has a skinnier ass,” she joked halfheartedly.
“Then she’d definitely be a lot less attractive than you are, Jellybean,” I retorted.
If any guy didn’t lust after a woman with a body like Lia’s, there was something wrong with him. She was built like a damn goddess, and her curvy ass and rounded hips were definitely an asset, not a deficit.
She laughed as she tossed back a few more jelly beans. “If you keep feeding me Jelly Bellies like this, I’ll gain back the weight I lost in a couple of days.”
“Good,” I said happily. “I have a pretty large stash at my place. That will help.”
She sighed. “You have to adore a best friend who doesn’t care if your ass is too big.”
“Any time you have to practically starve to maintain a certain weight, you’re too damn skinny,” I grumbled. “I used to keep you well supplied with jelly beans every single day, and your ass looked just fine.”
“Says the man who has never seen me naked,” she teased.
I nearly swallowed my tongue. She had no fucking idea how badly I really did want to get her naked, and that I sure as hell wouldn’t be disappointed if I got that wish. “Feel free to take your clothes off anytime, and I’ll still tell you that you’re fucking perfect,” I answered, trying to keep my tone lighthearted, even though I had visions of a nude Lia dancing in my damn head.
“Please,” she drawled. “I’m your best friend, and probably the last woman you want to see naked.”
Hell, if she only knew! Honestly, she was the only female I wanted to get naked.
Lia was quiet for a few seconds before she asked, “So are you going to tell me how you ended up a billionaire? I knew your mom and dad were well-off, but I had no idea they were quite that wealthy.”
“So you think a guy like me must have inherited all my money from my parents?” I said in a pseudo-offended tone.
“Stop stalling. You know that’s not what I think. Tell me.”
I shrugged. “You already know that I did a duel degree at Harvard, so I came out of school with a law degree and an MBA. Law was my passion, and investment analysis was more of a hobby until I lost my dad.” I stopped to clear my throat. Even though it had been several years, the wound of losing my father still felt pretty damn fresh. We’d only worked together in his law firm for a short time before I’d had to take over after his death. “After Mom retained more money than she could spend in several lifetimes, I did inherit several million dollars, and one of the best law firms in the country, when Dad died. So I started investing, and some of those companies I bought into early are enormous corporations now. My law firm does well, so I never really stopped investing. I guess you could say that I did inherit some of my money, but not the majority of it.”
“God, you’re an amazing man, Zeke Conner,” Lia said, sounding slightly awed. “You already had enough on your plate when you were taking over the firm. I
don’t know where you found the time to manage a large portfolio.”
It was funny how much a guy could get accomplished when he had no life. Yeah, I’d dated. Occasionally. I’d even had a few girlfriends. But for the most part, my personal life was fairly uneventful. “It wasn’t really all that difficult,” I answered.
“Don’t do that,” Lia scolded. “I hate it when you do that. Don’t downplay the fact that you’ve accomplished something that very few people could do. You’ve always been the smartest and most driven person I know, and I don’t like it when you don’t take enough credit for some of the amazing things you do.”
“So you’d rather have a best friend who’s a blowhard?”
“Like that’s ever going to happen?” Lia asked drolly. “You’re the most humble person I’ve ever met. I doubt you’re going to turn into a braggart tomorrow if you toot your own horn occasionally.”
“Completely unnecessary. I have you to do that for me,” I teased.
Lia rarely missed an opportunity to brag on my behalf. I never had to say a word. I hadn’t lacked for effusive praise and support from Lia over the years. She’d tell me, and anyone else who would listen, every single reason why I was such a great guy.
She let out an exasperated huff. “Someone needs to do it,” she replied defensively. “And is it really that bad having somebody who’s so proud of you that they can’t stop talking about you?”
Hell, no. It wasn’t bad at all. Lia’s willingness to notice all the good things about a person, and easily forgive the bad, was one of her most endearing qualities. “Not at all,” I assured her. “I just hope I’ve been half as supportive of you as you’ve been with me over the years.”
She snorted. “Zeke, you helped me get Indulgent Brews by being my silent partner in that coffee shop. I wouldn’t have a successful store of my own if it wasn’t for you. You’ve help me through every challenge, disappointment, and difficult event I’ve ever had in my life since I was a freshman in high school. You’re the one who’s with me right now, after getting dumped at the altar by a man who was cheating on me for God only knows how long during our engagement. So yeah, I think you’ve been plenty supportive.”
