by Amanda Ashby
“Mad that you and my money-hungry ex-fiancée decided to get hitched?” Will choked back a laugh. “Trust me, you both did me a favor. And if you want to do me another favor, then you’ll stay well away from me.”
“You think I want to make a scene at Tucker’s wedding?”
“If you could make a buck out of it, then yes, actually, I do.”
“Fine.” His father didn’t seem in the mood to argue. “I wanted to talk to you about this project you’ve been shopping around.”
“How do you know about that?” Will narrowed his eyes. “Did Tucker tell you?”
“God no. Like getting blood from a stone when it comes to you. But I have a few friends in the industry. Anyway, the question isn’t where I heard about it, it’s what I can do to help you.”
“You want to help fund a not-for-profit startup?” Will arched an eyebrow, not even trying to keep the disbelief from his voice.
“Don’t look so surprised. I’m known for my philanthropy,” his father retorted. It wasn’t false, but Will was unmoved. He was long aware of his father’s love of appearing publically generous. However, it was what happened behind closed doors that really showed what kind of man he was. His father made his money at the expense of other people. His company broke down communities, knocked down buildings and built parking lots and retail malls designed only to make a profit. Shows of donating money couldn’t counteract that. “Your mother and I—”
“Don’t you dare bring her into this.” Will’s brow throbbed. One of the benefits of not seeing his father was that he didn’t have to be reminded daily just what a destructive force the old man was. Of how his insidious nature contaminated everything it came in contact with. Particularly his mother. Again, Will pushed back the memories.
“Fine, but just because you want to be sentimental doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to me. I’ve got a good offer for you, Will. Your figures add up and what you’re proposing could make a real difference to people’s lives. Don’t let your anger with me cause you to make a bad decision.”
“A bad decision?” Will stared at him, but before he could find the words to express his response to that phrase, Tucker appeared, his bowtie crooked and a frown on his face.
“What’s going on?” When there was no answer, Tucker twitched his mouth and turned to their father. “Dad, we discussed this. Will’s off limits.”
“Relax, son. Like I told Will, I’m not here to cause a scene.” He gave an indifferent shrug, but it was impossible to miss the flicker of annoyance that rippled across his face as he turned and headed back into the barn. Within seconds, he was swallowed up in the crowd.
“What the hell was that about?” Tucker said.
“You tell me.” Will tried to remember some of the meditation breathing he’d done while he was in Indonesia. It didn’t help. “Somehow he heard about my meetings and wanted to offer me an investment deal.”
“You’re kidding,” Tucker said, then groaned. “Okay, forget I said that. Of course you’re not kidding. But how the hell did he find out about it?”
“No idea, but you know the old man. He likes to keep a finger in every pie.” Will carelessly ran a hand through his hair as he began to pace, hoping he could shake off the tension that was creeping up his neck. “And you know how much he hates that he can’t buy me with money.”
“Have you ever stopped to wonder if he actually just wants to spend time with his son?” Tucker said in a soft voice. For a moment Will was tempted to tell him exactly what he thought about that idea, but then he caught sight of Danni walking toward him. He clamped down on his lip.
This was his brother’s wedding day. While Will might not want anything to do with their father, he had no intention of ruining Tucker’s happiness.
“Look,” he said instead. “Let’s just agree to disagree about it. Now, don’t you have some dancing to do with that hottie wife of yours?”
The dark cloud that had been gathering on Tucker’s brow receded, and he grinned. “That I do, that I do.”
Will plastered a smile onto his face as he tried to swallow down his anger. It wasn’t like he’d planned to have fun at the wedding anyway. The most he’d ever hoped to do was endure it. It was just that by spending time with Riley and seeing her in the green dress, he’d momentarily forgotten that he and families really didn’t mix.
***
“Hey.” Riley had left the barn to cool down from the tidal wave of heat that was pouring from the dance floor, but it wasn’t until the night jasmine and cool air had brought her some relief that she realized the brooding figure leaning against the barn wall was Will. Her shoes crunched against the stone walkway as she headed toward him. He didn’t look up until she was almost at his side. “What are you doing out here?”
“Hey.” The hand he ran through his blond hair left it more tousled than normal. “Sorry. I had a run-in with my father and thought I’d better collect myself before fostering my bad temper on anyone.”
“Your father?” Riley let out strangled gasp, since the whole point of her being at the wedding was to help him avoid that very situation. “Oh, Will. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to help.”
“It’s okay.” He pressed his lips together and let them expel a breath of air. “It was crazy to think that you could act as my shield for this whole wedding. Besides, I’m an adult now. I shouldn’t be hiding behind anyone.”
“That’s not what you were doing,” Riley said. She hated that the carefree expression she’d seen on his face earlier was gone now, replaced by an unreadable mask. She knew how painful it must’ve been to see his father again, but a small part of her couldn’t help but think there was more to it than just that. “What did he want? Was it about Lisa?”
“No. Why would you think that?” His voice was like ice.
“Oh.” Riley wished that she’d just said nothing. However, she was well used to Will and she knew that now that he had asked, there was no way he would stop pressing her for an answer. “I know you said you don’t care for her anymore, but with the way you reacted after she called the other night . . . And seeing her today—if you still had feelings for her, it would be understandable. I mean we can’t always control who we fall for.”
Unfortunately.
Because as Riley was now experiencing, turning physical attraction off was more difficult than she’d been lead to believe.
“Only in one of those romance novels you love to read,” he said. “I promise, I got over Lisa long ago.”
“I see.” Riley tried to ignore the way her pulse was pounding as she studied his face, relieved to see that some of the tightness around his mouth had faded and that his eyes were wide and frank. “Well, I’m pleased that’s cleared up. So, what did your dad say to you?”
“Somehow he found out about my business and he wanted to invest in it.”
“What?” Riley almost choked. The amount of money Will was looking for was significant. As in more than six zeroes. His father’s apparently casual offer just reminded her just how different their backgrounds were. When her parents talked about money, it was normally to figure out if they had enough to pay the phone bill, not whether they wanted to invest in a not-for profit (which for the record, they both absolutely would). “How did he even know about it?”
Will shrugged. “No idea. Tucker swears he didn’t say anything and I believe him. But my father has a way of finding things out—he likes to deal in information. I guess this just came through one of his channels.”
“So, what are you going to do?” she asked. He was silent for a moment, a dark shadow pushing its way across his face. Music from the wedding floated out around them, making his quiet all the more obvious.
Finally, he spoke. “I’m going to do what I always planned. I’ll keep having meetings until I find a great investor.” Another pause, then he added, “Why? You didn’t think I’d seriously
consider his offer, did you?” His pale eyes had darkened to a color like the sky with a storm on horizon, but she couldn’t quite let him give up an opportunity that was so important to him just because of his anger at his father.
“I know how much he hurt you, but isn’t it worth considering? Not because it’s your father, but because it will help get this amazing idea of yours off the ground. You’re the one who told me how many people it would help. How it could transform communities. And you have a business partner. Maybe he could be the one who had to deal with your father?”
The space between them hummed with tension as Will studied her, his face a mask. For the first time since Riley had met him, she didn’t know what he was thinking. He looked . . . cold.
“Let’s be clear. There’s nothing that would ever make me consider my father’s offer. And the last person that tried to change my mind about him was Lisa. Right before we broke up.”
Riley’s stomach contracted like she’d been hit. She’d never seen this side of Will before. His voice was so low that it was almost devoid of emotion, and his jawline was made of stone. If she hadn’t known he could smile, she would’ve doubted it was possible.
What had she done?
“Will, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like that.” Shame throbbed at her temples. Suddenly the green dress felt too tight. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“Look, I know you were only trying to help. It’s just—” He paused and clamped down on his mouth. “Actually, it’s not important. We’re at a wedding, and I believe you promised to shield me from my terrible relatives. Which means I should warn you that Tucker’s new father-in-law is bearing down on us and he’s a cheek pincher. So, are you ready?”
“Yes,” Riley croaked. There was no time to apologize again, so she watched Will’s angry mask transform into one of a loving brother who was happy to be at a wedding.
As far as fake girlfriends went, she was bad. Clearly she’d only made everything harder.
As far as best friends went, she was clearly even worse. She was supposed to be the one person he could express himself to. But now, for the first time since she’d known him, he had purposely cut her out of what he was thinking.
The next two hours passed in agonizing slowness. Riley watched Will smile and laugh with everyone while hardly looking at her. Finally, she eased herself into a chair and toyed with the idea of having another glass of champagne to distract her from the hideousness of the wedding.
She decided against it, since being at the wedding was bad enough. Waking up with a hangover would be even worse. Instead she contented herself with watching the small flower girl stealing all the after-dinner chocolates while she thought no one was looking.
“That’s what he does, you know,” a voice said, and Riley looked up to see Lisa standing in front of her. Her blond hair was tousled and her cheeks were flushed, as if she’d been dancing. She was also swaying unsteadily on her impossibly high heels, which made Riley wonder if she’d had too much to drink.
“Does what?” Riley replied before she could stop herself. She immediately regretted it, because Lisa must have taken it as an invitation to sit down next to her. Her consolation was that Will had disappeared somewhere with Tucker and wouldn’t be able to see what was happening.
“Switches on and off like that. One minute he can be the most charming guy imaginable and the next moment it’s like he doesn’t know you. I guess it comes from how he only sees the world in black and white. With Will you’re either good or you’re bad. No points for guessing what side I fall on now.”
“Are you surprised?” Riley raised an eyebrow. She studied Lisa’s stunning face, but there was not a trace of guilt that she’d gone from the son to the father in less than six months.
“Look, I understand why he hates me. I do. But I wasn’t the one to drive a wedge between him and Evan. It was already there. And as for what happened between us . . . The story he tells himself is that I’m a mercenary bitch who was only ever after the money.”
“And you weren’t?”
Lisa sighed and sat down in the chair next to Riley. “I loved Will, but I’m not going to lie. I’ve had a tough life. Do you know what it’s like to not know if your mom can pay the bills or where you’re going to live?”
Riley stiffened before reluctantly nodding her head. “Actually, I do.”
“Well, then you have my sympathy—and you know what I’m talking about. It’s a shitty way to grow up, so I always swore to myself that I’d never be in that position again. I never hid that from Will. He knew all about my past and my fears of going back to that kind of poverty. If he’d been honest with me sooner about the kind of life he wanted to live, then we never would’ve gotten engaged in the first place. As for setting out to hurt him—I swear that was never my intention. Evan was nice to me after the breakup. Sweet, really. Will certainly wasn’t; he’d already decided that I’d only ever been a gold digger. And then the more time I spent with Evan, the more I realized that he understood me in a way that Will never could.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Riley tried to reconcile what Lisa was saying with the story Will told. With the Will that she knew. The one who worked all the hours of the day because he felt guilty for growing up in a family that put money before people. He wouldn’t spin things so far from the truth. It was against everything he believed in.
“Because Will won’t let me tell him. I’ve tried talking to him face-to-face, emailing him, calling him. But he just shuts me down.” Lisa clamped her full lips together. “And because I wanted you to know the truth about him. Will might be all dimples and good looks, but he’s not the man you think he is. If something doesn’t serve him anymore, he’ll cut it out of his life as ruthlessly as his father ever could.”
Thankfully, before Riley had to figure out what to say, one of Will’s many relatives came and asked Lisa to dance. As the pair of them made their way to the dance floor, Riley rubbed her brow. Dealing with Will’s complicated family was more exhausted than she dreamed. Of course she knew that Lisa was wrong. Will wasn’t like that. But, a little voice in her head whispered, that doesn’t change the fact that you’ve hardly seen him since your talk about his father. What if she just hadn’t seen him when something didn’t go as he planned?
She scanned the room, but there was still no sign of him. A drunken wedding guest stumbled past her, spilling champagne on her dress. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised. All Riley wanted to do was go home to where it was just her and her books. She knew she never should have agreed to come along.
Chapter Nine
“Mr. Tait, hello. You don’t know me, but my name’s Will Henderson and I’d very much like to schedule a meeting with you about a startup that I’m working on.” Will barely paused for breath as he slid into the booth where Geoff Tait had just finished eating an egg-white omelette that had looked about as appetizing as dirt. The man in question had dirty blond hair that was pushed back by sunglasses and wore a T-shirt that looked even more frayed than something Will would wear. In short, he looked nothing like the CEO of one of the most dynamic investment companies in Seattle. But Will had spent the better part of a week tracking him down, and he wasn’t going to let a little Monday-morning casual wear deter him.
“Henderson? You’re the one who has been calling my office every day wanting an appointment.” Geoff Tait put down the low-tech cell phone that he’d been fiddling with to stare right at Will. The weight of his gaze might have been disconcerting, but Will refused to be intimidated.
“That’s right,” Will agreed. He pulled a similar cell phone to the one Tait had been holding—one that had first been produced sometime in the nineties and was heavier than a brick—out of his pocket.
“And when you didn’t get an appointment, you somehow thought it would be a good idea to follow me and interrupt my meal?” Geoff Tait asked, showing no signs that he’d seen the cell
Will had just put on the table.
“In my defense, I waited until you finished eating. And I definitely didn’t follow you.” Will accompanied his statement with what he hoped was a disarming smile.
“So how did you find me, then?”
After arguing with my father at my brother’s wedding on Saturday night I spent all of yesterday on the Internet researching you. I discovered that you’re an eccentric thirty-five-year-old genius who is a tennis-shoe wearing, hockey-loving vegetarian. You’ve written three books, made your first million by the time you were twenty-one and you abhor business meetings, which is why you always tell your secretary not to schedule any. And, after eight hours of searching, I also discovered that you eat here every day at eight o’clock. So, here I am. And yes, I know it’s totally inappropriate, but if you were faced with the alternative of taking your father’s money, you would’ve done the same thing. Oh, and for some reason you’re obsessed with older-technology cell phones, which is why every other investor in Seattle told me to talk to you.
“I like to be thorough,” Will said instead. “And because I believe that if you give me ten minutes of your time—whenever it suits you—I’ll be able to convince you of what a great startup idea I have.”
“Well, I like to be thorough too, which is why I know who your father is. So tell me: Why haven’t you gone to him for the money instead of stalking me?”
Will clenched his fists under the booth table. It always came back to that, didn’t it? “Because I don’t believe that family and business always make good bedfellows,” he said as diplomatically as he could. “My father has certainly had some considerable successes, but I’m not sure his vision would be quite what I had in mind for this startup.”
“I see.” Geoff Tait was silent, his eyes narrow as if he was searching for something in Will’s face. “And the cell phone? What did you think would happen with that? That you could pay too much for one on eBay and then impress me with your insider knowledge of my likes and dislikes?”
