by Reese Ryan
It was a good sign.
He led her over to a table, pulled a chair out for her. The high slit fell open when she sat.
His eyes were immediately drawn to her exposed thigh, but he quickly forced his gaze to meet hers. “Why do you want to sue your ex? If this is a revenge lawsuit, that’s not my thing. I’m only interested in seeing that people who’ve been wronged receive fair restitution.”
“I’m not a bitter, jilted bride, if that’s what you’re thinking.” She fidgeted with the clasp on her clutch.
“I don’t think anything, Annabel. I just need to understand why you feel you have grounds to sue your ex.” His tone was matter-of-fact.
“I’d rather not discuss all of the details here.” She glanced around the room. Lavinia Cardwell and a few of her cohorts were staring at the two of them. “There are eyes and ears everywhere.”
Roarke’s gaze followed hers. Lavinia waved and then turned her attention elsewhere. He sighed. “You’re right. This isn’t the best place for us to talk. But like I said, I’m heading out to the beach tonight, so—”
“Perfect. We can talk on the way there.”
“Wait... You want to ride down to Galveston with me?” Roarke’s eyes widened. “You do know I’m staying overnight?”
“It’s a rental property, right? I assume you have more than one bedroom?”
“I do, but—”
“Then I’ll cancel my room at the Marriott and come to the beach with you instead. We can grab my luggage from the trunk of my car before we leave.”
Roarke raked a hand through his dark blond hair, his blue eyes blinking rapidly, as if he was trying to figure out exactly what had happened.
“And for the record, I realize that I kissed you earlier, but this isn’t me trying to get you in bed. I promise.” She smiled at him sweetly. “I just really need your help, and I realize how limited your time is. So I’m willing to accommodate your schedule.”
He tilted his head and rubbed his chin as he assessed her. “I’m a virtual stranger, Annabel. Why would you trust me enough to spend the night at my place in Galveston? Even if we are in separate bedrooms?”
“Roarke, why don’t you work for your father?”
“You’re avoiding my question.”
“No, I’m doing my best to answer it.” She leaned forward. “Now, tell me why you chose not to work for Sterling.”
Roarke glanced around, then leaned in, replying in a low voice. “We don’t see eye to eye about the way he does business. And at the end of the day, I need to feel good about what I do for a living and why I’m doing it.”
Annabel nodded approvingly. He’d merely confirmed what she’d strongly suspected. “Yet, you’re helping with your father’s defense?”
“I am.”
“Why?” she asked again.
He drummed his fingers on the table and sighed. “Because I genuinely believe he’s innocent. If I thought otherwise, I’d allow justice to take its course. I’d even try to get restitution for all those people who lost their money.”
Annabel placed her hand over his. “That’s why I trust you, Roarke. You’re a genuinely good person.” Annabel stood, gathering her clutch and smoothing down her skirt. “I need to talk to Eleanor Evans briefly before we leave, but I’ll be ready in ten.”
She turned to walk away, but he caught her hand in his. “Make sure someone knows where you’ll be. I don’t want Ryder thinking I kidnapped his daughter. Preferably, someone who won’t make it front-page news by tomorrow morning.”
“I’m a big girl. Besides, my father already knows I won’t be home tonight.” She sighed when he stared at her pointedly without releasing her hand. “Fine. I’ll text my friend Frankie and let her know where I’ll be.”
Roarke nodded his approval and let go of her hand.
She walked away, trying to calm the fluttering in her belly at the prospect of spending the next twenty-four hours with the incredibly handsome Roarke Perry.
Six
Angela Perry settled into the back seat of the luxury sedan, confirmed her destination with the driver, then pulled out her cell phone.
She sent a text message to her best friend, Tatiana Havery.
How was the Broadway show?
A few seconds later, her phone buzzed with a response.
Lame. We left during intermission. Melinda and I are having drinks at her place. You should join us after the gala.
A girl’s night. It was the perfect time to bring Melinda and Tatiana up-to-date on everything that was going on between her and Ryder.
On my way now.
Angela settled against the seat. There was no need to change the destination with the driver. She and her fraternal twin sister, Melinda, lived in the same high-rise building. Melinda lived on the twenty-fourth floor while her condo was on the fifteenth floor.
There were so many things going through her head right now. How and when should she broach the subject of the paternity test with her father? How would he react? Was there any point in telling him if Roarke didn’t want her to and Ryder couldn’t forgive her?
She tried to push all of the swirling questions out of her head. But she couldn’t stop thinking of how hurt Ryder had looked when she’d practically accused him of having an affair with her mother. The thought haunted her for the rest of the ride.
“Angela, you look amazing!” Tatiana handed her a glass of red wine the second she walked in the door of her twin’s condo.
“Thanks, Tee.” Angela gratefully accepted the glass of wine from her best friend. “You know me too well. I really needed this.”
“Wine?” Melinda asked from the other room.
“And an impromptu girls’ night.” Angela strode into the living room, tossed her clutch on the coffee table and sank onto the sofa. “So, what are we talking about?”
“Whatever’s bothering you.” Melinda sipped her drink. “Because something obviously is.”
“Is that vodka and club soda?” Angela indicated the carbonated beverage in Melinda’s glass, ignoring her sister’s comment.
“No, she’s been drinking straight club soda all night,” Tatiana said accusingly. “Your sister seems hell-bent on staying sober. I think it’s because she has some secret she’s afraid she’ll spill the moment a drop of liquor hits those lips.”
“Stop being so dramatic,” Melinda griped, swigging her club soda.
Tatiana was just teasing her sister. But the agitation in her fraternal twin’s voice and the alarm behind her blue eyes made it clear Melinda was hiding something. Something she wasn’t quite ready to discuss.
But then again, so am I.
Melinda set her drink on the table, crossed her legs and tousled her wavy blond hair. “So are you going to tell us why you’ve been so distracted the past few days? Did something happen with you and Ryder?”
Tatiana’s gaze shifted to her and her eyes widened. “So you’re the one holding out on me? Trouble in paradise?”
Angela stood and walked over to the wall of windows. She turned back to her sister and friend. “Everything between us had been great. Absolutely perfect. But then I had to go and ruin things.”
“You ruined them how?” Melinda asked.
Angela wrapped her arms around her middle. “First, I should tell you about a conversation I had with Lavinia Cardwell.”
Angela brought Tatiana and Melinda up to speed on her conversation with Lavinia regarding the rumors about Ryder being Roarke’s biological father.
“And you believed her?” Melinda frowned.
“She got the information straight from Dad. Besides, Roarke confirmed Dad’s suspicion that he was Ryder’s biological son.”
“I’ve heard the rumors,” Tatiana admitted, her eyes filled with apology. “I knew you’d both be devastated, so I didn’t say anything. But if your o
wn father believes it to be true...maybe you’re both being a little naive about whether there was something going on between your mother and Ryder Currin. In which case, isn’t it best for you to walk away from the relationship?”
“There was nothing more than friendship between them,” Angela said adamantly. “And the paternity test I asked him to take proves it. Roarke isn’t Ryder’s son.”
“I knew it.” Melinda breathed a sigh of relief.
“I hate to play Devil’s advocate.” Tatiana sipped her wine. “But that only proves Roarke isn’t Ryder’s son. It doesn’t prove that he wasn’t involved with your mother.”
Technically, that was true.
But now that the initial panic had cleared, Angela recognized an important truth. Ryder was far more principled than her father. A flaw she’d chosen to overlook in him since she was a child.
Had her father played a role in ensuring she learned of the rumors? After all, he would do just about anything to break them up.
“Ryder says nothing happened between him and my mother, and I believe him.” Angela refilled her wineglass.
“Then why’d you request the paternity test?” Tatiana asked.
“I let Lavinia get in my head, and I wasn’t thinking clearly. Ryder is an honest, decent man. I should’ve trusted him. Now, because I didn’t, he doesn’t know if he can trust me. I suppose I deserve that.”
“Maybe Tatiana is right. Dad will never approve of you and Ryder Currin. Are you really going to allow this man to come between you two?”
Angela stared at her twin sister pointedly as she massaged the band of tension stretching across her forehead, eager to change the subject. “Enough about my drama. What’s going on with you, Melinda? You’re definitely hiding something. So spill it. Now.”
Melinda folded her hands in her lap. “There is a strong possibility that I might be...” She gestured, extending her clasped hands in front of her belly rather than uttering the word.
“You’re pregnant?” Angela glanced at the glass of club soda, then back at her sister. “That’s why you’ve been chugging club soda all night.”
“Possibly,” Melinda reiterated, her voice small and tinny.
Tatiana gaped in response to the revelation. “You’re going to have a baby?” she stammered, her eyes blinking repeatedly.
“Yes.” Melinda stood and raked her fingers through her wavy hair. “Maybe.”
Angela stared at her sister in disbelief. “You’re pregnant by a mobster. Yet, you’re telling me I should rethink my relationship?”
Angela didn’t approve of her sister’s relationship with Slade Bartelli, son of notorious mobster Carlo Bartelli. But her sister just wouldn’t be swayed.
“Melinda, what are you thinking? It’s bad enough you’re fooling around with this guy. But do you really want a lifelong tie to a mobster?”
“Slade isn’t a mobster.” Melinda’s face was flushed and her voice trembled. “His father is. Slade isn’t involved in the family business. He isn’t!” she insisted, in response to Angela’s incredulous stare. “He swore to me, and I believe him.”
“Let’s say he is telling the truth. How long do you think that will last? Eventually, he’ll get pulled in, Melinda. They always do.”
Her sister wiped angrily at the tears spilling down her cheeks. “I know the situation may not seem ideal to you, but I’m excited about the prospect of being a mother.” She placed a protective hand over her belly. “I was beginning to worry that I’d never get this chance.”
Angela sighed and wiped the remaining tears from her twin sister’s face. “I didn’t realize how important this was to you. We’ve never really talked about it. But still—”
“I appreciate your concern, Angela. But everything will be fine. I promise.”
Angela hugged her sister tight. “If this is what you really want, Mel, you know I’m here for you.”
“Same.” Melinda released her, flashing a grateful smile.
When they glanced over at Tatiana, her eyes glistened and she still appeared to be stunned by the news.
“Tee, are you okay?” Angela asked her friend.
“Yes, of course. I’m just...incredibly happy for Melinda, that’s all.” Tatiana gathered her purse and stood abruptly. “But it’s been a really long night. I think I’ll head home.”
Angela bid her friend a good-night, then spent the rest of the evening trying to wrap her mind around the idea of her twin sister becoming a mother.
Seven
Roarke was more than halfway to Galveston, but Annabel had yet to discuss her proposed lawsuit against her ex-fiancé. Not that Roarke hadn’t been enjoying their time together.
Annabel was bright, refreshingly honest and surprisingly observant. She was as persistent as she was sweet. And she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
She’d bogarted her way into what was to be a solitary evening. And though he wouldn’t admit it to her, the unexpected company was welcome.
“So, are we going to discuss your case or are you going to keep avoiding the subject?” Roarke asked finally.
He caught a glimpse of the wide smile that spread across her lovely face.
“That obvious, huh?”
“I am an attorney,” he reminded her. “It’s my job to cut through the bullshit and uncover the truth.”
“Fair enough.” She turned toward him and the thigh-high split in her dress widened, exposing more of her leg.
Eyes on the road, Roarke. Eyes on the road.
“I understand why you’re upset with your ex, Annabel. But bringing a lawsuit against him for breach of contract seems like bitter grapes. Unless you have a very good reason. I could see if the money lost was causing your family a financial hardship...”
“It isn’t about the money,” she said quickly. “It’s a matter of principle. Mason is the one who pursued me. Who insisted he wanted to marry me. That he wanted us to make a life together. I fell for him against my better judgment. I supported his career, and I would’ve continued to do so.”
“So what exactly happened between you two?” There was a part of him that wanted to know for reasons that had nothing to do with her case.
Annabel turned toward the window. “I told you that I’m a fashion vlogger. But I also do makeovers through my blog. Often for deserving women who need the boost. Like residents of local women’s shelters or breast cancer survivors.”
“Sounds admirable.” He nodded. “Can’t imagine that anyone would take issue with that.”
The more he got to know Annabel Currin, the more he realized that though she was free-spirited, she was by no means the spoiled princess one might believe her to be at first blush. She was an ambitious yet charitable entrepreneur.
“All my life, I’ve kind of been stumbling through. Trying to find my place in this family and in the world. Finally, it dawned on me that what made me the happiest is the makeovers that I’ve been doing. And just helping everyday women to truly appreciate and own their unique beauty. So I figured out a way to expand on it as a career. I purchased a couple of old buildings not far from Farrah’s Coffee Shop and I plan on converting them into Fairy Godmother.”
“You didn’t consult your fiancé before you purchased the property?”
“Should I have?” She folded her arms. “It’s my money and my career.”
“What I’m hearing is that you knew he wouldn’t approve, so you chose to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.”
“Are you missing the part where I’m a grown-ass woman who doesn’t need permission from her father or fiancé to make a purchase?”
“Calm down, Lemon Ice.” He held up a hand. “I’m on your side here. I’m trying to gauge the situation objectively. We need to determine whether you have a strong enough case to take before a judge or to perhaps get your former fiancé to settle out of cou
rt.”
She sighed and nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry.”
“So what happened when you told...”
“Mason. Mason Harrison.”
“So what happened when you told Mason that you’d purchased the buildings?”
“He made it clear that he wanted a full-time, charity-hopping trophy wife, not a woman with a career and interests other than him.”
“Then what happened?”
“He gave me an ultimatum. When I refused to get on board with his Stepford Wife plan, he called off our engagement. Just like that.” She snapped her fingers. “No real conversation. No willingness to compromise. He just pulled the plug.”
There was a lull of silence between them. Despite Annabel’s casual approach to the debacle, it was obvious that she was more hurt by her ex’s rejection than she was letting on. Maybe more than she was willing to admit to herself.
“I’m sorry to hear about what happened,” he said finally. “Are you sure there’s no chance that you two will reconcile?”
Another question that was meant as much to satisfy his own curiosity as it was to satisfy his professional interest.
“Positive. This situation forced me to see Mason for who he really is. And he’s not the man I want to be with.”
“Then you’ve mutually agreed that marriage isn’t right for the two of you?”
“It was Mason who was so insistent that we get married. He wanted a big, over-the-top wedding when all I wanted was to get married on the beach. My father sank nearly a hundred grand into giving us a fairy-tale wedding. Mason shouldn’t get to just walk away and leave us with a stack of bills.”
“You didn’t want to get married?”
“I thought we should try living together first.” She shrugged. “He insisted that he loved me and that what he wanted more than anything was to spend the rest of our lives together. It was sweet and romantic. I wanted to believe it was true. So I caved.”
“You’re not the first person in the world to fall for someone who ended up disappointing them, Annabel.” He squeezed her hand briefly before returning his hand to the steering wheel. “Don’t beat yourself up about it.”
