“I think that’s the most mature thing I’ve heard from you yet. But are you capable of watching your tongue?”
He shakes his head and chuckles. “Oh, Mouse, I’m not responsible for what comes out of my mouth when you talk like that.”
Groaning, I elbow him, prompting a chuckle.
“You’re hopeless. This truce of yours is probably a lost cause, but I’ll give it a try,” I agree for Cici’s sake.
“That’s the spirit.” He nudges me with his shoulder, making me smile. Maybe everything will work out after all.
I wasn’t as upset as I would have been without our chat when I found out that there is, in fact, a seating chart. Fourteen of us are seated at one long table, seven on each side. The parents and Walker are at one end, the two sets of brides and grooms are in the middle, and the rest of us are at the other end. Luckily, Braden and I are seated across from each other rather than side by side.
Way to look at the positive, Poppy. Score one for me. Andwhile I’m at it, I might as well attempt to play nice. Multiple conversations are happening at once, so I seize the opportunity.
“So, Braden, what were you doing in Bozeman?” I ask. He may not know how to have a normal conversation with a woman, but I’ll help him out.
His head swivels in surprise, as if he didn’t expect me to engage, but he recovers quickly. “I was interviewing a potential client in Big Sky.”
That seems odd. “Why would you go to him and not the other way around, since he’s the one hiring you? And shouldn’t he be doing the interviewing to see if you’re the right fit?” I’m genuinely curious.
“I’m a hot commodity, and I don’t accept everyone who requests my services. I don’t represent addicts, the unfaithful, or abusive assholes. The divorce has to be amicable or a result of the other spouse’s fuckups.” He shrugs. “And he chose to fly me over on his dime, including travel time. My clients are wealthy and generally get what they want.”
“So did you take him as a client?”
“I did. His wife was having an affair.”
“Is that common?”
“More than you can imagine.”
“Now what happens?” I’m fascinated by the side of him that can actually converse and appears to be an upstanding guy.
“What do you mean? We sign a contract, and I handle the case.”
“I mean, what do you do next—draw up papers to split everything?”
He chuckles. “If it were that easy, people wouldn’t need lawyers. First, we review their assets and ensure everything’s accounted for—on both sides. Just because my client isn’t at fault doesn’t guarantee he’s not hiding things. We also have to make sure we have enough proof of the infidelity to hold up in court. Those two thingsalone take the most time. Then we begin negotiations, which may result in a court battle, typical of high-asset divorces.”
Okaaay, so thereismore to the guy than meets the eye. I should stop engaging in case I end up liking him. It might be best to stay in the dark. But before I redirect my attention elsewhere, he turns the tables.
“What about you? What do you do other than read romance?”
I can’t tell if that was a dig or not, but at least it wasn’t another sleazy pickup line, so I’ll let it slide. “I’m a real estate agent like Cici. We were at the same office in Bozeman.”
“Damn, you ruined my fantasy. I was hoping for the teacher.”
He winks, and I shake my head.
“You just couldn’t resist, could you?” I ask, making him laugh.
“No, I really couldn’t. You’re too easy,” he says, smiling.
“You wish.”
The rest of the evening goes better than expected. We all laugh, tell stories, learn more about each other, and by the end of the night, I forget all about being irritated with a certain someone.
Dinner is over, and we’re wrapping up, ready to head to our rooms. Since tomorrow’s the big day, we’re calling it an early night. That’s when I find out Suits is staying next to me.
“I saw you walking to your room last night, and you’re right next door. Why don’t I give you a ride?” Braden asks as we all make our way to the parking area.
