“It’s very upstanding to insist on marriage nowadays.”
All I can do is nod in agreement.
When this whole thing started back in West Texas, Gigi’s father was stunned when she asked him if she could go out on a date with the painter guy. He grilled her seven ways from Sunday, but Gigi pulled out all the stops. She played it perfectly—from the way she looked at me to the descriptive manner in which she told him of her attraction to my artistic side—and her father agreed they could stay in the park for another week so she and I could get to know each other.
During that time, he pressed me from every angle on if I was interested in his daughter just for her money. And this was my chance to play my role—convincing him I didn’t want her money was the easiest part of this whole charade. I sounded genuine and truthful because I was. And he believed me.
Still, he thought our relationship was an infatuation that would blow over. But six days later, Gigi took him aside and said I’d be coming with them to New York.
And four days after that, we went to him and said we were engaged. He wanted proof. A ring. I had nothing.
I was sure it was over.
But turned out that Mr. Phillips came from nothing too, and he felt for me. He handed us his credit card and told Gigi to pick out the engagement ring of her dreams. Her mother and sisters fell for the whole “love at first sight” storyline, and everything was set.
Gigi’s last step was to wait for her father to bring up two things. One was that I couldn’t have any access to her funds while we were married. He would delegate a generous separate account for me, but I couldn’t touch the rest.
Fine by me.
Satisfied, he then broached the prenup. His first demand was that I agree not to fight Gigi for any of her money if we divorce. This was the part she knew was coming.
But I didn’t want her money, and she trusted me to go through with the divorce.
“Sir, I’ll gladly sign that prenup,” I promised him.
Before her father could continue, Gigi interrupted to say she had a stipulation of her own.
She pulled out the document her lawyer had helped us draw up.
“What the hell is this?” Mr. Phillips growled as he read over the paper.
Gigi explained to her father about the Henwoods and how much pain they’ve been through.
“They’re like family to the Wilds, Daddy. So when Logan becomes part of our family, I’d like for you to agree to stop going after Mr. Henwood.”
Mr. Phillips looked at the two of us, and his gaze held on Gigi. “You want me to give up on taking away the man’s bar and to let go of everything I’ve unearthed that would put this philandering, drunken fool in jail for the rest of his life?”
“Daddy, yes, I would like you to drop it,” Gigi said. “And I can’t believe we have to keep all this from Mom, by the way. I don’t know that she’d approve.”
Her father shushed her with a wave of his hand and a, “Your mother’s been through enough with that mistake she made. You agreed not to share the details of our West Texas trip with her.”
Gigi grumbled but went quiet as her father thought for a moment.
“You’re asking me to add to this prenup and sign off on the grounds that I won’t go after Benjamin Henwood or his family as a favor to my future son-in-law?”
I swallowed hard as Gigi nodded.
“Yes,” she said. “It would mean so much to me if you did that.”
When Mr. Phillips stuck out his hand to me, I took it.
And I only have to pull this off for a few more months.
Then, I can finally tell Macey the truth.
But right now, I need to talk to her about a certain engagement present. I almost lost it when I opened Gigi’s present and saw a red raindrop staring up at me. I’m lucky I was able to rein in my emotions fast enough.
That can’t happen again.
