When no one moved, predictably, I sighed and repeated myself, a little louder and a little harsher this time. “Adeline and I need to talk and we need to do it alone. Everybody out.”
Finally, Alex and Nate kicked off the wall, Dad motioned to his lawyer, already walking around the table himself. Clark Morris eyed me intently as he stood, and on his way out of the room, he paused for a beat right beside me.
“I should’ve seen what kind of man you’d become,” he murmured.
Despite that fact that I was pretty sure it was supposed to have been a compliment, I bristled and shut the door firmly behind them all once they were out.Damn right, you should’ve seen the fucking man I was going to become, you old fart.
With all of them gone, however, the room suddenly became very, very quiet. Instead of speaking immediately, I let the silence settle and drifted over to the windows to look out at the skyline. I tried to gather my thoughts.
As I turned to Adeline to at least ask if she was okay, a soft giggle sounded from underneath the table and I frowned, bending over to catch a glimpse of my nephew’s round, blond head before he tried to scurry back into hiding.
“Cam?” I strode over to the table and crouched down, sighing when I saw Cameron sitting there, staring back at me. “What are you doing here, buddy?”
“Daddy!” he said proudly and I groaned, grabbing him when he tried to bolt to the other side of the table.
I scooped him up and carried him over to the door, considering giving my brother a stern talking to for bringing his toddler to my surprise marriage negotiations, but then Cam smiled at me and I shook my head. “Okay, buddy. Let’s hand you over to Daddy. I just didn’t know you were going to be here today, is all.”
I opened the door and all but tossed him out into the crowd of people obviously waiting for me to tell Adeline our lives were about to change forever—and that we had no choice but to comply. Alex raced forward just as I extended my arms, catching a laughing Cam and giving me an apologetic smile.
After I shut the door again, I locked it this time and blew out a long, deep breath. My eyes slid shut, my thoughts still as murky and scattered as they had been just after everyone had left.
“You’re good at that,” Adeline said softly.
I opened my eyes but didn’t look at her. “Good at what?”
“Catching fast-moving children.”
I finally turned to face her then, her soft smile betraying the worried,we’re-so-fuckedlook in her eyes. It was then that I remembered she wasn’t a novice at this. Her family operated the same way as mine, and in our case, a match had been made that benefited both families in different but shockingly equal ways.
Adeline would get security and W&S got a huge piece of the pie without having to lift a finger. When our gazes caught and held, all of that flew through my head and my thoughts finally settled into a logical order.
“They’re going to ask us to get married,” I said, not beating around the bush. Not with her. “Well, no. That’s not really accurate, is it? They’re going totellus that wearegetting married.”
She swallowed hard and nodded, averting her gaze as she wrapped her arms around herself. It was easy to forget this wasn’t her first rodeo, but I saw it now, the way she’d already been braced for it.
It fucking slayed me that after everything, we were going to wind up married anyway and, to add insult to injury, to have it happen like this. Back in the day, I’d had a plan for how I was going to propose to her and it hadn’t involved contracts, lawyers, or a sterile conference room.
“We can’t do that, Zach,” she said when she finally brought those gorgeous, soft blue eyes back to mine. “I’m afraid I’m still married, which means, of course, that I can’t enter into another marriage right away.”
I nodded, both of us glancing through the frosted glass doors at the not-so-hidden shadows of the people eavesdropping outside. With them refusing to leave us alone, neither of us could talk freely. At least kicking them out had bought us a moment to breathe, but that was about it.
“We’ll talk about the details once you’re divorced,” I said in my client voice, like this was just another deal to close. It was the only way I could cope right now. “Obviously, we know that there are certain legalities that need to be finalized before you and I can get married, but that’s what this is about.”
“I know,” she said softly, those eyes catching on mine again and just staring into them.
The last time we’d been truly alone like this, she’d been breaking up with me because of family obligations. Now, we were looking down the barrel of a gun to get married ourselves.Fuck, are we ever going to be able to just talk again?
As I looked back at her, I wanted to tell her that I knew she knew, and so much more, but this wasn’t a private place and what I needed to say was for her ears only. “Alright, well, as long as you know that no one is rushing you into anything.”
She smiled. It was tight, but at least it was there. “Thanks, Zach. I appreciate that. More than you know.”
I inclined my chin in a nod. “We’re still having lunch today.”
With that, I strode back to the doors and threw them open for our chaotic families to re-enter and seal our fates. At least I’d bought us—her—that minute to breathe. Just one goddamn minute.
It wasn’t much, but the way she’d looked at me when she’d told me she appreciated it had made it worth it nonetheless.
CHAPTER 10
