The Player (26 page)

“The worst part was when I found out why she’d picked a fight with me that night,” he finished, his voice choking. He looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. “Her father had just died.”

She closed her eyes and released a soft groan. They stood in silence for several seconds before she opened her eyes. “She said she broke off the wedding.”

More hope flooded into his battered heart. “She did?” Though he’d watched her toss the ring into the pool, he’d worried she would second-guess her decision in the cold light of day.

“But Neil’s in her office with her right now, trying to get her to change her mind.”

He tried to bolt for the door, but she blocked his path. “Stop. You know that’s not the way to get to her.”

He backed up, scrubbing his hand over his head. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Blair doesn’t fall for bullshit, but for some reason she has blinders on for him. I think she sees him as safe.”

“He’s not. There are sides to him you don’t know about.”

“I’ve suspected as much. But there’s another threat you don’t know about—one that might encourage her to go through with the marriage anyway.” She paused until she knew she had his attention. “The partners are considering offering her partnership, but it all hinges on her wedding. They tend to prefer married partners, and they also want to see that she’s not all sharp edges, that she’s capable of a softer side. If they like what they see, they’ll offer her partnership. If they don’t, she loses her job.”

“
They
’
ll fire her?
”

She nodded.

It seemed unlikely, but it wasn’t the first time he’d heard a story like that. “They told her this? They could lose millions if she chose to sue.”

“A junior partner confided in her and told her they’re voting next week. If she tells anyone, he’ll deny the story up and down.”

He grunted his frustration. “Damn.”

“She doesn’t love Neil, but she loves her job, and she’s very loyal to me.” Melissa took a deep breath. “She’s already had me put out a feeler for other jobs in the Kansas City area, and there aren’t any good ones. She’ll have to move, which she can do, but it’s very doubtful I’ll end up with her.”

This was going from bad to worse. “So you’re worried she’ll marry him to keep her position and you.”

“Yes. If he can convince her.” She reached for the door. “I’ve already said too much. I don’t want her to marry him, and while I’ve hinted to her that I see issues in her relationship, as her employee, I can’t outright tell her. But I can see you’ve shaken her up. Even if she’s pushing you away, she still cares about you.”

He smiled and immediately regretted it when his lip stretched and tugged on his cut. “Thank you.”

Then her eyes narrowed and pierced his. “But if you hurt her again . . .” The threat was unfinished, but it still held weight.

“I want to protect her, just like you do.”

“Then you better work fast.” She opened the door and stepped into the hallway. “The conference room is down the hall when you’re ready.” Then she turned and headed toward the back offices.

Garrett heard Neil’s voice in the hall outside the room.

“Melissa, I know we’ve had our differences,” Neil said. “But Blair won’t be canceling the wedding, no matter what she says at the moment, so I would appreciate it if you kept that busy work on the back burner until she gives you official word that the wedding’s back on.”

Melissa’s voice was clear and direct. “I take my direction from my employer, Dr. Fredrick. Not from you.”

Garrett headed to the doorway and spotted the two several feet down the hall. If Blair cared about her assistant half as much as he thought she did, he had a feeling she’d call off the wedding solely based on the condescending look on Neil’s face.

“Just remember you’re her
assistant.
Don’t overstep your bounds.” He brushed past her and stopped when he saw Garrett in the doorway. He glanced back at Melissa, who was still watching him, and then shifted his gaze to Garrett. “So the two of you are colluding?”

Garrett leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, feeling more confident than when he’d walked into the office minutes ago. “I think you’ve watched one too many episodes of
House of Cards
, Neil. I’m here for a deposition. Quit making everything into a conspiracy plot.”

Neil’s face twisted into an ugly glare. “You’ve always thought you were smarter than me. I’m about to prove you wrong.” Then he grinned and strutted down the hall and out the office door.

That statement scared Garrett more than he was willing to admit.

He headed into the conference room, where the court reporter was already setting up in the corner. There was no sign of his client. They still had five minutes, but Brian Norfolk’s attitude the previous night didn’t bode well for how things were about to go down. If he didn’t show . . . well, the joke would be on Norfolk. Garrett almost hoped he didn’t show. It would help Blair’s client, and it would give Garrett’s firm sufficient grounds to drop the sleazebag as a client.

Garrett was pouring himself a glass of water when Blair appeared in the doorway, just as beautiful as ever, albeit clearly exhausted. Today she wore a cream-colored dress with a black trim. Her hair was pulled up, and his gaze pivoted to the curve of her neck, then rose to her lips, making him think of the night before.

She’d kissed him. She’d made the first move. It gave him more confidence, and God knew he needed as much as he could get.

“Good morning, Mr. Lowry,” she said briskly.

“And to you, Ms. Hansen.”

“I see your client hasn’t arrived yet.” Her words were crisp and tight.

“I expect him shortly.”

She approached the table and rested her hands on the back of the chair across from his. “I am a very busy woman, Mr. Lowry. I can’t afford to waste time waiting for fools.”

He had no delusions regarding her true meaning. “Sometimes fools rush in, Ms. Hansen, but their intent blinds their judgment and incites rash behavior.”

The court reporter glanced between them, trying to figure out what she was missing.

“We still have two minutes before the deposition is supposed to start.” Garrett forced himself to sound nonchalant. “You’d waste more time going to your office and back than if you stay here and wait.”

He knew Blair hated to be seen as reactionary, and if she stomped off now, that’s exactly how it would appear. A rush of relief washed through him when she sat down in her chair.

The reporter cringed. “Would you mind if I take a restroom break? I had some spicy tuna rolls last night . . .” Her voice trailed off.

A flash of irritation flickered in Blair’s eyes, but then it softened. “No. Of course.”

The woman hurried out the door, leaving Blair and Garrett alone.

Her eyes narrowed into angry slits. “Did you encourage her to do that?”

“No, Blair,” he said sadly. “I didn’t. But I won’t lie and tell you that I’m not happy she left. We need to talk.”

Her shoulders tensed. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“There’s
everything
to talk about, from our kiss in that kitchen to Neil’s reasons for marrying you to what you heard when you came out of the house last night.”

Her eyes turned a cold, clear blue. “I told you I won’t waste my time on fools, and I meant it.”

He put his hands on the table. “You think calling me a fool is an insult? I
am
a fool. I’ve never denied it. Not now and not five years ago when I camped out on your doorstep for half the night begging you to let me explain.”

She sucked in a breath, and though he hated that he was picking at her old wounds, he had to make her see that this wasn’t some stupid competition to him. This was his heart in his hands. “Go out on a date with me.”

Her head jutted back, and she looked at him like he was crazy. “I can’t go out on a date with you. I’m engaged.”

“Not anymore.” He pointed to her now bare hand.

She reached absently for her ring finger, rubbing at the empty spot.

“That ring was never right for you anyway. A traditional, heirloom piece? That seems more like your friend Megan’s style.”

A slight grin tipped the corners of her lips. “Good call. Josh gave her his grandmother’s ring. She loves it.”

“You’re more contemporary. Probably a square diamond solitaire, large but not too large.”

She smirked. “For a guy, you know more than you should about engagement rings.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “That’s a sexist statement.” But it was true. He hadn’t known jack crap about engagement rings up until last night. He’d spent one of his many sleepless hours searching for the ring that would best suit her if he ever got the opportunity to propose. “Am I right? Would that be more your style?”

She didn’t answer, which was an answer in itself.

“So go on a date with me. How about lunch?”

Her grin faded. “I’m having lunch with Neil.”

“I see.”

Anger flashed in her eyes. “Do you?”

He put his hand on the table and leaned forward. “No, Blair. I honestly don’t. You don’t love him. And I know you think he’s safe, but I’m not sure why.”

“That is none of your business.”

“Okay, fair enough, but answer me this.” He kept his tone soft and comforting to cushion the barbs he was about to sink. “When did
you
start running away? That’s not like you at all.”

She slammed her hands on the table. “What the hell are you talking about? When did I ever run away? You’re the one who left me!”

“You’re pretending that marrying a man you don’t love is the logical decision. If that’s not running away, I don’t know what is.”

“How in God’s name is that running away?”

“Because you’re running away from love.”

“What the hell do you know about love, Garrett Lowry? You took what we had and destroyed it.”

“I know.” His voice broke. How many times would she have to say it to purge it from her system? What if the number was infinite? “I’ll regret it until the day I die, but I loved you, Blair. I still do.” He reached over the table and grabbed her hand. “I meant every word I said last night. I’ve never stopped loving you.”

She looked away, but she didn’t pull her hand away. It was something. “So what exactly are you proposing here?” She glanced back at him. “A date?”

He tried to hold back his excitement. “Yeah. A date.”

“Where would we go?”

He took a shallow breath. “Pizza. Some place where we could get a beer and talk. Then we’d go to a piano bar, like we always loved doing, and make fun of all the cheesy love songs.”

Sadness filled her eyes, and she slid her hand out from under his. “We’ve both grown up since law school.”

“Sure, but not completely. Are you telling me that doesn’t sound like something you’d want to do?”

She didn’t answer, which meant she was considering it. He wondered what her dates with prissy Neil were like, but he didn’t dare ask, and part of him didn’t want to know.

“Why now, Garrett? After all these years, why now?”

He sighed. “I told you, Blazer. I was too scared to approach you after all this time. But then when I saw you in Phoenix . . . and then here. Call it whatever you like—fate, kismet, or coincidence—but to me it was the universe telling me to man up and go after you.”

Her gaze pierced his. “And where does Neil fit into this?”

“Hopefully, Neil doesn’t fit
anywhere
into this.”

“How can you say that?”

Understanding hit him, and he groaned. “There is no contest, Blair. You’re not some inanimate object to be fought over. I only want you to be happy, but I hope to God it’s with me.”

Garrett glanced up in time to see Brian Norfolk walk through the door.

Blair sat upright in her seat, but her eyes were still locked onto Garrett’s—like she was performing some kind of human lie detector test—as she waited for the jerk to sit next to him.

“Mr. Norfolk,” she said. “How wonderful of you to finally join us.”

“Hey, I’m only five minutes late.” He plopped down in the chair next to Garrett’s.

Blair gave him a condescending glare as the court reporter entered the room behind him and took her seat. “Mr. Norfolk, I’m sure your attorney has told you this, but I feel compelled to reiterate that when we win—which we will—you will end up paying us by the hour. If you waste any of my time, you will end up paying for it handsomely.” She flashed him a smile. “So thank you.”

He muttered a curse word under his breath, and Blair shot him an evil smile before beginning her questions. Garrett had to hand it to her. Now that she’d made him admit to his hidden money, she knew exactly what follow-up questions to ask to find everything else he’d squirreled away. Frankly, Garrett was surprised there was that much money left. He’d seen Norfolk’s expenses.

The entire matter took less than three hours, and Norfolk slunk out as quickly as he could, leaving Garrett in the conference room with the court reporter and Blair. He could see she was stalling, shuffling her papers in her folder. It was another hopeful sign that she was hanging back to talk to him.

He stood to leave, and she did as well, keeping her gaze on the door. Once they were both in the hall, she glanced up at him.

“Did you go see Neil at the hospital yesterday?”

“Neil told you?”

Her eyes flew open in surprise. “So it’s true?”

Why would Neil confess such a thing? Garrett suspected it couldn’t be good, but he wouldn’t lie to her. “Yes, it’s true.”

Her eyes turned icy again. “Then you’re wasting your time and mine, Garrett. Go back to California where you belong.” She turned her back to him and started down the hall.

“Blair!”

He followed her, and she turned back to him, fear and anger in her eyes. She reminded him of a trapped wild animal. “Stay away from me.”

What in the hell had just happened?