him.”
My heart stopped. Jared knew nothing about me. No one did, except for my family. My father made damn sure that my mistake was covered up to the best of his ability. I knew more about marriage than anyone realized. Far beyond the reaches of my law degree.
Gavin felt me stiffen. My arm dropped to my side. I stared at Jared in plain disgust. “You have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“Enlighten me. What does the great Andrew Wise know that makes him so superior to us underlings? Is it your wealth? Your perfect tan and great smile? Tell me, oh, enlightened one. Please, let me learn from your infinite wisdom.” Sarcasm dripped from his tongue.
“I knew it,” I growled, coming nose to nose with Jared.
“You knew what?” he demanded, standing up to meet me.
“Guys,” Ethan called out.
“C’mon, you two. This isn’t necessary,” Gavin added.
“You rejoiced the day McKenzie left. You talk about not everyone has to win, but you did, didn’t you? You won when I agreed to let her leave. You’ve kept her within arm’s length, trying your hardest to win her heart. With me out of the way, there was no one to compete with.” I poked Jared in the chest. “But you haven’t won, have you? She misses me. She still loves me. And that’s eating you from the inside out.”
“You arrogant son of a bitch. Your ego is so inflated that you can’t see past your nose to spite your face. McKenzie needed to get away from not only you, but Olivia too. That psycho bitch rubbed her pregnancy in McKenzie’s face the entire time you went off the rails. I know McKenzie will never love me the way she does you, but I also know when a friend needs space.”
“Jared. Drew. Calm down.” Gavin stepped between us.
I stepped around him, coming face to face with Jared. “And it was so convenient for you to swoop in and save the day.”
Jared opened his mouth to respond when his cell phone began buzzing in rapid sessions. Four pair of eyes dropped to the phone, watching the face light up with a picture of my girl. My stomach clenched at the sight of her sunny blonde hair and magnificent smile.
In a quick movement, Jared had the phone in his hand. He swiped his finger across the flat panel and moved away from us toward the balcony. “Hello?”
I threw my hands in the air in exasperation. “He calls me arrogant. The fucker flaunts his relationship with her in my face. If it wasn’t for him-”
“You’d what?” Gavin interrupted. “You and McKenzie would be happy and in love?”
“Yes!”
“No.” Gavin shook his head. “Jared was right about her needing space and you know it. You were pretty messed up after Olivia announced her pregnancy. And we both know why you fell off the wagon.” He grabbed my shoulders. His blue eyes pierced through mine. Autumn, my little girl, was always in the back of mind, and it was worse now that Olivia was pregnant.
“I know,” I whispered.
“You needed space, too. Admit it.”
I nodded, unwilling to verbalize my agreement.
“Now that you’re sober, I agree with you that it’s been long enough.”
My brow furrowed. “Agree with me?”
“Yes. You honestly think I don’t know about your little plan?”
Turning on my heel, I faced Ethan who was placing the discarded cue sticks in the rack on the wall. He caught my gaze, appearing stunned by my reaction. “I told him nothing.”
Gavin laughed. My head jerked back and forth between the two men. I could only imagine how I might’ve looked, but it was impossible for Gavin to know my plans if neither Ethan nor myself told him. “I put two and two together when HR sent me the vacation approval form. You might be a senior partner, Drew, but I still manage the branch.”
I dropped down into Jared’s vacated seat. “And you’re okay with me going?”
“Absolutely. But you’re not going
My heart stopped. Jared knew nothing about me. No one did, except for my family. My father made damn sure that my mistake was covered up to the best of his ability. I knew more about marriage than anyone realized. Far beyond the reaches of my law degree.
Gavin felt me stiffen. My arm dropped to my side. I stared at Jared in plain disgust. “You have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“Enlighten me. What does the great Andrew Wise know that makes him so superior to us underlings? Is it your wealth? Your perfect tan and great smile? Tell me, oh, enlightened one. Please, let me learn from your infinite wisdom.” Sarcasm dripped from his tongue.
“I knew it,” I growled, coming nose to nose with Jared.
“You knew what?” he demanded, standing up to meet me.
“Guys,” Ethan called out.
“C’mon, you two. This isn’t necessary,” Gavin added.
“You rejoiced the day McKenzie left. You talk about not everyone has to win, but you did, didn’t you? You won when I agreed to let her leave. You’ve kept her within arm’s length, trying your hardest to win her heart. With me out of the way, there was no one to compete with.” I poked Jared in the chest. “But you haven’t won, have you? She misses me. She still loves me. And that’s eating you from the inside out.”
“You arrogant son of a bitch. Your ego is so inflated that you can’t see past your nose to spite your face. McKenzie needed to get away from not only you, but Olivia too. That psycho bitch rubbed her pregnancy in McKenzie’s face the entire time you went off the rails. I know McKenzie will never love me the way she does you, but I also know when a friend needs space.”
“Jared. Drew. Calm down.” Gavin stepped between us.
I stepped around him, coming face to face with Jared. “And it was so convenient for you to swoop in and save the day.”
Jared opened his mouth to respond when his cell phone began buzzing in rapid sessions. Four pair of eyes dropped to the phone, watching the face light up with a picture of my girl. My stomach clenched at the sight of her sunny blonde hair and magnificent smile.
In a quick movement, Jared had the phone in his hand. He swiped his finger across the flat panel and moved away from us toward the balcony. “Hello?”
I threw my hands in the air in exasperation. “He calls me arrogant. The fucker flaunts his relationship with her in my face. If it wasn’t for him-”
“You’d what?” Gavin interrupted. “You and McKenzie would be happy and in love?”
“Yes!”
“No.” Gavin shook his head. “Jared was right about her needing space and you know it. You were pretty messed up after Olivia announced her pregnancy. And we both know why you fell off the wagon.” He grabbed my shoulders. His blue eyes pierced through mine. Autumn, my little girl, was always in the back of mind, and it was worse now that Olivia was pregnant.
“I know,” I whispered.
“You needed space, too. Admit it.”
I nodded, unwilling to verbalize my agreement.
“Now that you’re sober, I agree with you that it’s been long enough.”
My brow furrowed. “Agree with me?”
“Yes. You honestly think I don’t know about your little plan?”
Turning on my heel, I faced Ethan who was placing the discarded cue sticks in the rack on the wall. He caught my gaze, appearing stunned by my reaction. “I told him nothing.”
Gavin laughed. My head jerked back and forth between the two men. I could only imagine how I might’ve looked, but it was impossible for Gavin to know my plans if neither Ethan nor myself told him. “I put two and two together when HR sent me the vacation approval form. You might be a senior partner, Drew, but I still manage the branch.”
I dropped down into Jared’s vacated seat. “And you’re okay with me going?”
“Absolutely. But you’re not going
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