Chapter 9
“Brett has never specifically asked me not to tell you. To be honest, you would eventually find out about his secret.” Elizabeth removed a photo from her purse and slid it across the table. “This.”
Morgan’s eyes grew round as saucers. “Is a wedding photo.”
“Of Brett and Addison Blakely.”
“Brett is married?” Morgan’s mind whirled.
“Was,” her grandmother corrected. “It was a long time ago in a faraway land, commonly known as Las Vegas.”
She studied the photo. Brett looked young, in his late teens, if she had to guess. The woman appeared to be slightly older…and she was stunning. Drop-dead gorgeous with platinum blond hair, sultry dark eyes and wearing a ton of makeup. “She’s beautiful.”
“Beautiful, in addition to being very crafty. Brett went on a party trip to Vegas with a bunch of his friends during college spring break. I don’t know all the details. What I do know is the two wed at a chapel off the strip.”
“I bet Rhett…father…was furious,” Morgan said.
“Absolutely livid. Of course, Brett knew his father would be angry, so he brought his gold-digging bride to Easton Estate first, hoping I would help him soften the blow. I could tell right away Addison was only after him for money.”
“How did he meet her?”
“At a strip club.”
Morgan made a choking sound. “Brett hooked up with a …”
“Beautiful woman who used her body to pay the bills. Of course, he was very taken with her. She convinced him she was desperate to get away from Vegas and her line of work,” Elizabeth said.
“Do you think she recognized the Easton name?”
“I’m almost positive she did. Thanks to some highly-publicized investments Easton Holdings Company had made in Las Vegas.” Elizabeth slid the photo back into her purse. “I could almost see her wheels spinning from the moment I met her.”
“She was counting the cash,” Morgan grimaced.
“You betcha. Addison was no dummy.” Elizabeth sipped her tea. “Rhett tried throwing her out. Brett and his father argued. It wasn’t pretty.”
“I’m guessing they weren’t married for very long.”
“Long enough for Rhett to draw up an agreement, fork over a tidy chunk of change, and buy her a ticket on the next ferry off the island,” Elizabeth said. “When Brett realized she was a gold digger, he took it hard. I do believe he cared for the woman.”
Morgan’s eyes widened. “That he just met.”
“He was young and na?ve. She was looking for a rich man. Brett fit the bill.”
“Wow. Have they been in contact with each other?”
“Not that I’m aware of, thank heavens. So when I joke about screening the women in Brett’s life, I’m somewhat serious.”
“I can assure you Quinn isn’t after the family’s money. At least I don’t think so.”
“Neither do I,” Elizabeth said. “Considering the fact she almost walked away. The reason I’m sharing this is that their relationship seems to be developing. It might be time for me to suggest to Brett he tell Quinn about his ex-wife.”
“And you’re wondering if he does, how Quinn will react.”
Elizabeth nodded.
“She’ll be shocked, as shocked as I am, since Brett never hinted at being divorced,” Morgan said. “What if someone else slips and mentions it to her before he’s able to come clean?”
“Rhett, Brett and I were the only ones who knew about it. Not even his friends who had left Vegas before the nuptials took place knew, unless she told someone unbeknownst to us. Does Quinn have any skeletons in her closet that you know of?”
“She was engaged once, a few years ago. It didn’t work out, and they split amicably.” Morgan drummed her fingers on the table. “To be honest, she might be shocked, but I don’t think it would be a deal breaker, especially considering Addison is out of the picture and has been for a long time.”
“Good. I had hoped this would be the case,” Elizabeth said. “It’s been weighing heavily on my mind.”
“Maybe we should start a series—the Easton family saga,” Morgan joked.
“Believe me, we would have plenty of fodder to keep it going for a while,” her grandmother sighed. “Although it can’t differ much from the rest of the world. Everyone has skeletons in their closets.”
“I know I do, namely marrying Jason.”
Elizabeth finished her tea and gathered her things. “I need to get going. The wedding planner is stopping by to discuss the final tent arrangements. I’m keeping my fingers crossed the weather holds and I won’t have hundreds of people packed inside the house like sardines.”
“It is a gamble this time of the year,” Morgan said. “It could be absolutely gorgeous—the end of an Indian summer, or it could be an early winter surprise.”
“Hopefully, the former and not the latter. I suppose we’ll make the best of it, no matter what Mother Nature throws our way.”
Chester, who had been napping under the table, scrambled to his feet when they began making their way out of the house.
“Thank you for letting me know about Brett. Like I said, I think Quinn will be okay as long as the ex is out of the picture.”
“Good. I would hate to see them split up over something that happened long ago.” Elizabeth opened the driver’s side door and set her purse inside. “I would invite you over for dinner, but it’s been a tiring couple of days. Gerard and I plan to turn in early tonight. He’s leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I think I’ll make an early night of it too,” Morgan said. “I need to recuperate from the party.”
“It was fabulous.” She gave her granddaughter a gentle hug. “You are the most thoughtful person, Morgan Easton. Always thinking of others, including a person as difficult as Prissy.”
“The party was about making memories, Grandmother.” Morgan stood in the doorway long after Elizabeth drove off. Brett didn’t seem to have a lot of luck with the opposite sex. Although it didn’t help knowing there were women out there whose only goal in life was to find someone to take care of them.
Her brother was a good-looking guy. He had a thriving career, plenty of money, not to mention a swanky apartment in the city. Brett would continue to be sought after by women like Addison and Jenna.
Money, prestige, and power were double-edged swords, capable of bringing out the best…and worst in people.
Would Brett and Quinn eventually marry? It was possible. Right now, both seemed determined to take it slow, to get to know each other. And maybe Brett’s ex wasn’t a bad person. Maybe she had been desperate and saw him as her ticket out of Vegas and away from a dangerous job.
Morgan couldn’t even begin to envision what the woman’s life was…had been like to cause her to marry a stranger. Elizabeth seemed to think Addison was out of the picture forever. Maybe she was. Maybe she wasn’t.
People had a way of coming back into your life at the most inopportune moments. Hopefully, this wouldn’t be the case for Brett.