Chapter 26
MEETINGS
RHODES
Once again, my attorney called me.
“The guardianship petition for Rory has been filed. The mother will be served the paperwork as soon as it’s processed,” Alan reported.
“Good. Thank you, Alan.”
“My pleasure. Have you anticipated what will happen once she’s been notified?”
“No,” I admitted. “There’ve been too many other things to deal with. Are you concerned?”
“Of course I am. That’s my job.” He paused for a beat. “You should be prepared for her to reach out—she has a criminal record, remember? She might be an unsavory character.”
I grimaced. An unsavory character was the last thing I needed right now, especially one that was directly related to my fake fiancé. “Keep an eye on things, Alan. Let me know if there’s an issue.”
“Will do,” Alan said. “And if there is?”
“I don’t know. Offer her money—lots of it.” I swallowed a small gulp of guilt. Rory wouldn’t approve of me buying her mother’s silence. I vowed to keep this possibility to myself, so that I didn’t make her upset for no reason.
“Works for me. Now, about the board,” Alan continued.
“The consensus is running in your favor, but it’s fragile.
Two members are still uncommitted, and Miranda is working them hard.
The wedding will help. A united front—the ceremony, the reception, the boy in the wedding party—it will go a long way. ”
“Understood.” I stared at my desk. “Anything else?”
“Just one thing.” He paused. “The ceremony’s coming up. Try to look like a man who’s genuinely happy to be getting married. This is a crucial part of the process—you need this.”
“I am genuinely happy to be getting married,” I said, and then immediately wished I hadn’t, because Alan went very quiet.
He sighed. “That’s actually what I’m worried about,” he finally said.
“Don’t read anything into it,” I snapped.
“Of course not. Because we already talked about this.”
“That’s right, we did.” I yanked at my collar, remembering his warnings. Don’t get in over your head with this girl. This is a business transaction. The stakes are incredibly high.
“So I’m not sure why you’re wasting my time by being redundant. I have to go.” I hung up, then leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling.
I am not happy to be getting married. I am happy that the plan is working. Those were two completely different things. I repeated this several times. It helped, slightly.
I turned back to my laptop. The cursor blinked at me from the center of an otherwise empty document—the draft remarks I was supposed to be writing for the board meeting. Fifteen minutes had passed since I’d opened it. The document remained empty.
All I’d been doing was thinking about Rory. Her big eyes. Her creamy skin. How she’d called me ‘Sir.’ How she’d tasted, and how she’d unraveled beneath my touch…
Alan’s call weighed on my mind. Look like a man who’s genuinely happy to be getting married, he’d said. Just don’t actually mean it.
Thanks a fucking lot, Alan.
It wasn’t any of his business whether I was happy or not. My relationship with my contract bride was private, as were the things we’d done together in my bed. Alan could mind his own business. I’d look happy at the wedding, and whether it was genuine or not, it meant that I would win.
The issue of Rory’s mother getting served was also inconvenient.
If the mother was unstable—and based on what little I knew, she absolutely was—it was entirely reasonable to offer her money to go away.
It would protect Rory until the situation stabilized.
And keep things calm until the wedding was behind us, the board was satisfied, and Luke’s custody was secured.
It was reasonable.
Rhodes Barrington was always reasonable.
I turned the decision over in my mind, inspecting it.
The mother had a criminal record, a history of erratic behavior, and a valid basis for making trouble: the guardianship petition.
Being served with legal documents that stripped her of her parental rights was the kind of thing that turned erratic people explosive.
Having Alan’s team keep an eye on her and possibly bribing her into submission wasn’t punitive. It was precautionary. Rory would understand that.
Except that I wasn’t going to tell her.
I sat with that for a moment, which was a mistake. Because it was an acknowledgment of sorts. I knew I was saving Rory from pain. I was dealing with it for her, on her behalf. That was protective and caring.
This motivation was concerning as well. And it had everything to do with the fact that I’d gotten naked with her, and now I could not get her out of my head.
I was wise enough to know that I was close to losing it. To spinning out of control.
But Rhodes Barrington didn’t lose control.
At least, that’s what I told myself.