Chapter 40
MAVERICK
“You’re a dick,” Dex said when I answered the phone.
I ran a hand over my face because I’d been hearing that a lot from my brothers. From Silas since he’d called me Sunday morning. From Theo before he’d come back to town and gone back to his sixteen-hour days at the hospital.
I was exhausted. Unshaven. If not for Scout needing to go outside, I wouldn’t have left the house. I ran a billion-dollar company and I’d been reduced to day drinking on my couch with a dog for company.
Bradley had been running things for me. Who was I kidding thinking that I accomplished anything with him as my assistant. These past few days proved that. And the fact that Silas had stepped in at the site meant I could be a sorry excuse for a human.
Now I was hearing it from Dex. “Besides what you’ve done to Bridget,” he pushed on, “but I didn’t even get an invitation to the wedding. I’m going to hang with Silas here in Hunter Valley since it’s a cool as fuck town and he’s doing your job.”
I didn’t miss the multiple low blows. They just kept on coming.
“I’m not getting married,” I told him, gritting my teeth.
“That’s what Silas told me, but I’m not sure how that works if every tabloid in the country says you are.”
The wedding was tonight, thank fuck. I couldn’t wait much longer to make things right with Bridget. Although I wasn’t even sure after she learned the truth that she’d take me back. Because, like Dex said, I was a dick.
I felt like shit. I needed to tell someone because I was going out of my fucking mind because the only person I wanted to know what was happening wouldn’t listen to me
My mother had called a million times, thrilled out of her head. That only made me feel even more like shit. I couldn’t tell her I wasn’t the groom because she’d blab it to the world, but all I was concerned about–and Farrah, too–was the truth getting back to her father. The asshole.
“Because Farrah’s marrying someone else,” I told him.
“What? Then why doesn’t she announce that? Why are you fucking moping around down there when you could be banging your young girlfriend? You’re old and running out of time to keep getting it up.”
“Fuck, Dex,” I muttered. I had zero problem in that department with Bridget. I had a problem keeping it down.
“Who’s the guy?” he asked.
“Elise,” I muttered, rubbing my temple.
There, I fucking said it. Told Farrah’s secret.
“The guy’s name is Elise?”
“No, she’s the woman Farrah’s marrying tonight. Her name is Elise.”
“Farrah is marrying a woman.”
“Yes.”
“Not you.”
“No.”
“Holy shit. She’s a lesbian?”
“Yes.”
“No wonder she didn’t sleep with me that time I hit on her at the Christmas party. Man, my dick and I are really relieved.”
I didn’t want to know about him hitting on Farrah, or any woman, or why he was talking about his dick as if it was a person.
“Then why is everyone saying you’re marrying her?”
“You know her dad.”
Dex growled. “He’s an asshole.”
“And homophobic.”
“Ah. So?”
“Her trust money goes to her when she’s married.”
“That’s stupid,” he said. I envisioned him shaking his head at the stupidity.
“He’ll find a way to cut her off if he finds out she’s gay. The money should be hers, regardless of who she loves. He can’t do anything once she’s married.”
“You’re her beard.”
“Yes.”
“All this time?”
“All this time.” I sighed.
“And Bridget?”
“Right person, wrong fucking time.”
“Call her.”
“I have! Jesus. I’ve called, texted, emailed. Nothing.”
“Okay, calm down.” When I growled, he added, “Or don’t. It was like, two days and all, but you love her, don’t you?”
I tried to explain how I felt to Dex, in a way he’d specifically understand. “If love feels like someone hit you in the chest with a slapshot, then yeah.”