27. Garrett
Chapter Twenty-Seven
GARRETT
I nviting his friends to his wedding would only scare Emma. But Garrett couldn’t stop himself from asking Elias, Rainer, and of course Georgia.
He would have asked Ian as well. Unfortunately, Elias’ cousin and Auric Security co-founder was out of the country on a mission, providing security to a Danish royal on a global goodwill tour.
Garrett greeted the trio at the door, gesturing to the tray of drinks and hors d’oeuvres. “Emma is going over the prenup with the lawyer in my office. We’ll get started as soon as the justice of the peace gets here.”
Rainer did a double take halfway to the drinks. “Prenup? Justice of the peace? I thought this was just dinner.”
“A quick civil ceremony, then dinner,” he corrected, patting his best friend on the shoulder. “Sorry for not telling you sooner. We decided to move on this last night. I think it’s important to do this as quickly as possible before Emma’s current health insurance lapses.”
Rainer recovered from his shock first. “ This is your solution to her insurance issue problem? You’re getting married ?”
“Yeah, for the insurance,” he said, checking Georgia’s reaction out of the corner of his eye. “It’ll be just the three of you acting as witnesses. I’m not trying to steal your wedding thunder or anything here.”
Rainer twisted, catching Georgia’s eye. She was just as confused, her lips a round O .
Elias, who’d ignored the specialty fig cocktails he’d had Mohammed fix up for the occasion, proceeded to spill the precious liquid all over his mahogany bar. “Come again? Who’s getting married?”
“Me.” Garrett threw his arm up, then quickly put it back down so George wouldn’t catch on to how enthusiastic he was.
“I reconnected with an old friend recently—well, sort of a friend,” he explained to Elias when Georgia crossed her arms and stared him down. “Emma needs health insurance. She has several pre-existing conditions. Matters got a little complicated but it’s going to be fine because we’re getting married.”
Elias blinked. “Emma who?”
Georgia held up a hand, interrupting what promised to be a grand inquisition. “This isn’t a joke? You’re serious?”
“Like a nun,” he said, picking up one of the figgy cocktails and taking a sip.
He would have normally opted for the single malt himself, but Emma used to be quite fond of figs. He was hoping she still liked them.
“Are nuns serious?” Elias asked, bemused. “According to the last trivial pursuit game I played, there was one who flew and was quite silly.”
Georgia’s sharp hazel eyes drilled a hole through him. “This is what Emma wants?”
“She’s on board,” he said evasively. “It solves a lot of problems.”
He took another sip of his drink. Mmm, he could grow quite fond of these.
“She might be feeling a touch overwhelmed with the lawyer,” he added a bit more truthfully.
Emma’s eyes had almost crossed when he first gave her the contract. He’d decided to call his lawyer to come explain it to her before the size and breadth of it scared her off.
“Maybe you can join her and share some insights on the process?” he suggested to George. “Tell her how it went for you.”
“George didn’t sign a prenup,” Rainer informed them.
“She didn’t?” Elias asked, wide eyes rounding on George. “You didn’t?”
“Hey, don’t look at me like that.” She held up her hands. “I offered to sign one.”
Elias was immediately contrite. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Of course you didn’t,” she said skeptically, rolling her eyes at Rainer who didn’t smile, although his lips quirked. “I think I will join Emma and the lawyer despite my lack of expertise.”
She turned on her heel, but Rainer intercepted her, giving her a quick kiss before whispering something that softened the expression on her face.
Elias waited until she had disappeared before turning on Rainer. “You’re marrying her without a prenup?”
“I trust George with my life,” Rainer said with the confidence of a man who’d struck gold in the relationship department. “By the way, you’re not my emergency contact anymore. She is.”
Elias threw up his hands in surrender. “Well, of course she is. I’m just surprised about the prenup given…”
He trailed off, deciding discretion was the better part of valor.
“Because my mother was a gold digger?” Rainer asked, his face carefully blank.
“Hey—” Elias broke off, waving them on. “Fuck it. I said nothing and know even less about relationships than Ian so have at it.”
“True.” Rainer smirked. “As for me, being a product of that kind of marriage makes me even more sure of George. She’d never try anything shady.”
“I don’t doubt it…” Elias conceded, surprising them both. “But I don’t think I’d ever be able to trust anyone quite that much, let alone a woman wh o’d have me. ”
Elias took another swig of his Scotch. “At least this one is crossing the T ’s on his fake marriage by getting a prenup signed.”
“The hell it’s fake,” Rainer laughed.
“What?” Garrett affected innocence. “I told you, Emma needs health insurance.”
His friend gave him a knowing look. “I know that’s true, but tell me—and be honest—what does she get if the marriage sticks?”
Garrett swept out an arm to encompass the penthouse. “I’ve listed all my assets in the prenup and spelled everything out. All she gets is her health insurance and a small stipend. Plus, a small cash settlement if the marriage dissolves.”
“ If ?” Elias was nearing meltdown—well, as close as the former SEAL got to one. “Not when?”
“Yeah,” Rainer drawled. “Again, what happens if it doesn’t dissolve?”
“No dissolution means the prenup’s clauses never go into effect.” Garrett laughed. “Or do I have to explain basic contract law to you?”
Rainer picked up a swizzle stick from the bar and threw it at him. “Let me rephrase—do you have an end date for the marriage codified in the prenup?”
Garrett took another sip, declining to answer.
Elias waited a beat, then whistled. “Now I have to know who the fuck Emma is.”
Rainer held up a hand. “In a sec. I have one more question.”
Garrett put his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “Shoot.”
“Are there any provisions for children of this blessed union in the contract?”
He waited a beat, but Rainer continued to stare at him in challenge until he caved.
“Well, obviously, any children of the union would become my heirs.”
Rainer guffawed, while Elias shook his head, mouthing, Wow .
Garrett dismissed their obvious concern. “It’s a moot point. This is a strictly platonic arrangement. But you know lawyers—they insist on covering every possible contingency. The bit about kids is all hypothetical.”
“Uh-huh. What are the names of these hypothetical children?”
Garrett scoffed, reddening. “I didn’t name them.”
Rainer gave him a smug smile. “Yes, that was very believable.”
“Shut up,” he muttered.
“I need another drink, and the two of you need professional help.” Elias staggered to the right, reaching for the bottle of whiskey. He picked it up, pointing his index finger at him and Rainer, managing to wag it without spilling this time. “Being so eager to get leg shackled is not normal. Neither is wanting children. They’re loud, they smell, and you can’t just leave them at home to hop on a plane to Europe or Japan whenever you want.”
“You mean South America or Africa.” That was where Auric business generally took him, not the vacation hotspots he’d named.
“Whatever,” Elias replied, exasperated. “My point is you’re going to do what you’re going to do, so go with God and be grateful Ian is the one who drew the short straw on this royalty-sitting gig. Because if he was here instead of me, he would hog-tie you until he could get Doherty up here.”
Garrett frowned. “Doherty?”
Elias waved his glass at him. “He’s the deprogrammer we subcontract when we extract someone from a cult.”
Rainer snickered.
Garrett shook his head, letting amusement color his tone. “I can’t wait for a woman to take you out at the knees. That’s going to be incredibly satisfying.”
“Never going to happen,” Elias said with a snort. “But you go right ahead and put that yoke on with my blessing. Just remember this: when those rug rats start arriving, you’re naming one after me. Because I am never having one of my own.”