Chapter Thirty-Seven. Holden
THIRTY-SEVEN
Holden
“Jules. Knight here,” I say to my real estate agent’s voicemail. “I have a few more ideas to go over with you when you’re in town next week. I’ll have Audrey send over the details so you can start looking for me. Same plan of attack, just another dimension. Talk soon.”
I walk around some of the members enjoying their early evening drinks before dinner inside the Westmore Country Club. I nod when I should. I smile when I shouldn’t. I play the fucking game all while looking around, wondering if she’ll be here.
The other night plays in my head. The great dinner. The incredible sex. The giving myself the opportunity to let her in a little more.
Yeah. That.
I told her about my plans in Fairmont. About one of the most innocuous ways I plan on defeating her brother.
The world didn’t end. The universe didn’t implode.
And I gained even more from it than I expected.
Her inheritance.
There’s something there. Her slip to me has teeth. Now I just need to figure out what exactly that is.
I pick up the phone to call Bob to see if he’s found anything out—but know if he has, I’d already know—when there’s a voice at my back.
“You talk any more on that phone, Holden Knight, it just might become attached to that handsome ear of yours.”
I turn to find a striking woman. She’s statuesque with auburn hair, a full mouth, and a dusting of freckles across her nose. I’ve seen her before—know I have, but can’t quite place her.
“I wasn’t aware ears could be handsome.”
“And he’s charming too,” she murmurs and then holds out her hand. “Sloane Vandenberg. Rowan’s best friend. Nice to meet you.”
Interesting. I take her hand and shake it. “Pleasure,” I say, guarded.
“You don’t like the country club much, do you?”
I glance around the patio at the blowhards kissing each other’s asses, the women kowtowing to their husband’s ridiculous ideals, and at the staff being dismissed like they’re nobodies. I know how that feels. “Not particularly.”
“Which is interesting considering how much I see you here.”
“It’s a necessary evil.”
“Ah. Right.” She glances around herself before meeting my eyes again and just staring.
What has Rowan told her? Does she know about us? About Chad? There is a chess piece being moved right now and for the first time in my life, it’s not me moving it.
“Is there something you wanted to say, Miss Vandenberg?” I ask.
“Why would you ask that?”
My smile is half-hearted. “Call it a hunch.”
“Rowan has a wedding dress fitting this weekend,” she says absently.
“Rowan is an employee. What she does in her free time isn’t any of my business.” My stomach pitches at the thought. “You tell me like I care.”
Her smile is a slow crawl on those red-painted lips of hers. “I tell you because I’m a best friend convinced my best friend is making the wrong decision for all the right reasons.” She lifts her eyebrows.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
She shrugs. “You’re a smart man, Mr. Knight. You can figure it out.” A hand squeezing my arm. “Now, you’ll excuse me. I need to go talk to a client I see over there. It was nice to finally get to meet you face-to-face.”
And with that, she walks off, leaving me staring in her wake, and more than fucking grateful that Chad is on the golf course somewhere, far out of reach.
Wedding fucking dress.
Because the need to punch something is real.