15
Tony looked up from his cell phone as Jason Broddick, a fourth-term congressman from Massachusetts and one of the firm’s clients, stopped beside his table at 1789 Restaurant in Georgetown a couple of weeks later.
“Good evening, Tony.”
“Jason, hello.” Tony came to his feet and shook the other man’s hand.
Jason Broddick was about forty with a tall, lean build, sharp features and an engaging smile. “I don’t think you’ve met my fiancée, Brooke Eastman.” Jason slipped his arm around a tall, dark-haired woman in her late twenties.
“No, I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.” He briefly greeted her, and then Jason was turning to the other two members of his party.
“And these are her parents, Richard and Elise. Richard, Tony is one of the founding partners at Prossi, Stuart and Craig, and of course, Senator Prossi’s son.”
Tony smiled politely at Elise Eastman and then was turning to Joseph’s biological father. “Mr. Eastman.” He held out his hand.
“Richard, please.” Mr. Eastman gripped his hand. “It’s a pleasure.” His intense brown eyes met Tony’s. “I read you’ll be representing Diner Securities in the SEC investigation.”
“That’s Joseph Craig’s case.”
“I didn’t realize he was a securities attorney,” Richard said, his face giving nothing away.
“Joseph has a number of specialties.”
“How is Joseph?” Jason asked. “I haven’t seen him in months.”
“He’s great.” Tony turned from Eastman to Jason. “Recently engaged.”
“Really? When Kathy Paige couldn’t land him, I didn’t think any woman would.”
“Well, someone by the name of Lia Merrick managed.”
“I suppose there’s something in the air.” Jason smiled. “You’re not eating alone, are you?”
“No.” Tony glanced at his watch. “I’m just being kept waiting. Enjoy your dinner. It was a pleasure meeting all of you.” His eyes moved over the group, which responded in kind.
“Be sure to tell Joseph and Kevin I said hello.” Jason touched his arm before they continued following their host.
Tony remained standing until they took their seats at a table about fifteen feet away, and then he was picking up his scotch and moving to the other side of his table. As he sat down, he had a perfect view of Richard Eastman.
Lia felt nervous as she and Joseph followed the host to their table at 1789 Restaurant, where they were meeting Tony Prossi for dinner. He was the one man Joseph respected more than any other, and Lia knew his opinion mattered to him.
“Sorry we’re late,” Joseph said as they reached Tony’s table. “It’s my fault.”
“I never doubted it,” Tony said dryly as he came to his feet. “Lia, I don’t believe we’ve ever been properly introduced. In fact, I think I was actually rude to you at our last meeting.”
“It’s fine.” Lia smiled.
“I apologize. I had no idea what was going on with your ex-husband.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I shouldn’t have interrupted your meeting. It really could have waited.” She felt like she was rambling, but Tony Prossi had to be the most intimidating person she’d ever met. He was much warmer tonight than the man she’d encountered outside Joseph’s office, but he still had an air of aloofness about him.
“Please have a seat.” Tony pulled out her chair and then was resuming his own across the table. “How is your daughter? All recovered?”
“Yes, she’s a hundred percent back to normal.”
The waiter arrived to take their drink orders, and Lia felt herself relaxing as she watched the natural rapport between Joseph and Tony. As the evening progressed, she found herself laughing more and more as they reminisced about their days at Harvard and the early years at the law firm. Tony was definitely the more serious of the two, but Joseph clearly had the ability to bring out a lighter side of him, and Lia found herself liking him very much.
“Joseph!” Jason Broddick stopped beside Joseph’s chair. “I thought that was you.”
“Jason!” Joseph came to his feet and shook the other man’s hand. “How are you?”
“Good. I saw Tony earlier, but I didn’t realize you were joining him.”
“It’s been a long time. This is my fiancée, Lia Merrick.”
Jason greeted Lia and then was glancing back towards his table. “I’ve got to get back before they bring out the cake. It’s my fiancée’s father’s birthday.”
“You’re engaged?” Joseph followed Jason’s gaze towards the back of the restaurant.
“Yes. Make sure you come by the table and meet her before you leave. In fact,” he began as he touched Joseph’s arm, “as much as you delve into the world of high finance, you’d really enjoy her father. Maybe he’ll even give you some investment advice.”
“Who’s her father?” Again, Joseph’s gaze moved to the back of the restaurant.
“Richard Eastman, so make sure you come by. Lia, it was a pleasure meeting you. Tony.” He nodded. “Come by and say hello,” he said again to Joseph before walking off.
Joseph remained standing as he watched Jason return to his table, and then he was rounding on Tony. “You knew?” His eyes narrowed. “You fucking knew all this time and you didn’t say anything?”
“Just sit down.” Tony returned his gaze.
“Fuck you!”
“What’s going on?” Lia’s eyes moved between the two men.
“Sit. Down,” Tony repeated through clenched teeth.
Joseph dropped down into his chair. “Fuck!”
Tony leaned across the table, his eyes intense. “Get it together, Joe.”
“It’s too soon.” He met Tony’s eyes. “I’m not ready to meet him.” He reached for the knot of his tie and began to loosen it. “It’s too fucking hot in here.”
Tony continued to watch him. “He isn’t worth it.”
“Joseph?” Lia touched his hand. “What’s going on?”
He didn’t respond as he picked up his water glass with a shaky hand and brought it to his mouth.
Tony glanced around, and then his eyes were focusing in on their waiter, who was standing at the next table taking an order. “Excuse me,” his deep voice rang out, interrupting the waiter. “Pardon me,” he said to the couple in the process of giving their order. “We need our check.”
“Yes, sir.” The waiter hesitated as if deciding whether to finish taking the order, but was rescued when the couple at the table assured him they didn’t mind if he prepared the check before taking their order.
“Joseph,” Lia whispered, “is everything okay?”
Joseph stared at the white cloth napkin clutched in his right hand, not responding.
“Joseph?” She touched his arm. “Please talk to me.”
“What?” He lifted his eyes to hers. “What!”
She pulled her head back as if she’d been slapped, not prepared for his anger. This wasn’t a side of him she had ever seen. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.” But he wasn’t, and everyone at the table knew it. He shrugged out of the jacket.
In less than a minute the waiter returned with the check, and Tony held out his credit card, not bothering to look at it. And then he was pushing back his chair. “Come on. Let’s go.” His eyes were on Joseph.
Joseph’s eyes moved to Tony. “No. We’re not done.” He squinted and gripped his forehead. “I’m not letting him ruin my evening.” He picked up his spoon and dropped his eyes to his half-eaten chocolate mousse, beads of sweat evident on his forehead.
Tony leaned forward. “You don’t have anything to prove. He’s the asshole, remember?”
“I’m finishing my dinner.”
“Joseph—”
“Please.” He held up his hand, his fingers spread out. “Let’s finish.”
“Okay.” Tony’s lips were turned down as he watched his friend.
“Who is he talking about?” Lia looked to Tony when it was clear Joseph wasn’t going to answer her questions.
Tony shook his head. “Let’s just finish eating.”
Joseph set down his spoon and brought his hands up to cover his face.
“Joseph?” Lia touched his arm. “Tell me what’s wrong.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, her eyebrows pulled together in a frown.
He dropped his hands from his face and gripped the arms of his chair. “I’ve got to get out of here.” He pushed back his chair and came to his feet, his eyes briefly finding Lia’s. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll come with you.” She began to stand.
“No! I need to be alone.” And without another word he was gone, leaving her with Tony.
Lia was stunned. “I can’t believe this. He left me.”
“Just give him some time. He’ll be okay.”
“I don’t understand.” Her tear-filled eyes met Tony’s. “I’ve never seen him like that. Who did he see that upset him so much? That congressman?” She could feel her face heating up, embarrassed that he’d left the restaurant without her.
“You really need to discuss this with Joseph. I’m sure he’ll call you tomorrow and explain. I’ll take you home.”
“No.” Lia shook her head. “That’s okay. I’m going to go to his place to make sure he’s okay.”
Tony took her hand. “This is complicated, Lia, but it has nothing to do with you. Why don’t you give him some space?”
Lia slowly pulled her hand from his grasp. “I don’t agree. This has everything to do with me. He left me in a restaurant without an explanation. I’m his fiancée.”
Tony watched her in silence for several seconds. “Okay, I’ll take you to his place.”
Twenty minutes later, she opened the door to Joseph’s darkened condo and flicked on the foyer light. She assumed he’d come straight home, but a quick search of the apartment revealed that wasn’t the case. Two hours later, there was still no sign of him, and she felt nauseous with worry.
She must have dozed off sometime during the night, because she sat up with a start when she heard the front door opening just after eight the following morning. “Joseph?” She was off the couch and in the foyer before he closed the door. “Oh my God.” She covered her mouth. “What happened to you?” His royal-blue shirt was splattered with blood, and he had a white gauze bandage on the right side of his forehead.
“I crashed my car.” He held up a hand when she moved closer. “I’m fine. Just a few stitches.” He stepped around her and crossed to the stairs.
“Joseph. What—”
“I don’t want to talk right now,” he interrupted. “I’ve been up all night. They made me stay for observations, so I didn’t get any sleep.”
Lia followed him up the stairs and to his bedroom and watched as he stripped down to his briefs, pulled back the comforter and lowered himself onto the bed. He lay back on the pillow and closed his eyes.
“You have to tell me what happened. I was sick with worry. I think I deserve an explanation. You left me there at the restaurant, Joseph.”
“Lia, please. Not now.”
“But I want to understand. I want to help.”
“You can help by letting me sleep. I’m tired. I’ll explain everything after I sleep.”
She wanted to press her point, but he looked pale and exhausted, so instead she turned towards the door. “Alright.”
“Lia?” His voice had her stopping in the doorway and turning back to him. “Don’t leave.”
“I’m not going to. I was going to—”
“Come lie with me.”
She crossed to the bed and slowly removed her clothes before slipping beneath the cool sheets beside him. As she lay back against the pillows, he took her hand. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She wanted to say so much more, but instead she curled against him and closed her eyes.
When Joseph awoke, he was alone in the bed. He touched the gauze bandage and grimaced. He began to sit up, but almost instantly lay back down. “Lia,” he called out, his voice hoarse.
Within seconds, the bathroom door opened and Lia was at his side. “How are you feeling?”
“Lousy. I think my migraine’s coming back. They gave me some pills at the hospital last night. Would you look in my jacket?”
Less than a minute later she was handing him a pill and glass of water. “Do you need anything else? Something to eat?” She gently pushed his hair back, her eyes moving over the bandage on his forehead.
“No, I need the pills to kick in.” He groaned. “Please close the blinds. I can’t take the light.”
It took her a minute, but she figured out which button brought down a darkening shade, which bathed the room in complete darkness. She was slowly making her way towards the door when Joseph’s voice came from the bed. “Will you lie with me?”
“Of course. Do you want me to rub your back or something?” She slipped beneath the covers and moved her hand over his chest.
“No, just lie with me.”
Lia was completely disoriented when she awoke several hours later. It was so dark, and yet she felt rested. Then she remembered the shades. She felt around for her cell phone and a moment later was squinting at the display. It was after 4:00 p.m. She’d basically slept the day away. Her eyes traveled to Joseph, who was stirring beside her, and quickly darkened her phone, hoping it hadn’t disturbed him.
“What time is it?” His voice was deep with sleep.
“A little after four. How are you feeling?”
“Better. I’m sorry. God, I’m sorry.” He began to sit up, but fell back with a slight moan.
“Still hurts?”
“Yes, but it’s different. It could be my forehead or the lack of coffee. It’s pounding.”
“I could make you some coffee.”
“Yes.” He sighed. “But after last night, I don’t deserve this.”
“Shh.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek. “I love you. I’ll be right back.”
“Oh God, my car,” he said. “I need to call my insurance company and I need to call my dealer. I need to order another one.”
“Joseph, no.” Lia put her hand on his shoulder when he moved to sit up. “Let me get the coffee and then we can deal with the car.”
He didn’t argue as he lay back on the bed. “Would you bring me some crackers or something?”
“Yes. I’ll be right back. Do you mind if I turn on the light? I can’t see a thing.”
A half hour later, after drinking a cup of coffee and eating two biscotti biscuits, Joseph began to get up.
“What are you doing?”
“I need to get my insurance information from the study so I can let them know about the accident. And I need to order another car.”
“No, you stay here. You’re still pale. I’ll get it for you.”
Joseph hesitated, but then lay back down. “There’s a hidden wall in my study. When you walk, in it’s the wall to the left. There’s a floorboard that comes up—it’s the one in the far corner of the room, farthest from the door. Lift it and you’ll see a place for a key. Put the key in and turn it to the right. The wall will open and you’ll see my file cabinets. Then look under I for insurance and then A for auto. Then find the folder for the Mercedes S63.”
“Where’s the key?”
“In my jacket beside my car key.”
“Do you need anything else? More coffee?”
“Coffee would be great.” He closed his eyes.
“I’ll be right back.” She kissed him lightly on the lips before leaving the room.
She quickly located the hidden wall and stood back in amazement as the wall disappeared into the ceiling, revealing a space deep enough to contain Joseph’s massive collection of files, which seemed better suited for a company than a home. There were hundreds—no, thousands—of files housed in twelve connected maple cabinets lining the entire wall of his study. Most of the files seemed to be companies, but his personal information also appeared to be confined within the cabinet drawers. She noticed a Harvard file and peeked in to see three years of law school transcripts. The insurance section had files titled health, life, homeowners, liability, accident and automobile. The car section included only the Mercedes and his Land Rover, which was an indication he didn’t hold on to outdated information.
When she opened the file labeled Mercedes, her mouth fell open. He’d paid one hundred sixty-four thousand dollars for his car, and there was no lien holder. She knew the car was expensive, but thought “expensive” was more like sixty thousand dollars and included a loan with a hefty monthly payment.
“I have the file,” she said as she entered Joseph’s bedroom.
“Would you call the number for the dealer and give me the phone?”
“Why the dealer? Do you think it’s totaled?”
“I have no idea, but I don’t want it anymore.”
She laughed. “It’s practically brand new. I’m sure your insurance will pay to fix it.”
“I’m sure they will, and then it will be sold. I’m not driving a repaired car.”
“But it’s so expensive.”
He was lying on his back with his head on his pillow, watching her. “I know exactly how much I paid for the car, and when you dial the number for me, I’m going to order a new one. Okay?” His eyes widened.
“Fine.” She quickly dialed the number into her cell phone before handing it to him. “I really think this is extravagant.”
“Noted.” He met her eyes as he brought the phone to his ear. “Do you mind bringing me a cup of coffee?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She left the room and when she returned a few minutes later with a hot cup of coffee he was off the phone.
“Thank you.” He was almost in a sitting position, lounging back against a stack of pillows, his chest bare, the comforter falling at his waist. He was still a little pale, but not nearly as much as earlier.
“Doesn’t your car have airbags? I can’t understand how you hit your head.”
“I wasn’t wearing my seat belt. I hit a light pole. The air bags probably saved my life.”
“Oh my God.” Lia covered her mouth, feeling sick inside. He could have been killed. “What happened? I’m so confused.” She lowered herself onto the edge of the bed beside him. “You left me at a restaurant.”
He closed his eyes as if in pain, and then he was opening them, his gaze meeting hers. “I’m ashamed of my behavior last night. There is no excuse for what I did.”
“I need to understand what happened.”
“This isn’t something I ever talk about.”
“Tony seemed to know.”
“He’s the exception. I told him back in law school.”
“And now you need to tell me. I’m going to be your wife. We shouldn’t have secrets. Did it have something to do with that congressman?”
He sighed. “Indirectly. The woman he referred to as his fiancée. She’s my biological half-sister.”
“Your half-sister,” Lia repeated, a little confused because he’d already told her he was an only child. “But not from your mother.”
“No, from my father. And that’s what caused me to lose control last night. I found out he was there in the restaurant.”
“Your father was at the restaurant last night with the congressman?”
“Right.”
“But I thought you told me you didn’t know your father—that your parents never married.”
“I don’t know my father. I mean, I know he’s Richard Eastman, but I’ve never met him, and last night when it seemed like I was going to for the first time, I couldn’t.”
“I don’t understand. Does he know you’re his son?” His father’s name sounded familiar, but she wasn’t sure why.
“He knows.” He dropped his hand, his eyes once again meeting hers. “He’s always known.” For the second time in his life, he explained how he came to be. How his father had wanted his mother to abort him. How he’d grown up around money, but never had any of his own.
“That must have been hard,” Lia said when he finished.
“It was hell. And he left us there. The son of a bitch was worth hundreds of millions and he let my mother continue to work as a maid.” His lips turned up in disgust. “Even if he didn’t care about her, even if she’d just been an easy lay, how could he let his blood be raised in a tiny two-bedroom house knowing I was going to school with people worth millions and knowing how different that would make me? Their fathers were presidents of banks and CEOs of Fortune Five Hundred companies, and I was the illegitimate son of a servant!”
“Joseph,” Lia began, laying her hand on his chest, “calm down. You’re going to give yourself another headache. He’s a bad person, I agree. But he should be nothing to you. You’re a successful attorney. You’re a great person. Who cares about him?”
“I do.” The normal warmth was gone from his expression. “I want to look him in the eyes and have him explain to me how a father could abandon his only son. I want to look him in the eyes when he answers that question.”
“Why didn’t you confront him last night?”
“Because I’m not ready yet. When I’m ready, I’ll call him on the phone and make an appointment.”
“You were fourteen when you discovered his identity. When will you be ready?”
“Soon,” he answered. “As soon as I make the Forbes list of wealthiest Americans.”
“The Forbes list?” She realized why she recognized his father’s name. “He runs a brokerage house in New York City. He’s always referred to as ‘the Genius of Wall Street.’”
“Wizard of Wall Street,” Joseph corrected. “But he’s never made the list. I’m going to.”
Her eyes opened wider, having a hard time comprehending what he was telling her. He intended to be on the Forbes list of richest Americans. “Joseph—”
“I’m worth over eight hundred million dollars,” he said, stunning her. “I’m going to make it.”
Lia stared at him, unable to believe what he was saying. He was worth over eight hundred million. She realized he was successful, even figured he made over a million dollars a year, but this—this was mind-numbing. She didn’t know if she could look at him the same again.
“Say something.”
“I’m speechless.” She looked into his eyes, eyes that were familiar and yet suddenly not. “How did you get so much money? Did that man, Theodore Williams—did he leave you his money?”
“No. I made it myself. I started investing in stocks when I was an undergrad at Yale. I put everything I made into it. I took risks. When I graduated from law school, I had close to three million.”
“How did you know what to do?” While other kids were experimenting and living it up, he was amassing a fortune.
“Williams taught me a tremendous amount, and I studied on my own. It wasn’t hard, and there was luck involved. It was the right time to be in the market. I was basically a day trader.”
“Luck?” She laughed. “Luck doesn’t make you three million dollars.”
“It helps.” He pushed back the sheets and began to get up. “I’m going to put on some clothes.”
She watched him walk off towards his closet, her mind still in a haze. He didn’t live like he had that kind of money. He didn’t have a driver or a chef or a mansion in the suburbs, or vacation homes all over the world. He drove an expensive car and wore three-thousand-dollar suits, but so did many lawyers in DC. She was still on the edge of the bed when he emerged from the closet dressed in dark cotton lounge pants and a long-sleeved black T-shirt.
“How did you go from three million to eight hundred million?”
“Investments. I’m still in the market, but I made the bulk of my money through my Angel investments.”
“Angel?”
“Entrepreneurs who need cash come to me with business ideas or existing businesses. I invest in them and, in return, get a significant stake in the company. I’m a silent partner.”
“Like with Nick?”
“Kind of.” He sat on the edge of the bed beside her. “I own a little less than half his company, but funding him was a favor. My other investments have been in the high-tech industry.”
“So, what now?”
“I make more as quickly as possible. My father announced his retirement last year. I read it in a magazine and was afraid he had something terminal, but I was wrong. But I still need to work harder. If he dies before I meet him, it would all be for nothing.”
“You’re serious? Your whole motivation for accruing this wealth is so you can meet your father?”
“It’s a little more complicated than that. When I meet him, I want him to have no misconceptions that I’m after his money. I want him to know, to see I don’t need anything from him, that I’m much more than him.”
“But you don’t know him. Why do you care what he thinks about you?”
“I don’t care what he thinks about me. I don’t care about him. But when we meet, I want him to know what he lost.”
She watched him, trying to understand. “And then what? What happens after you’ve made the list and met him? Do you stop working, or—”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I’ve never thought past that day. I suppose that’s a decision we can make together.”
“I don’t understand how you could let someone you’ve never even met control your life.”
“Control my life? What are you talking about?”
“Don’t get mad at me,” she said, taking one of his hands. “I’m trying to understand.”
“Trying to understand what?”
“You’re thirty-four years old and you’ve accrued a large fortune. And you’re telling me your entire motivation for accruing this money was so a man you’ve never met won’t think you’re a gold digger.”
“You don’t understand.” He pulled his hand from her and walked off towards the bathroom.
“That’s right,” Lia agreed, following. “And I’m trying to. Please explain it to me so I understand.”
“Did you listen to me when I described my childhood?” he asked, turning back to her before entering the bathroom. “Can you even begin to understand how it felt to live among those people, knowing I was his bastard? You can’t—you can’t possibly, or you’d understand everything I’m doing. I despise him with every inch of my being and I think about it every day. Every day I think about how much I despise him, and one day I’m going to look him in the eyes and tell him that to his face. Then I’ll be free.” He went into the bathroom
“But you’re free now,” Lia said, following. “You’ve chosen to let this hate you have for your father control your entire life.”
“That’s preposterous. He has nothing to do with my life.”
“It certainly didn’t seem that way last night. You got yourself so upset you got a migraine and left me in that restaurant. And if what you’re saying is true—if your sole motivation for making that money was to make some silly list—then you’ve given him your freedom.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about, no idea what it feels like to be me.” He walked into the separate toilet area and closed the door.
“I do know,” Lia said, raising her voice. “My father rejected me too. Remember? Except my father knew me when I was rejected. Your father was rejecting your mother. He’s never even known you.”
“You can’t compare these situations. Our lives were completely different. Your father wasn’t worth millions of dollars.” He yanked open the door and stepped around her.
“Joseph?” Lia followed him back into the bedroom. “Money has nothing to do with this. My brother let the rejection rule his life too. His whole mission in life has been to establish a relationship with my father.”
“Money has everything to do with this.” He picked up his coffee mug and headed towards the door. “Money rules the world.”
“Only if we let it.”
He turned back to her, meeting her eyes. “So my announcement that I’m worth eight hundred million had no effect on you? It didn’t make you think any differently of me?”
“It didn’t change how much I love you.”
“It certainly wouldn’t lessen it.”
Heat came to her cheeks. “That isn’t fair.”
“It changed the way you look at me, didn’t it? You have a little more respect for me than you did earlier today.”
“That’s not true! I’ve never cared about money.”
He smiled slightly. “You’re lying. When I told you, I saw your eyes. They were impressed, just like Eastman’s will be, and everyone that’s ever known me.”
“And that’s what’s going to make you happy? Knowing that everyone is impressed with how much money you have?”
Joseph gave an exaggerated nod. “Yes, that and imagining how Eastman will feel when he realizes that I have more money than he does.”
“So, let me get this straight,” Lia said. “If your father was only worth fifty million, you would have met him by now?”
“I suppose so.”
“Your whole life goal is to have more money than your father, a person you don’t even know? You care so much what this stranger thinks about you.”
“Forget it.” He turned and headed out of the room. “You don’t understand.”
“You’re right. I don’t understand,” she said moments later as she joined him in the kitchen.
“That’s okay.” He leaned back against the counter, bringing his coffee mug up to his lips. “It has nothing to do with you anyway, but you’re going to be my wife and I wanted you to know the truth.”
“It bothers me though, that you’re motivated by hate. That can’t be healthy.”
“I haven’t hurt anyone. And our children are never going to have to deal with the prejudices I had to deal with. No one will ever look down their nose at a Craig. They’ll have respect from the moment they take their first breath.”
“What I hope is that they respect themselves and other people.” She was still having a problem wrapping her head around what he was saying.
“Come here.” He set down his coffee mug and pulled Lia into his arms. “They will. They’ll take after their mother.”
She turned her face into his warm neck, taking comfort in his familiar smell. He was still her Joseph. He was different and yet he was exactly the same, and suddenly the conversation they’d shared wasn’t nearly as important. This was the man she loved, the one she was going to share her life with. “I love you.”
“I love you too, and this Eastman thing…It’s something I have to do. It’s separate, completely separate from us.”
“Okay.” She nodded, hating his obsession, but knowing it wasn’t something she could undo.
“We need to set a wedding date. I want to marry you.” His lips lowered to hers, and the coffee, Richard Eastman, even the money was momentarily forgotten.