Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77611 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77611 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
That doesn’t mean I can’t imagine how shitty that entire situation might be.
“It must have been hard for both of you. Him finding out like that.”
His brown eyes flash. “Neither one of us was thrilled. But at his husband’s suggestion, I agreed to spend some time in the city, getting to know him. So far it hasn’t gone well. Still, when Seamus and the children asked me to come here and try one last time before I left, I agreed to that too.”
Before he left. And here, but not at the lodge. “Wow, Michael. You were giving off some mysterious vibes, but I had no idea they were about will readings and secret brothers. Just wow.” My eyes widen. “The kids. That’s who you forgot to do Christmas shopping for.”
It would have been his first time shopping for the four kids Bellamy adopted as his own after marrying Seamus.
He grins ruefully. “I can’t believe you remember that.”
I tap my temple. “I’m a teacher. I collect details to use as leverage when my kids start acting out.”
“Clever. And I’m not the only mysterious one. Do you want to tell me about your spying now? Before you mentioned the band, you said that’s why you were here.”
I could say no. Tell him I was loopy from the cold and didn’t know what I was saying. But it wouldn’t feel right after his truth bomb. “It’s not much of a secret either, and nothing compared to what you just told me. Silly, when you think about it.”
“Indulge me.”
“Fine. Bex was suspicious when the band I sang with the night we met—the one I turned down—called me out of the blue and begged me to do this one job with them. They offered me my own suite for the weekend, with two adjoining rooms and all the spa amenities, along with a nice fee for a one-night performance. No bar band, even if they’re working all the time, can afford that kind of generosity. I knew it, and they basically admitted it to me. That I was a special request.”
“That does sound suspect.”
I agree. “Bex did some digging and found out it was a Finn family gathering, that Kate and Tanaka, both of whom have a very personal stake in getting her to talk to them again, were going to be here. She’s been avoiding them since that night. She figured they knew I was spending all my time with her, and they thought she’d come as my plus one and be—”
“Trapped,” Michael finishes for me. “Or at least, inconvenienced enough for her to give him—or them—a chance to apologize face to face.” He nods his head slowly. “It sounds like something he would try, especially if all regular channels were closed. He’s not a fan of the word no.”
“Exactly what Bex thought. I was going to turn it down, but she asked me to come here and tell her everything that was happening instead. I don’t know what she was expecting. No one spilled any secrets she’d be interested in. At least, not around me.” My smile is wry. “I admit to liking gossip, but I’m no Nancy Drew. Still, I can do anything for a weekend if it will make her feel better.”
“You’re a good friend.” Michael licks his lips. “Win, what happened that night was—”
“Unacceptable,” I interrupt grimly. “And avoidable. Believe me, I’ve told her exactly that, multiple times.”
“You don’t blame the attackers? Her boss?”
“I have plenty of blame to go around. But she didn’t just volunteer for the job, Michael. It was her idea. She was pushing to get off the computer and out from behind the concierge desk. She wanted a dangerous assignment.”
“Why?”
“She’s got her wrong-headed reasons, but believe me, she’s also gotten a taste of my intervention wrath. I made slides and everything.” I snag another macaron. “Let’s talk about something that makes me feel less like kicking someone in the balls.”
His flinch is so small I would have missed it if I weren’t looking. “So, unemployed investigating researcher Michael Demir,” I say with a little grin. “You got the name but none of the cool toys or playboy lifestyle? Just a traveling cubicle? How did that happen?”
“That’s not a subtle subject change.”
“But you’ll tell me because you still owe me more back story after my overshare.”
He nods slowly. “Okay then. But I should start at the beginning. Mom spent a summer in Paris after high school to immerse herself in art. My father—who she later learned was married at the time, though not to Bellamy’s mother—swept her off her feet for a few weeks, and then he moved on and she went home. When she found out about me, she let him know. Not because she wanted anything from him, but because she thought it was the right thing to do. He was already divorced and dating yet another runway model, but he didn’t deny it or send his lawyers after her. Just set up an extremely generous account for my upkeep, requesting I keep his name and that he be given a say in my education. There was some paperwork involved, and she signed it.” His eyes narrowed on mine. “I never blamed her. The ranch has been in our family for generations, and they were barely scraping by before I came. She didn’t want me to grow up struggling.”