“The hell I will.”
I shrug. “You can try,” I say. “But I've got some of the best lawyers in the city on retainer. And don't forget the influence my family's name has in San Antonio. So, feel free to do what you have to do, Angie. But you will lose big and the only thing you'd accomplish is wasting a lot of money.”
“You can't keep me from my son.”
I shrug. “I don't need to do much,” I say. “You've kept yourself away for four years. Are we done here?”
She doesn't say anything else, so I get to my feet. Angie jumps up and before I can react, throws her arms around my neck and plants a kiss on me. I'm so stunned that all I can do is stand there with her attached to my face for a minute before I come back to my senses and push her away.
“What the hell, Angie?” I snap.
“I'm sorry, I –”
I turn and storm off, walking back to the car. Derek is holding the door open for me and I jump in quickly. As he closes the door and the gloomy interior envelops me, lean back in the plush seat. My mind is spinning in a million different directions with a million different questions.
But I need to put it all out of my head. Tonight is an important night and I don't want any of this garbage floating around.
“Where to, sir?” Derek asks.
“Home,” I say. “Home. This has been one of the weirdest days ever.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
I walk in the door to find the house silent. But at least here, I feel grounded. Centered. I feel like this is the one place in all the world that makes sense right now.
“I wasn't expecting you home so early, Brady.”
“Things are a little too weird out there today,” I say. “I needed to come home for a little sanity.”
I smile at Miss Delia. She's got an apron on and judging by the aroma in the air, she's baking pies. I inhale deeply.
“Cherry?”
“And apple,” she says. “It's Nicholas' favorite.”
“Nicholas at his lessons?”
“I drove him over,” she says and glances at her watch. “I need to go pick him up in an hour or so.”
I nod. “Is Amanda here?”
“She is,” she says. “She's out by the pool, I believe.”
“Great. Thank you.”
“I really like her, Brady,” she says. “Smart as a whip and I can tell she doesn't put up with your guff.”
I laugh. “No, that she doesn't.”
“I think you did well with her.”
I give her a nod and a small smile. If only Miss Delia knew how Amanda came to be in my life, she might not be praising me so much. In fact, knowing her, she'd probably be slapping me upside the head.
“I think I got lucky,” I say.
I turn and walk out to the backyard, making my way around to the pool. And sure enough, she was stretched out on one of the padded loungers reading a book. She looks up at me and smiles, putting her book down.
“Well hey there,” she says.
“Hey yourself, darlin'.”
“You know, a girl can get used to this life of leisure.”
I lean down and give her a quick kiss. “I certainly hope you do.”
“How was your meeting?”
I sit down on the lounger next to her and shake my head. “Today has been one of the strangest days I can ever remember having.”
She cocks her head and looks at me. “What happened?”
I tell her all about the meeting with Tiffany, give her some of the background details so that she has some idea of what I'm talking about. I don't tell her about running into Angie though. I don't know why, but for some reason, it still feels a little too raw for me. And aside from that, the last thing I want is for Amanda to feel threatened by Nicholas' mom rolling into town.
Knowing her like I do, this is a momentary flight of fancy and I don't want to stress Amanda out with it. Angie is flakier than a biscuit and I doubt this is going to be an ongoing thing with her. She'll probably blow out of town again soon enough and never give us a second thought again. That's just how Angie is – flighty.
“So, you think she's up to something? Tiffany?”
I nod. “It smells like it to me,” I say. “It could just be though, that she's feelin' around, seeing whether or not we're serious.”
“Why would that matter?”
“Because if I don't meet my obligation to the estate, ownership of the Keating empire transfers to her,” I say. “And both Kendrick and Thomas have it on good authority that she's going to break it all up and sell it all off piece by piece the minute she assumes control.”
“Wow. This woman sounds like a total bitch,” I say. “I'm sorry, Brady.”
I shrug. “What are you gonna do?” I say. “Know what we need?”
“Tell me.”
“We need a little fun,” I say.
She gives me a flirty little smile. “Now?”
“You are incorrigible, darlin',” I say. “Don't ever change that. But I'm thinkin' we should go out tonight.”
“Photo op night, huh?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No, nothing like that. Just you and me. A nice dinner, a few drinks, and a quiet evening just celebrating us.”
“I'd like that.”
“Great,” I smile. “Pick you up in the foyer around seven?”
She smacks me playfully in the arm. “I'll be there with bells on.”
ooo000ooo
When she descends the stairs wearing a black satin sleeveless dress with the plunging neckline that displays her ample cleavage and hugs her beautiful curves everywhere else, I feel like I got kicked by a mule and had the wind knocked out of me.
“My God,” I say when she steps up next to me. “You are breathtaking, darlin'.”
She blushes and looks away, but gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “Thank you,” she murmurs.
Nicholas is standing with Miss Delia, smiling wide. “Bye Daddy.”
“We'll see you later, champ,” I say. “Be good for Miss Delia.”
“I will.”
Miss Delia gives me a smile and a wink as I turn and escort Amanda out the door and usher her to the waiting car. Derek holds the door open and we slide into the back. It's dimly lit, but I can see her smiling wide.
“What are the smiles all about?” I ask.
“I just feel so – fancy,” she says. “Elegant. All of this still feels like a fairy tale or a dream and I'm just waiting to wake up from it.”
I give her hand a squeeze and a soft, chaste kiss on the cheek. “I know exactly how you feel,” I say. “But no, this is no fairy tale. This is our life, darlin'.”
We dine at a restaurant called Malvoy's – one of the swankiest and trendiest places on the Riverwalk. There is a constant flutter in my stomach the entire evening and I have trouble even making halfway decent conversation. I feel like a blithering idiot, truth be told.
“You okay?” Amanda finally asks after the waitress clears our plates.
“Yeah, fine,” I say. “Sorry, darlin'. I'm just a little distracted, I guess.”
She shrugs. “I guess that's to be expected.”
“I suppose so.”
The waitress comes back and gives us a smile. “Dessert?”
“Y – yeah,” I say. “Absolutely. Why don't you bring us a couple of those lava cakes you guys make? And maybe some port wine?”
“Coming right up.”
I look over at Amanda who's looking back at me with an amused grin. And then it hits me.
“I'm sorry,” I say. “I did it again, didn't I?”
She nods. “I'm getting used to you ordering everything for me,” she says. “Although, once in a while, I'd like to make some decisions for myself.”
I nod and feel the nervous flutter in my stomach grow exponentially. Without realizing it, she just gave me the perfect opening. The opening I'd been waiting for. I give her what I'm sure is an awkward smile and stand up.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
I don't say a word, but get down on my knee next to her seat. She looks at me with curious, but wide eyes. I can feel the eyes of everybody in the restaurant turning to us and although Amanda's face is bright red, I ignore it.