“Listen,” Bridger says, his voice coming through the speakerphone in that slightly tinny way, “mind if I give it to Jenna to look at? She’s good and it will be a professional eye on it.”
Jenna’s a former college classmate of Woolf and Bridger’s who went on to law school, and she’s also Bridger’s attorney for the business. She plays at The Silo too—quite well I know from personal experience—and if Bridger trusts her to review it, then so do I.
I look at Cat and give a nod, telling Bridger, “Yeah, that’s fine. Cat’s going to go ahead and reach out to Kevin to ask for a signed copy of the will that supposedly cuts her out.”
“Sure that’s a good play?” Bridger asks.
“I have to,” Cat pipes up, and I give her a smile. “I need to move this forward.”
“Hi Cat,” Bridger says, his voice softening. He always had a soft spot for her and I wonder if he’s fucked her. I’ve never seen him do so and he rarely participates at The Silo. But still, plenty of times Cat and Bridger were there and I wasn’t, so it’s conceivable.
“Hi, Bridger,” she says back, smiling at me. “And thank you for helping.”
“My pleasure, darling. Now I’ve got to get to work.”
We disconnect. Cat pushes off from the counter and moves past me to get out of the bathroom. She does this with a hand coming to my waist where it rests softly for a brief moment, and I like to imagine that she did it for no other reason than she wanted to touch me.
I follow her out, through the living room and to the kitchen where she pulls her phone out of her purse.
“I’m calling Kevin right now.”
I wordlessly come to stand beside her, my hand going automatically to her lower back where I rest it lightly. A sign of support. A way to give her strength.
She taps her finger on the screen, pulls up Kevin’s number and poises her finger above it. “I’ve got both Kevin and Richard’s contact information in case something happened to their father.”
I nod because I can’t imagine any other reason she’d have to call them, but I see her eyes filled with unease. It hits me all of a sudden why she would even bother to tell me that.
My hand covers hers, and I pull it back from the phone slightly. “Cat,” I say, my tone soft but censuring. “I’d never think you’d do that.”
Call up one of those brothers.
Sons to your husband.
Because you wanted to fuck them.
She gives me somewhat of an apologetic grimace. “I just… you don’t know me, Rand, and I didn’t want you to ever think there was anything—”
“Just stop,” I say roughly as I squeeze her hand in mine. “I do know you, Cat. Now make the damn call.”
She studies me for a moment, and I stare back at her. She finally gives me a nod and pulls her hand free so she can tap on Kevin’s name. She hits the speakerphone button, affording me the same courtesy I just gave her during my call to Bridger.
It makes me feel like we’re a team.
Unit.
Couple.
Really, Rand? You’re letting your head go there?
The phone rings twice and then Kevin is answering. I expected his voice to be higher, maybe even effeminate, because I can’t help but view him as a little * for fucking his father’s wife. I expect he’s ugly, small, and weasely.
Instead, his voice is vibrantly deep, and I know in an instant that he’s none of the things I expected.
“Catherine,” he says smoothly, as if he’d just greased his throat with melted butter. “I thought you’d be calling me. Please tell me you’ve reconsidered my offer to stay here in Jackson.”
Both of our gazes rise from the phone to focus on each other. Cat rolls her eyes in exaggerated fashion, and I grin at her.
“Kevin,” Cat says in her most regal, sophisticated voice. I expect she learned to talk this way being married to Samuel and running in wealthy circles. “I want a copy of the will you claim has cut me out of my inheritance as your father’s wife.”
“So you’re not considering my offer?” he asks, sounding almost hurt.
“Kevin,” Cat snaps to focus him. “I want a copy of the signed will and I want it immediately. When can you get it to me?”
“Sorry, love,” he says, and I can hear the smirk through the phone. I hope I get to wipe it off him one day. “But it’s in my father’s home office in Vegas and of course, I’m here in Jackson. Once I return, I’ll be glad to get you a copy.”
“Wrong, Kevin,” Cat sneers at the phone, and I can actually feel the rage vibrating off her. “I was in Vegas this weekend. In my home… your dad’s office… and the will you purport he signed isn’t there.”