Page 7 of The Unwanted Wife

Knox groans. "What have you done, old man?"

G-Pa holds up his hands. "Can’t this old man be happy that his grandsons seem to be getting along?"

"Seem, being the operative word," I mutter.

Ryot frowns in the direction of the senior citizen. Not that it has any effect on Gramps. He bounds over to the table with the energy of someone half his age and drops into the chair between Knox and me. "Seems you won this round, my boy." He slaps me on my shoulder.

I wince. Gramps might be closing in on eighty-two, but he’s strong enough for me to feel the weight of his muscles behind that tap.

"No seems about that." I rise to my feet. “So long, farewell, and all that.”

"What, you’re not giving us a chance to win back our money?" Knox growls.

I slide my cigar to the other side of my mouth. "Gotta quit when you’re ahead; that’s the first rule of gambling."

"But you’d gamble your life on a marriage of convenience?" Knox tilts his head. His eyes flash. I know he’s trying to bait me, and I don’t want to give him that satisfaction, but I can’t stop myself from narrowing my gaze on him. "What I do with my life is my choice."

"Not when it affects the rest of us," he shoots back.

"It’s true." Gramps bites off the edge of his cigar then reaches for a light.

"You’re agreeing with him?"

"I am. What you do sets the precedent for your brothers to follow."

"Half-brothers." I tip up my chin. "And I’m not the first. Edward agreed to an arranged marriage?—"

"And he’s very happy," G-Pa says without any trace of smugness. For which I should, perhaps, be grateful. But I don’t trust the guy. He’s pretending to be uninvolved in his approach, but he knows he’s steering us all on this road to marrying and settling down. A part of me resents being led in that direction. And yet, I can’t help but feel admiration for his single-mindedness in having us commit ourselves.

"He might be; doesn’t mean that route is the right one for the rest of us."

"Doesn’t mean it’s not." He blows out a puff of smoke. "All I can do is try to guide my family to find happiness."

"The way you and Greta were happy?" Knox snorts.

G-Pa lowers his cigar. "I admit, there were secrets between us. Which was my fault. I should have been more available for my sons. I should have been more open to having a conversation with my wife. I will forever regret that my oldest did not feel confident enough to approach me about having made his girlfriend pregnant or walking away from the woman who was probably the love of his life." The latter… He’s referring to Edward’s mother.

"Not to mention, staying married, out of duty, to our mother, and being absent as a father to the rest of us,” Ryot signs.

He’s a man of few words, and of late, he’s taken to signing instead of speaking. And even that is rare, so when he does sign, everyone listens. Even Tiny stops panting as the attention of the table focuses on him. Good thing, I think, I’d picked up the rudiments of sign language while coaching football for special needs children.

"It’s admirable you’re repentant about your past mistakes, but it hardly makes us confident about your approach to getting us hitched." Ryot’s gaze narrows.

G-Pa places his cigar on the notch in the ashtray. The smoke trails into the air. His movements are careful, considered, and when he finally looks up at Ryot, his eyes are conflicted. The old man’s a heartless old coot who’d do anything to ensure his company is profitable. But he’s made a special attempt to study sign language so he can converse with Ryot. Likely, so he can implement whatever machinations he has in mind. I’m not ready to give my grandfather the benefit of doubt... yet.

"I’m aware of my shortcomings. I’m aware of the mistakes I made with my sons, which is why"—he looks around the table—"I’m determined to set things right. I’m determined that my grandsons will not face the challenges I or my older two sons did. I am determined all of you and your uncle, my youngest son, will find true love and happiness. The kind I had with Greta but did not cherish. It’s when you have something and then lose it that you realize its importance. For you young people, life is about power and success and that malarkey?—"

Knox sneers, but Arthur ignores him.

"—when really, it’s about family, and relationships, and having those who care for you and those you care for around. When it’s about finding the love of the right woman and having your own family to nurture and cherish. To see yourself in the faces of your children as they grow, in the happiness of your other half, without whom your life will be incomplete."

"You realize, we may not share the same sentiments?" I crack my neck.

"And you realize, the only way you can become the CEO is by getting married?" Once more, there’s no smugness or sense of triumph in Arthur’s voice. But damn, if the old man isn’t using his condition as a way to get what he wants.

Sinclair looks between us. "Uh, perhaps it’s time I left?"

"Stay," I say at the same time as Arthur.

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