Page 38 of Played

“But you’ve never even met her, Laney. Isn’t that weird?”

She guffaws. “From the list our families have compiled, I’d bet on knowing half of them well, but I’ll admit to not knowing some of those names. Weddings serve many purposes, Ethan. And as long as Caleb and I are married, and everyone is happy and safe, I don’t care if they invite a herd of cows.”

“But I thought you wanted a small, quiet wedding.”

“I did. But the quieter it is, the more it’ll be an invitation for trouble, Ethan. Not to mention, if our wedding is plastered all over magazines, there will be no question with the adoption. I need Peg to be safe, and I’ll do anything to get her there. If it means having top CEOs and royalty there, then so be it. Caleb and I can have a quiet honeymoon if we wish.”

“I’d feel a lot better if you guys waited until they caught all the assholes responsible for Peg’s kidnapping.”

“That could take months, Ethan. Besides, with the wedding being at the Ford ranch, it’s safer than anywhere else at this point, and the bigger the better.”

I swallow, as Peg returns to the living room, ignoring us entirely, as she focuses on continuing the game.

“She thinks we’re nuts.” I add.

“Who? Peg?”

“Freya.”

“Because we’ve invited her, and we don’t know her?”

I look at her, deadpan. “Why do you think?”

Her mouth twists into a smile. “And how would you know that, Ethan?”

“She called to make sure that the invitation was legit.”

She lifts a brow. “That da of yours sure is slick.”

My phone and emails haven’t stopped all day. There was a dip in the stock market, and some of our clients are going insane. Our reps are going nuts with calls, but some are insisting on speaking with us personally, so my assistant is going out of her mind transferring calls to me. “Just relax, Mr. Watson. Your investments are long-term. As I explained when you first signed up with us, there will be dips in the market, but there will also be increases, too. Rest assured, we have the best finance team available in the country, and your funds are safe with us.” I think I’ve said about a hundred times today.

It's funny how the rich are so much more insecure about their money than the poorer ones are. The man with more than ten billion dollars invested with us calls twice as much as the man with just a few million. As I hang up to yet another hesitant client, da walks into my office. “I thought you were supposed to be heading to Scotland.” I say to him.

“Na, we’ve got too much to do for the wedding, and with the kidnapping and all, your mama and I have decided to stay put until everything is settled.”

“Aye.”

“Crazy day, huh, son?”

“Aye.” I repeat, resting my head on the back of my chair.

“We haven’t had a response from Freya Stewart. Have you had a word with her?”

“Briefly, about a week ago, why?”

“Well, what was that conversation about, Ethan? What did you say to her? It seems incredibly out of character for a woman that seems so gracious to not even respond to a wedding invitation.”

I chuckle softly, meaning to come out casual. “Are you suggesting I threatened her not to come, da?”

“No, not at all, Ethan. But if you spoke with her, and she hasn’t responded, what do you think that means?”

I shrug. “I don’t know, da. Maybe she doesn’t really want to come. Maybe she feels uncomfortable, seeing as she only knows me and Caleb, and with the history, it’s a little odd.”

Da pauses for emphasis, looking at me like he’s about to put me in my place, so I brace myself. “Then, son, it’s your job to make it not odd.” The way he says it is classic da ‘you better do what I tell you to do, or else’ talk. I can’t help but feel at an impasse. It still bothers me that Freya slept with both me and Caleb, and what we had is done and over with, yet da wants to get involved, and now he’s all but threatening me to make it right with her, yet part of me feels a sense of relief. Once a hard-nosed man about all things business, now da is using his own method of persuasion for matters of the heart. It’s a strange position to be in.

“Yes, da.” I nod, looking at the floor, as he walks out of the room.

And that’s when I do the thing I have to do in order to keep in the good graces of my family.

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