Page 11 of The Bourbon Bride

“Why, thank you, Mama. That is very kind of you to say.”

I take a bite of my lettuce and mock them in my brain.

“What kind of law will you practice, Garrison?” Daddy asks, trying very hard to be a part of the conversation.

“Dupree, Athena, and Fisk mainly practice contract law, but we also have some mergers and acquisitions work for local companies. I’d say that puts me in quite the position to know what’s happening and have a say in it.”

You have got to be kidding me. Garrison practices contract law? There’s not much he’s changing other than legal jargon in business documents, let alone the world.

“Paige, what are your plans now that the season is over?” Mrs. Daniels asks.

“I—“

“She’ll be preparing for her future,” Mama chimes in.

I give her a discreet look of annoyance, wondering why she won’t let me answer for myself. She ignores me.

“We’re very proud of her for finishing college and making the deb circuit. It’s time she took her rightful place working at The Mansion and standing beside the lucky man who’ll be her husband.”

My fork falls from my hand and clatters against the china plate. “Excuse me?” My voice just hit an octave I didn’t know I was capable of, the sound bouncing off the high ceiling of the formal dining room. The entire table turns to look at me, probably seeing the shock on my face.

Husband?Who on earth could she imagine I’m dating to assume I’ll be getting married anytime soon?

“Please use your indoor voice, Paige,” Mama chastises, and I feel like a child bride she’s grooming to be a subservient wife rather than a future business mogul.

“What’s this talk about a husband?” I ask at a much more reasonable volume.

“You and me, sugar, we’re gonna make some beautiful babies.”

My head whips around to stare at Garrison, my jaw going unhinged as I feel positively gobsmacked at his insinuation.

“Don’t you worry about the babies’ names. Of course, they’ll take the hyphenated Fairchild-Daniels name so the Fairchild legacy lives on.” He leans back and crosses his arms over his chest with a self-satisfied look on his face.

Oh, no. No, no, no. I can’t process his words. It sounds like he’s making jokes at my expense, but no one is laughing or countering his lies. I look around the table as blood rushes in my ears. The expressions that look back at me are sanguine. Unconcerned.Decided.

My future has been decided for me.

How long have I been the only one in the dark? Is this why he came back to Savannah?

“Daddy?” I implore him as he dabs his mouth with a linen napkin. “Do you have any idea what he’s talking about?”

“Your mama and I have given this plenty of thought and discussion. We wanted to introduce the idea to you tonight, though I had hoped to do it a little differently than Garrison chose to.” He casts a sidelong glance at the buffoon sending me a smug look from across the table. Garrison must be loving this turn of events that puts me at a disadvantage once again. He thrives on making others feel small. Helpless. Powerless.

“Sweet Paige, we figured out a way to combine assets from our companies without needing a formal merger,” Mr. Daniels says slowly as if I’m learning impaired. “The Xenios Group will invest in the Daniels manufacturing plants, and the raw crops from the Thackery Agriculture farms will move to a processed stage for more income streams. It’s a win-win for both our families.”

“Yes, I know how integration works. But why does it have to involve marriage?” I bite my lip to stop the flow of words about his son’s past actions. This is ridiculous. They’re insane if they think I will ever get on board with this. “You can combine assets all you want in business without me marrying Garrison. This isn’t how business mergers should happen,” I insist.

“For our family, it is. Marriages make stronger alliances than any business deal ever could,” Mama says, stopping me from protesting further. “The Daniels’s manufacturing endeavors will allow us to process our raw cotton into textiles, a more valuable commodity. You were just talking about vertical integration this afternoon, so you understand. Your father and I had the same choice when we were married. We chose to create a partnership through marriage that benefited our respective ventures.” Mama sips her wine like we’re having a friendly chat about the weather.

She’s so unbothered by the idea of turning her daughter into a business opportunity, I wonder if this has been her plan all along. It really shouldn’t surprise me; she’s always had one idea or another for what was best for me.

“Of course, we’ll allow you and Garrison plenty of time to court before the engagement. You can fall in love the way any young woman would want to. You’ll be just the tempering hand he needs in his life. It’s so perfect.”

I look over at Mrs. Daniels as she finishes speaking. The idyllic smile on her face says she’s only seeing the fairytale side of the story she’s created in her head. Does she not know her son is a monster, and I would rather drink hot lava than marry him?

“I plan to make you fall head over heels for me. You’ll see. I can make your dreams come true,” Garrison says, extending his hand, palm up, for me to place mine in it.

I pull back like he’s a venomous snake. I want nothing to do with him in reptilian or human form. “That sounds more like a nightmare. I can assure you my dreams don’t include you in any way, shape, or form.”

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