Page 30 of The Bride's Secret

She eyed him appreciatively but said only. “She’ll be right with you.”

A door opened and Miss Spagnoli stepped out in a black business suit, crisp white shirt, and bright red lipstick. Her heels clicked across the tile floor. “Wyatt. Good to see you again. Shall we meet in the conference room?”

He nodded. “Thank you for fitting me in.”

Not sure what he expected to find in her office building but large rock walls, water features and indoor palms were not it.

“This is incredible. What an office.”

She smiled. “We enjoy it, makes for a warm working atmosphere.”

“I can see that.” Already his mind was spinning about how he could get some more greenery in his office. The trickling sounds of water soothed him, and he felt more confident about this meeting. As soon as they sat at one end of the table in the conference room, Wyatt leaned forward. “Miss Spagnoli. I hope this becomes a story we can laugh about for many years.”

She raised both eyebrows. “I’ll be honest. So far, I’m not amused.”

He held up a hand. “And yet you agreed to see me. Thank you.”

Her slow nod told him his story had better be good.

“I’ll just get right to the point so I don’t waste your time. Carisa and I are not married, not engaged, and, her real fiancé just showed up this morning.”

“And yet you’ve been parading about as a couple. I don’t understand that.”

He told her the story, in order of events, from his moment of meeting her until his date with Miss Spagnoli. And when he finished she leaned back in her chair and studied him for a full minute before she said anything. “So, do you love her?”

He sputtered inside, but on the outside, swallowed, and said, “Pardon me?”

“Did you fall for her through all this?”

He toyed with a pen. “Well now I don’t know the answer to that question. I haven’t really felt like I was free to do so, if you know what I mean. She’s not my girl.”

Miss Spagnoli nodded. “Good answer.” She placed both hands on the table, and Wyatt thought she would stand and dismiss him, but she said, “To put your mind at ease, I’ll just tell you right away, we are still planning to sign our agreement with you.”

Wyatt breathed out. “I’m pleased to hear it. I think we would be an excellent partnership.” He lifted an eyebrow, “Not to mention I’ve already been planning epic trips to Hawaii over the course of the next six months.”

She smirked “But I do have some things to say about the matter of your personal life.”

“I’m all ears. I messed up. I know. But I’ll be honest. I’m not sure how I did so.”

She laughed. “You’re such a good, home-grown southerner I’ll have to tell it to you straight.”

“I’d appreciate that Miss—”

“And please, for all that’s good and beautiful, call me Bellami.”

He nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“If she goes back to Heath, you don’t want this woman in your life.”

“Well, I would think that obvious since I don’t date taken women…” He grimaced. “Usually.”

“That’s not what I mean. She’s obviously not going to stick it out with Heath permanently, but if she goes back to him, even after everything, she’s not the woman for you. You deserve better.”

Wyatt thought that excellent advice.

“You don’t want to be the rescuer hero-type in her life forever. You don’t want to be cleaning up her messes. Honestly if you step back in after she leaves Heath a second time, it will just be sad.”

He shifted. “You don’t mince words.”

---