Page 135 of Square Deal

“Anytime,” he said, tipping his glass toward me. “Don’t be a stranger.”

I stepped out of the pool house to answer the call. It wasn’t serious—just some contracts that needed approval before they could go to a client. I reassured Spenser that I would look at them this evening and send them back as soon as possible. By the time I got off the call, Robert Hayes had spotted me.

At least it wasn’t Marlene.Thank fuck it wasn’t Marlene.

I tucked my phone into my suit jacket and walked across the patio to Hannah’s father. “Mr. Hayes,” I said, accepting the drink he offered. Brandy. From the smell, I deduced that it was at least twenty-five years old.

He chuckled. “Please, call me Robert. Walk with me, Mr. Lawson,” he said as he led me into the house. “Let’s have a chat.”

I followed the old man into his study. It was an offshoot of the library, decorated in the same rich wood, leather furniture with gold studs, and old books.

It reminded me of Hannah’s house. Hers had softer notes. Cream-colored blankets were draped over the back of an armchair. Greenery and fresh flowers sat on nearly every surface. The vintage books she adorned her end tables with weren’t just decorations—I spotted some of the same titles on top of her father’s desk. The titles were in Latin but, by my guess, they were law books.

“Tell me, Isaac,” he began, resting his clasped hands together on his desk. “What are your intentions with my daughter?”

I swirled the brandy around the glass as if I were pondering my answer. In reality, the answer was simple. “To make her happy.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “She hasn’t brought a young man to meet her family in quite some time. Marlene was troubled that perhaps she’d never settle down.”

The way he said it made it sound like Hannah Jane was a wild child when she was anything but.No, sir—that would be me.

At least it used to be me.

Something about a woman like Hannah Jane Hayes had me on the straight and narrow.

It bothered me that Mr. and Mrs. Hayes seemed to think that a woman’s highest achievement in life was getting married. Hannah wasn’t a picture frame, accenting her man. She was the fuckingMona Lisa.

I took a sip of brandy and cleared my throat. “Hannah has been busy excelling in her career. She’s become one of the most exclusive event planners in the state.”

He gave me a placid smile. “Yes, she’s always been driven. It’s good to see her with a gentleman as successful as you. I’m sure she considers herself quite lucky.”

“On the contrary. I’m lucky she even gave me the time of day.”

“That’s our Hannah Jane for you.” He chuckled. “Spirited girl.”

The amount of old-fashioned misogyny in the room was suffocating. I sipped my drink to avoid saying something that would completely ruin Hannah’s brittle relationship with her parents.

Robert tapped his fingers on the side of his glass. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but Hannah’s relationship with her mother has always been, well, tense.”

Understatement.

“We were thrilled to discover that your relationship was rather serious. Hannah being over thirty years old makes her pickings awful slim.”

I resisted the impulse to roll my eyes.

“With Jacob and Marissa heading down the aisle, I’m sure you two will be taking a good hard look at the future,” he mused, twisting the end of his silver mustache. “Now, I don’t want to rush you, son, but we’re a little old-fashioned. I see the way that Hannah Jane looks at you, so if you want to ask for her hand in marriage, now’s a pretty good time. I wouldn’t wait if I were you. You’re looking at a small window to start a family.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“Mr. Hayes, I’m a busy man,” I said, dropping my glass on Robert’s desk with more gumption than I intended. “I don’t beat around the bush. You should be kissing Hannah Jane’s feet for even showing up today. And for the record, she did it for Jake. Not for your misguided belief that your family name means something.”

I rose to my feet, and Robert did the same.

“I’m going to make this crystal clear. I’m not pursuing marriage. It’s not on the horizon. It’s not in the near or distant future. I have been clear with Hannah Jane from the start. We have an understanding. I love her very much, but I don’t intend to marry her—not that that’s any of your business. Despite being told to sit still and look pretty for her entire life, she’s an extraordinary woman. She doesn’t need my last name to prove that to anyone. Especially not to you or her mother.”

There was a creak of a floorboard, and a swatch of red disappeared down the hallway.

“You and Hannah had best be going,” Robert said through gritted teeth. He pressed his fist into the lacquered top of the desk, and his face turned a shade between inferno and plum. “I will pass along your regards to our guests.”

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