Page 140 of Hidden Ties

“I cut ties with him.”

“Amicably?”

“Very,” Haley told her. “How long have you been dating?”

“A couple of weeks.” She couldn’t think of a good reason not to tell her without being rude.

Haley turned, giving her back to Kent to pick up a cocktail appetizer on the table next to them.

“Were you not happy with the job he did for you?”

“Kent did an excellent job for me.”

Sage heard an undercurrent in her voice that sent alarm bells ringing in her head.

“But …” she probed delicately. Haley wanted to say something yet was holding back.

“My husband and Kent have a business relationship.”

“Which you aren’t happy about?” she asked intuitively.

“I’ve made my concerns known to him,” Haley admitted.

“Care to share?”

“I …”

Both women jumped when arms slid around their waists, pressing them to their respective partner’s side.

“Excuse us for interrupting your conversation,” Desmond Beck interjected. “But I had to get away from Garrett before I had to pay for his new dental work.”

Curiously, Sage looked toward Garrett, who was decidedly looking annoyed. “His teeth seem fine to me.”

Kent, Desmond, and Haley looked amusedly at her.

Desmond Beck cleared up her misunderstanding of what he had said.

“They won’t be if he asks one more time to represent me.”

“Oh …”

Sage was shocked that the man who had such an outstanding reputation for charitable causes around the world was casually talking about punching Garrett’s teeth out.

“Don’t look so shocked,” he said, giving her a suave smile that sent chills down her back. “I was joking.”

“I didn’t think you were serious,” she lied. Beck didn’t have the vast amount of money he was reputed to have without some skeletons in his closet.

“Good. I’d hate to have given a bad impression of me. I let my frustration of Hollingsworth get the better of me.” Desmond squeezed his wife closer to his side so a waiter could get by. “Are you ready to go?”

“We can’t go yet.” Haley shook her head. “We haven’t had dinner.”

“Hollingsworth has ruined my appetite. We can get take-out home.”

“Desmond,” Haley sighed. “We’ll leave right after dinner.”

Beck didn’t seem happy with her answer. Thankfully, Garrett announced dinner at that moment.

Sage started to follow the Becks but was forestalled by Kent holding her in place with his arm around her waist.

---