Page 63 of Bonus Daddy
The two of them high-fived.
Terror shot through me. Fuck, how had I ended upin their crosshairs like this? The Murphy brothers were typically the recipients of their shit.
“Her motion should be resolved soon,” Lo said.
“And I can file a motion to appear as co-counsel,” Sloane added. “Just in case.”
Decades of professional conditioning butted up against the feelings that had been steadily growing stronger since Jess had walked back into my life. The situation was fucked up, and my brain was fried. All I wanted was to be alone. I wanted to climb into bed, read my Winston Churchill biography, and wallow in my obsession with my college girlfriend.
Cal, ever the negotiator, clapped my shoulder. “She’s your first love. And she walked in the door after decades, desperate for your legal expertise and your broad, manly shoulders.”
“Cal.” I groaned.
“Lay the groundwork, mate.” He shook me. “I got the girl because I strategized.” With a grin, he threw Lo a wink. “Make a gesture.”
“Yes,” Sloane said. “Her ex sounds like a piece of shit, yet she’s risen above it all. She’s busting her ass to be a great mom. Show her you see her. Show her you want to be part of her and her kids’ lives,” she urged.
I respected Kit and Greta as much as I respected Jess, there was no denying that. They made the most of the hand they’d been dealt, and their presence in my life was breaking me out of my workaholic tendencies.
Hope, that sneaky bastard, bloomed in my chest. Was it possible? We should have a resolution soon. And depending on the outcome of the motion, either Cal or Sully could take on her case. Even Sloane when her maternity leave ended.
I paced to the kitchen and back, my mind racing.
What could I do to show my interest? My care?
I couldn’t just go for it and kiss her. I was her attorney. I’d hate for her to misinterpret the act, to feel obligated to reciprocate to show her thanks.
She would have to make the first move.
But a gesture. Something to excite her and her kids. Something to prove that I’d gladly be part of their lives if they wanted me to.
“Lake,” I said quietly. “They love Lake Paige. She’s going on tour, right?”
Lo blinked at me like I was the stupidest man alive. “Um. Yeah. The Moonlight Tour.”
“Okay,” I breathed. “I’ll get tickets. She must be coming to New York.”
“You can’t justget tickets.” Lo spoke to me as if I were a child. “They’ve been sold out for months. The Lake fans crashed the ticket websites when they went on sale, and resale prices are astronomical.”
“I’ll figure it out.” Cost was no object. If I had to drop a couple of grand, then so be it.
I whipped out my phone and typedLake Paige tourinto the search bar. Immediately, I found a list of dates, including one in New York in August. Shit, they’d be in Vermont by then.
“Dammit,” I muttered, and the cat appeared, rubbing up against my legs, as if I’d actually called him.
The more I thought about it, the surer I was that taking them to see Lake Paige was the best way to handle this. Kit and Greta would lose their minds, and it would be incredible to experience this through their eyes.
I scrolled back up the list of dates and hissed. “Yes.” With my phone held up in front of me, I said, “She’ll be in Boston next weekend.”
I had to try. They’d eventually move to Vermont, but I had to take a chance. I had to know whether it was possible that we could really be something. Because I felt it. Deep inside my bones. The universe had sent her back to me, and I didn’t want to ever let her go again.
“I need to call Dylan.”
Chapter 22
Brian
My pulse thudded in my ears. Was this too much? I didn’t want to be the guy who threw money around like an asshole. From what I could tell, Jess’s ex was that kind of man. Why the hell would she want anything to do with another dick who flaunted his money?
