Page 5 of Something Borrowed

“Should we rescue her?”

Matthew mock shuddered. “Hell no. I like my balls right where they are, thank you very much. Besides, I have a couple more people to introduce you to.”

He handed Grady a beer from the bartender and grabbed his own scotch and steered his brother toward an older couple standing several feet away. The older man was leaning down to listen to the woman, who had her hand on the crook of his arm, head tilted up to speak with him. They weren’t lawyers, not mingling with the lawyers in the crowd, but they clearly were comfortable in the environment. Their clothes reeked of money, and she wore tasteful jewelry that didn’t come from a low-end department store.

As if sensing their approach, she turned and a broad smile crossed her face, hands raising as if about to hug Matthew. “Matthew! We’re so proud of you, honey. And… Grady?” Her eyes widened and her hands dropped.

Grady’s feet stuttered to a stop as he faced the woman he hadn’t seen in several years. The woman who had abandoned him after her divorce from his father. The woman who chose his older brother and didn’t care enough about him to even see him.

He pivoted on his heel and walked away. Not even for Matthew could he endure this meeting. Not tonight.

* * *

Grady stormed out of the large room and into a hallway, the door closing behind him, shutting out the noise from the reception. His head spun from the sudden confrontation with his past. Dammit, he should have known she would have been here. Her son had made partner. She wouldn’t miss that, no matter how many times she missed her younger son’s events, birthdays, graduations, never mind his daily life.

Grady would have to see her at the wedding, and he hadn’t yet figured out how he’d deal with that. The shock of seeing her felt like a slap in the face. He sat on a bench in the hallway and took several deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart. He had to go back in there. Brigid would kill him for running out like that, but he needed a minute. Or ten.

The door opened, and he braced himself, expecting Matthew. It closed again as someone sat on the bench next to him, and he glanced over to see Brigid. He hadn’t expected her to leave her partners, where she was supposed to network, just for him.

“I know lawyers are boring, but I never thought you’d break speed records to get out of there. What happened?” For once, her tone wasn’t biting or demanding. Instead, it was soft.

“Did Matthew send you out here?” His voice sounded raw to him, gravelly and painful.

She shook her head. “I saw your face. Trust me, that is not a look I ever want to see on anyone’s face again. What happened?”

He leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his thighs as he took several deep breaths. She laid a hand on his back, tentatively at first, then slowly rubbing it to soothe him. But still she said nothing, just waited. And that had to be killing her. Brigid was never patient and always faced things head on.

Finally, he straightened and said, “I saw my mother.”

Her hand paused. “Your mother.”

“Yup.”

She resumed her stroking. “I’m going to need a bit more, Grady.”

He slapped his hands on his thighs and stood. “I haven’t seen her since I was eight. That’s it. Nothing more to tell.”

Brigid stood and grabbed his arm, hauling him around to face her. “Hang on a minute. Nothing more to tell? You haven’t seen her in over twenty years, and you’re going to say that’s it?”

“Hey, you knew Matthew and I grew up apart. It’s no big deal. Children of divorce are all sorts of fucked up. Besides, we’re not dating, so we don’t need the chitchat, right? Let’s go back in.” He cocked his eyebrow at her and tilted his head to the door. “You don’t want to miss out on all the brown-nosing, do you? I’ll bet I can get at least three more business contracts out of tonight.”

He walked toward the door, and she raced after him. “Don’t you dare, Grady. You promised not to take any work from my colleagues.”

He whirled around so fast she ran into him. “Would it be such a big deal if I got some work tonight? Maybe if I expanded my business, that would make everyone think better of the home contractor. Maybe I’d be good enough for them. Good enough for you.”

“Grady, I never thought you weren’t good enough. It’s just this isn’t your kind of crowd. They’re pretentious and challenging.”

“So why do you stay? There are plenty of firms where you could be a lawyer.”

“This is the best one in Texas and in the Southwest overall. Why should I give up my dreams to go somewhere else?”

He laughed, the sound rough and raw even to his ears. “Yeah, the almighty dream. Brigid, ask yourself whose dream is it—yours or your father’s?”

He opened the door and stalked inside without waiting for a reply. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Hell, he wasn’t sure she even knew, and now was not the time for that discussion. But the time was coming when they had to talk about who they were and where they were going. Only, he was afraid of what her answer would be.

Before stepping inside, he scanned the room. Brigid didn’t need to worry about him getting too involved in her world. He’d already had one woman abandon him for this world. He wouldn’t let another one do it, too.

ChapterThree

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