Page 69 of Something Borrowed

Epilogue

Six Months Later

“You’ll regret you’re decision, Ms. Anderson. You could have been a great lawyer.” Peterman’s voice echoed in Brigid’s head as she packed her briefcase that Friday evening.

He was wrong, of course, on two counts. She wouldn’t regret her decision and she already was a great lawyer. In fact, she would be an even better lawyer with this decision. Property law in her current position wasn’t the right place for her. She was good at it, and could possibly make a boatload of money, with the large house, fancy cars, and maybe even a second house on the shore, or Whitby Island with her friends Caroline and Matthew. But would she be happy? Would it drive her and Grady apart?

It had already almost broke them apart and she knew from that experience that she would never be happy without him. It was ironic really. The plan she had worked toward her entire life, the goals she had set since she had been a little girl now took a backseat to something more—helping others and hopefully creating a family with Grady.

Her family couldn’t understand her sudden change, especially her father, who saw this job shift as a rejection of everything he taught her. He told her that she was rejecting security, the payment of her student loans, and the promise of a good future for her kids. After watching her sister’s children being raised by nannies, she knew that wasn’t the future she wanted for her own kids, not that Grady would ever allow that. He would be an involved father, attending all events, help them with homework, and be fully present no matter what.

Assuming he wanted the job of husband and parent. And that was what tonight was all about.

She put the finishing touches on the dinner table in the old Victorian house that Grady had been renovating in his spare time, mostly on weekends. While both of them had been incredibly busy with their jobs, they had been determined to spend every night together. They mostly lived at her place rather than his since it was closer to her firm, but weekends were spent at his place, where she was slowly learning about renovations, painting, sanding, and all things home building, something she never thought she would enjoy. This Victorian home was one of their pet projects and she knew he had hoped they could make it their home even as he kept saying they could flip it for a tidy profit, much like the Mission-style home he was working on with one of his guys, Dennis, that evening.

She’d asked Dennis to distract Grady that evening, keep him later than usual, then redirect him to the Victorian instead of back to his place. She helped by texting that she had to work late, something sadly that still occurred, even though she tried to avoid it, but she had set better boundaries once she had something to come to at night. Grady was an excellent reward for an early evening.

The dining room hadn’t been much of a priority for the renovations but with a large tablecloth, dim lighting, and a sexy fitted dress, it wouldn’t really matter. Or so she hoped.

A truck door slammed and she jumped. Grady was there. Right on time. She let out a shaky breath and smoothed her hands down her fitted emerald green dress that the girls had helped her pick out, saying Grady wouldn’t be able to resist her in it. She’d soon find out. If she could get over these nerves that were fluttering in her stomach.

They hadn’t spoken of the future, not since Caroline’s wedding, not really. While Brigid had technically quit her job, her boss had convinced her to stay for the experience with some modifications. Grady had seemed okay with it and they had settled into a relationship. But they hadn’t spoken of what came next, if anything. Brigid hated the unknown. It felt too unsettled, too ambiguous, and she decided it was time to make the next move.

Now to see how Grady felt. She only hoped she wouldn’t lose him.

* * *

Grady saw a light in the side room of the old Victorian he’d been lucky to grab in foreclosure the previous year, the room that was slated to be the dining room. It was late on Friday night and the sun had set so the warm light was welcoming in the dark, though he wondered why there was any sign of life when no one should have been there. Dennis had said there was a wiring issue with the house, so he hadn’t expected any lights. As he pulled in, he saw Brigid’s car in the driveway behind the house so maybe she finished work early and decided to meet him here.

She usually met him at his place for the weekend, though they often worked together here during the day, trying to make this house their own. He often said he was going to sell it but, in his heart, he didn’t think he could part with it. He could already envision a family there with Brigid, though they hadn’t yet spoken of the future and, when he hinted around selling the house or the future, she never said anything. But she worked by his side, her actions speaking louder than words. Always.

He fingered the small jewelry box in his pocket. He figured he had a good chance of her saying yes to the question he had for her. Now to find the right time to ask. Something he’d been trying to do for the past two weeks.

He opened the front door and the smell of General Tso’s chicken and shrimp in garlic sauce drifted down the hall. His stomach rumbled in response.

“I thought there was a problem with the wiring. That’s when Dennis said when he told me to stop by on my way home.”

He walked into the proposed dining room to see a makeshift table, a red tablecloth with candles arrayed around it, and Brigid in a sexy, emerald green standing next to it, her hands twisting around themselves, her eyes meeting his with a hint of nervousness in them.

She gave him a tentative smile. “I thought you might be hungry. The wiring is fine, by the way.”

He leaned against the doorjamb, suspicion giving way to pleasure at her presence. “You and Dennis arranged this? You didn’t have to work late?”

She shook her head, a shy smile crossing her face. “Not tonight. I just needed some time to set this up.”

He pushed off the doorjamb and walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. She rested her hands on his chest and looked at him. He lowered his head, intending to kiss her but she ducked her head.

“We should eat before everything gets cold.”

He frowned as she stepped out from his arms. Brigid was unusually skittish that evening. That was the best word to describe her. Despite the incredibly sexy dress, she was avoiding his gaze, not standing close, even sitting across from him. It wasn’t typical.

He sat across from her and filled his plate, studying her carefully. They began eating and chatting about their week. Brigid basically pushed food around her plate as she sipped her wine, well, more than sipped.

Finally, he couldn’t wait any longer. “Brigid, is everything okay?”

Brigid jumped in her seat and glanced at him guiltily. “Sorry. I was a little preoccupied.”

His stomach clenched. She was thinking about a case, something she swore she wouldn’t do. She promised she would leave work at the office and she had kept that promise, for the most part. She had tried hard not to work late or weekends, if she could help it. He understood it wasn’t always possible. He had his own times when he had to work late. But they both tried hard to set limits, especially since not setting boundaries and not making each other a priority is what almost broke them apart. Was she thinking of breaking up? Was this no longer working for her?

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