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“What if we get married without signing their papers?”
Warrick pushed out a long sigh. “Then the sum of money I received upon turning eighteen will be forfeit along with an insane penalty involving an excessive interest rate calculated daily and compounded over the span of the past sixteen years.”
She grinned. “So you’re thirty-four?”
“Impressive. You have math skills.” He kissed the tip of her nose.
“A few.” Her smile seemed permanent. “Seems like I should have already known how old you are though.”
His eyebrows rose.
She asked, “Do you know how old I am?”
“Yes. You are twenty-eight.”
“And you know this because you’re the Enclave prosecutor and you have awesome skills?”
“No. I may have looked something up on a social media page.”
“Clever.”
“Why do I get the impression that you still don’t care about any of my family’s foolishness?”
She shrugged. “Because I don’t.”
“Why?”
A sweet grin shaped her luscious lips. “Because you’re in love with me, and you want to marry me. I don’t care about anything else.”
“I see that it makes you happy?”
“Very much, because I love you, too. I want to be the one you marry. I want to share my life with you and Colton here in Montana.”
“You still want to marry me even with all the baggage that comes along as my bride?”
“Trust me. I have my own baggage.”
“Like what?”
“Like a twin sister I haven’t seen in a decade who thinks I’m in danger because of something she won’t fully explain. Someone with a cough following me then disappearing, a couple of threatening phone calls that haven’t been repeated, but also haven’t been forgotten. To the point I even have a bodyguard stationed with me each work night that I probably don’t need.”
“Well, I created that bit of baggage, but keep Sven anyway. For a little while, okay?”
A sly smile shaped her lips. “I will, if it makes you happy.” She tilted her head like she thought of something new. “So what happens if you never get married to anyone?”
“When I turn sixty without an official marriage to my name, I’m only obligated to pay back the principle sum, but not the penalty.”
“But you’ll be ancient by then. Practically an antique.”
“Thanks.” He tickled her.
She giggled then asked, “So do you have it? The principle sum?”
“Yes.”
“But not the exorbitant interest attached as penalty?”
“Right. That would hurt. A lot.” In many ways.
“So…then I guess we’d have to live on my salary?”
“And also my salary. I am a lawyer, you know.”
“That’s right. I forgot. You’re that stern prosecutor that everyone in town is afraid of.”
“That’s me. Stern and fear-inducing. Except to you.”
“Yes. You don’t scare me. I’ll sign the document so you don’t have to hurt financially. I love you with or without your money. I don’t care if your family hounds me. I’ll ignore them.”
“I appreciate that. But they’d still come after you relentlessly. I know them, and how they operate. They’d never let up on you, and I can’t abide it. I won’t.”
“I’m tougher than you think.”
“No doubt, but they are terrible people. I wouldn’t want to subject my worst enemy to that pack of jackals.”
“I can take it. Besides, you’d protect me, right?”
“Of course, I’d do my level best. But even if you sign the papers and we marry in the next second before they can report on you, they’ll make it their mission in life to make you miserable for thwarting them. I’ve seen it happen. More than once, unfortunately.” That was the only reason he tolerated his Aunt Vera’s monthly calls. She’d once been a victim before becoming a stalwart convert to survive. He tried not to blame her for turning. “There is also a clause in the pre-nup where you agree to move to New York and support me. But I don’t want to go.”
She pushed out a long sigh of resignation. Much the way he felt about the whole situation.
“It’s that my only choices are battered against a rock, slammed into a hard place, or backed into a dangerous corner without any defense. None of those options appeal to me, so up to now I’ve put it all off and misdirected anyone asking.”
Isabelle was silent for a long while. “I’d hate for you to lose all your money because of me.”
