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Chapter Four
The original reason Marshall had called the lawyer to his office took a permanent back seat as he considered all options.
Well maybe not. Two weeks. Plenty enough time for a miracle. Right. Not even he believed that.
Either find a loophole or a willing bride.
No way would he let anyone get their hands on this company.
Sam and Cole worked quietly over the plans at the small conference table that took up a third of the office space, but he could feel their questioning stares on the back of his head.
Stella, his ever-observant sister studied the news, her eyes not really focused on anything or anyone at the moment.
They were worried. He could read it in the tightness of his brother’s shoulders. The way his sister bit at her nails. Shawn was the only one he couldn’t read. From an early age, the man had learned how to school his emotions. Said it helped in his line of duty when the opposite team couldn’t get a bead on his state of mind.
Marshall grunted and made a beeline for the coffee pot.
He didn’t want it to come down to finding a bride but if that was the only way to secure his family’s future and fortune well, he’d take one for the team.
His company. Their future. Marriages didn’t have to last forever. Divorce was as common an occurrence as birthdays. He could find a bride to share the I DO’s with, give her a hefty settlement with an ironclad contract and bam—done deal inside of a year.
Less, if he was lucky.
Nothing in his father’s will said he had tostaymarried. Unless Cruise came through his door with another addendum to his father’s final wishes, that was. And if that happened, he'd be looking for another lawyer.
Cruise had dismissed himself shortly after delivering the blow to the family and his mother said her farewells with the promise of dinner this evening at home, with a long talk for dessert, no doubt.
Even with the help of a stiff scotch on the rocks, he couldn’t swallow the sour news. Unchained and free to run the company was how he preferred his life. Uncomplicated was the word he’d used to describe his dating life when his father had asked a few weeks back.
Now that answer lodged in his gut and swelled and swirled, making everything taste bitter. The old man had used his own words against him. He’d tried the dating routes but no matter how he looked at it, being a Blackwood had huge pitfalls in the romance department. Too many wanted the dollar signs and forgot about the man.
The only fake thing he wanted in his life was the tofu turkey his mom tried to push on them every Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The years he had dedicated to this place, all those late hours at his father’s side. To lose all of that now? No. Not now and not ever.
But two weeks?What in the world were you thinking, Pop?
“I know what Daddy was thinking.” Stella turned from her TV and Marshall cranked an eyebrow. It was freaky when she did that.
“I take that back. I think I do. Remember last Fourth of July company BBQ?”
“How can we forget?” Shawn looked up from the paperwork he had to have memorized by now.
“You nearly killed us all with those blasted roman candles.”
Stella gave a half shrug and smiled. “How many sorries do you need to let that go?”
Sam and Cole tossed their pens down on the table and turned their gazes to Stella.
“After all the fuss settled down from the fireworks and when Daddy and I were dancing, he asked me about all of you. Who you were dating and how you liked your jobs here and so on. Usual nosy, caring father stuff. But he was oddly focused on you, Marshall. When was the last time I saw you on a date? If you were interested in anyone? How you felt about children and so on.”
Marshall scoffed but asked the question he already knew the answer to. “And what did you tell him?”
She shrugged. “The truth. You are so married to BlackCo that he and Mom probably had more date nights in a week than you did in the last ten years.” She planted a hand on her hip and pointed a neon yellow-polished finger in his direction. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking the shit you’re in now is my fault.” Her shoulders rounded and she dropped back into her chair, chin quivering.
God, not fucking tears. He broke every time she did that to him. To any of them. Shawn especially. He caved faster than all of them when it came to the baby of the family.
Marshall rose and fought to keep his calm game face in place. He didn’t want to make her feel bad but a little fib here or there might have swayed Pop’s rash decision in changing his will at the last minute. “Nah. No one ever changed that man’s mind once it was set. You really didn’t say anything he didn’t already know.”
