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Hours have passed, and it looks as if Harlow’s parents are getting seriously annoyed that they have had no part of the ceremony and have not been given a moment of the bride’s time. Other guests have finally found their own fun on the dance floor and have stopped making friendly overtures toward the standoffish couple.
That’s when I approach them alone at their table. “Mr. and Mrs. Reed, I’m Noah Weston.”
Barclay stands, all charm and smiles. “Our new son-in-law. Welcome to the family. We’re glad to have you and if you’re making our little girl happy—”
“I plan to. Let’s take a walk. It’s loud in here, and I’d like to talk to you.”
“Sure. Anything. And if you’re ever looking for business opportunities, I know some amazing venture capitalists—”
“I’ll take that under advisement.” As I step to the opening of the tent, Barclay and Linda follow me. I gesture them out to the breezy Hawaiian evening, glancing back at Harlow nestled between her two brothers, looking at me with her heart in her eyes.
With a nod, I exit out the flap and lead her parents toward the parking lot. They’re going to leave as soon as we’re done talking. I’ll insist on it.
“What can we do for you, son?” Barclay asks.
That’s something Ineverwant him to call me again. My dad was the most selfless, loving man I’ve ever known and I can’t imagine how Maxon and Griff have learned to become good men with this self-serving shitbag as a father. “I’d like to make you an offer.”
Barclay is all smiles. “Love to hear it.”
When I glance Linda’s way, she curls her artificially enhanced lips up as much as the Botox allows and wraps her bony fingers around my arm, eyes widening as if she’s an ingénue, not a cougar. “We’re definitely all ears.”
“Excellent.” I work myself loose from Linda’s grip. In no way, shape, or form do I want to give that woman any idea that I’m interested in her overtures. “Harlow would like peace and happiness in her life. It’s come to my attention these are two things you’ve never cared whether she’s had in the past. That changes now. Mr. Reed—”
“Barclay, please. Harlow has misrepresented her childhood, I’m sure. She had the best of everything—schools, clothes, cars. The truth is, she suffers from a bit of leftover teen angst.”
It’s all I can do not to call bullshit as I throttle the asshole. “I tend to believe my wife. She desires your absence from her life. In exchange—”
“That’s absurd,” her father insists. “We had no intention of barging in on her honeymoon. Of course we’ll give her a few weeks of privacy while she settles into married life.”
“Exactly.” Linda sends her soon-to-be ex-husband a sidelong glance as if she’s reading him so they can plot, then sidles closer to me again. “We were thinking that we should have a lovely cookout for Fourth of July. Or perhaps later that month we can celebrate my birthday together as a family.”
“No. She desires both of you absent for the rest of her life.”
“What?” Linda looks shocked and perplexed. “What stories has that silly girl been telling you?”
I know of few women who are less “silly” than Harlow, and her mother’s question only pisses me off more.
“Details are unpleasant and unnecessary. Let’s get down to business. Mrs. Reed, if you’ll sign an agreement to walk away from Harlow and abide by it, I’ll give you five million dollars—evenly divided over the next ten years.”
The woman’s blue eyes widen with a gasp. She licks her lips, looking nervous.
“Linda…” Barclay growls in warning as if he knows she’ll be tempted.
She ignores him. “You’ll put that in writing?”
“I’ve already got it right here.” I extract the agreements I had drafted, which are sealed in envelopes. “If you sign tonight, I’ll give you a twenty-five-thousand-dollar bonus.”
“No,” Harlow’s father answers for his estranged wife.
“Yes,” she snaps defiantly, then whirls on him.
“We value family too much.”
She scoffs at his clenched-teeth assertion. “When have you ever given two shits about your children unless they could somehow help you? Never.” The woman turns to me. “I’ll take it.”
“I forbid it,” Barclay insists, fists clenched.
That makes Linda laugh. “You don’t have that power anymore. If I want to escape you, I need money, you tight-fisted bastard. Our new son-in-law has just given me the means to say sayonara to you forever. I’ll see you in court, of course. After all, I helped you make most of that money and spent more than one evening on my back with your sweaty colleagues to make deals happen, so I’m entitled to half.”
