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“I don’t fuck around with money. It’s too hard to come by. But yeah, he’s borrowed some.”
She startled at the way he said fuck—almost giving it a growl—and it sounded sosexualshe momentarily got distracted. But she snapped out of it. “And he hasn’t paid you back?”
“Not yet.”
“But you think he will? You believe him?”
“Has he borrowed from you?” He relieved her of the purse.
The relief was palpable. “Do you know anyone at his work?”
“No. I live in Wyoming.”
Good. Then, she could tell him. If she didn’t talk about it, she’d explode. “Hestolefrom me.” She didn’t know what reaction she’d expected, but it wasn’t complete stoicism. If it weren’t for the muscle in his jaw, she’d think he didn’t care. “Andmy parents.” Tears sprang so quickly, her eyes burned. “He cleaned out our accounts. One hundred and seventy-two thousand dollars.” Saying it out loud hardened confusion and panic into anger.
“Are you sure?”
“He admitted it. Even worse, he said he’s done it before, but he’s always been able to put the money back before I noticed.”
He had no reaction other than the arch of one eyebrow.
Of course, he’d side with Ian. He wasn’t her friend. “If you think for one minute that I can forgive him, that I can walk down the aisle and pledge my future to him—”
“I don’t.”
“Well, good. Because I can’t even look at him, let alone marry him.” But she couldn’t involve this man. It wasn’t fair. His loyalty was to Ian. “I’m just…I’m going to get a cab. I need some time. Thank you for…” Her whole body shook. “For letting me vent.”
Carrying her luggage with her purse on his shoulder, he took off toward the street. When she just stood there, he dangled a rental car key off his finger. “Last chance to tell me where we’re going.”
“As far as you can take me.”
ChapterTwo
Jaime couldn’t concentrate.
Every time the runaway bride wiggled her ass on the leather seat, tried to cross her legs in that ridiculous dress, or dug a finger under the sleeves to scratch herself, she made a loud rustling sound.
Worse, each movement kicked a soft, floral scent into the air that just really fucking appealed to him.
But he had work to do. This little detour back home caused a serious twist in his plans. With his daughter in mind, he intentionally arranged his schedule to pack in as many meetings as possible. The less he traveled, the better for his family. So, while he’d come for the wedding of an old friend, he also had appointments he now had to reschedule.
Exhibition games started in two months, and the Renegades weren’t at the level they needed to be now that Cole Montgomery, the best forward in the league, had joined them. They had a decent goalie, but he’d screwed up his ankle on vacation with his family a week after the season ended. Even though he was getting the care he needed, Jaime knew it could take up to six months for it to fully heal.
But it didn’t matter. Now that they had Cole, they needed a goalie who matched his ability. Ross LaRoux was their only hope of becoming competitive. So, Jaime would go home for the day and then fly back out. He wouldn’t miss the meeting with Ross’s agent.
He shot off a text to his GM.
Jaime: You crunch those numbers?
GM: Working on it. You know we won’t have enough for him.
Yeah, he did know. They’d carefully curated this team, offering nice contracts. That was when the idea of Cole joining was out of the question. Then, the asshole fell in love with his now-fiancée and two little girls and wound up asking for a trade.
But damn, it was hard to focus when Grace looked so lost and freaked out. And what was with that hideous dress? It looked like one of those family heirlooms. Which was nice, he supposed. Like him, she valued family. Traditions. She was loyal.
Family first, always.
In the past, he’d only caught glimpses of her. A picture on Ian’s phone, a smiling woman on social media, the pretty girl waiting at the harbor when their boat docked. He’d never paid attention because she’d been Ian’s girlfriend.
