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I’d gotten it out in one breath, and exactly the way I’d rehearsed. I hoped it was good enough.
Nick’s face was impassive. “And?” he finally said.
Katie picked up her drink and took a sip, glancing between us.
“And I’m glad you married my sister,” I told him, standing to offer my hand across the table.
“Me too, douchebag.” He took my hand and proceeded to crush it as we shook.
I gave a half-hearted return grip. This was a rare contest I intended to lose.
Eventually he released me and sat back down.
I shook out the pain in my hand.
Katie gave him the evil eye. “What do you say?”
“He’s got a wimpy handshake.”
Katie surprised us all by pouring her drink on Nick’s head.
Nick jerked back, but still got a full dose of ice and alcohol. “What’d you do that for?”
Katie glowered at him. “What do you have to say to your brother-in-law?”
Nick grimaced. “Apology accepted, Liam.” He wiped himself off with a pile of napkins.
Katie winked at me while Nick wasn’t looking.
I had redeemed myself and graduated from douchebag to a guy with a name.
Before lunch arrived, Nick challenged us to chicken fights in the pool.
With Amy on my shoulders, we fought them to a draw at four apiece, before Nick and Katie won the last one to beat us five to four.
We returned to the table wet and tired, but laughing like a true family.
* * *
Amy
A text arrivedon Liam’s phone as we were drying off.
“They just arrested him,” he told us.
It was finally over. Liam had been waiting for this news all week.
“He deserves it,” Katie said, sitting down.
I’d learned Nick had found oddities in Damien Winterbourne’s accounts while helping Liam track down the spy in his company. Since financial fraud was right up their alley, Nick and Katie had continued the investigation. With a little prodding, the FBI had gotten interested. We’d known through Liam’s contacts that Winterbourne was about to be arrested on tax evasion, fraud, and a list of other charges. He had become sort of a mini Bernie Madoff in Boston, and nobody had suspected——not even Natalie, who was probably even more glad to be working part-time for Liam now.
“This news deserves champagne,” Liam proclaimed. His financial death match with Winterbourne was now over. He’d saved his company with the Schmulian maneuver Felicia and I had helped arrange, and Winterbourne was getting what he deserved.
The server told us they didn’t serve champagne by the pool——something about glass bottles——so we settled for a pitcher of margaritas.
“Make mine a Bud,” Nick added.
Katie leaned over to me. “Nick doesn’t do mixed drinks,” she whispered.
