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“She what?” the dumbass shouted.
“Keep your voice down,” I growled.
Michael leaned back and watched me. Crossing his arms over his chest, he cocked his head as a wide grin emerged. “You’re gonna do it, aren’t you?”
I looked around again to make sure there were no eyes on us. “Of course, I’m going to do it. What do you expect? It’s Dove.”
“I always knew that woman was going to get you into trouble someday.” He instantly moved forward, his arms on the tabletop as he stared at me.
I shook my head. “Something’s not right about any of this.”
“No shit, brother. There’s nothing right about Dove marrying someone who isn’t you,” he said before taking a gulp of his coffee. “It doesn’t make sense. Have you thought about all the possibilities?”
“What are you saying exactly?” I pushed because I didn’t trust my own interpretation of things. I was too jaded; I couldn’t see clearly. I no longer trusted my gut in this situation.
“Dove wouldneverdo this.” He emphasized the wordnever. “Not without a reason.”
My eyes shot up to meet his, my head nodding in silent agreement. “What are you thinking?”
“That they have something on her.” His answer was straightforward and to the point, and I wanted to laugh. “It’s the only logical explanation.”
“Like they’re blackmailing her?” I asked almost incredulously. The idea seemed so far-fetched, like something out of a bad movie, but nothing else added up.
“Exactly.”
I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what would make Dove agree to do something as preposterous as marry Trevor. And while blackmail seemed like a somewhat-reasonable option, part of me didn’t want to believe it.
“But how? She hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“What about you?”
“What do you mean, me?”
“Have you done anything that they could use against you? Get you in trouble somehow?” he asked before adding, “Dove would do anything to protect you.”
“Shit,” I breathed out, leaning back, looking straight up at the ceiling tiles as my mind raced.
There wasn’t a single thing I could think of. I might have grown up with a manipulative politician for a father, but I mirrored myself after the man who had raised Dove. It was his integrity that I respected and wanted to be like.
“Is there something?” Michael asked, his tone more than a little curious.
I was sure, over the years, he’d wondered how our business had been so successful. When the economy took a hit, we never seemed to. There was stability in selling the kinds of things that people always needed.
I waved him off. “No. I’ve done everything by the book. I’ve never wanted anyone to be able to hold anything over my head.” I’d been too smart for that, too aware of how things worked. “I’ve never asked anyone for any favors or special treatment.”
“Then, what could it be? I mean, if it’s not you, then—” he started to ask, and I cut him off.
“Who? If it’s not me she’s protecting, then who?”
“What are you thinking?”
“That there’s only one other person on this planet she’d do anything for,” I said before feeling a headache start to creep in between my eyes.
“We’d better go talk to Dove’s dad then,” he said matter-of-factly, as if he were a part of this now.
I laughed and put up a hand to stop him from exiting the booth. “You’re not coming with me.”
“The hell I’m not.”
