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“That came before he found out as well,” Brad said. “That’s how this happened.”
Andi frowned. “I beg your pardon?”
“After I found Tad cheating for the second time in our marriage—though I’m sure there were more—I told him to get out and that I was divorcing him. But it doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt to discover his affairs. Then, he cut poor Brad out of the galleries on some technicality he’d—and I say this lightly—masterminded in the contract they’d signed. He ripped the rug right out from under him.”
“Okay,” Christian said, shielding his eyes from the blaring sun. “So what does this have to do with you two?”
“I heard what he’d done to Brad, so I went to comfort him,” Veronica said.
Andi’s brows arched. She wondered exactly whatcomfortmeant in this instance.
Brad squeezed Veronica’s shoulder. “Roni and I have been friends for years. Ever since I started the Jeopardy Falls gallery with Tad.”
Christian glanced at the white rolling cart. “I wouldn’t mind a lemonade after all,” he said, sitting up and lifting the back of the chaise up on the rungs until it met his back.
“No problem,” Brad said. He looked at Andi, and his gaze ran up and down her.Ewww.The distinct need for a shower washed over her. “Would you care for one too?”
“Yes, please.” The day was really heating up.
After a glass of lemonade and a half hour explanation of how exactly Tad cut Brad from the contract, Veronica took over the conversation.
“I started all three galleries with him,” she said, “and being the slimeball that he is, he’s trying to weasel me out of them, and I’m not going to let that happen.”
Christian swung his legs over the side of the chaise, shifting to sit as Andi was.
“I’m working with my lawyer on that. Proprietary details,” Veronica said before popping another olive in her mouth, her cigarette burning down in the marble ashtray.
Brad finally moved around from standing behind Veronica to sitting beside her. “Tad’s a weasel, as Roni said. He stole my shares in the galleries in a totally underhanded but legal way. Ronnie isn’t going to let him do the same to her, and her lawyer feels she can beat him.”
Christian arched a brow. “Beat him?”
“Yes. To gain control of the galleries,” Veronica said like it was completely obvious.
“I mean this in the politest way,” Andi said, “but do you have a right to the galleries?”
A deep scowl fixed on Veronica’s face.
“I mean, are you on the legal documents?” She hadn’t seen Veronica’s name on anything that she could recall.
“As I said, I was with him when we started the galleries, but no, my name is not on the business papers. That’s what I’m trying to get around with my lawyer. To prove I have a claim to them.”
If Veronica was telling the truth and she wanted the galleries,it made no sense for her to have them heisted. But was she telling the truth?
“And if you win,” Christian asked, leaning forward, “will you bring Brad back on as a partner?”
She looked up at Brad with a smile. “Of course.”
Andi reached for her glass of lemonade, condensation drizzling down the tall glass. Why didn’t she believe her?
“And you, my dear,” Veronica said, smiling at Andi, “are going to be the one who will set things right.”
Andi frowned. “Excuse me?”
“Tad had our galleries robbed, and when you prove it, he’ll rot behind bars where he belongs, and the galleries will be mine.Ours,” she sputtered out, looking at Brad with what must be the closest she could manage to a tender smile.
“Do you have proof that he set up the heists?” Andi asked, praying Veronica did.
“I know he met with that lady we just saw on TV,” Veronica said with a cocky tilt of her head and a wave toward a large-screen TV.
