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“Yes, Mr. Holloway?”
Dane wanted to kiss her breathless and say thank you in the most pleasurable ways for the way she was not bowing down to his father. Why couldn’t his father stop and drop the conversation?
“How dare you talk to me that way.”
His beautiful Gabriella cocked a brow. “How dare you talk to Dane the way you do. If you must know, my friend asked me to see if Champ—who she was dating at the time—was cheating on her.”
“He’d never treat a woman like that.” His father tilted his head in Dane’s direction with the disgust on his lips and the devil dancing in his eye, as if daring her to say something like that again. “Dane, on the other hand, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
“Bryan,” his mother whispered as if shocked he’d say such a thing.
Gabriella grasped his hand tightly, somehow knowing he needed all of her support right now. Because shit was truly hitting the fan like he’d never seen before.
“You’re either very obtuse or pretend to ignore the kind of man Champ really is. I found out he was. Screwing the secretary right there on his desk with the door wide open.”
“The damn door wasn’t wide open,” Champ spouted as he threw his napkin on the table.
Dane lifted Gabriella’s hand and kissed it. He had never seen anyone stand up to his father like that. Not even he had.
His father couldn’t deny it happened when Champ just openly admitted to it.
Dane couldn’t hold in his laughter. “Wide open. That’s still all you focus on. Not the fact you cheated on a good woman.”
His father made an odd sound. Not quite clearing his throat. Not quite a scoff—just an odd muffled sound that drifted from his throat.
“This woman wasn’t good enough. Champ wouldn’t cheat on a good woman.” His father’s words reverberated around the room.
Wow.
His damn brother still could do no wrong in his father’s eyes even when he truly did wrong.
Gabriella exhaled slowly as her hand slipped from his.
He looked at her, almost feeling the invisible thread holding them together snap. Breaking the bond they had with one quick snip.
Then she stood up and looked at his mother. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Holloway, for a delicious meal. Happy birthday. I’m afraid it’s time for me to leave.”
“Oh, please, don’t. I’d love to have a glass of wine with you on the back patio while the boys do whatever boys do.” His mother stood up as well, rounding the table quite fast.
She hooked her arm through Gabriella’s and gave each of them a pointed stare.
“I expect this table to be cleared and the dishes taken care of. It is my birthday, after all.”
Then the two women walked out of the room.
“You heard your mother.” His father left as well.
Dane sat there staring at the mess, wondering what the hell happened. It felt like he lost Gabriella. Not to his mother’s company. But lost her for good. That once they left, he’d never see her again.
Because she had a good picture of his family, and it wasn’t a pretty sight.
Not to mention, his father insulted Mia, and that was one of the worst things he could’ve done. Nobody hurt her best friend.
“Why didn’t you answer my calls? I’ve been calling you all weekend,” Champ snapped as he stood up, almost knocking his chair over from standing so fast.
“I didn’t see you call.”
Champ rolled his eyes, not believing the blatant lie.
