Never Try To Explain

by Donna McDonald

  “Prescott does agree,” Eleanor heard Prescott say firmly, but she didn’t dare look away from Martin.

  Eventually, Martin snorted, looked at his partner, looked at her, and then had the audacity to laugh. He was posturing for Prescott’s benefit, but she knew she had him. Martin would have to concede to her, but she hated that Angelica was going to get nothing from this cheating bastard after all she’d endured.

  “Okay, Eleanor. You win. How much blood money does Angelica want from me for the alleged trouble I’ve caused her?”

  “Remarkably, my client isn’t asking for a dime in financial reparation,” Eleanor said sharply. She lifted a hand to her right-hand man. “Instead, Andrew has drawn up ownership papers for the only thing Angelica wants from you.” She waited while Andrew slid the form down the table. “This particular agreement gives the mother of your firstborn children, Angelica Quartz, full and absolute custody without stipulations. You will have no further need to support your children with her in even the most cursory financial manner—not even to fork over the measly twenty dollars you send them for their birthdays. If you don’t agree with the terms then I’ll happily serve you today and leave the issue to the courts to decide.”

  “If I sign this full and absolute custody agreement, you’ll call off your dogs completely? All of them?” Martin asked.

  “Yes, all of them, even the malpractice one,” Eleanor said firmly, fighting not to smile over her nearly scar-free win.

  She saw Prescott frown and nod at Martin. There’d be hell to pay for Martin later when Prescott demanded to know the details. Martin might find himself in legal hot water and find his cases for the law firm getting internally audited. She wouldn’t put it past the bastard to try to mitigate what he’d done so she wanted to make double sure Prescott knew exactly what kind of person Martin Quartz really was.

  “Though I tried very hard to persuade her, I was not successful in getting Angelica to see the sheer monetary wisdom of taking you to court. Any other financially desperate woman whose cheating ex-husband divorced her to marry his pregnant mistress who was half her age would happily have gone after both her ex-husband’s wallet and his balls. You’re lucky to have divorced such a tolerant, forgiving person, Martin. All Angelica wants from you are the complete rights to the children she’s loved and raised without proper financial support from their father. That’s fairly reasonable and a very small thing to expect given what you’ve also cost her in mishandling the estate case for her parents, don’t you agree?”

  Calling her a name under his breath that Eleanor hadn’t been called in years, a very angry Martin picked the custody agreement up from the table, read through it briefly, and then patted his pockets looking for a pen to sign with. He glared at her when he couldn’t find one. Beside her, a speechless Prescott started patting his pockets as well. This was the best she’d felt in years.

  “Here,” Eleanor said, handing her pen over with a wide, satisfied smile. “Use mine.”

  “Seven thousand and that’s my final offer.”

  Brittany made a face. “I don’t know, Greg. I really like that car. Why don’t you just go buy a new one?”

  “Because I own one used Subaru already and you know why I need another one. Your car has been cared for and Mason said it’s in great shape. Eric and Noah’s first cars should be used cars. That’s what Dad and Mom did for us,” Greg said.

  His sister smirked. “I had my used car for like two months. The first time it broke down on my drive home from Ohio State, Dad bought me a brand new Honda. I took care of it and had it for ten years.”

  “Great. Take my seven thousand and use it as a down payment to buy another Honda. The new CRVs are getting good reviews, I hear.”

  Eleanor walked into the kitchen and heard her daughter giggling over making her brother beg. “Sell your brother the car, Brittany Louise. It’s for a good cause.”

  “But it’s my car which I paid for with my hard work. Why are you taking Greg’s side?” Brittany whined.

  “Because Greg’s going to be feeding two teenagers soon. He and Angelica need all the cash from their two incomes just to buy groceries. Mark my words, those boys are going to be well over six foot one day soon if they keep growing like they are.”

  “Fine. The guilt has gotten to me,” Brittany said, sighing heavily with her defeat. She pulled keys out of her jacket pocket. “You can have the car for five. I’ve already signed the title over. Paperwork is in the dash. Get it insured and transferred tomorrow because my insurance on it is canceling on Tuesday.”

  “You big faker,” Greg muttered. “Were you arguing just to get me to grovel and beg?”

  “Yes. It’s part of being a bratty sister,” Brittany said, laughing at her brother’s irritation. “But I do like the fact that you’re smiling all the time these days. Angelica’s a keeper and the boys are darling.”

  When his bratty sister left the kitchen, no doubt to brag to Mason who was chatting up Eric, Noah, and a giggling Jellica, Greg turned to his mother. “Five thousand? You didn’t tell Brittany about the money Jellica’s getting, did you?”

  “Of course not, Gregory. You would have paid twice what that ancient Subaru was worth. Your sister is an opportunist like me. Now go write her a check before Angelica slips up and confesses how wealthy she is now.”

  Greg chuckled. “I hope Jellica never figures out how bad we all are. She might decide not to keep me.”

  Eleanor patted his chest. “Her goodness shines from every pore. I like your woo-woo woman, though you may find saving a wealthy Angelica from financial predators to be a full-time job.”

  Greg’s chuckle bounced off the kitchen. Even if his mother was right, he didn’t care. “Taking care of her will always be the best job I have. Plus, it comes with better benefits than my accounting work. Do you know how insanely happy I am not to be sleeping alone these days?”

  “Yes. Your smile says it for you. Remember to take out the trash and help with the dishes. It’s good for a cerebral man to make himself useful around the house. Sex isn’t everything, you know. You don’t want her to get bored.”

  “Ouch,” Greg said, laughing at Jellica’s new champion. “Is that any way for a mother to talk to her forty-seven-year-old son?”

  Eleanor snickered and pointed a finger. “If you make me lose my free yoga classes, your ass will be mine, son. My business suits fit again because of Angelica. At my age, that’s a damn miracle.”

  Greg laughed and hugged his mother. “Relax, Mom. Jellica already said she’d marry me and our rings are in my pocket. Her friends are going to help arrange everything. All I have to do is propose properly and get her to set a date.”

  “Yes… about her friends…” Eleanor began. She pushed out of her son’s arms and patted his face. “Don’t tell Georgia Bates what I said about her and Brentwood Colombo. Angelica tells me Georgia packs a gun and investigates people. I can’t afford to get on that woman’s bad side. I have far too much to live for now.”

  “Yes, you do,” Greg said, laughing again, “you really do.” He bent to whisper in her ear. “I bought you a non-refundable membership at The Perfect Date. Welcome back to dating, Mom. I hope you find someone great like I did.”

  His mother’s outraged gasp made him laugh.

  Jellica dropped down to the bed. “You wore me out again. I’m too tired to exercise.”

  “It’s Tai Chi, not aerobics. You’ll be fine,” Greg said. He smiled. “And thanks for the compliment. My man card hasn’t been this filled up in years.”

  Her giggle filled the bedroom. The closed door made the space feel much smaller. The boys had been completely okay with Greg staying over, and were more excited about Greg moving in full-time.

  “It seems like every couple of days I stop and marvel at how things worked out with us. Mariah wants us to submit a couples’ photo for her success board. I’m not sure I have to count you as my perfect date. You weren’t on my original list. I had to coerce Della into asking you
,” Jellica mused.

  Greg chuckled. “That reminds me… I need to send Della a big bouquet of flowers to thank her for setting us up.”

  Jellica laughed. “Why thank Della? I’m the one who picked you.”

  “Because you wanted a friend…” Greg reminded her.

  Jellica laughed. “And it turns out I was right. You’re a great friend. You kept on helping me even when I got mad at you. That’s what real friends do.”

  Greg turned and smiled. “Well, now I want to be a lot more than your friend.” He stood and pulled on his pants before sitting to put on his shoes.

  “Yes, so you’ve informed me in about every way possible,” Jellica said with a giggle. “Don’t you want to wait and see how rich I become first?”

  “No. You’re beautiful. I have to nab you before anyone finds out you’re also rich,” Greg said, rising to fetch his jacket. “Last thing I need is to find myself competing with those thirty plus guys on your original dating list.” He pulled the case from his pocket and came back to the bed. He flipped it open and held it out. “So Angelica Quartz, woo-woo woman extraordinaire, will you marry me and be my woo-woo wife?”

  Jellica lifted the large solitaire from the case, smiling at the two matching bands still tucked inside the box. She slid the large diamond onto her finger and held it out for him to see. “How can I possibly refuse? The ring’s a perfect fit.”

  “So are we,” Greg said firmly, leaning over to kiss her laughing mouth. “I intend to prove it again tonight.”

  Jellica giggled. “You’ve already proven it four days in a row. Are we trying to make a baby or something?”

  Greg paused in the process of pulling a shirt over his head. “We never really discussed having children. Is that a possibility?”

  Jellica shrugged. “Eric and Noah were a lot of work, but I always wanted more. It would probably have to be soon though since I’m already over forty.”

  “I would love to make a baby with you,” Greg said.

  Jellica snorted. “All men love to make babies. The real question is whether you’re willing to do the rest of the work. Making them is easy.”

  Greg grinned. “I don’t know about easy, but it sure is a lot of fun. Come on. I don’t want the boys to start wondering what we’re doing in here.”

  “I’m pretty sure they know,” Jellica said. “I’ve been talking to them about sex since they were thirteen. At least now I get to model a healthy relationship before they leave home. You really have changed my life for the better, Greg Skyler.”

  “You talk to your teenage sons about sex?” Greg repeated.

  Rolling her eyes, Jellica swung her tired body off the bed. “It’s preferable to them finding out completely on their own.”

  “I’m suddenly rethinking the whole baby thing,” Greg admitted, chuckling at her narrow-eyed glare. “I’m kidding. Maybe we’ll get a girl. Girls are easier.”

  “Really? Then we get to talk about menstrual cycles and cramps,” Jellica said. “No matter what you do, life changes when you have children.”

  Greg sighed. “Life changes when you fall in love too, but it’s a good kind of change. I’m willing to bet that having children will be the same.”

  Jellica nodded. “Speaking of love, your mother’s going to kill you when she discovers Mariah doesn’t force people in The Perfect Date’s database to date. You all but lied to her outright.”

  Greg nodded back. “I know, but Dad’s been gone over three years. He was a great guy and would never have wanted her to live out the rest of her life alone. My mother is a vital woman who needs to live fully. I appreciate that even more after being with you.”

  Jellica sat on the floor at his feet to put on her shoes. “Out of loyalty to you, I won’t correct her understanding, but I’m not going to lie either. Your mother got Martin to leave me and the boys alone.”

  Greg laughed. “You’re right. I guess that’s fair.”

  “Good. Now I need to ask you something important. Can I tell my friends we’re engaged?”

  “Honey, we can take out an ad in the paper and tell all of Cincinnati,” Greg said. He held out a hand to pull her up from the floor. “I love you, Jellica. I want to own you. That’s why I bought you that big rock on your hand. It’s what men do.”

  Jellica giggled as she slipped her hand from his. “Own me? I love you, but if you think that’s ever happening, you have a lot to learn about women, Gregory Skyler.”

  “If you don’t think that all males feel that way, you have a lot to learn about men,” Greg replied, kissing her thoroughly.

  “Touché,” Jellica said when her mouth was free. “If you own me, do I get to own you too?”

  “You have since our first date,” Greg said with a smile.

  She laughed as he led her by the hand to the backyard with him. Since the boys were on either side of where Greg stood to lead, she started a second row all by herself behind him.

  Her future husband glanced over his shoulder. “You can stand behind me, but don’t be staring at my butt.”

  There was a lot of teasing from Eric and Noah over Greg’s joking around. Being the smart man he was, Greg just smiled and said nothing while Jellica tried to convince them all that she didn’t care what his butt looked like.

  “Gentlemen—eyes forward,” he ordered. He heard Jellica giggling when they instantly compiled. Their cars were in for maintenance and arriving later today. He couldn’t wait to see their faces. Jellica was all but dancing with joy. Now that he’d put a ring on her hand, his life was nearly perfect.

  “I’m going to buy you ten more pairs of sweatpants just like those,” Jellica whispered.

  Her flirting broke his concentration to the point Greg actually forgot what he’d been doing. “Now we have to start again because I forgot which form we were on.”

  Her guilt-free giggling had him smiling so wide his face hurt.

  — THE END —

  Next Book In The Series!

  Book 7, Never Look Back!

  More info at www.donnamcdonaldauthor.com

  Excerpt: The Wrong Todd

  What is the craziest favor you would do for a friend?

  Book Description

  What is the craziest thing you would be willing to do for a friend?

  After winning her bid at the bachelor auction, Sabine vows she is never doing another embarrassing favor for a friend. This is especially true for favors that involve spending large sums of money and buying men whose last names she doesn't even know.

  In twenty bachelors, Sabine maybe expected to find several Davids, Mikes, or Johns. But what were the odds of two Todds?

  And now what is she going to do on a very expensive date with the wrong one?

  Chapter One

  Though she hadn’t openly flirted with a good-looking man in a long time, Sabine smiled at the one smiling back at her. Then as casually as she could, she turned her attention back to her emergency phone call.

  “So here’s the deal. There’s a cute guy sitting across from me just out of earshot. He smiles every time he catches me chair dancing to the canned music they’re playing. Should I go over and say hello? Do women get to do that now?”

  “Depends, babe. How old is he?”

  Joe’s excessively loud demand vibrated her eardrum and had her holding the phone away from her head. She glared before pulling it back, but didn’t press it against her head again.

  “Stop yelling, Joe. There’s no crowd here.”

  Glancing at the guy, Sabine saw him smile into his coffee. She hoped she was right about him not hearing her conversation. This could get embarrassing fast.

  “It’s hard to tell how old he is, but he’s definitely not a kid. Judging by his clothes, he went to work today. But then what do I know? I haven’t dated in over a decade. Maybe he’s hanging out and hoping to pick up chicks,” Sabine reported.

  Her description elicited a snarky male chuckle. The phone ended up on her shoulder again as she listened to Joe’s rum
bling baritone as he lectured her.

  “Listen to me to me carefully, Sabine. If he’s as young as the others you’ve been scoping out lately, they’re hotties or babes to him, not chicks. Saying ‘chicks’ automatically means you’re way too old to talk to him.”

  Sabine laughed at the critique. “Point noted . . . oh shoot. Never mind. Some teenage girl in a microscopic skirt just came in and sat down with him. My left leg is larger in circumference than her entire body. I’m hanging up now so I can cry in my coffee.”

  When full-out male laughter came through the line, Sabine laughed herself. The younger man she had been ogling slid a covert glance her way, even with his girlfriend present. Her smile back was wide. Maybe single life wasn’t going to completely suck. At least she could legally lust now.

  “Sabine, what I have been telling you? Skip the coffee shops and just go to a bar—an adult bar. Find a slightly younger male—not a kid—who’s had a few and let nature take its course. You obviously need to get that youth thing out of your system. Just remember not to take the kid’s lack of attention too personally. The younger ones are all like that—gay or straight. The last cub I dated had the attention span of a gnat. Make him do the deed a second time if he doesn’t get the job done on his first try.”

  Sabine laughed. “What great advice, Joe. Glad no one else can hear you giving it. You’ve been very helpful in educating me about navigating single life, but even I know the bar scene doesn’t work very well for straight women my age.”

  “Then it’s a good thing you don’t look your age.”

  “Now that’s why I keep you around. You’re such a sweetie,” Sabine cooed into the phone, smiling as she sipped the dregs of her cold drink.

  Despite all his teasing, she had to admit her gay best friend was way more grounded about men than she was. Even after two years of tortuous relationship limbo, her divorce had still rocked her self-confidence. Fortunately, Joe hadn’t let her wallow in her failure. Other than her two college-aged children, Joe Kendall was probably the best thing she had to show for the twenty years she’d been married to his brother.