“That’s what it says,” Erin continued, as she reached into her purse and pulled out a single sheet of paper. She unfolded it. “Yep, says here the money was deposited the same day as I was born from my father’s account to one in your mom’s name in trust for me. She handed the paper over for me to read.
“Almost three quarters of a million?” Marnie asked, leaning over to read the will excerpt with me. Franco gave out a low whistle. My sister dug him in the ribs with her elbow and scowled darkly at her husband.
“She invested it. That’s what ten thousand dollars is worth if it had been invested wisely thirty years ago,” both James and I replied at the same time.
“Wow,” Marnie stated before quickly shaking her head. “At least she did that for you,” she added, addressing Erin.
“I don’t want it,” Erin replied. “Knowing I was bought is far different from thinking a couple stepped in to bring me up.”
“I’m so sorry, I had no idea, but you were wanted,” I muttered, as a wave of nausea washed over me again.
“I don’t want her money. I’m just glad I have finally been brought into a family who genuinely cares about me, who had no say in what happened to me, and who love me for who I am.”
“No, you must take the money. That way it’s gone back to the person it belongs to. You deserve to have it as compensation for all you’ve gone through. I want you to have some benefit from what we’ve suffered,” I insisted.
“You should have it,” Dad agreed, “do something outrageous with it, that would really piss Betty off. You could spend it on a ‘huge fuck you, Betty Mattison, look at me’ event. Go to Vegas and shoot craps.”
We knew he hadn’t meant it, but we all chuckled at Dad’s sense of humor. Despite all he’d had to deal with in those previous few weeks, he had still managed to raise a smile.
“I used to think we were a pretty conservative family, but from everything I’ve found out since my late wife died, it’s been an eye opener worthy of an episode of The Jerry Springer Show. By the sounds of things, we’d probably have aced the audition, had we applied to be on it.”
We all laughed heartily at my grieving father’s dark sense of humor, and my heart squeezed tight for him, because even though his world had been turned upside down, he had still found the strength of character to find wit in the absurdity of our situation.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“What kind of wedding do you want?” James rolled onto his side in the bed beside me, rose up to his elbow, and rested his head on his hand.
My eyes locked into his gorgeous blue ones that looked like calming pools, and my heart fluttered with the intense connection that passed between us. We each held the gaze for longer than we realized until he prompted me for an answer.
“You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”
“What? No, not for a minute,” I said and scoffed. “As if I’d ever do that. Sorry, I got lost in you for a minute.” I said. He snickered and cupped my cheek. “You make me do that sometimes,” I admitted again. James chuckled. “So, the wedding,” I said, and brought us back to his question. “Nothing big and flashy,” I decided, finally answering him. “We’re the wrong side of forty for that and I don’t like that kind of attention.
“Then what?” he prompted again.
“I don’t know really, getting married to you is plenty celebration enough,” I added, sounding corny.
“How would you feel about getting married in the next few weeks?”
“Before there’s more drama you mean?”
“Exactly,” he breathed, sliding his arms around my waist.
James pulled me over on top of him and cupped my face between his hands. He paused and looked at me for a moment before he smiled. My heartbeat quickened under his intense gaze, and in that moment, I had never felt more loved in my life.
“I can hardly wait for you to be my wife, Tricia,” he murmured, lifted his head, and brushed his lips against mine before lying back on the pillow. “Where do you want the ceremony to be?”
“I can’t wait either, and soon … the beach? No shoes, only family in attendance. I’d prefer a low-key ceremony followed by a few more stress-free days away.” Without another word, James rolled me off him and climbed naked from the bed. “Hey, where are you going?” I asked, watching him as he stood up straight.
“To call my mom, we’ve got a wedding to plan,” he said playfully, and pulled the comforter and sheet off the bed. He walked out of the room with them tucked under his arm, and I watched his firm sexy frame disappear out of view. Flopping back on the bed naked, I chuckled, rolled onto my side, and sat up.
His abrupt decision-making made my heart pound, and I shook my head in disbelief at how quickly he had sprung into action after our conversation.
Once I had adapted to what he’d said, I couldn’t wait to put a plan into motion.
“Yes, Mom, I know,” I heard James say, as I padded through in the T-shirt he’d worn the night before. It smelled delicious, a mixture of James and of his cologne. “I’ll talk to her and see what she says—actually—she’s here now, you can talk to her yourself,” he’d told her, and instantly held out his cell to me, and I silently cussed him for putting me on the spot.
“Congratulations again, and welcome to the family,” Harriett gushed down the line. My heart felt full when I heard how genuinely happy she sounded for us. My heart clenched because it meant the world to me that she approved of her son’s choice for his wife. “We never thought James would marry and we’re delighted for you both.”
“Thank you,” I replied graciously.
“Next couple of weeks—like James has asked for—will be a push, but if you don’t mind what day, I could reach out to the directors of the Peconic Beach Tennis club and see what availability they have. They’re well seasoned in beach weddings and it would give me great pleasure to take over the formalities of arranging the wedding out of your hands. I’ll consult about the menu, cake and such, of course—”
“Have at it, Harriett,” I replied, cutting her off. “I really don’t care. All I want is somewhere I can turn up, say I do, and spread my toes in the sand with James as my husband. I don’t want anything flashy and only close family to attend. I’ll send you a list of those on my end. I don’t know about your side of the family, but Billie will be my maid of honor and Brynn in a princess dress.”
“Would you mind if Tammy’s girls had dresses too? I hate one having all the attention and the rest being left out.” I chuckled, wondering what Tammy would think since she was the one dead set against James and me in the first place.
“No problem, but you’d have to clear that with Tammy since I’m not her favorite person.”
“Nonsense, Tammy’s very conservative, but she’ll figure it out. As children, she always wanted to be close to James, but for some reason that never happened. I think the worst thing for her is having a stepniece over thirty. She likes to think of herself as a child bride,” she chuckled. “It’s all quite sobering for her.” I practically felt her grin on the other end of the phone. “Don’t worry, leave it with me. I’ll run everything past you, but I better get on with it, because I’ll have to contact the club, find a day, confirm that with you, and let the rest of the family know. I’ll be in touch as soon as I have answers.” I thanked her and closed the call out, turned in a state of shock, and looked at James with wide eyes and an open jaw.
“What?” he asked, chuckling. “When I told her we wanted to get married, do you know what she said?” I shook my head. “About time too.”
My heart squeezed at his words of acceptance from his mom. “She’s on steroids about arranging the wedding. You sure know how to poke the beast,” I said, sharing how excited she was.
He laughed. “You may have been bumped up in the ranks to her new favorite for allowing her to organize your wedding, but I guarantee she’ll listen to your instructions and not overstep.”
I turned and stared out of the window at the city
. I couldn’t believe my luck in finding James. I inhaled deeply to calm my hot-wired nerves. One minute James and I were lying in bed, talking about nothing, and the next I’d given his mom permission to plan a wedding, one James had barely suggested we have thirty minutes before.
“Will your father’s legal team have time to put a prenuptial together in time?”
“What prenuptial?”
“One to protect your family assets,” I explained.
“No, I don’t need nor want one of those,” he stated, firmly.
“Your father won’t agree with you. He’d be crazy not to insist you have one. It would be financial suicide not to have something written.”
“That’s the wealth manager in you talking, Tricia, not my fiancée,” he replied sternly, and lowered his brows.
“Speak to him, James. I’m not getting married without one.”
“Of course, you are … don’t be so dramatic. He knows you’re not a gold digger. Besides, Sawyer and Billie don’t have one … I don’t think Caitlin has either.”
“They aren’t me. And Sawyer isn’t on the boards of your father’s companies. He’s not being primed to take over in the same way you are. I want a prenuptial agreement in place that says I get nothing, other than half of what we build together going forward from the date of our marriage.”
“Do you lack confidence about our marriage?”
“No, I’m doing what I think is necessary to feel I have an equal partnership. What I learned about your family and the visible extent of some of your wealth, during that trip to Vermont, almost scared me off. Knowing someone is wealthy and having a glimpse of those valuable physical assets were entirely something else. Think about it. How would you feel if you were me? I’m not the most trusting person, given what’s happened in my past, but I need you to know I’m with you for all the right reasons, not because one day you’ll inherit the world.”
“You’re making a big deal—”
“And you’re playing your family’s money down,” I snapped. “If you love me, you’ll understand this is what I need. I want you to be sure I’m marrying you because you are the only man in this world for me. As long as there’s no prenuptial agreement—”
“I know what this is, you’re worried what people will say,” he snapped, with a thunderous look in his eyes.
“Then there is that too … but no, James, I’m not my mother. People are going to speculate anyway, they’re bound to. But that is the least of it, and personally, I couldn’t give a flying fuck what people say about me as long as it’s true.”
“So why is my family’s money such an issue? If my father thought it was necessary he’d already have spoken to me about it. Tammy has one in place, none of us were that sure of Jonathan, and to be frank, our opinions haven’t changed much since. You and Billie … you’re both different. We’re in love, baby,” he said, and ran his hand through his hair the way he did when he was frustrated. “Besides, now … hear me out, what if something happened to me the day after the wedding?”
“I’d have what I have now, which is far more money than I can ever spend in my lifetime.”
“Is it your money you want to protect? If that’s what’s holding you back, draw something up and I’ll sign it right now.” The laugh that left my chest sounded both hollow and sarcastic.
“That’s very funny, but I already know if anything happens to me, my half of Dad’s house goes to Marnie, and everything else I have left goes to you, since I amended my will when we became serious.”
“Yet, you won’t allow me to make provisions for you?”
“Sure, provisions like this penthouse in New York we both now share, the cars, the assets we have and use every day, but other than that, no.”
“Fuck, you’re infuriating.”
“And you’re being a dick. How many women would be arguing for this?”
“None, which is why we’re here right now … why that ring is on your finger and not on someone else’s.” James was still naked from when he’d gotten out of bed and he stood tall, his muscles flexing and bunching as frustration rolled off him. Even in the midst of a monumental argument, I still felt somewhat distracted. In that moment I stepped closer and hugged him.
Both of us stood by the window overlooking the city. James immediately slipped his hands up under his T-shirt I wore and splayed his large hands over my back. A reluctant smile teased at his lips as he looked down at me. Our gaze intensified and we stared silently at each other for a few moments longer before I spoke again.
“Look, you can’t know what it means to me that you trust me so much … that you’re willing to risk generations of hard work that has grown your dad’s industry to show me that, but please see this from my perspective. All I want is you.”
Sucking in a long breath, he held it for a couple of beats and exhaled. “I’ll call my dad and speak to his legal team, but I really don’t think this is necessary. Apart from anything else, I’d never allow you to walk away from me. But if for some unimaginable reason that happened, I’d never let you leave with nothing.”
“Oh, I’m not walking away … ever, but I’d feel better knowing if an unthinkable event took place, you owed me nothing.”
“I’m never going to give you a reason to leave me.”
“I believe you, James, but remember, my own mother fucked me over. I trust you … it’s other people I don’t trust. You’re going to be an extremely powerful man when your father retires … no one knows what’s around the corner.”
“Who cares, nothing will change my mind about how I feel about you. The prenup is a hard no from me and my assets at least. But I’ll go with your wishes and speak to my father, if he thinks one is necessary to protect the company, I’ll have him draw something up.”
“Thank you, and to meet you halfway, whatever your father decides I’ll abide with, does that make you feel better? This way neither you nor I are making the contracts to keep your family’s wealth intact. That decision will be taken by his legal team for reasons outside of our marriage.”
James looked reluctant but nodded. “Have it your way, but when I marry you, Tricia, I want you to know, contracts or not, you’ll be my wife for life.”
As James underlined what I meant to him, my cell phone began to ring.
“It’s your mom,” I informed him as I connected the call. “Hey, Harriett, that was fast.”
“The best I can do is a week from Thursday, if that’s not too soon. But everything can be lined up for a beach service, the pastor, venue, and flights for the kids flying in, that’s the best day for everyone to get here.”
“A week from Thursday,” I repeated, as I stared at James whose face broke into that perfect smile of his and my heart skipped a beat. He nodded, slowly stalking over toward me as I choked out, “Next Thursday would be fine.”
I never heard what else she said, because James stepped behind me and cut her off, swept my hair to the side, and sucked on my neck. Instantly my body was alight.
Pulling out of his hold, I turned to face him, my eyes searching his face. James was my perfect man, he accepted me no matter what and his family mostly approved, despite knowing my past. I could never have dreamed for better.
Leaning in, I brushed my lips against his and wondered how my life had turned on its head the way it had. I loved that our wedding was due to take place on a Thursday. It was perfectly imperfect, because instead of leaving James to go to down to New Jersey, I’d have the ideal reason to stay.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“And there I thought Sawyer and I had gotten married in a rush. Are you really getting married that soon?”
“A lot can be achieved in a week and a bit, actually.” I sounded smugly calm when I answered Billie’s question. My cell had rung less than three minutes after James had cut me off from his mother.
Harriett had left a voicemail and two texts while James had distracted me by kissing me passionately. Explaining to Billie about the arrangements, I glan
ced over and saw my naked husband-to-be cooling off by sucking a bottle of water fresh from the fridge. I chuckled.
“It’s not funny,” Billie whined, and I nodded, because the sight of James drinking icy cold water, his Adam’s apple rising and falling in his neck, had looked anything but funny. The sexy man I’m marrying is hot as fuck. I turned away from him and tried to focus on Billie’s call.
“Okay, you can stop panicking. We’re not having a bash that’s anything like you had. All we want is to get married, the pomp and ceremony are secondary to us being together.”
“But you’ll still need a dress.”
“I will, as will you and Brynn … and the girls, because Harriet reminded me that if they aren’t included it looks bad. Although, I’m wondering if Tammy will even want that for them,” I mused, and startled with that thought. “Shit, do I call and ask if they can do that, or do you think Harriett will have already asked her?”
“Calm down, this is your day, not Harriett’s and certainly not Tammy’s. She’ll come around, Tricia. Tammy’s conservative, but a good person. You both just need some time.”
“That’s what Harriett said, have you both been talking about me?”
“Oi, I know where my loyalties lie,” she replied indignantly, as if she’d dare side with anyone else.
“And Harriett’s family,” I countered.
“As you will be also, after next week,” she reminded me. I smiled and took a breath as I considered that fact. James wandered past me smiling, doubled back, and rubbed his dick on the crack of my ass through the T-shirt I wore.
“Get off,” I squealed, as he walked off toward the bedroom with a low chuckle. I stopped for a moment to appreciate his fine ass and strong muscular back.
“Are you still there?” Billie asked.
Resist Me (Unchained Attraction Book 4) Page 18