Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Ginny continued, “It seems they were pretty serious, but they broke up about four weeks ago. Shortly after that, Daniel quit his job of six years without notice.”
“I don’t understand. What do I have to do with any of that?”
“Did Daniel ever mention why his last relationship ended?”
“He said he caught his boyfriend cheating on him. He didn’t say much more than that, but I could tell it really hurt and upset him.”
“I’ll bet this is all about revenge. Brad’s going to be at that wedding, right?”
“I think so.”
“Daniel must have decided the best way to get back at his cheating ex-boyfriend was by showing up at a family event on your arm. Hell, maybe that was just the start. Maybe he was planning to marry you, become Brad’s step-daddy, and spend his inheritance.”
I frowned at her and exclaimed, “Come on! Who would do that?”
“An angry drama queen with a broken heart. Tell me you couldn’t see Daniel coming up with a plan like this.”
“Not the part about marrying me for Brad’s inheritance. Nobody would take it that far.” After a pause, I admitted, “But he has a temper and a flair for the dramatic, so I could see him wanting to make a big entrance at that wedding, just to watch his ex’s reaction.”
“I could see that, too.”
I put down Ginny’s phone and took mine from my pocket as I said, “I’m going to check and see if Brad had been planning to bring him to the wedding. That might help explain why Daniel was focused on it.”
As I tapped my screen, Ginny asked, “Are you texting Brad to ask him?”
“No. We’re still not on good terms, after that big fight we had about a year ago. I’m going to see what it says on my sister’s guest list.”
“Why do you have access to the list?”
As I pulled up the spreadsheet, I explained, “It was included with the information the wedding planner forwarded to me yesterday. Since I’m arriving in Vancouver a few days ahead of both her and my sister, they wanted me to be ready to troubleshoot any emergencies that might come up.” I scrolled through the document before saying, “Yup, here it is. Brad sent back his RSVP five months ago and indicated he was bringing a plus-one—Daniel Larson. I guess he forgot to update his information after they broke up.”
“Not to say I told you so, but can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that I was right all along? I knew he was up to something, and that it had to do with the wedding. It just never occurred to me it might be related to Brad.” Ginny took a sip of water, then gestured with the glass and added, “Thank god we discovered what Daniel was up to before you flew his ass to Canada! Now you can cash in his first class plane ticket and cut that scheming little troublemaker out of your life.”
“No, I’m still bringing him with me.”
“Are you serious?” When I nodded, she blurted, “Now why in the hell would you do that, Mal?”
“Because I like him, and this isn’t a deal-breaker.” I paused, and after a moment I added, “I guess I’m also trying to buy him some time. The wedding is still a week away. Maybe he’ll come clean and let me in on his plan. It would mean a lot to me if he did that.”
“Whether or not Daniel confesses, Brad’s going to see you two together at the wedding. Are you worried about how that’s going to make him feel?”
“No. That sounds harsh, but I can’t help but think Brad deserves a little payback, after cheating on his boyfriend. Maybe he’ll feel some regret when he sees Daniel, and he’ll think twice before he cheats again.”
“He’s always been a selfish little jerk,” Ginny muttered. Then she glanced at me and said, “Sorry. I know he’s your son and all, but it’s not like you had much of a say in how he was raised. I mean, your girlfriend broke up with you and married someone else while she was pregnant with your kid, so what could you do? I’ve always thought she and Brad’s stepdad spoiled him rotten, so maybe that’s why he’s so inconsiderate and entitled.”
“You’re not wrong.”
Ginny leaned back and took a sip of water before saying, “I should probably hate this plan of yours, and I should tell you to dump this guy and be done with it. But I get it. You want to give him a chance. Plus, I like the fact that Daniel thinks he’s running the show, but you’re now the one holding all the cards. Maybe he’ll learn a lesson here. If Brad does too, all the better.”
After a few moments, I grinned at my best friend. “I’m looking forward to seeing Daniel in action. I’m picturing him striding into that wedding like a spurned heroine in a telenovela, looking devastatingly handsome and saying, ‘eat your heart out, Brad.’ I think it’s going to be spectacular.”