The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,109

“I’m surprised you’re not inside right now, presenting your case to that room full of people. It seems to me you’d want to broadcast my imperfections to as many people as possible.”

“Imperfections? This reaches far beyond imperfections.” Her eyes narrowed. “And I actually care about Megan. I’m not telling anyone else but her. She’s been embarrassed enough over the last couple months.”

He breathed a silent prayer of relief.

She laughed, a bitter sound. “I think we can make a deal, Joshua McMillan.”

Fear seized his heart. “What kind of deal?”

She began to pace the sidewalk, her hands behind her back, the folder still clutched in her grasp. “I’m sure we can reach a compromise that’s satisfactory to us both.”

He highly doubted it. “Go on. You obviously have the terms worked out in your head.”

She released a haughty laugh. “In my head? Oh, no, Joshua, I’m an attorney. I’m the queen of paper.” She pulled another document out of the folder and handed it to him.

He took it with shaky hands. “What’s this?”

“Your agreement to slink away into the night and never speak to Megan again.”

“No.”

“Don’t be so hasty in your decision.” Something in her voice caught his attention.

“What am I supposed to get out of this?”

“Pride for doing the right thing?” Blair asked. “What? Not enough? I know you need money from your investor to keep your firm afloat.” She paused, her eyes piercing his. “I have the connections to find you another investor. One who will support you without the patent.”

He shook his head. “Bullshit.” He threw the offensive paper to the ground. “And even if you could, no deal.”

He turned to head back into the building, but she ran in front of him, blocking his path. “Don’t be so hasty, Josh. I thought you wanted to save those employees of yours.”

“No. Not like this. I love her, Blair. I can’t just walk away from her. Not like this.”

They both gasped at his declaration.

He loved her? But he knew it was true as soon as he said it. As impossible as it seemed, he loved Megan.

“Love her? Who are you trying to fool here? Is this a bargaining chip?”

“What? God, no!” he spat in disgust as he walked away from her. “You can take your fucking deal and ride your broom back to hell.” One persistent thought ran through his head: He had to get to Megan before Blair did.

“Your brother agreed to it.” Blair’s calm voice called out into the night air.

He froze, his eyes sinking closed.

“Oh, yeah. Noah couldn’t sign that deal fast enough.”

He turned around and watched as she squatted and picked up the paper. “You didn’t notice his signature?”

He stomped over and snatched the document from her hands. Sure enough, Noah’s unmistakable scrawl was at the bottom. Fury rushed through him.

Noah had betrayed him.

Again.

Josh ripped the paper in half, then ripped it again and threw it into the air. “Here’s what I think of your deal. And my original suggestion stands—go to hell.”

He marched toward the front door of the restaurant.

“If you hurt Megan, I will rip your balls off myself,” Blair shouted, her voice cracking. It was the first sign of genuine emotion he’d heard from her since she’d staged this little scene.

“Get in line.” Once inside, he raced to the private room and threw open the door. There he was. Noah was still in his seat beside Libby as if nothing had happened, a flirtatious grin on his face while Mitch looked at his phone.

The entire room turned to stare at Josh as he threw the door against the wall. Megan’s eyes widened in surprise. “Josh?” she gasped, getting to her feet. “Are you okay?”

He turned his attention back to Noah. The amusement in his brother’s face crumpled into an expression that clearly read oh shit. Noah stood and started around the table to intercept him.

“Josh, let’s go outside,” Noah said.

Josh strode toward his brother, stopping only when he heard Blair’s voice from behind him. She stood in the doorway now, a smug grin on her face. “Yeah, Josh. Why don’t you and Noah go outside, and I’ll have that chat with Megan.”

Megan glanced between Josh and Blair. “What’s going on?”

So this was what it felt like to really be backed into a corner.

Kevin stood next to his seat, looking ready to implement plan B to stop Megan’s wedding—beat Josh to a bloody pulp—while Gram’s eyes glittered with excitement. Poor Bart looked concerned over the second drama that was clearly about to erupt. Knickers remained