The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,173

our associates’ cases.”

“Oh, God. She’s the opposing counsel.”

He’d always known she was smart, which was one of the reasons he’d called her for advice. “And she’s fried my ass for two days now.”

“I bet she’s loving every minute of that.” She sounded pleased.

“Whose side are you on?” he asked.

“Yours, but you have to admit she’s completely entitled to hand you a slice or two of humble pie.”

He pulled into his hotel parking lot and put the car into park. “What should I do, Kels?”

“Take it like a man. Don’t be like Mealy Neily.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

She was quiet again. “Is she happy, Garrett? I know it’s difficult for either one of us to imagine someone being happy with him, but what if she is? Do you really want to take that from her too?”

“No, and I’ve already considered that. I have to go to this pre-wedding party they’re having for family and friends tomorrow night, so I was hoping to talk to her before then. Looks like we have another deposition in the morning. Maybe I can catch her after that.”

“You really want to wait that long?”

“I don’t know when to talk to her, Kels. I finally got her alone for a few minutes yesterday, and I completely froze up.”

“Mr. Smooth froze up? You’ve got it bad.”

“Look, I know I do,” he said, getting frustrated. “I’m asking for your advice on how to get her back.”

“Okay, okay.” Her tone was soft and soothing. “I’ll help you.”

“Thank you.”

“First you have to accept that just because you want her back doesn’t mean she feels the same. And since we are no longer ruled by caveman philosophy, you’ll have to deal with that.”

“I know, but I think she still cares about me.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I ran into her in a hotel bar in Phoenix on Monday night. We were both stranded there because of the weather. She was drunk . . . and she rarely got drunk when we were together. Only when she was really upset. In any case, they didn’t have a room for her, so I let her sleep in mine.”

“Oh, Garrett. You didn’t.” Disappointment was heavy in her voice.

“No. I did not. Do people really have that low of an opinion of me?”

“Let’s just say it’s a reputation earned.”

That was sobering. Especially coming from his big sister. He shook his head. “She fell asleep on the bed, and I told her I was going to spend the night at the airport. But she told me to stay. We slept fully clothed, but she pulled me close and said she missed me.”

“Oh, my God. Please tell me that you did not sleep on top of the covers.”

“Kelsey.”

“Haven’t you seen those news shows, Garrett? They’re covered in all kinds of gross germs and bacteria.”

“I’m pretty sure those are the same thing. And I need you to focus.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “This is important. What were the exact words she used? For all you know she was drunk enough to have mistaken you for her dog.”

“That is more disgusting than your hotel comforter story.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you’d seen them use the black light.”

“Kelsey. I need you to focus. She said my name. She said, ‘I miss you, Garrett.’”

“Wow.” She was silent for several seconds. “I guess that means you can move to step two.”

“Which is?”

“Proving that you’re actually not lower than pond scum. The question is how do you pull off that deception?”

“Kelsey.”

“Okay, I’m kidding. Kind of. You have to know you’ve been a slut, Garrett. And honestly, it’s pretty gross.”

He sighed. “Yeah. I know.”

“Hey, admitting you have a problem is the first step, right?”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“Are you sure you still love this woman? That was five years ago, Gar-Bear. She’s changed. You’ve changed. And let’s not discount that she’s with Neil, whom you hate with a passion.”

“I don’t hate him. I just despise him.”

“Hate. Despise. Whatever. But you can’t ignore that Neil is marrying your old girlfriend. That is bound to prick your ego, jealousy—whatever you choose to call it. Don’t let that blind you.”

“I will admit that the thought of her with Neil . . .” His voice trailed off, and he sucked in a breath, not letting his mind go there. “You do have a valid point, but I’ve been thinking about her for a while now . . . long before I saw her in Phoenix, found out she was Neil’s fiancée, and was completely turned on by the way she eviscerated