The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,89

his time would be better spent searching Bart’s emails.

Turned out he had two email accounts open—one business, one personal. He checked the business account first. He started his search by reviewing the emails sent and received around the time his firm would have gotten ahold of the plans for the part, then moved on to the time frame during which they would have applied for the patent. When he didn’t discover anything significant, he moved to Wednesday and the days preceding. There were in-house congratulatory emails regarding the notification that the patent had been approved, and a few about Megan’s upcoming wedding, but everything else was client-related.

So what was up with the phone call?

Noah had said he suspected the perpetrator still had the plans but wouldn’t keep them at the office in case someone came across the incriminating evidence. What if the same principle could be applied to his emails? If he wanted to hide evidence from the firm, it would be safer to use his personal account.

The search took more time than he’d planned. Twenty minutes had passed, and Megan would be ready to go any minute. Josh switched over to the personal account, and he was thankful to see Bart had fewer emails in this one. That made one stand out all the more. The sender was Herman, Moore, and Snyder, Attorneys at Law. He clicked to open it and started reading.

Mr. Vandemeer,

After examination of the paperwork you’ve provided, we feel you are safe from litigation—

“Josh?” Megan said softly.

His head jerked up, and though he tried to hide the fact that he was startled, the grin on her face let him know he wasn’t off the hook. He sucked in a breath, overcome anew by her beauty. She wore another dress, a pale pink that contrasted with her dark hair.

Focus, Josh.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said, entering the room.

He clicked over to his own email tab, trying to keep the action smooth so she wouldn’t notice.

“You must be intent on your work. Did you get an answer to your problem?”

He swallowed as she moved next to him, her hand resting on his shoulder.

“Actually, I got a little more clarity.”

Her fingertips moved to his neck, massaging the tense muscles at the base of his neck. “That’s a good thing, right?” she asked sweetly.

His eyes sunk closed as he fought an inner battle. Could he continue carrying on with her this way, knowing full well that he and Noah were doing everything in their power to bring her father’s firm down? Up until now, everything had been circumstantial. He had no idea what else that email might say, but he had a feeling it was their first piece of hard evidence.

“Yeah,” he murmured, unable to make eye contact. “It’s a good thing.”

“Then why do you sound so glum?”

He looked up at her, trying to keep his voice from breaking. “Sometimes the answer we get isn’t always the one we want.”

Talk about the understatement of his life.

Chapter Twenty-Two

On the way to the tux rental shop, Gram talked nonstop about her drawing of Josh’s backside, her research into nudist colonies in Belize, and the dress Megan’s mother was making her wear—a very conservative pink suit paired with pearls. Knickers had seen the Queen Mother of England wear something similar and insisted it fit perfectly with the scheme.

“I’d rather strip down to the pearls before I walk down the aisle,” Gram said. “But I’m afraid it would give your mother a heart attack, and that would ruin your wedding.”

Megan’s eyed bugged out.

“That’s what would ruin this wedding?” Josh murmured without his usual humor. He looked behind him to make sure Gram hadn’t heard him, but she’d moved on to the cake Knickers had ordered.

Megan nodded and uh-huhed every so often, but most of her attention was fixed on Josh. Something had happened while he was reading his emails in her father’s office. He was withdrawn and distant. Did he regret what they’d done? But surely that wasn’t it. There was no way he could fake so much happiness and playfulness. She reminded herself that their fake engagement wasn’t his only concern. In fact, it was probably a small fry compared to whatever impending decision he faced. He’d told her someone would be hurt no matter what he decided, so if he’d received information leading him toward one of the options, it was bound to bring him down. Josh McMillan was a good man. Hurting people wouldn’t sit well with his soul.

She