Marrying Mr. Wrong (Dirty Martini Running Club #3) - Claire Kingsley Page 0,99
can play their weird version of good cop, bad cop again?”
He shrugged. “I do what I have to do.”
“How do you even know them?”
“Do you really want the details of the chain of events that led us all here?”
“Yes, Oliver. I actually do.”
“Fine. I didn’t want to make Sophie feel worse, given my association with you, so I called her friend Nora to find out how she’s doing. From Nora, I learned that Sophie has yet to hear from you, aside from a poor excuse for a text Monday night. That was almost a week ago, Cox. You dealt with Althea, but since then, you’ve been locked in your office, burying yourself in work. And now you’re day drinking. I had to do something.”
Shepherd nodded to a table, then he and Corban took a seat.
I decided I might as well cooperate, so I got off my stool. “And you called them? They want me dead right now. You realize that, right?”
“Well it’s not like you’re going to listen to me.”
“Wonderful.” I went over to the table and sat across from Corban. “Gentlemen. I’m afraid we’ll have to make this quick. I’m meeting my mother for a round of golf and I won’t hear the end of it if I’m late.”
“Your mother won’t be joining you today,” Shepherd said.
My brow furrowed. “Isn’t he the current PGA champion?”
“I believe so.”
I turned to Oliver. “Did you know about this?”
He shrugged. “Would you have preferred we do this while playing a round of golf with Georgia?”
“No,” I said with a scowl and shifted my gaze to Shepherd and Corban. “Fine. Let’s get this over with. Go ahead, do your worst.”
“That’s actually not why we’re here,” Corban said.
Shepherd stared daggers at me. “Yes it is.”
“Well, it’s why he’s here, but he can be pretty single-minded.”
“See?” I said to Oliver. “Good cop, bad cop again. Next he’ll start talking about lobsters.”
“Why haven’t you spoken to Sophie?” Shepherd asked.
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” I said. He opened his mouth to reply, but I kept talking. “I know, I know, your wives are her best friends and you’re like the overprotective brothers she never had. I get it. But I don’t need you to threaten me with bodily harm or financial ruin to know that I fucked up. I’m already well aware of that. So I’m sorry you wasted your time and money, but thanks for setting up my mom with a pro golf lesson. I’m sure it’ll be the highlight of her year.”
“So that’s it?” Shepherd asked.
“Cox, I was at the fashion show,” Corban said. “I saw the way you looked at her. That wasn’t the face of a man about to serve divorce papers.”
“In point of fact, I didn’t serve those papers on her. My ex-lawyer did.”
“So why haven’t you explained that to her?” he asked.
“What the fuck do I say? I’m sorry I trusted my backstabbing lawyer instead of you? I’m sorry I believed the awful things she said about you, even for a second?”
“Yeah, that’s a good start,” Corban said.
Shepherd nodded. “Actually, it is.”
“As if it’s that simple,” I said.
“Maybe it is,” Corban said. “Do you love her?”
I looked down at the table, wishing I’d ordered that second drink. “It doesn’t matter now.”
“No, it does matter,” he said. “I’ve made a career out of studying the process of falling in love. Sometimes it’s the only thing that matters. So answer the question. Do you love her?”
I could practically feel all three of them staring at me. “I do. I love her like fucking crazy.”
“I told you,” Corban said, nudging Shepherd with his elbow. “We don’t have to kill him. We just have to get him to quit wallowing in guilt and self-hatred so he can fix this.”
“I’m not wallowing in guilt and self-hatred.”
Oliver snorted.
“If I am, it’s because everything was perfect and I fucked it up.”
“Yes, you did,” Shepherd said. “So what are you going to do about it?”
There was something about the way he said that, with an edge to his voice that was sharper than a razor blade. It wasn’t just a question. It was a challenge. Almost a dare.
“Wait.” I held up a hand, feeling like I’d just been splashed with cold water. “Am I reading this right? You came here to kill me, unless I admitted I was wrong and wanted to