you. Maybe one of these days I can give you some advice.”
He laughed. “You like to mother me. That’s fine. You do a good job of that too.”
She hung up the phone, put the dogs in the crate and then dashed out the door, hoping to put this morning behind her.
25
Cause Trouble
“Brian,” his accountant said, “your client is here.”
He looked up at the clock on the wall. The guy was early. Since it was so miserable outside and the snow was still falling on this lovely end of January day, he’d hoped the guy would have canceled or at least want to do a phone call instead. Nope, Matt Gunner wanted to meet.
Even his secretary was home today and his accountant was going upfront when she heard the bell go off.
He’d told Molly to stay home too. She had no one to meet and the snow was just going to continue to fall. He was glad that Robin was off today and decided not to go into the shelter to volunteer.
“I’ll be right up,” he said. Hopefully it was a fast meeting and then he could lock the office up for the day and send everyone home. He’d get more done there anyway. If Robin didn’t have to go to work tomorrow, he’d consider going there, but there was no reason to go to her house to just sit at the table and work. He’d be more comfortable in his own office at home.
When he got to the front the last person he expected to see was Robin’s ex standing there.
“Alex,” he said. “What are you doing here?”
“We’ve got a meeting.”
“Matt Gunner?” he asked and tried not to laugh. The guy was a total dick and a coward on top of it. If he had something to say he could have called or made an appointment under his own damn name.
“Yes. I felt it was best to do it that way.”
“Best for who?” he asked. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“Is that a dig at me?” Alex asked.
“Take it any way you want.”
“Can we go into your office?”
“Be my guest. The clock is running.” He had every intention of billing the asshole on top of it.
He wasn’t sure what Robin saw in Alex, but he supposed from a woman’s point of view the man was good looking. He didn’t have a hair out of place and probably used more product in it than his sister, Meena, did hers. He was wearing black pants, a white shirt and a red and black tie. Why the hell would he be wearing a tie on a day like this? He even had shoes on in the snow rather than boots.
“Figures you’d be out for money.”
“A dig at me?” Brian asked, laughing. “You’re the one who set up this appointment rather than just calling and asking to talk man to man.”
“Like you’d take my call,” Alex said once they were in his office.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re dating my wife.”
“Ex-wife that you didn’t even want.”
“I loved her. I still do.”
Those words just drove a knife in his heart. Not from jealousy but rage. “You have a funny way of showing it.”
“What does that mean?”
Brian couldn’t believe they were even having this conversation. “What is the purpose of this visit? To warn me off? Not happening.”
“I know all about you,” Alex said.
“And what’s that?” Brian asked, crossing his arms. He may be on the thin side but so was Alex and Alex was at least five inches shorter than him. Besides, Brian had always been told he was scrappy in a fight if it came down to it. Just because Troy was the muscle in their friendship, Brian the mouth, didn’t mean he couldn’t stand up for himself or didn’t have a temper when pushed.
Matter of fact the temper he had he held in because too many times in his life he spoke without thought and put his foot in his mouth.
“You’ve got a history of dating your clients.”
“Is that so?” he asked. Sure, he’d dated a few over the years but again, they came onto him. The same as Robin did. He never made the first step.
Bringing wine and chocolates with a plant to Robin’s wasn’t the first step in his mind. That was more like testing the waters. Robin was the one who made the first move. She had no problem reminding him of that too.
Even when it came time for sex, he wanted to hold off until she was positive. She was the one