I felt like an ungrateful child. I didn’t like him keeping tabs on me, but I appreciated that he was keeping tabs on Kerby.
“I won’t.”
He turned away to make his call. A few moments later he came back and sat in the chair. “He’s apparently hiding out in San Diego until the trial. He hasn’t been to Los Angeles in months.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Bran. It does make me feel better that you’re tracking him.” Still, if he was paying someone to keep eyes on Kerby, it made sense he was keeping eyes on me. “But you have to end your deal with Noel. I don’t want to live in a fishbowl. That was the whole reason why I moved out there.”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“Come on, Bran. Don’t lie to me.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “Swear to God, Harper. I have not hired St. Martin to protect you.”
I studied him looking for the truth in his eyes. “It’s too much of a coincidence that I’d buy the house you owned that just happened to be next door to a security firm CEO.”
“He’s retired.”
I thought of Mo. Had Noel retired to care for him? “I don’t buy it.”
Bran exhaled a breath. “Okay, so maybe I felt better about you living so far out in the boondocks with him next door. But the truth is, I had another reason for trying to put you two together. And in my defense, if that house wasn’t so perfect for you, I wouldn’t have done it.”
“What? What did you do?”
“I hoped that you would befriend him and soften him up a little bit, so he’d consider a business proposition.”
“A business proposition.” Of course.
“I think he'd be perfect to model the men’s watch line for Anne, just like you're the perfect model for the women's line."
My jaw dropped. "You arranged for me to move next-door to Noel so that you could get him to model watches for Anne?" That was it. Bran was certifiable.
He gave me a sheepish smile as if he knew how ludicrous that sounded.
"And Anne was on board with that?"
He shook his head. "No. She doesn't know about it."
"So, you love your wife so much that you're willing to pull off an elaborate scam —"
"It's not a scam. A scheme maybe but not a scam."
"You're willing to pull off this scheme to get her a male model, but you don't love her enough to fill her in on the truth?"
He flinched and looked down. "Look, I know this sounds like some diabolical plan, but it really isn't. I think he's perfect for the image Anne wants to convey. You know how I feel about her. Whatever she wants, I’m going to get it for her. I needed an in with Noel. When the house next to him came up for sale, I knew it was exactly what you are looking for and a great opportunity to get to know him and pitch the modeling gig. All the pieces were there, and I just went about picking them up and putting them together."
"What if I hadn't bought the house?"
He shrugged. "Still would've been a good investment. But I knew that was the house. I know you.”
I don’t know why, but his statement hit the core of me. It wasn’t like I didn’t know Bran believed he knew what was best for everyone. But I’d made my move to gain control in my life and as it turned out, I was simply maneuvered and manipulated by Bran.
Normally, I’d have an angry outburst, I emotionally fell apart. Tears streamed down my face.
Bran looked horrified as he jumped up and came to sit with me. He tried to put an arm around me, but I pushed him away, not because I didn't want comfort, but because it was embarrassing to have fallen apart like that.
"Harper. Shit, I'm sorry."
"Just give me a minute." I brushed the tears away, mortified and confused at my emotional outburst. "If you wanted help with some deal, you should’ve just asked."