Abigail coughs. “I’m not really that interested. I’m just there as a helping hand. Besides, Orchard is like the little sister I never had. It’s nice spending time with her.” There’s a hint of loneliness in her voice. I wish she didn’t miss her brother, but I know she does.
“If you’re interested, let me know. I’m sure there’s a competitor that I can scrounge up for you.”
“I’m not going to go into business against my friend,” Abigail chides me.
“It’s nothing personal, baby.”
“Orchard would think it was personal and so would I. You men are so ruthless with each other. I can’t believe Kale still talks to you after you bought the biotech firm he wanted.”
“Blank’s better at managing other people’s money than owning businesses. He should be grateful I saved him the headache.”
“He banned you from poker games for a month and didn’t let you back in until you bought him that limited edition Maserati.”
“Come to think of it, he might be too emotional for Wall Street. I’ll tell him you said so. I’m meeting him for racquetball tomorrow.”
Abigail punches me in the arm. “You will do no such thing.”
I pretend she’s hurt me. “Wow. I had no idea you were so protective of Kale Blank. You’re going to have to prove your loyalty to me tonight or I’m going to go to bed with hurt feelings.”
“You’re questioning my loyalty now? How did we even get here?” Abigail cries in mock anger.
I lean close and give her sweet mouth a kiss. “I would never question your loyalty.”
“Better not,” she replies. I give her another quick kiss and sit back. As I pick up my fork again, she says, “Speaking of loyalty, did you know Orchard and Heath don’t have a prenup? That’s unusual, isn’t it?”
I shrug. “I suppose it is, but we don’t have one, either.”
“We don’t?”
“Of course not.” I wipe a napkin across my mouth and wonder what brought this on. I know she hasn’t been in contact with her brother or Layla, her bodyguard, would have said something.
“You had me sign a bunch of documents at the wedding.”
I frown. “And you thought one of those was a prenup? They were beneficiary forms so that if I passed, my assets would flow directly to you.”
“Oh.”
“Baby. I want you to have all my money. What’s the point of making it if you can’t spend it?” I grab her hand. “You know that, right?”
“I do,” she replies, but there’s something in her voice, some weird note that I can’t make out that sets my teeth on edge. I give myself an internal shake. There’s nothing wrong here. Teddy’s visit is just screwing with my perception. I give her hand a squeeze.
“Good. Eat up and let’s go home.”
Chapter 6
Abigail
“You should have Layla take you home,” Con says when I let out another yawn.
“You’re the reason I was up most of the night.” I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss. We’re outside his office building. I popped in to have lunch with him but Con ended up eating me instead. My husband really is insatiable. I’m not complaining in the least. I crave him as much as he does me.
“I don’t remember you complaining.” He smirks, being cocky, but I can’t knock him for that. He has reason to be. Neither one of us has ever been with anyone besides each other. We have nothing to compare our sex to but I have no doubt that sex is the one department we never fall short in.
Another reason I feel like I should have been pregnant by now. I know it’s not for lack of trying. Which makes me think that there’s something wrong with me. I don’t know why I always think something is wrong with me but I can’t help it.
“I’ll see you at home.” I give him another quick kiss, dropping my arms from around him, but he doesn’t let me go. “You have racquetball and I told Orchard I’d stop by again today.”
“You’ve been going there every day.” He almost pouts, making me laugh.
“It’s not like I have anything better to do.” He has his future business plans already mapped out while I’m kind of in limbo. I’m not doing what I thought I would be doing at this point in my life. When the finance company I worked for merged with another and moved last year, I didn’t go with them. I didn’t care for the new ownership.
Then I toyed with the idea of finding something new, but Con and I decided it wouldn’t make sense. What would have been the point in starting with a new company if I was actively trying to get pregnant? It would have been unfair to that company to do that. Little did I know that getting pregnant wasn’t in the immediate future for me.