“So, how long are you staying?” I only realized how rude I sounded the moment my words had left my mouth. But it was the only one question that mattered, because, in the end, I couldn’t wait to get rid of them. Luckily for me, my visitors didn’t seem to notice.
“Just for tonight,” Shannon said, turning to Clint as though for approval. He nodded, and she continued, “We thought we might stop by. Tomorrow we’ll be heading for Vegas to two days before returning to Hawaii for sailing.” She patted his arm. “He bought a new yacht. You have to see it. It’s gorgeous.”
Gambling, glitz, and glamour—Clint definitely knew how to do those things.
“Sounds great.” Jude said with a saccharine smile on her lips that screamed sarcasm. “Why don’t you guys make yourself comfortable while Laurie and I get you a drink?”
Without waiting for anyone’s reply, she dragged me out the door to the kitchen and closed the door behind her. “Barbie seems nice,” she said as she began to prepare her trademark café macchiato.
“Yeah.”
They all played nice…until they thought Clint was all theirs. Then the claws came out, and with the claws came the bitchiness and the possessiveness and the drama. Clint was all theirs…only he wasn’t. And when they finally realized he had played them all along and never meant to commit to any of them, they were in shambles.
I had watched it for years, vowing never to trust men or relationships in general. Men were like poison, slowly creeping into your soul and destroying you from within. Clint was the best example. I had done well without a man and I wanted it to stay that way, which was one of the reasons I would not let myself get too close to Chase.
“This one seems to be a keeper,” Jude continued. “They’ve been together for—what?”
“One year.”
Jude let out a low whistling sound. “A gold-digging keeper.”
In spite of my gloomy mood, I found myself smiling. “He’ll get rid of her soon,” I said.
“I’m not so sure about that.” Jude smirked. “Did you see the way he looks at her? She’s almost our age. And he bought a yacht. I bet it was to impress her.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged and placed a few doughnuts on a plate, then set the plate on the coffee tray. Usually, I wasn’t one to play the hostess type, serving coffee and cake, but I could tell Shannon was a worshipper of the no-carb diet. If I had to endure a few days in their presence, I figured I might as well try to have fun doing it.
“Come on before they come chasing after us.” I grabbed the tray and headed back into the lions’ den.
Chapter 9
“It’s a beautiful place,” Shannon said upon my entering. “Thanks for inviting us into your home. To be honest, we didn’t expect it.”
Neither did I, but life was full of surprises.
Usually, I didn’t agree to meet up, and particularly not in my apartment. But after my call and the brief announcement of my engagement, Clint had been unusually persistent until I caved in eventually in the hope that by agreeing I’d have him off my back soon enough.
“You’re welcome.” I placed the tray on the coffee table and began handing out dessert plates and coffee cups, all the while watching Shannon’s dismal expression as she spied the doughnuts.
“Have one. They’re the best in town.” I handed the plate with chocolate-covered doughnuts toward Clint, who helped himself to one, and then turned my gaze to Shannon. Beneath her tan, her face had turned an ashen shade, and I figured in her head she probably believed even looking at sugar would make her fat.
“Great.” She drew out the word beyond recognition as she stared at the doughnut like the devil was about to tempt her.
For a second, silence ensued, and then she turned to Clint. “Darling, think about your cholesterol. I’m sure Laurie won’t be upset, since she didn’t know.”
“Sorry, Laurie,” Clint said, handing his plate back to me. “Doctor’s orders.”
She shot me a triumphant smile. No arguing, no dictating to him what to do, just plain old manipulation. She was definitely smarter than the rest of his floozies. I had to give her that. I decided to play along.
“It’s okay. It’s not like I made them myself.” I took a sip of my hot coffee, ignoring the stinging burn. “Why the sudden need to see me?”
Clint laughed, the sound embarrassingly fake. “Why, do I need a reason to see my only daughter? Congratulations are in order for your recent engagement.”
Stepdaughter, I wanted to add. And without my mother’s money, he would have had nothing. Been nothing. He would have still been working in car sales rather than living off her wealth and luxury, of which I had nothing.