“I doubt it,” he muttered and pulled away. “You can leave now.”
“Fine…fine. The date will be set this afternoon and I’ll get started on plans right away.”
Riley could only nod. He watched her walk to the door, turn back one last time with a look of sheer pleasure on her face, then leave. He let out the breath he’d been holding and collapsed on the couch. His wife. Diane Chandler, the snake in the grass, was going to be his freaking wife.
“Damn, Meredith,” he whispered, “what the hell did I just get myself into?”
***
Phoebe wasn’t sure how long she’d been staring at her computer screen. Her fingers didn’t move across the keyboard as she tried to make sense of how her morning had gone. She’d gotten the text from Ben. Then, before she’d left for work, Mitch’s cell had rung. She’d glanced at it and frowned at the name. Linda. As in the Linda Riley knew? Why would she be calling Mitch?
She’d wanted to ask him, but instead set his cell back down and hurried into her bedroom just as he’d rushed out of the bathroom and into the kitchen to grab it. Phoebe had tried to pick up on the conversation but only heard a few bits and pieces. Something about files and being sure that everything was in place for the merger about to happen. Phoebe had almost turned away at that until Mitch had grown angry.
“You tell that damn asshole that if my money is late this time, I’m going to start breaking fingers.”
There was silence before he’d muttered something else, then she heard his steps coming back down the hall. Phoebe had grabbed her purse, kissed him on the cheek, and left in a hurry after that. By the time she’d gotten to her office, her mind was coming to all sorts of conclusions, and none of them were good.
She was about to call Charlotte when the office door banged open and Diane walked in, looking as cheery as ever. “Ah, Phoebe, I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Not sure where else I would be,” she said with a smile on her face.
“Yes, well, I have great news! I’m getting married in two weeks!”
Phoebe’s heart stuttered to a stop. Two weeks. Two weeks? That was when Riley was supposed to be married by. She felt the smile start to slip from her face as Diane gloated, talking about venues and flowers and who to invite. But Phoebe blocked it all out. Why the hell would Riley marry her?
“Excuse me,” Diane snapped.
“Oh…did I say that out loud?” Phoebe whispered sheepishly.
“Yes, you did, and how dare you say such a thing!”
“I was just wondering,” Phoebe said, trying to sound innocent and failing.
“I’ll have you know, we have been an off and on couple for quite some time now,” Diane said with a huff. “He finally just came to his senses.”
Phoebe bit her tongue before she said anything else. “Sorry, I have to go meet with someone upstairs.” She pushed back from her desk and ignored Diane’s call as she rushed out the door and tried to catch her breath. Riley was getting married to that witch? Was that what Ben had said about doing something drastic?
She pulled out her cell and texted the number back: Riley is marrying Diane.
It didn’t take long before another message came through: I know, his last option.
For what? Phoebe texted back. The answer that came back was not what she expected. Diane Chandler had been Riley Marston the first’s girl before he died, and if Riley didn’t marry, everything went to her. It made sense, then, to marry her, but…why did it have to be her! Phoebe headed into the elevator, not even sure where she was going, but she found herself on the upper floor. She walked through some cubicles, trying to look like she was supposed to be there, when she caught sight of Mitch.
Mitch? They weren’t meeting today. Did he have business with Yancey? Last time she checked, none of his accounts were with this company, so why was he here?
Phoebe made sure to stay out of sight and followed him as he headed straight into Yancey’s office but left the door cracked behind him. She waited until Yancey’s assistant was looking the other way, then crept up to the doorway and listened.
“—is it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“My final payment. You skimped, didn’t you?”
Yancey laughed. “Didn’t you hear? Your services are no longer required to keep Ms. Baron out of the way. Diane has convinced the man to marry her. In two weeks, our troubles will be over.”