Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
I shook my head and reached into the drawer, handing her an envelope. “I, ah, had ordered a second debit card for you before all this happened. It gives you access to my accounts. It’s active, and you can use it now.” I held up my hand to stop her protests. “Please, let me take care of you. We are married after all.” I nudged her foot with mine. “We consummated it and everything.”
She rolled her eyes, and I snickered, before becoming serious. “We’ll let the lawyers straighten everything out. What’s mine is yours.”
“Then what’s mine is yours as well,” she insisted.
“I know that. You need to accept this—” I held up the card “—and use it for whatever you need. Clothes, shoes, girly shit…whatever. We’ll figure it all out and get you cards with your married name on them. Assuming you want to change your name?”
“Yes, I do. I want to belong to you in every way.”
I ran my finger down her cheek. “So do I. Alexandra Kincaid. It’s got a nice ring to it.”
She smiled. “Yes, it does.”
“All right.” I winked. “Maybe you’d like to stock up on some pretty lingerie, Mrs. Kincaid. You do have a long honeymoon coming up.”
A mischievous smile curved her lips. “Is that the only thing…coming up, Mr. Kincaid?”
I dragged her onto my lap, laughing.
“Nope,” I growled, covering her mouth with mine.
I’d show her what else was coming up.
Repeatedly.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
Ally wrapped her hand around the door handle of the car, and she hesitated. “Maybe only an hour.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
She paused again. I ran my fingers along her neck. “You know, I’d like to see Vivian.”
Her expression was filled with relief. “Yeah?”
“I know Sean would love to finally meet you.”
“Are we being ridiculous?”
I shrugged. “I don’t care. If we want to stay together, we can. We can try tomorrow or the next day to do things without each other—or next week. But for today, I’d feel better being beside you.” I hesitated, my voice gruffer when I spoke again. “I was without you for too long to have to apologize for wanting to be with you now.”
“Me too.”
“Okay. Vivian first, Sean next. Then we’ll do our errands—the lawyer and shopping.”
“You forgot the license.”
I shook my head, lifted her hand, and kissed it. “That isn’t an errand. That’s the highlight of my afternoon.” I winked. “I don’t think I have to tell you the highlight of the morning.”
“Your sandwich?” she replied, smiling widely.
I laughed. “My Ally sandwich, yes. You were as tasty as I remembered.”
Her cheeks flushed and I chuckled. “You go get Vivian. I’ll park and be right behind you.”
“Okay.”
Vivian was shocked when Ally told her the story. She shook her head in disbelief.
“Oh Alex, how terrible.” She clasped her hand. “I’m so glad you remembered. I wish I’d met you sooner. Been part of your memories and could have helped Adam find you.”
Ally smiled. “It feels as if you’ve been in my life longer than you have, Vivian. You were my favorite boss. When you took over running the ER, it got so much better.”
“Will you be back?” Vivian asked hopefully.
Ally shook her head, meeting my eyes. I lifted Ally’s hand and kissed the knuckles.
“I’m taking her away, Vivian. For a long time. Any place she wants to go, that’s where we’ll go. We need to get away from here for a while and heal. Both of us.”
Vivian smiled. “I understand. But your job is there if you ever want it. I’d hire you in a heartbeat.”
Ally grinned. “A good backup plan.”
“One you won’t need,” I murmured.
She met my eyes, her expression soft. “No, I won’t.”
Ally’s low laughter across the room made me pause in my discussion with Sean and look over. She was being entertained by not only Chris but Tommy as well. They were showing her some pictures and, no doubt, telling stories of me from the times we had worked together. She was in the same room and I could see her, so I was relaxed.
Sean grinned as he looked between us. “It’s good to see you look like this, Adam.”
“Feels good too.”
“She’s lovely.”
I grinned. “I know.”
“I can’t believe all the shit her mother pulled.”
My expression darkened. “She’s a piece of work. I hope she pays.”
He regarded me silently for a minute. “You know, I’ve heard rumors.”
“Oh?”
“I was having dinner the other day with some friends. Ronald’s name came up.”
I moved forward, suddenly very interested. “Do tell.”
“It seems Mr. Givens has been doing a bad job lately of managing his affairs—his business is in trouble.”
I drew in a sharp breath. “Meaning?”
He shrugged. “Bad decisions and management, investments going south. The rumor is he is on the brink of disaster.”
Ronald’s absence and the strange look on Sarah’s face last night suddenly made sense.
“Could just be that—rumors,” I mused.
He shrugged. “My sources are well-connected. Rumors tend to have some truth behind them. I saw him a few weeks ago while I was out of town at some meetings. I went down to the bar to have a drink, and he was there.” He sat back. “He didn’t see me, but I saw him.”