Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

When Jack still hadn’t heard from his sisters at 5:55, he started to get worried, but Dottie waved off his concerns.

“They’ll be here soon.” She gave him one of her knowing looks. “I sense that all is as it should be with them.”

“They’re not answering any texts or calls,” he said. “Shouldn’t they have left the spa by now? Maybe I should go by and make sure everything’s okay.” It had bothered him a little that Iris had gone off for the day without checking in with him, but he’d told himself to calm down. She was almost eighteen, and next year she’d be in college. Besides, he was happy that she wanted to hang out with his other sisters, who were, after all, mature, responsible adults. Well, Addy was most of the time. But now the party was about to start, and he still hadn’t heard from any of them.

He sent a quick text to Finn, asking if he’d talked to them. He didn’t answer, but he walked through the door about a minute later with River in tow.

“Seemed easier to answer you in person,” Finn said.

Both of the men were dressed in gray suits, although Jack noticed that River’s looked more fitted than the one he’d worn to the will reading back in June. Georgie’s influence, no doubt. He couldn’t help smiling a little at that. In many ways, large and small, his relationship with Georgie had made him into a better man.

A lot like Maisie’s influence was making Jack a better man. More grounded and happier. The urge to carve out a place for himself had driven him to Asheville, but when he was with Maisie, he didn’t feel like he needed to carve or gouge or fight. He felt like he fit. He felt like he could finally just be.

Now that his anger and resentment had eased, all that was left was a sharp ache in his chest, along with the fear that he’d just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him. A lump filled his throat. River gave him an apologetic look and was opening his mouth to speak when Georgie, Adalia, and Iris rushed into the room. All three had on dresses and heels, but it was their elaborate updos that caught his attention.

“Oh, my dears,” Dottie gasped with tears in her eyes as she clasped her hands together. “You look beautiful.”

Iris caught Jack’s eye and winked, a signal they had developed from enduring life with their mother— Have I got a story to tell you.

She looked beautiful in her dark blue dress. And so grown up. And her hair—along with his other sisters’—looked better suited for a wedding than an engagement party. The way Adalia kept lifting her hand to her hair and wincing suggested that she was less than thrilled with it. Then again, she had short hair, and it would take many, many pins to hold it up like that, so maybe she was wincing from pain.

“Sorry we’re late!” Georgie said as River walked over to intercept her.

“Everything okay?” he asked, wrapping his arm around her back in such a protective way, Jack felt like a Peeping Tom to their tenderness.

“It was crazy,” Georgie said with a nervous laugh. “I almost felt like we were being held hostage.” She shot an accusatory glance at Dottie. “Especially since Dottie suggested we bring our clothes just in case the appointment ran long.”

Dottie beamed. “You of all people know the importance of being prepared.” She gave a slight nod. “You’re welcome.”

Finn was staring at Adalia in amazement and reached out a tentative hand to touch her hair.

She slapped his hand away. “Don’t you dare. There’s so much hair spray holding all of this up, I’ll fall over if it gets unbalanced.”

“I wanted to call so you wouldn’t worry, Jack,” Iris said, looking guilty. “But they took our phones and then they couldn’t find them when it was time to go. We still don’t have them.”

He pulled her into a hug. She’d looked so happy and confident when she walked in, and now she seemed nervous. He hated for anything to steal her joy, especially him. “I’m just glad you’re here and that you had a fun day.” He pulled back to study her face. “You had a good day, right?”

Her eyes lit up. “The best. You’ll never believe what happened.” She glanced at a Buchanan employee walking toward them. “But I’ll tell you later. It’s going to take a while to explain the ostrich.”

He would have loved the distraction from worrying about Maisie, but a staffer pulled him away to deal with an issue in the kitchen. By the time he returned, some of the guests had arrived and were getting drinks at the bar. So far, there was no sign of the New York Buchanans, and he wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or relieved.

Iris’s forehead furrowed. “Are you okay? You look upset.”

He gave her a weak smile. “Long day.”

She glanced around the room. “Where’s Maisie?”

“Not here yet. I had to set up, so I’ve been here for a few hours. She’s coming on her own.” Which had been the original plan, but now he wondered if she’d skip the party to avoid seeing him. They’d left things badly, after all, and she knew as well as he did there would be plenty of drama to go around tonight.

A little voice in his head, the one that gave voice to all his doubts, whispered that maybe she’d been looking for an excuse to skip it. Even if Dottie was right and Maisie was mostly beyond the whole River thing, it might still bother her to see him officially move on. Except she’d shown no hesitation when they’d talked about the party earlier. No hint of regret either. Which meant if she missed the party, it was likely because of him. He pulled out his phone to text her, to tell her that she didn’t need to stay away on his account. That he wanted her there. That he was desperate to talk to her and set things right.

But he’d only made it halfway through typing out a lengthy text that would have made Finn proud when Prescott and Victoria entered the room. Victoria’s nose scrunched up as she surveyed the space, making it clear she found it lacking. Prescott marched right up to Georgie, ignoring the fact that she and River were in the middle of a conversation with another couple, and demanded, “Where is your brother?”

Georgie’s mouth dropped open and she glanced to the side, her gaze landing on Jack.

“Not him,” Prescott said in an icy tone. “Your real brother.”

Jack flinched. He didn’t give a shit what Prescott thought, but he was still sensitive to the opinions of his newly acquainted siblings.

“I have two real brothers,” Georgie retorted. “One of whom has gone above and beyond to make this evening special for River and me. If you wish to have a discussion about our family, then it can wait until later.” Then she turned back to the couple they’d been talking to, who looked understandably uncomfortable, and said, “I’m sorry, where were we?”

Prescott looked stunned that one of his children could dismiss him so efficiently, but Victoria wrapped her hand around his upper arm and tugged him toward the bar. “Come, Pressy. Let’s get a drink.”

Pressy? The way she clung to him, the way she looked at him so adoringly…how had no one seen the signs that they were sleeping together? Maybe Lee had seen them and dismissed them. It had to be hard to believe your own father would betray you that way, although Jack was only guessing. He wouldn’t put it past Prescott to try to sleep with Maisie, if for no other reason than to hurt and humiliate him.

The thought of Prescott with Maisie was both nauseating and hilarious. Maisie had the best bullshit meter of anyone he’d ever met. One attempt to touch her, let alone kiss her, and she’d knee Prescott in the balls. He almost wished the fool would try it.

His lips twitched with a smile. God, he loved her fieriness.

But then he quickly sobered. If he loved that side of her, why had he held it against her in their argument this morning?

Prescott and Victoria got their drinks—a glass of wine for both, not that Jack was surprised—and moved to a high top table in the corner, surveying the room like they were a king and queen sitting on a dais. It astounded Jack that Prescott could act so high and mighty knowing that he was in deep trouble with the law, but then again, Beau had always been there to bail him out in the past. Who did he expect to bail him out this time?

A cold chill washed through him when he realized Prescott was now watching his oldest daughter like a stalker.

Was Prescott going to ask Georgie for help? If that was Prescott’s plan, he was going to crash and burn, which gave Jack far more satisfaction than it should. Georgie may have sought his approval in the past, but Addy had told him their sister had grown since coming to Asheville.

About twenty minutes into the party, Jack was talking to Finn and Addy and a couple who worked at Big Catch (and had apparently forgiven Finn) when Maisie and her friend Blue walked into the events room.

Maisie stopped in the entrance and scanned the space, her gaze locking on Jack.

His mouth went dry, and his vision tunneled as he took her in. She looked sexy as hell in a slinky green dress that clung to every delicious curve. Her hair was loose, the curls brushing her shoulders and making him think of how he’d kissed that exact spot the night before. Then his gaze dipped to her legs, and he smiled a little when he saw she was wearing clogs. Maisie O’Shea was the only woman he knew who could wear them and still look so hot.

His gaze lifted to her expressionless face, and he took a step toward her. But River beat him to it and engulfed her in a hug. “There you are! I thought you were going to ditch me again.”

It stung to see River touch her, hold her, even though he released her and immediately wrapped an arm around Georgie’s waist. Did it still hurt Maisie to see them together? To witness their happiness from the outside? He couldn’t tell from her expression. Then again, even though she was talking to them, her gaze was on him .

“You’re the one she wants,” Addy whispered next to him, and he realized he’d been flat out staring. When he glanced down at her, she added, “Finn told me about your fight.” She shrugged with an apologetic grin. “He held out for a few hours, which has to be some kind of record for him, but he’s an incurable blabbermouth.”

“That’s okay. I’ve never been a fan of secrets.” Which was why he felt so uneasy about the ones he’d shared with his brother. “Have you talked to Lee today?”

She frowned. “No, and I’m actually starting to get a little worried.”

Jack was too. “He and I discussed something important this morning, and I’d hoped he’d talk to you and Georgie about it before the party. But obviously it would have been impossible for him to get a hold of you.”

She cast a glance at Victoria and frowned. “Ol’ Vicky was losing her mind this morning. I can’t decide if she was actually worried, or just pissed she wasn’t controlling Lee’s every move.”

“Probably a combination of both,” Jack said dryly, watching Maisie and Blue as they left River and Georgie and joined the line at the bar. “Only not how you think.”

“What’s that mean?”

He pushed out a sigh. “I’ll tell you and Georgie everything, but not until later. I don’t want to ruin her night.”

“You mean Georgie and River’s night.”

He made a face.

“She wants you , Jack. I’ve seen it for months.” She paused, then lowered her voice. “I think she loves you.”

He loved her too, but he still felt unsettled, as if he’d been given the gift of his dreams on Christmas morning, only to find someone else’s name crossed out on the tag. But he knew that was his own insecurities talking. He would get over them, but he wouldn’t get over losing her. He couldn’t let that happen.

Adalia put a hand on his arm. “You should talk to her.”

“But the party—”

“We’ll hold down the fort,” she said. “Trust me, Georgie would rather see you happy than have the perfect party.” She smiled up at him, and for a second he flashed back to the will reading. To the way Adalia had spoken about him and not to him. They’d come such a long way, and he couldn’t believe how he’d lucked out in the sister department.

“Okay.” He squared his shoulders and started toward Maisie, still unsure of what to say. He only knew he didn’t want to be at odds with her a second longer.

But as he started across the room, Lee walked in wearing the same clothes he’d worn the night before. His hair looked like he’d repeatedly run his hands through it.

Oh shit. This did not bode well.

Prescott’s back stiffened when he saw him, and he shot a dark, accusatory glare at Jack.

The asshole could go stuff himself. Jack was more concerned about Georgie.

Lee headed over to Georgie and grabbed her shoulders. “I love you, Georgie. You marry the man you love, you hear me?”

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. “Thank you…?”

Then she waved her hand in front of her face.

Lee turned to face River. “But I still want you to sign those damn papers, because it’s not just about Georgie here. It’s about protecting Addy and Jack too.”

River turned serious. “I would never hurt Addy or Jack. I have no problem signing.”

Jack was stunned, both because River had been so quick to accept the request, and because Lee had expressed concern for him for the first time.

“Have you been drinking ?” Georgie asked, then threw a panicked look toward her sister. “Why don’t you go sit down with Addy and we’ll talk later, okay?”

As much as Jack wanted to talk to Maisie, he needed to deal with this situation first. He hurried over and grabbed Lee’s right arm, nearly keeling over from the alcohol stench, and tried to steer him toward a high top table in the back of the room.

A server walked by, and Jack snagged her as she passed. “Chelsea, bring us a cup of coffee as soon as you can get to it.” He shot a glance at the wobbling Lee. “Actually, make it a carafe.”

Chelsea took one look at Lee, then rushed out of the room.

“Oh, my God,” Addy said, taking Lee’s arm on the other side. “Are you drunk ? I’ve never seen you like this.”

“You’re just the person I need to talk to,” Lee said, craning his neck to face her and nearly falling from the abrupt motion. “Georgie too, but she’s busy.”

“Now isn’t a good time,” Jack said, tightening his grip. “Let’s wait until later.”

“But you said I needed to be the one to tell them,” Lee said, slurring his words. “The FBI agent thought so too.”

Addy gasped. “Lee, are you in trouble ?”

“He’s going to be in trouble if he ruins Georgie and River’s party,” Maisie said, sweeping in. She gently pushed Addy out of the way and took Lee’s arm in a tight grip. “I’m having a severe case of déjà vu. Jack, what do you say we take your brother outside to get some fresh air before he wrecks another pair of innocent shoes?”

His heart rate had picked up, and even though his focus should have been on Lee and the unfolding chaos, he couldn’t help but be excited that Maisie had come over to help.

“Addy,” Maisie said, “can you get your brother a cup of black coffee?”

“Already on it,” Jack said.

Maisie gave him a dark grin, then turned to Adalia. “Jack and I have Lee covered. You make sure your dad and Vic- tor -ia don’t ruin the party over this.” When Adalia hesitated, Maisie said, “We know what’s going on. He’s okay. Trust us?”

“Okay,” Adalia said reluctantly.

The fear in her eyes ripped a hole in Jack’s heart. He wanted to reassure her, but he couldn’t. The situation was as bad as she was imagining. For now, the less he said, the better.

Jack and Maisie escorted Lee out the back door and into the alley.

“It stinks out here,” Lee said, his nose wrinkling.

“Yeah,” Maisie said. “Kind of like you. I take it from the fact you’re wearing the clothes you had on last night that you haven’t had a shower today?”

“No time,” he mumbled, then pulled away from them, pacing in anxious circles near the dumpster.

“You’re going to fall, Lee,” Jack said. “Why don’t you sit down for a minute or just lean up against the wall?”

Lee shook his head. “No. I have to talk to Georgie and Addy. I have to warn them about the FBI.”

“You talked to the FBI?” Maisie asked, her eyes wide.

“I called them.” Lee held up his hand, using his thumb and index finger to mimic a phone. “They were super eager to talk to me. Flew right down even.”

Jack’s stomach dropped. “Oh shit.”

This must be really bad.

“I made a deal,” Lee said with a laugh. “If you’d told me yesterday whether I’d be making a deal with the FBI to turn on my father, I would have called you a lying asshole.”

“You actually did call me an asshole,” Jack said dryly.

Lee stopped and gave him a blank look. “Oh, yeah. Huh.”

“We need to get him home,” Maisie said under her breath. She was shivering from the cold. “Or at least to the Buchanan house.”

“Good idea,” Jack said. “You’re freezing, so you go inside and I’ll take him.”

“They need you inside,” she said. “You’re the man who planned all of this.” She waved back at the brewery. “I’m expendable.”

“You’re not expendable, Maisie,” he said, his voice breaking. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but he didn’t want to get into it with Drunk Lee about to barf again. “I’ll deal with this mess.”

“Alone?” she asked in an accusatory tone.

“You look way too gorgeous in that sexier-than-hell dress to be dealing with a drunk, but I do want to talk about what happened. Look, Maisie, I’ve been—”

He was about to say miserable, but Chelsea opened the back door carrying a tray with a carafe and several coffee cups.

“Adalia told me you were back here. I have your coffee,” she said as she glanced around as though trying to decide what the hell was happening and if she should set it on the ground or on the dumpster.

But Lee took advantage of the open door and rushed through the opening faster than Jack would have expected from the intoxicated man.

Jack and Maisie raced after him, but by the time they reached him, he was already in the event room, confronting his father and Victoria.

“Lee,” Victoria whisper-shouted, even though everyone could hear her. “You’re drunk. You need to go back to the hotel and wait for me. You can apologize for everything later.”

“And sit on the bed where you screwed my father?” he bellowed. “No, thanks.”

There were several audible gasps, including from Georgie, who stood near the appetizer table.

Victoria’s face paled. “What in God’s name are you talking about?”

Lee reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded wad of photographs. He tossed them onto the table in front of his father. “This should explain it.”

Victoria shot Prescott a panicked look that suggested Prescott had kept quiet about his dinner with Dottie. She clearly didn’t know news of their affair had gotten out. Her eyes flew wide as she opened one of the photos.

“That proves nothing,” Prescott said in a bored tone. “I have a sex life. I’m allowed to sleep with women.”

“You can sleep with other women, yes, but it’s generally frowned upon to sleep with your son’s girlfriend,” Lee said.

“That’s not me,” Victoria said, taking a step backward as though the photos would bite her.

“I recognized that little mole, Victoria ,” Lee slurred. “The one on your back with the hair that grows out of it.”

“My mole does not have a hair in it!” she shouted.

Lee released a harsh laugh. “Of course you’d deny the hair before denying you slept with my father. I knew you were screwing someone, but I figured you’d keep it out of my family.”

Her eyes were wide, and Jack could practically see her flipping through her mental Rolodex of options.

“It was only one time,” she said, tears pooling in her eyes. “It was a mistake, Lee-lee. I’ve regretted it ever since.”

“That’s bullshit and we both know it.” Lee pointed at the photos. “Take a look. They’re from different days.”

“Okay, twice.”

“Try again.”

She winced. “Three times, but I was drunk and he took advantage of me the last time.”

“You were more than willing every time,” Prescott said.

“You thought you were just screwing him,” Lee said, laughing, then shook his head. “But the truth is you’re both screwed.”

Prescott’s face turned a dark red. “What have you done, Junior?”

“You were going to let me take the fall, but I turned it all around on you,” Lee said. “Right now, the FBI is going through our offices.”

“They can’t do that,” Prescott said, but uncertainty filled his eyes.

“They can if you give them permission, which I did only a few hours ago.”

Prescott’s face paled, and Victoria looked like she was about to pass out. But then Prescott’s anger returned with a vengeance.

“What the hell have you done?”

“For once in my life, I made my own decision. Have a nice life in prison. Both of you.” Then he turned around and headed for the exit, plowing into Blue.

She nearly fell over, but he grabbed her arms and kept her upright.

“Hey,” he said, his eyes lighting up. “I know you.”

A wry look twisted her mouth. “Don’t throw up on me this time.”

He made a face. “Then maybe I should leave.”

Before anyone could stop him, he ran for the door.