Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
His first instinct had been to jump over the damn desk and kiss the hell out of the man. He wanted to ask if he’d seen a newspaper or watched any of the local channels recently. To find out if anyone had told him about the city’s fascination with Chief Finn’s mystery romance.
He must know. And if that was true, Solomon had gotten his reply loud and clear. Despite his declaration, Hugo still didn’t want anything to do with him.
He was a stubborn bastard, he knew that about himself. But eventually, even he had to take no for an answer.
That was a no. Game over.
Unfortunately, his insane Irish cousin hadn’t gotten the family memo about giving the Waynes a wider berth while Solomon recovered. Even Thoreau had been conspicuously absent whenever he went to the pub.
Maybe he feels sorry for you.
No maybe about it. Everyone did.
Everyone except William, who’d decided that since he didn’t have anything better to do, he’d trick Hugo’s inebriated sister into getting married.
“Look, you lot have had your fun and all, but I’ve got a honeymoon to get started.”
William was surrounded by a group of grown men whose jaws simultaneously dropped at his declaration.
Solomon slammed his hands on the table in front of him. “There isn’t going to be a honeymoon, Billy. Never. Going. To. Happen. She’s spent the last hour recovering from a hangover and crying her heart out in my office. Hugo just came to take her home.”
William tried to stand but a hand on his shoulder kept him locked in the hot seat. “She’s crying? The last time I saw her she was spitting fire and knocking my block off.”
Solomon hung his head in frustration. “Did you finally take one too many hits to the head? Of course she was crying. She got drunk and married a strange man in search of a green card. Bronte is a smart, successful, beautiful woman. She’s family. She isn’t a mark. You took advantage and you know it. If you want to stay out of prison and on this side of the damn pond, at least own up to it.”
A flicker of guilt sparked in his light blue gaze. “I knew her margarita made her more amenable to me than she’d been the last few times we’d met.”
“Few?” Solomon interrupted. “Did you see her after you blew up my dishwasher and broke my arm?”
“That wasn’t my fault.” William swore then looked down at his fingernails. “After that fight a few weeks ago. I needed stitches.”
“Bronte was your Florence Nightingale?”
He nodded grimly. “She was. She’s just so passionate. She gets this crinkle between her brows when she’s mad that…” He looked around at the men watching him and sighed in defeat. “I may have taken advantage of the situation.”
Uncle Shawn covered his face with his hand. “Your grandfather is going to get on a plane for the first time in his life just to throw a plate at my head.”
“Who needs to wait for that?” Brady interrupted, staring at William in dismay. “As soon as Thoreau finds out a Finn tricked his sister into holy matrimony, we’ll never be able to drink at the family pub again. Talk about poisoning the well.”
Solomon met Brady’s gaze. “None of us says a word. Bronte made me promise that Hugo is the only Wayne who gets this information. So until we can start the annulment paperwork everyone needs to take an oath of silence right here and now.”
“Annulment? We just got married, and now you want us to get it annulled?”
“I don’t want it, I demand it,” Solomon growled in warning as he pounded his fist into the table to drive the point home.
“It’s not your marriage on the line,” William argued hotly.
“I’m the reason the two of you met. This is my fault, and I’m not willing to be responsible for any more pain to Hugo’s family.”
“Son, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Shawn said soothingly. “This is all William’s fault.”
“Gee thanks.” William glared up at his older relative. “I appreciate the touching sentiment.”
“I don’t know if an immediate annulment is the best idea.”
Everyone turned to look at Ken at the same time. “He’s renewed his visa multiple times now, and without an actual job—”
“I work plenty.”
Solomon snarled. “Let the adults talk, Billy. And don’t make me think about how you get paid and why.”
Ken was watching William with a thoughtful expression. “With the current climate, it might be better not to draw attention to his status with more paperwork. Not until I can talk to some of my old connections.”
Solomon knew Ken still worked for the feds on occasion. He was too good at what he did for them to cut all ties. “Bronte will want this to happen as quickly as possible.”
Ken tilted his head, thinking. “Maybe there’s an alternate solution. Seamus and I have a friend that might have work for your cousin. It would take him out of town and get him out of Bronte’s hair for a while.”