Page 55 of The Merger
Colt nodded. “He’s a good guy. Very pragmatic, but I’m realizing he’s a workaholic. He loves her, I won’t say he doesn’t, but I’m just now realizing there’s more than one way someone can be neglected.”
The mood was brought down after Colter’s revelation. I needed to make her feel seen, but I didn’t know how. Until I was able to do that, I wasn’t sure we could expand our relationship beyond the physical.
Beck waved down the waiter. “We’re going to need another round.”
More drinks were brought to the table, and the awkward silence stretched longer. I tipped my glass back swallowing two fingers of scotch in one scorching mouthful. “I appreciate you helping me convince Sabrina to give our marriage a chance. I assume you’ll come up with some suggestions on how to do that?”
Colter and Beck shared a look, then turned to face me in unison. Colter cleared his throat. “Surprise vacation.”
“I’m sorry, did you say ‘surprise vacation’?” I clarified. “That sounds a lot like abduction.”
Beck bobbed his head. “It sounds like that because it is.”
I scratched my head. “You guys are insane. I’m not abducting my wife.”
Colt shrugged. “Don’t knock it. How else are you supposed to make them listen?”
God help me, they were starting to make sense. How much had I had to drink?
“You look skeptical, but that’s how I won Evie back,” Beckett said, taking a healthy swig from his glass.
“I haven’t heard this story yet,” I said and waved down the waiter for another round. If I was going to fall down this hole, I was going to do it sloshed.
“Evie and I didn’t have the best start,” Beck started.
Colt laughed. “You can say that again.” He jerked his thumb at Beck. “He hired her to be his assistant and his girlfriend. Then he knocked her up and accused her of cheating with me.”
I choked on an ice cube. “But you’re her father.”
“Yeah, that was an interesting paternity test,” Colt said, draining his glass.
“But you didn’t—”
Colt shook his head vigorously. “Gross. No, from the moment I met her there was this feeling.” He rubbed the center of his chest. “I felt very protective of her. Of course, I classified it as a big brotherly vibe before we took the paternity test.”
“And that’s how we both found out we were fathers on the same day,” Beck finished.
The waiter handed me another glass, and I took another drink. It didn’t burn like the first few did. “How in the hell do you come back from asking the mother of your child if she was having an affair with her father?”
“I tricked her into going to my cabin to get away, and left her there with Beck and no way to leave,” Colt said.
Another drink. Yep, no more burn. “That sounds—really weird actually. Why would you do that?”
“For the same reason I took Jana to a private island when she tried to divorce me,” Colt replied.
Maybe the rest of my Scotch would help me understand this. “That makes absolutely no sense. How did any of that help you keep your wives? Did you not try talking to them?”
They both looked at me like I was stupid. “What happens when you try to talk to Sabrina?” Beck asked.
“She runs, doesn’t she?” Colt chimed in.
When did my glass get empty? “She doesn’t run out of the room or anything, but any time things get emotional she initiates sex.”
Colt stared into his empty glass. “I’m going to need a lot more to drink for this conversation.”
Beck signaled for the waiter again. “I think you should just leave the bottle.”
“Can you feel your lips?” I asked after several more glasses.