Page 57 of Forever Yours
“We’ve been going through the guest list for the wedding and we’re at an impasse at one person.” Prudence paused, letting the suspense build. “Wyatt Reed.”
“The golden boy himself,” Annabelle stated.
“Why would you not invite Wyatt Reed?” Devlin asked. “He does seem like a great guy.”
Prudence took a sip of her wine before explaining. “You know that before Grey and I got together, he had quite the reputation as a loose cannon.”
“We know now that wasn’t true, though,” Devlin clarified.
“Yes, for the most part, but Wyatt and Grey ran in the same circles until one day Wyatt stopped being a hellion and overnight turned himself into this…paragon of society. He started acting like a monk, serene and unflappable, and the press couldn’t understand what was happening, so they took it out on Grey, making everything he did seem one thousand times worse than it was all while letting Wyatt wear a saintly halo.”
“You are still sound miffed about this,” Annabelle pointed out.
“A little,” Prudence shrugged. “On Grey’s behalf, since once Wyatt did his one-eighty Grey’s life got a lot more complicated.”
“It doesn’t seem fair to blame Wyatt for how the press treated Grey. He, after all, was not a saint.” Devlin took a sip of her wine, savoring the break in Annabelle’s scrutiny.
“I know all this,” Prudence affirmed. “I tried to explain it to Grey but he still doesn’t want to invite him.”
“Is there a reason he has to?” Annabelle asked.
“Not one in particular. I do want him to move past all that and bury the hatchet before he gets too far removed from Hollywood and spends the rest of his life nursing this one beef.” Prudence waited a beat before continuing. “Plus, I’d like to be able to watch a Wyatt Reed movie without the guilt or getting a lecture on how everything he does is just for show.”
“Yeah, but it can’t be just for show,” Devlin stated. “The tabloids would’ve found something on him if there was something to find.”
“I think that’s what kills Grey the most. That he did change.” Prudence picked up her menu and flipped it open. “I’ll talk to him again tonight, since we need to get the invitations sent ASAP. Now, I’m starving, are their new lunch specials out?”
Devlin’s mouth started to water as she looked over her menu. “Yes they are, and I’ve been waiting for them to put the rib-eye on the menu.”
“You haven’t been eating enough meat this last week, Dev?” Annabelle questioned just as their usual waiter, an old man named Jason, sidled up to the table. Jason had started around the time Prudence and Greyson had gotten together and he was more than used to walking up to the table just as one of them dropped a ribald comment. The only thing that gave away that he’d heard anything was the slight uptick to his mouth, just as it was doing now. They turned into polite misses as they ordered, mimicking Jason’s overly formal way of speaking.
“Ladies, what a pleasure to have you back. Have you had a chance to peruse our new lunch menu?”
“Jason,” Prudence started, “as sad as I am to see my usual walleye sandwich go, this crispy salmon salad is intriguing me.”
“A wise choice indeed.” He turned to Annabelle. “And you, madam?”
“Jason, dear, I don’t have a big appetite today, so I’ll just go with the seared scallops and a scotch on the rocks.”
“Of course. It wouldn’t be lunch without some scotch.” He wrote down the order and looked expectantly to Devlin. “Is there anything that caught your eye?”
“I’ve been dreaming about the rib-eye since I heard rumors it would be on the lunch menu, and I’d be daft if I didn’t order it.”
“The cut of meat is rather large, ma’am,” Jason remarked, winking at Annabelle, who snorted with laughter.
“Jason, I’m going to have my steak and eat it too,” Devlin stated.
“Well done, well done. I’ll be back with your food.” He gave a short bow before retreating to the kitchen.
Annabelle turned to Devlin and said without preamble, “Time to dish, Dev. I said I was going to get the info out of you, so let’s have it.”
“Can you please tell AB to stop threatening me?” Devlin implored Prudence.
“Are you threatening her, AB?”
Annabelle shot Devlin a look. “I wouldn’t say threatening, just pressuring her to explain herself.”
“I don’t have anything to explain,” Devlin insisted.