Page 26 of Ruthless Financier
Her face showed a blush. “The others are right about you.”
He flashed a smile that showed his perfect pearly whites in a goofy-for-the-baby grin and my heart did a double patter. He said to Mary, “I’m more than just a pretty face.”
“I’m Joseph.” Her brother stood and shook hands.
Jacob stared at me like I was a computer that should give him more information, but he told Joseph, “Nice to meet you.”
“Mary’s brother,” I quickly added. My stomach twisted like this was all real and he was here to meet my family because he loved me.
Joseph sat down and added some ketchup to his plate. “I’m just a temporary family member who won’t be here anymore when I go to jail.”
My heart sank. I’d hoped today’s meeting wasn’t about his future. I asked, “For what?”
He dipped a fry in his ketchup and said, “For beating the crap out of Arthur for touching my sister.”
Mary’s face turned white, but she stared at the table and didn’t move.
If something happened to her brother, she’d internalize it as her fault. I squeezed her hand and said, “We’ll find a way to help Joseph.”
Joseph held his hand out like he’d say “stop,” and once he finished his fry, he said, “Don’t worry about me.”
Tonight I’d look up lawyers. He might not listen, but he had a good future in developing automation software with mechanical robotics. He couldn’t throw that away.
Then I said, “Last is Phoenix and Maggie. Are you here on tour?”
Phoenix held out his hand to shake, “We came to meet Michael. Now we get to meet you too.”
Jacob’s shoulders lowered and he relaxed a little. He shook hands and said, “You performed at my eighteenth birthday.”
Phoenix snapped his fingers like he remembered and said, “That was you. Your father shelled out a lot of the money to the studio.”
Jacob’s lips thinned at the mention.
I patted his back. The event must have been at least ten years ago if Phoenix was still on the air at the time. Jacob told him, and all of us, “My father was all about appearances.”
His father sounded horrible. Maybehedeserved the moniker Mr. Ruthless. I’d have to research more about him. Phoenix pointed to the counter and said, “Got it. Well, grab a burger and whatever beer you want.”
Michael and Georgie had already squeezed chairs for us next to them as Jacob said, “Thanks.”
We ate in silence for a few minutes. The burgers were well done on the backyard grill and tasted delicious on the buttered and fried buns.
When we’d finished, Michael, Phoenix and Joseph stole Jacob away and they all headed into the basement together.
He’d kissed my cheek as he joined the men.
Once they were gone, Georgie smiled at me and said, “He’s getting along with everyone.”
In some small way he was like our dad, who was a secret softie. But I just said, “Jacob is a people person.”
“And handsome. And pretty perfect for you.” Nicole brought out a loaf of her healthy no-sugar banana bread that she bragged about in a recent post and served the women.
Olivia poured the tea we’d grown up on and still consumed.
Ridley asked, “So what happened? You were so dead set against getting married, and now, here you are. One roll in his bed change your mind?”
My cheeks burned.
My sister the nurse always joked about sex, but, honestly, I’d never seen her with any actual guy. Georgie held up my bare hand and asked, “Where is your ring?”
