Page 61 of Wed to You-
“Jagger. How are you?” Marlena Anderson greeted him.
“Marlena.” He took her hand and leaned in to kiss the stylishsixtyish woman on the cheek.
“You’re looking well. That southern air must be doing you good.”
“It is. Thank you.”
She patted his hand and then looked at it. “Is that a ring?”
Jagger followed her gaze to the platinum band on his finger. “Yes.” For the first time since he and Chelsea had married, he felt awkward, nervous even. Was that how Chelsea was feeling?
“My goodness. When did this happen? Who is she?”
He managed a smile, but his chest compressed even more as he prepared to lie. Why it was different now than it had been in Virginia, he didn’t know. Maybe because these were his people. Because they knew him and would question his actions.
“It’s recent and she’s not from here. Not a money family.”
“Really?” Marlena’s pulled brows showed intrigue.
Feeling pressure to justify his marriage, Jagger added, “She’s a smart, beautiful, regular person. And she’s terrific with Kaden.”
Marlena patted his hand again. “That’s wonderful. I’m glad. Is she here in New York with you?”
He nodded. “She’s with Kaden now.”
“You’ll have to bring her to my place tonight. I’m having a little party.”
“I don’t know.” His uncomfortable feeling grew. “We’re actually still on our honeymoon.”
“That is recent. Please. I want to meet the woman who stole Jagger Talbot’s heart. Come tonight.”
“Yes. You should come. What’s this I hear about your heart?”
Jagger flinched at the sound of his father’s disingenuous voice. His father always knew what to say and do, but it was lip service. Jagger suspected his father was actually a sociopath who could act the part but never really cared about people. At the very least, he was a narcissist.
Jagger turned and shook his father’s hand. “Dad.”
“So, who’s this woman?”
“They’re married.”
Jagger winced at Marlena’s statement.
His father’s well-groomed brows pulled together on his fake-tanned face. “Married. Since when? To whom?”
“You wouldn’t know her or her family. It’s recent.” Jagger was glad Chelsea wasn’t there. No doubt she’d be hurt by the unemotional, business-like manner in which he was sharing his recent marriage. Jagger had learned early in life that emotions revealed weaknesses that his father never failed to exploit. There was no way he’d let his father near Chelsea. He also knew Kaden was a sore spot with his father. After all, Kaden had taken a large portion of what Jagger’s father thought was his inheritance. “She’s with Kaden right now.”
Jagger’s father covered his sneer with a fake smile, but not before Jagger saw it. “Surely you can bring her to Marlena’s party tonight. We should meet this woman.”
Jagger understood that in most families, meeting new spouses was a celebration. His father didn’t care about family. He cared about money, and odds were he was wracking his brain to figure out how much Chelsea was going to cost him. Of course, she didn’t cost him anything. One thing Jagger’s grandfather had done very well was divide the money. His father had his own pot and the company. Jagger’s and Kaden’s trusts were well protected from his father’s greedy hands. That didn’t stop his father from trying to access the money. Chelsea would be seen as one more person in his way to getting it. One more person he had to share with.
“Surely you can take her out for a nice evening. They can’t possibly have extravagances like we do in New York. Women like to be spoiled, dressed up, and taken out on the town.”
Jagger willed his eyes not to roll at his father’s misogynistic comment. Of course he’d think that about woman because his women were like that. Not wanting to get into it with his father, Jagger said, “I’ll see what we have on the schedule tonight.”
“Excellent.” His father slapped him on the arm. “Let’s get this meeting started. How much money can we make today?”
That time Jagger did roll his eyes, but he waited until his father had turned away.
