Page 203 of Bridesmaid for Hire
Jude nudges me with his foot, grabbing my attention. “It takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong. It takes an even bigger man to recognize whathe had and what he lost. Brody has done both. If you still have an inkling of feelings left for him, go after him. You both deserve that happiness.”
I smile softly and bring my phone to the table. “You’re right.”
“Ooh, she’s going to text him,” Hardy says.
“No, I have an even better plan,” I say.
Maggie:Brother, I’m going to need your help.
BRODY
Gary opens his front door and smiles brightly. “There’s my big man.” He clutches my shoulders and looks me in the eyes. “How are we feeling?”
“Worn out,” I say. “This dog walking thing is no joke.”
“I told you to stop doing that.” He lets me in the house, and I follow him up the stairs to the main living space.
“The money is good, though nothing goes far here. I need to do something until I figure out what career path I want to go down.”
“Did you hear from Jaleesa?” he asks.
“I did. She put in her notice when she found out that Reginald had no plans of making things better. She was leaving anyway. She said she might need a virtual assistant for her online marketing business, but hell, I don’t think that’s something I want to do. At least with the dog walking, I get exercise.”
“Well, thanks for showering before you came over.”
“Not sure Patricia would let me in the house if I didn’t.” I lean forward. “By the way, is she okay with me being here? I know she was on a little bit of a Brody hiatus.”
“She was fine with it,” Gary says.
“You sure?” He just nods as he leads me into the kitchen. “Have you, uh, heard anything from Maggie?”
“I have, actually.”
“Really?” I ask when he opens the fridge and hands me a beer. “Did she say anything about me?”
Pathetic, I know, but a guy has to try.
“No, but she did talk with Hudson and Hardy, and they offered her the capital for her business. She said yes. Her lawyer is looking through the contract now.”
“Holy shit, that’s amazing,” I say as I lean against the counter, almost weak with relief. “I’m happy for her.”
Gary studies me for a second. “I can tell. You’re happy for her.”
“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because she’s not talking to you.”
I shrug. “That was my own damn fault. Have to suffer the consequences.”
“That’s it? You’re not going to fight for her?” Gary asks.
“Dude, I broke her trust. I did something so unforgivable, and there’s no coming back from that. If I had a chance, yeah, I’d fight for her, but she told me to leave her alone. And I’m going to respect that.”
“What if she said you could talk to her?”
My beer freezes halfway to my mouth as I stop and look at him. “Did she say that? You said she didn’t mention me, but did you get the feeling that shewantedto mention me? Did she seem like she wanted to see me?”
“You know, why don’t we take this conversation out to the deck,” Gary says.
