Page 76 of The Grump I Married
A flash of rage prickled against the back of my neck, red hot, and my knuckles blanched. “You know nothing about my relationship,” I hissed.
“Who would?” Jasper said. “Since you married the woman out of the blue without anyone knowing.”
“Why don’t you run off and let the solicitors handle this?” Locke said, glancing between us both.
“You’re wasting your time contesting the will,” I snarled before he could. Jasper could pry the estate from my cold, dead hands.
“Am I?” Jasper said, his mouth curling into a cocky smirk. “Because it sounds to me like you’re concerned.”
“The only thing I’m concerned about is you walking away before you make a fool of yourself.”
“I’m not the fool here,” Jasper spat out. “I see right through you, cousin. We both know you only came back because of the money. Getting the estate means you can develop the wind farm project and line your pockets.”
I sneered. Of course that was how he saw my plans for the wind farm because that was whyhehad made that deal withthe Lawton Group. All he’d ever wanted was a clear path to easy money, and he couldn’t imagine anyone being motivated by anything else. He had no concept of what the estate meant to me or what Grandad truly wanted. He had no idea how important it was to Grandad to provide stability for Braeburn. The wind farm meant longevity. It wasn’t at all about the money. It was aboutpeople.
“You’re one to talk about the money,” I said. “Have a nice little tour with your investors the day of Grandad’s funeral? The man was barely in the ground while you were talking numbers.”
Jasper’s eyes widened. Did he really think he’d gotten away with that?
“The estate should go to me,” he said, plowing on. We’d started to draw the attention of some of the other festivalgoers now. “Especially since my wife and I have a baby on the way.” He stepped closer, getting into my face. “We’ve got arealmarriage, unlike your shabby little farce.”
My hands clenched so tightly my fists throbbed. Jasper needed to back the hell up before I put my fist through his face. “Back up,” I warned.
“Or what?” he spat. “You’re gonna hit me? Go ahead. It’s been a minute since you’ve caused a PR scandal. I’d love to hear what the board will think of that. Maybe they’ll start to realize what a disgrace you are.”
Anger pulsed in my temple. I was starting to see red.
“Weston,” Locke said, getting in my line of sight. “It’s not worth it.”
“Why don’t you listen to your friends?” Jasper said with that smug little grin. “At least one of them knows what running a company into the ground looks like.”
Alistair’s hand landed on my shoulder, digging in hard enough to bring me back to reality. For all his petty taunts, we both knew the truth of the situation. I was the one heading a successful business while Jasper’d spent his whole career thus far looking for coattails to ride on. I was the one with friends at my back while he’d only ever had flunkeys. And I was the one with an incredible wife who was a true partner—who I trusted completely and who was always there when I needed her. What Jasper had with Amanda was nothing compared to that. There was no reason for me to listen to him when nothing he had to say was worth hearing. I didn’t need to ruin a day Lena and I had worked so hard on all because Jasper was the same brat that used to stick his tongue out at me from the top of the grand staircase. I turned away.
“Aye. Go on,” Jasper said. “Run off and find that placeholder of a wife.”
I rolled my eyes, prepared to ignore him even if I hated to let him get away with being such an ass. Luckily, someone else took up the mantle for me.
Jo stepped out of the crowd, hands on her hips. “Jasper Kincaid!” she crowed. “Why are you always the one kicking off when people just want to have a good time?”
Jasper scowled at her. “Mind your business, Josephine.”
“Oi!” She lifted a threatening finger in his direction. “I remember when your grandmother still had to wipe your snotty nose, boy. Don’t test me. Go on home if all you’re after is drama.”
“I’m not the one who flew across the world with a fake wife to take ownership of a property I didn’t deserve,” Jasper shot back, glaring at me.
“Whatyoudeserve is a swift kick in the pants, and I don’t mind giving it to you,” Jo said, waving him off. “Weston and Lena’s relationship is as real as I am. And they don’t need this kind of stress from you right now, especially with a little one on the way.”
“What?” Jasper and I both said at the same time. My eyes felt two sizes too big for my head.
“I just found her throwing up in the port-a-loo,” Jo continued. “And I know morning sickness when I see it. So you can get right off your high horse, or better yet, you can ride that horse right out of town.” Jasper released a sharp breath, but Jo wasn’t done with him yet. “You think you deserve Lochbrae? Think again. Pete left it to the grandson hetrustedto carry his legacy on. All of Braeburn already knows we have the right Kincaids at the helm.”
A few voices from the crowd cheered and echoed her statement.
“We don’t need you,” Jo said firmly. “And that estate certainly doesn’t need you either.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jasper snarled at her.
Jo didn’t even flinch. “I know Weston and Lena are carrying on the tradition of that place exactly the way Pete would have wanted, and no one in town is going to stand for you trying to replace them. So go on. Run off and whine to your father.”
