The Millionaire Claims His Wife

Who was he kidding? He hadn’t had the last word this time, either. Annie had. How could she? How could she marry that pantywaist, bow-tie wearing, gender-confused—

“Chase, what the hell’s the matter with you?”

Chase blinked. David Chambers, tall, blue-eyed, still wearing his dark hair in a long ponytail clasped at his nape the same way he had since he’d first become Chase’s personal attorney a dozen years ago, was standing alongside him.

Chase let out an uneasy laugh.

“David.” He stuck out his hand, changed his mind and clasped the other man’s shoulders. “Hey, man, how’re you doing?”

Chambers smiled and drew Chase into a quick bear hug. Then he drew back and eyed him carefully.

“I’m fine. How about you? You all right?”

Chase reached for his drink and knocked back half of it in one swallow.

“Never been better. What’ll you have?”

Chambers looked at the bartender. “Scotch,” he said, “a single malt, if you have it, on the rocks. And a glass of Chardonnay, please.”

“Don’t tell me,” Chase said with a stilted smile. “You’re here with a lady. I guess the love bug’s bitten you, too.”

“Me?” David laughed. “The wine’s for a lady at my table. As for the love bug... It already bit me, remember? One marriage, one divorce...no, Chase, not me. Never again, not in this lifetime.”

“Yeah.” Chase wrapped his hand around his glass. “What’s the point? You marry a woman, she turns into somebody else after a couple of years.”

“I agree. Marriage is a female fantasy. Promise a guy anything to nab him, then look blank when he expects you to deliver.” The bartender set the Scotch in front of David, who lifted the glass to his lips and took a swallow. “The way I see it, a man’s got a housekeeper, a cook and a good secretary, what more does he need?”

“Nothing,” Chase said glumly, “not one thing.”

The bartender put a glass of Chardonnay before David, who picked it up. He turned and looked across the room. Chase followed his gaze to a table where a cool-looking, beautiful brunette sat in regal solitude.

A muscle knotted in David’s jaw. He took another swallow of Scotch.

“Unfortunately,” he said, “there is one other thing. And it’s what most often gets poor bastards like you and me in trouble.”

Chase thought of the feel of Annie in his arms on the dance floor, just a couple of hours ago.

“Poor bastards, is right,” he said, and lifted his glass to David. “Well, you and I both know better. Bed ‘em and forget ’em, I say.”

David laughed and clinked his glass against Chase’s. “I’ll drink to that.”

“To what? What are you guys up to, hidden away over here?”

Both men turned around. Dawn, radiant in white lace and with Nick at her side, beamed at them.

“Daddy,” she said, kissing her father’s cheek. “And Mr. Chambers. I’m so glad you could make it.”

“I am, too.” David held his hand out to her groom. “You’re a lucky man, son. Take good care of her.”

Nick nodded as the men shook hands. “I intend to, sir.”

Dawn kissed Chase again. “Get out and circulate, Daddy. That’s an order.”

Chase tossed her a mock salute. The bridal pair moved off, and he sighed. “That’s the only good thing comes of a marriage. A kid, to call your own.”

David nodded. “I agree. I’d always hoped...” He shrugged, then picked up his drink and the glass of white wine. “Hey, Cooper,” he said, with a quick grin, “you stand around a bar long enough, you get maudlin. Anybody ever tell you that?”

“Yes,” Chase said. “My attorney, five years ago when we got wasted after my divorce was finalized.”

The men smiled at each other, and then David Chambers slapped Chase lightly on the back.

“Take Dawn’s advice. Circulate. There’s a surprising assortment of good-looking single women here, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“For a lawyer,” Chase said with a chuckle, “sometimes you manage to come up with some pretty decent suggestions. What’s with the brunette at your table? She spoken for?”

David’s eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. “She is, for the present.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” the attorney said. He was smiling, but there was a look in his eye that Chase recognized. He grinned.

“You dirty dog, you. Well, never mind. I’ll—what did my daughter call it? Circulate. That’s it. I’ll circulate, and see what’s available.”