Reunited in Love
Page 91
“What do you mean it’s over?” Barron asked.
“We’re through. We broke up right before I came to see you.”
He snorted. “Horsefeathers.”
“We had…a temporary arrangement.”
He laughed. “Kerri, a man in a temporary situation with a woman doesn’t insist on facing her family, especially one as powerful and wealthy as the Sterlings.”
“Yes, but—hey, wait a minute. How did you know that?”
“My men tell me everything. Miles phoned while you were on your way up.” Barron took another cookie. “Ethan isn’t stupid.”
No, he wasn’t. He was brilliant, magnificent, perfect.
“He knows who I am and—more to the point—what I’m capable of. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. I know I’m supposed to tell you you’re too good for the likes of Ethan Lloyd and all that other claptrap to make you feel better about yourself. But the truth is, when he comes back—and he will, mark my words—you’d better hang onto him.”
She stared at Barron, her jaw hanging open.
“Men like that don’t come along every day. Trust me, I’ve seen what your mother used to consider ‘boyfriends.’” His lips curled in contempt. “You meet a man like Ethan once in a lifetime. Don’t tell me about how you don’t know whether you love him yet because deep inside you know you do. Otherwise you wouldn’t be wearing that face. Next time we get together—”
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nbsp; All this was too much. Kerri rallied herself. “Don’t be too confident there’ll be a next time.”
Barron leaned forward. “I like to be positive about the future. It’s better for my liver.” He smiled slightly, and there was a definite twinkle in his eye. “In any case, next time, bring him with you. I want to meet the fellow.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
ETHAN SWUNG HIS CLUB and smacked the ball harder than was prudent. It shot away like a missile, disappearing somewhere off to the left.
“I thought you were going to work on your swing,” Alex said.
“I am.” He whacked another small white ball. This one went right.
“You might make a decent switch-hitter if you tried baseball.”
Ethan glared at his friend. “You have some advice to offer, or are you just going to stand there?”
“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to come out here.” Alex studied his friend. “Surprised the hell out of me. You don’t even like golf.”
“Everyone in business likes golf, so I’m working on it.”
“To talk business. Nobody actually plays.”
Ethan straightened. “I don’t want to talk.”
“Okay with me.” Alex stepped up to the tee, placed a ball on it and swung his club with control and finesse.
Ethan glared at the beautifully straight arc his friend’s ball made. It made him want to tie his own club into a pretzel. Coming to the golf course had been a mistake. He should’ve raided his wet bar. After all, it was well-stocked with whiskey and the Merlot he’d bought for Kerri.
Kerri, who didn’t want him near her family. Kerri, who’d rather expose herself to the pain that that asshole Barron Sterling would bring, instead of letting Ethan face her grandfather for her.
How could she not see that he’d fight dragons, slay them barehanded for her?
“Fuck this.” Ethan hurled his club away. It went end-over-end into some trees.
“You all right?” Alex asked.