Damn Wright (The Wrights 2)

“You didn’t see the point of telling me you’d been married before? I can’t believe this. You’re obsessed with him.”

Jesus Christ. “That’s ridiculous.”

“I can’t get within ten feet of the remote when he’s on the fucking screen.” Liam swung an arm toward the truck. Emma felt heat rise to her cheeks. “Now I know why. I guess he’s also the reason you’ve been dragging your feet with me.”

“That’s not true.”

“You won’t move in with me. You won’t make any plans for the wedding.”

Liam’s voice rose to a level she was sure had to reach Dylan’s ears. She shouldn’t care. She shouldn’t give a damn. She should be doing more to soothe Liam’s fears. Yet she found herself irritated at his two-year-old behavior. He was throwing a goddamned tantrum in the middle of the street, in front of her ex-husband over nothing. Okay, no, not nothing. Dylan had never been and would never be nothing to Emma. And that was clearly a problem for Liam.

“You won’t even meet my goddamned parents, who came into town especially to meet you.”

“Don’t do this, Liam. Please. Can we go inside and talk about this?” She was surprised at the weary tone of her voice. Even she didn’t think she sounded like she cared about his feelings.

“No. I want answers now.”

She bit the inside of her lip to hold on to her patience. “You’re making a much bigger deal out of this than it is. I haven’t seen or spoken to him in eight years.”

“Yet here he is.” Liam gestured to Dylan again, almost like he was trying to get his attention. “Why?”

Ah, shit. This was going to get worse before it got better.

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “He said he’s visiting family.”

“Then what were you two talking about?”

“Okay.” She put her hands up. “Hear me out.”

Liam set his feet and crossed his arms. And the look on his face… Irritated, put-out, superior. Maybe even disgusted? She knew that look. She’d seen him level it on younger surgeons. Especially younger female surgeons. Why hadn’t she ever noticed that before?

“We were discussing Aunt Shelly’s house because”—her stomach clenched—“he and I are both on the title. I didn’t even remember until Aunt Shelly died and Mom and I were going through her financial papers.”

“You’ve had six months to tell me about this? While we’ve been engaged? Yet you said nothing?”

Time to redirect this conversation. Though, in Emma’s gut, she doubted there was any direction she could take this discussion that would turn out well. But she had to try. “Look, I realize this situation is my fault. I should have told you I had been married before, and I should have told you about the house as soon as I realized he was on the title. But, honestly, I thought I could do it all through the lawyers and not have to see or talk to him at all. I’m actually glad I did talk to him, because he’s proposed an idea that has real merit.”

Liam planted his hands at his hips. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear this.”

The sarcasm in his tone made Emma’s teeth clench. “He’s offered to renovate it. We’ll get twice the money from it than we would if we sold it as is.”

“And how does he propose you do that when you can barely afford groceries?”

“He says he has the time to work on it, and he’ll put up the money for the renovation. If you look at this as a business deal, it’s a good one. The more we get out of the house, the more loans I can repay, and I know my debt makes you

crazy. Wouldn’t it be nice to start our marriage debt-free?”

Liam’s jaw slid sideways. “That would be nice.” An air of challenge edged Liam’s voice, and Emma’s gut tensed for what would come next. “But if I agree to this, I want a wedding date. Right now. No more stalling.”

Emma’s breath caught. Her stomach tightened. “We’re both starting new jobs soon—”

Liam took a deliberate step toward her and lowered his head to look her in the eye. “Right. Now.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I made a mistake. That doesn’t give you the right to use that tone of voice with me.”

“And you come meet my parents now.”

Emma didn’t answer. All the circuits in her brain were connecting at once, flooding her with epiphany after epiphany.