Ever After (Nantucket Brides 3)

“He’s had a hard time lately,” Hallie said. “Do you guys need a ride somewhere?”

“No, we’re walking.” They went down the stairs and paused at the bottom. “He’s too old to go drinking. You better keep him home with you.”

“I’ll do that, thanks,” Hallie said. They left and she went into Jamie’s bedroom.

Braden was in the bed, half sitting up and grinning.

“He threw up outside,” Jamie said, “so he should be better tomorrow. We got his clothes off and put one of my clean shirts on him. He still stinks, but I wasn’t going to hold him up in a shower and wash him.” He looked at her. “Or maybe you’d like to do that.”

“I’ll pass on that, but thank you for doing this. I hate running you out of your bed. You want to use mine?”

Jamie took a moment to answer. “I’ll accept that invitation when you’re included in it.” He stepped back from her. “I’ll leave you to it. See if you can get some more water inside him. But then I’m sure you know that.” He left the room.

“Hallie,” Braden said as soon as they were alone.

“How are you?” she asked as she bent over him. Jamie was right: He did stink.

“I’ve been better.”

She went into the bathroom, got a washcloth, soaked it in cold water, and took it back to put on his forehead. She considered pulling up a chair, but it would be too short for the bed. Instead, she climbed up beside him, sitting on top of the covers.

Braden’s eyes were red and seemed to be floating around in his skull. He took her hand in his and kissed the back of it.

/> Hallie leaned toward him and smoothed his hair back. It was a beautiful golden blond. When he was younger his hair had been almost white. His mother loved to tell how her son had been cast as an angel in every school play. For Hallie, it felt good to touch his hair, his face, his neck.

He kissed her palm. “I’ve made a mess of it.”

“Of what?”

“My entire life.”

She gave a little laugh. “Far from it. Your mom says you’re about to make partner and that you’re the youngest one in the firm to do so.”

Braden waved his hand. “That’s me. Best lawyer Boston has. I win all my cases. It balances out my personal life, where I lose everything. Did you know that I’ve proposed marriage to three women?”

“Yes,” she said.

Braden groaned. “Of course you do. Mom told you. One turned me down, the other two said yes but later dumped me. I should buy engagement rings in bulk. I’ll put in a standing order with the jeweler. With the number of them I buy, I should invest in a diamond mine.”

“They didn’t return the rings?” Hallie asked.

“The last one did.” With a sound of pain, he pointed toward his jeans hanging over a chair. “Look in the pocket.”

Hallie got off the bed and searched the pockets until she found the ring. It flashed in the light of the room. There was a diamond in the center surrounded by what seemed to be dozens more little diamonds. They surrounded the larger stone, went down the sides and halfway around the band. “Gaudy” was the first word that came to Hallie’s mind.

“Did—what was her name? Zara?—choose this?”

“Yes, she did,” Braden said.

“I think Shelly would love it,” Hallie said as she got back on the bed beside him.

He groaned. “That’s your ultimate condemnation.”

Hallie was toying with the ring. “You said you took Shelly to work with you.”

“I did. But if I tell you the truth about that, you’ll hate me.”

She picked up a bottle of water from the bedside table and held his head as he drank. “No, I won’t.”