Goody Two Shoes (Invertary 2)
“With whose money?” Andrew demanded.
“Mine.” Josh gave his father a steely stare.
Caroline played with her food as her face paled. “I can afford my own wedding dress.”
Helen felt her heart ache for the girl.
“I’m paying.” Josh’s tone softened. His hand went over hers on top of the table. “This is my idea. I’m paying for everything. I already added you to my bank account; we can pick up your bank cards while we’re in London.”
Her eyes went wide. “I can’t take your money.?
??
“Yes. You can. Married couples share.”
“I have my own money. I work.”
“Then we’ll share that too.”
Helen couldn’t help but grin at her son. She wanted to cheer him on, but instead she sipped her wine quietly.
Andrew smacked the table in front of him, making everyone jump. “Why don’t you hand your money over to her now? She’ll just take it all in the divorce anyway.”
Caroline looked horrified. “I wouldn’t. I don’t want it.” She turned to Josh. “We should get a prenup.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Mitch said as he entered the room. “Sorry for gate crashing, but I thought Caroline could use some moral support.”
“She has me, dumbass.” Josh glared at his best friend.
“Yeah.” Mitch pulled up a chair on the other side of Caroline. “I factored that into my decision making.” He grinned at Josh.
Helen tutted at them. They’d still be winding each other up when they were eighty and living in the same rest home.
“Back to Caroline’s wise suggestion,” Mitch said. The servers put a place setting and a full plate of food in front of him. “As your lawyer, I’d say a prenup was a great idea.”
“No.” Josh met each person’s eyes in turn. “No prenup. You only need that if you are going to get divorced. We’re not getting divorced.”
“I raised a bloody idiot.” Andrew pointed a finger at his son. “She’s taking you for a ride.”
“Andrew!” Helen wanted to smack the stupid man.
Josh’s voice became dangerously low. “You will have some respect for my fiancée.”
“Why should I bother? This whole thing is a sham.”
“I’m serious.” The look Josh gave his father made Helen worry. She flicked a glance at Andrew and wondered if she was going to see her son hit her husband. A sight she’d never thought to see.
Caroline shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I can sign a prenup. I really don’t mind. And I don’t need, or want, your bank cards.”
Josh’s face softened as he turned to her. “You are going to be my wife. This is a lifelong commitment. We share everything. Including our money.”
Caroline gave him a long-suffering smile. “That’s not how couples do things anymore.”
“It’s how I do things.” Josh sounded immovable.
Helen felt inordinately proud of him.
Caroline would not be dissuaded. “You’re putting yourself at risk. All you have is my word that I won’t go after your money if this doesn’t work out. You can’t know for certain that we won’t get divorced.” From the tilt of Caroline’s chin and the determined glint in Josh’s eyes, Helen would bet this wasn’t the first time he’d butted heads with his stubborn little bride.