eyebrows drew together in a frown, and Gwen’s eyes darted toward Evie’s hands. Gwen was quick on the uptake. Surprise registered on her face before she lifted her glass and drank deeply.
Will, however, was busy glowering at his sister and hadn’t made the same leap his wife had. “Surely I didn’t hear that correctly. You met him in Las Vegas, Evie?”
Evie’s spine straightened an inch. “Yes, I did.”
“When, exactly?” Even Nick could hear the dangerous growl under those words. Evie hadn’t been kidding when she said her brother was unhappy about her taking off for a weekend in Sin City.
“Four weeks ago.” She took a deep breath. “And I wasn’t at work yesterday or today because I went back to Vegas. To get married.” She held her hand up to show the gold band on her finger.
“What the—” Will started to roar, only to have Gwen’s elbow fly sharply into his ribs. Now Nick understood Gwen’s choice of seating. And a little of Evie’s stress.
“That’s quite a surprise, Evie.” Gwen came to hug Evie again, and this time, she hugged him, as well. “Congratulations to you both. I wish you’d given us a little warning, honey. We would’ve liked to have been there.”
While Gwen was all smiles and hugs, Will was shooting dark daggers at him and no doubt planning how to dispose of his dead body. “Did you know she was an heiress?” he snapped.
“Will!” Gwen scolded as Evie tensed. He tightened his fingers around hers in support. He opened his mouth in their defense, but Evie shook her head slightly. She’d asked him to let her take the lead on this, and he’d honor that.
For the moment, anyway.
Will’s face was red as he pushed to his feet, every inch the outraged parental figure. “If he married her thinking…”
“He didn’t,” Evie interrupted, an edge to her voice. “Hedidn’t know how much I was worth when we met, and when he did find out, he signed my prenup without hesitation. Nick has his own money, Will. He doesn’t need mine.”
“Everyone needs that kind of money.” Evie’s brother looked directly at him as he spoke, and Nick bristled at the insult. “At least you thought far enough ahead to have a prenup.”
“I’m not stupid, Will.”
“ That seems debatable at the moment.”
Okay, that crossed a line. “Now just wait—”
Evie interrupted him, holding up a hand. “Stay out of this, Nick.”
This was the fight he’d seen her steeling herself for in the elevator. He had to admire her chutzpah; she’d known her brother would react like this—not that he didn’t understand where Will was coming from—and yet she hadn’t chickened out and simply called with the news. In a strange, train-wreck kind of way, the showdown was fascinating to watch.
Will crossed his arms over his chest. “Who wrote your prenup?”
Evie mirrored the movement. “Sabine’s brother.”
“ Jackson drew up a prenup for you and didn’t tell me?”
“Well, it’s not really your business, now is it, Will?”
“The hell it’s not.”
Both Harrison siblings were on their feet now and the volume was rising. He was getting hard-pressed not to get involved, regardless of Evie’s wishes. Based on Gwen’s reaction, though, he didn’t jump in the middle. She seemed strangely calm, as if these kinds of fireworks were commonplace.
“Are you pregnant?”
Evie paled at her brother’s question. “What?”
“I can’t think of a single good reason otherwise for you to elope like this. To someone you barely know.”
“Maybe I’m just a romantic at heart, swept off my feet by love,” she responded.
Nick had never seen someone’s head actually explode, but Will had to be close as his voice dropped dangerously. “Evangeline…”
“William…” Evie gritted out.
Gwen cleared her throat. “Voices, please.”
Without a word, but still glaring daggers at each other, Will and Evie went out onto the balcony and shut the door. He could no longer hear their
Will, however, was busy glowering at his sister and hadn’t made the same leap his wife had. “Surely I didn’t hear that correctly. You met him in Las Vegas, Evie?”
Evie’s spine straightened an inch. “Yes, I did.”
“When, exactly?” Even Nick could hear the dangerous growl under those words. Evie hadn’t been kidding when she said her brother was unhappy about her taking off for a weekend in Sin City.
“Four weeks ago.” She took a deep breath. “And I wasn’t at work yesterday or today because I went back to Vegas. To get married.” She held her hand up to show the gold band on her finger.
“What the—” Will started to roar, only to have Gwen’s elbow fly sharply into his ribs. Now Nick understood Gwen’s choice of seating. And a little of Evie’s stress.
“That’s quite a surprise, Evie.” Gwen came to hug Evie again, and this time, she hugged him, as well. “Congratulations to you both. I wish you’d given us a little warning, honey. We would’ve liked to have been there.”
While Gwen was all smiles and hugs, Will was shooting dark daggers at him and no doubt planning how to dispose of his dead body. “Did you know she was an heiress?” he snapped.
“Will!” Gwen scolded as Evie tensed. He tightened his fingers around hers in support. He opened his mouth in their defense, but Evie shook her head slightly. She’d asked him to let her take the lead on this, and he’d honor that.
For the moment, anyway.
Will’s face was red as he pushed to his feet, every inch the outraged parental figure. “If he married her thinking…”
“He didn’t,” Evie interrupted, an edge to her voice. “Hedidn’t know how much I was worth when we met, and when he did find out, he signed my prenup without hesitation. Nick has his own money, Will. He doesn’t need mine.”
“Everyone needs that kind of money.” Evie’s brother looked directly at him as he spoke, and Nick bristled at the insult. “At least you thought far enough ahead to have a prenup.”
“I’m not stupid, Will.”
“ That seems debatable at the moment.”
Okay, that crossed a line. “Now just wait—”
Evie interrupted him, holding up a hand. “Stay out of this, Nick.”
This was the fight he’d seen her steeling herself for in the elevator. He had to admire her chutzpah; she’d known her brother would react like this—not that he didn’t understand where Will was coming from—and yet she hadn’t chickened out and simply called with the news. In a strange, train-wreck kind of way, the showdown was fascinating to watch.
Will crossed his arms over his chest. “Who wrote your prenup?”
Evie mirrored the movement. “Sabine’s brother.”
“ Jackson drew up a prenup for you and didn’t tell me?”
“Well, it’s not really your business, now is it, Will?”
“The hell it’s not.”
Both Harrison siblings were on their feet now and the volume was rising. He was getting hard-pressed not to get involved, regardless of Evie’s wishes. Based on Gwen’s reaction, though, he didn’t jump in the middle. She seemed strangely calm, as if these kinds of fireworks were commonplace.
“Are you pregnant?”
Evie paled at her brother’s question. “What?”
“I can’t think of a single good reason otherwise for you to elope like this. To someone you barely know.”
“Maybe I’m just a romantic at heart, swept off my feet by love,” she responded.
Nick had never seen someone’s head actually explode, but Will had to be close as his voice dropped dangerously. “Evangeline…”
“William…” Evie gritted out.
Gwen cleared her throat. “Voices, please.”
Without a word, but still glaring daggers at each other, Will and Evie went out onto the balcony and shut the door. He could no longer hear their
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