chickens.”
“You mean they didn’t heed your orders in the court room?”
Judge Bryson glared at her and they locked gazes. “You—should’ve been a lawyer.”
“Forgive me, but I find that train of thought irrelevant at this point and inadmissible.” She flashed him a saucy grin.
“Don’t get rude with Daniel. What you and your husband did was uncalled for,” her father snapped.
“Uncalled for, Karl, come off it.” Richard finally spoke. “You both had a hidden agenda and played both the ADA and Judge Masters.”
“My office was filled with gold and silver coins. It took a cleaning crew two hours to find my desk.” He placed his hands on his hips and glared at her husband.
Richard turned to Toni. “Felix is good.”
She smiled and nodded. “One of the best, actually I think you’ll like him. Very business minded.” Of course, she left out one minor detail; he was also over the top flamboyant at times. Meh—her husband would find out soon enough.
“That’s all you two have to say for yourselves?” Her father-in-law barked again.
“No, actually.” Richard reached into his briefcase and withdrew two envelopes. “We made sure you each got a copy of the marriage certificate.”
“A souvenir of your manipulation.” Toni added. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have to go down the hall and meet with Mona about the designs.”
Judge Bryson turned to her and thinned his lips. “My wife told me to tell you she’ll meet you at our house.”
She heaved a sigh. Richard had given her a ride to the office. Not good. “I see.” She turned to Richard. “I’ll catch a cab to your parents. I’ll see you tonight.”
Hesitation and another emotion crossed his face. “Actually, I’ll be late tonight. I have to catch up on things.” His tone had come out flat and bit on the cool side.
Fair enough.
“Don’t worry about calling a cab,” her father interjected. “I’ll drive you to Judge Bryson’s house myself. That way we can have a nice father daughter chat.”
“Wonderful.” Toni thought for a moment. Oh yeah, she was in seriously deep hot water. However, it beat the cold shoulder from her husband.
Chapter Six
Now you see me, now you don’t!
The third family dinner as a married man, things should be getting easier, but in truth, Richard found things more difficult. Toni and Piper had become friends and even his niece Lauren liked her. His father had gotten over the incident with the animals in his courtroom and almost four weeks into their marriage Toni was treated like she’d been part of the family for years.
Richard glanced across the dining room table at his wife. She wasn’t paying attention to the conversation, but instead staring at her plate. Her attention was more intent on pushing the food around then what transpired around her. Toni wasn’t happy, though when they passed each other at the office, she always had a smile and an endearment.
When they were at home, she barely spoke, yet tried to have conversations with him. He knew he’d withdrawn from her. How could he not? She was stunning, smart, creative and had a way about her that people loved. Every man in the office, he was quite sure, had noticed her butt, both in her fitted skirts and her faded tight jeans. His father was right, she would have made a hell of an attorney, but he also knew she was a great interior designer. The sketches and plans for the office were going to make it look like it was a brand new building the moment anyone stepped off the elevator.
“Toni, you’re awfully quiet tonight.” His mother’s voice pulled her from wherever her mind had been and she glanced at the older woman. “I just love what you have planned for the offices, and I know my father would have loved them.” She smiled. “He would have really liked you.”
No mom, he would have loved her.
He kept the thought to himself and thought of his grandfather. He missed him a lot and knew he would have adored Toni.
“You mean they didn’t heed your orders in the court room?”
Judge Bryson glared at her and they locked gazes. “You—should’ve been a lawyer.”
“Forgive me, but I find that train of thought irrelevant at this point and inadmissible.” She flashed him a saucy grin.
“Don’t get rude with Daniel. What you and your husband did was uncalled for,” her father snapped.
“Uncalled for, Karl, come off it.” Richard finally spoke. “You both had a hidden agenda and played both the ADA and Judge Masters.”
“My office was filled with gold and silver coins. It took a cleaning crew two hours to find my desk.” He placed his hands on his hips and glared at her husband.
Richard turned to Toni. “Felix is good.”
She smiled and nodded. “One of the best, actually I think you’ll like him. Very business minded.” Of course, she left out one minor detail; he was also over the top flamboyant at times. Meh—her husband would find out soon enough.
“That’s all you two have to say for yourselves?” Her father-in-law barked again.
“No, actually.” Richard reached into his briefcase and withdrew two envelopes. “We made sure you each got a copy of the marriage certificate.”
“A souvenir of your manipulation.” Toni added. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have to go down the hall and meet with Mona about the designs.”
Judge Bryson turned to her and thinned his lips. “My wife told me to tell you she’ll meet you at our house.”
She heaved a sigh. Richard had given her a ride to the office. Not good. “I see.” She turned to Richard. “I’ll catch a cab to your parents. I’ll see you tonight.”
Hesitation and another emotion crossed his face. “Actually, I’ll be late tonight. I have to catch up on things.” His tone had come out flat and bit on the cool side.
Fair enough.
“Don’t worry about calling a cab,” her father interjected. “I’ll drive you to Judge Bryson’s house myself. That way we can have a nice father daughter chat.”
“Wonderful.” Toni thought for a moment. Oh yeah, she was in seriously deep hot water. However, it beat the cold shoulder from her husband.
Chapter Six
Now you see me, now you don’t!
The third family dinner as a married man, things should be getting easier, but in truth, Richard found things more difficult. Toni and Piper had become friends and even his niece Lauren liked her. His father had gotten over the incident with the animals in his courtroom and almost four weeks into their marriage Toni was treated like she’d been part of the family for years.
Richard glanced across the dining room table at his wife. She wasn’t paying attention to the conversation, but instead staring at her plate. Her attention was more intent on pushing the food around then what transpired around her. Toni wasn’t happy, though when they passed each other at the office, she always had a smile and an endearment.
When they were at home, she barely spoke, yet tried to have conversations with him. He knew he’d withdrawn from her. How could he not? She was stunning, smart, creative and had a way about her that people loved. Every man in the office, he was quite sure, had noticed her butt, both in her fitted skirts and her faded tight jeans. His father was right, she would have made a hell of an attorney, but he also knew she was a great interior designer. The sketches and plans for the office were going to make it look like it was a brand new building the moment anyone stepped off the elevator.
“Toni, you’re awfully quiet tonight.” His mother’s voice pulled her from wherever her mind had been and she glanced at the older woman. “I just love what you have planned for the offices, and I know my father would have loved them.” She smiled. “He would have really liked you.”
No mom, he would have loved her.
He kept the thought to himself and thought of his grandfather. He missed him a lot and knew he would have adored Toni.
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