The Trouble with Tomboys (Tommy Creek #1)(73)

The extra-long shower and double breakfast

made him late for work, but he wasn’t too concerned.

If he was needed so badly, he’d just stay later this evening. Being late was worth having such a

wonderful morning.

He dropped by the office first thing. After

checking his e-mails and answering machine to find no one had left him any pressing matters to attend to, he decided to head out and spend the day in the field. For some reason, he wanted to be active today.

He felt energized enough he could probably go for hours without a break.

Whistling again, he stopped by his dad’s office to let the old man know where he’d be.

“Hey, Dad.” Knocking on Tucker Rawlings half-opened door, he poked his head inside to find the room empty, the screensaver on the computer flashing family photos across the monitor. Glancing out into the hallway, Grady didn’t spot his dad nearby, so he stepped inside and snagged a Post-it note to leave a quick message. He’d just reached for a pen when he spotted B.J.’s name on an official-looking piece of paper sitting among his father’s things.

Frowning, he changed direction and snagged the document. “What the hell?”

It didn’t take him long to realize he was holding 224



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a prenuptial agreement. Mouth falling open, he smoothed out the tri-fold, causing another set of papers to fall out the bottom, landing on the desk.

He slowly picked up the deed to B.J.’s plane. A sickening feeling crept through his stomach.

Returning his attention to the prenup, he

scanned every numbered line, feeling more nauseous with each addendum he read. “Oh, God.”

“Grady?”

Grady lifted his head and found his father

paused in the doorway. With a half-eaten doughnut in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other, Tucker Rawlings had a guilty expression smeared across his features.

“What—”

“Dad, what is all this?”

Tucker set his snack on the corner of his desk and lifted both his hands. “Grady, I can explain.”

“Oh, my God,” Grady breathed. “You paid her to marry me?”

“No. I…I…I just wanted you to be happy. I

didn’t think—”

“And she just...she agreed to all this?”

Tucker stepped toward Grady, but Grady shifted backward. His father froze, his face an ashen gray. “I love you, son. I would’ve done anything to help you.”

“How…” When his voice broke, Grady shook his head, still reeling in disbelief. “How does this help me?” He couldn’t believe it. He refused to believe it.

B.J. wouldn’t marry him just because—

His throat burning, he blinked rapidly as he looked down at the documents in his hands.

“Grady! Hey, there you are.”

At the sound of her voice coming from the hall, he whirled and about passed out at the sight of his wife. She paused in the doorway, all five feet and ten lovely inches of her, grinning at him as she held up 225



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his briefcase. “I was walking out the door this morning when I caught sight of this sitting on the kitchen table. Thought you might need it for—” She broke off in mid-sentence, her smile slipping. After a quick look toward his dad, she turned back to Grady.

“What’s wrong?”

Grady held up the deed. “You made a deal with my dad?”

When her gaze latched onto the document, her face drained of color. She lurched a step in reverse.

“Grady,” Tucker started, lifting both hands

again like that pose could actually keep the peace.

“You stay out of this,” Grady warned with a look that had his dad freezing. “I already know your side.

I want to hear hers.”

“But you really didn’t hear my side. I haven’t actually told you every—”

“Then B.J. can fill in the blanks,” Grady growled as he stormed toward her and snagged her elbow, drawing her back into the hall and toward his own office. After ushering her inside, he let go his hold and shut the door behind him.

She stood in the center of the room, clutching his briefcase to her side, and silently watched him as he wiped a hand over his mouth and paced. Finally, he stopped short and seared her with a look. “So my father bought the deed to your airplane in order to coax you into marrying me?”

She gave a short nod, which made him clench

his teeth. He wanted her to say something to defend herself. He wanted a reason to start yelling. But the damn woman refused to oblige.

Seething, he nodded in return. “Was this before or after I gave you the ring?”

“Before,” she said in a low voice.

Pain shot straight up his windpipe. For a

moment, he thought he was going to choke to death.

When he realized he could still breathe, he huffed 226



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out a short breath. “So...that whole scene where you kept telling me no and I had to seduce you into saying yes, that was just, what...playing hard to get?” Her jaw clenched. “No. That was me not wanting to give into your father’s agreement.”