Family Money(26)

“I know. But you did. And I loved watching you run.”

“That’s sweet. But I still don’t get why we’re here.”

“Because this is where I first fell in love with you six years ago.”

She turned. “What? Here?”

I could feel a lump the size of a boulder in my throat. I stopped, pointed down to the track. “This very spot right here.”

“Why this spot?”

“Don’t you remember? This is where I was when you raced past me and turned back to say, ‘Come on, slowpoke’ before winning our little contest.”

She laughed. “I really kicked your ass that day, didn’t I?”

I laughed with her. “Yes, you did.”

“You deserved it.”

“Most definitely. What I don’t deserve is you, Taylor.”

She gave me a shy smile. “Stop.”

“I mean it,” I continued. “But having said that . . .”

With shaky legs, I got down on one knee. When I did, the stadium lights suddenly flashed on all around us. My friend’s timing was perfect. Taylor looked around at all the bright lights with wide eyes and then back at me kneeling before her. She put a hand to her mouth, clearly stunned by this moment. We had, of course, casually talked about marrying one day all throughout our dating years. But I had intentionally dodged the topic this last semester of college in an effort to make this a surprise. By the look on her face, I knew I’d pulled it off. Now I just hoped that she didn’t surprise me right back.

“Taylor,” I began, my voice cracking, “I started loving you in that moment. I have loved you every moment since—imperfectly, at times, I know. And if you’ll have me, I want to keep loving you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”

I pulled out a ring I’d asked her mother to help me to custom create. I’d saved up for a modest middle diamond surrounded by several other smaller diamonds from her grandmother’s wedding ring. I knew she’d appreciate the sentimentality.

For a moment, Taylor just stood there, both hands to her mouth.

“Babe?” I said.

“Of course I’ll marry you!”

I sprang to my feet, embraced her.

Then she pulled back. “On one condition.”

I cocked my head. “I don’t have to race you again, do I?”

She smiled but then wrinkled her forehead. “I’m serious.”

“Okay. What condition?”

“No lies, ever. Okay?”

“Of course.”

“I mean it, Alex,” she said even more sternly. “I can’t do this with you unless we’re serious about this commitment. If we want to have the kind of relationship my parents have had all these years, we have to make a covenant with each other, right here, right now. Or we can’t go forward with this.”

“I promise you, Taylor. No lies, ever.”

The smile on her face nearly exploded.

“Good. Let’s get married!”

I had remained true to that covenant. But this was something entirely different.

“How did it go with Steve?” Taylor repeated. “Is everything good?”

“Yeah, for sure. We’re good.”

I swallowed again and quickly walked out of the room because I didn’t want her to keep pressing me on it. But the lie felt like acid on my tongue.





SIXTEEN


The next morning, I woke really early and asked Taylor if she’d be okay if I put in several hours at the office to catch up on a few important work items. She said it was fine. I kissed her goodbye before she even got out of bed. But I didn’t go to the office. Instead, I made the three-hour drive north up I-35 to Dallas. My list of lies was beginning to grow and made me feel so conflicted. But Ethan Tucker clearly knew something about Joe’s investment money. I wasn’t simply going to leave him alone. The man might be able to sidestep my phone calls, but he was going to have a difficult time avoiding me when I showed up to meet with him face-to-face. I really hoped he might give me a sensible explanation for all this. I hated the uneasy feeling stirring inside me that Joe might have been killed for reasons that were connected to the funding for my company.

I arrived a few minutes before ten. Lone Star Financial was on the twelfth floor of a downtown office building near Reunion Tower with its ball-shaped observation deck. I took the elevator up and found myself standing in front of a young receptionist with a nameplate identifying her as Maggie.

She was all grins. “Hi, can I help you?”

“I hope so, Maggie. First, you can tell me where you got those cool earrings. Because my wife would love them.”

I figured a little charm might help me get in to see Ethan without an appointment.

Her smile grew bigger. “Aw, thanks. I got them over at Aéropostale.”

“Perfect. You just made birthday gift buying a little easier for me.”

“Glad to hear it. Who are you here to see today?”

“Mr. Ethan Tucker.”

The smile on Maggie’s face quickly disappeared. “Oh, do you, uh . . . do you have an appointment?”

“Yes,” I lied. “Jeff Bagley. Ten o’clock. I’m a few minutes early.”

“Uh, okay.”