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Ian looked at him over the rim of his glass. “Because of your sister-wives situation?”
Garrett grimaced. “Stella is Emma’s four-year-old sister.”
“Oh, ick. Sorry.” Ian shook his free hand out as if getting rid of some unseen muck. “Forget I said anything about your bizarre situation.”
“Good.” He took a large swig of the Cognac, focusing on the welcome burn it made going down.
“So does the kid live with you too?”
He smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to keep your opinions to yourself.”
“'Cause it’s weird.”
Ian glanced across the dance floor at Emma and the wildly gyrating Kyle. “And out of character. I know you give to charity but you’re not exactly what I would call a humanitarian. Not the kind that gets into it, face-to-face. So why the hell did you do it? Pre-existing conditions or not—you’re a fucking billionaire. You could have just bought her a fucking health insurance plan. You didn’t need to marry her.”
Garrett leaned back in his chair, unable to look away from his wife.
She used to be a better dancer. Downright hypnotic in fact. Now she was winging it, but she still looked good on the dance floor because she had been blessed with natural rhythm. A little more practice, maybe some lessons, and she’d be back to form.
Yeah, he snorted to himself. She and Kyle could take lessons together. “You know it’s more than that,” he muttered.
“Well, obviously.” Ian tilted his head, following his gaze. “One look at the little woman explains a lot. Most of it in fact. But not all. I have questions.”
Well, he could answer one of them.
“Her sister Stella lives with her mother back in Colorado. The rest will have to wait for another time,” he said when he saw Rainer signal him from across the room. “It’s time for the bouquet and garter toss.”
Ian somehow managed to gag while keeping a straight face. “Promise me you won’t do these things at your wedding.”
He turned to frown at his former business school roommate. “Did you forget I just got married?”
Ian rose, straightening his tie as he went. “Yeah, I meantthe next time.”
Garrett elbowed his former roommate in the gut before shoving him forward. “Just for that, I’m going to tell Rainer to aim that garter at you.”
Ian turned a look of genuine horror on his face before straightening the sleeves of his tux. “Don’t forget. I know Krav Maga.”
It was Garrett’s turn to smirk. “Thanks to you, I do too.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
EMMA
Emma kept a smile plastered on her face as she tried and failed to drag Kyle from the dance floor. Thinking she was trying to take his hand, he pulled her close before spinning her out in a wild circle that sent her on a collision course with another couple.
“I’m so sorry,” she cried, rubbing her stomach where the man’s elbow had driven into her. She gave Kyle a hard yank. He stopped gyrating, belatedly noticing her doubled over.
“Oh, Em, what happened?” he asked, the picture of concern.
The man whose elbow had left a permanent impression in her gut blinked, his bushy eyebrows creeping sky-high.
Unable to suppress a wince, she pushed Kyle toward the exit.
“We need to find you some coffee,” she said once they were clear of the ballroom. “It’ll be a drip, but I’m sure the quality is excellent here.”
Kyle stumbled and grabbed her arms.
“Em, I have to tell you a secret,” he shouted before whipping his head all around as if to check and see who was watching.