DEX:
- Arrange limo and driver for tomorrow
- Make awesome playlist for ceremony
SAYLA:
- Order bouquets and boutonnieres
- Plan photo and video ops for Margaret (goal: maximum believability)
LOREN:
- Get manicure (nails on point for ring pics)
- Check on Dad
- Sneak wedding dress out of house
This last bullet point refers to the dress Loren bought last year. To marry Foster. She got it on clearance, so there was no chance of returning the thing. And it’s never been worn. So she insisted on using it tomorrow.
This does not make me feel good. For the record.
Also not great? Deceiving Loren’s dad. But we agreed that trying to explain things to Harlan could risk confusing him. Or worse, earn us his disapproval. So as much as I’d love to talk to the man and convince him of my pure intentions, that’s not what this plan is about. And whatever's best for Harlan Cane’s peace of mind is what’s best for Loren Elise Cane Adams.
That’s all I care about.
Period.
Once we’re squared away, the ladies excuse themselves to the bathroom. Dex waits for them to be out of earshot. Then he leans over the table.
“Okay, I’ve been sitting here thinking, and I just have to ask.” He glances around and lowers his voice. “Why didn’t you tell me about the whole trust thing earlier?” He clears his throat. “Because I’m not trying to take this personally, but …”
“No, I get it.” I blow out a breath. “It’s pretty … jarring.”
“Yeah.”
“Would you believe me if I said the money never felt like some big secret?”
“Come on.” He smirks. “How can a massive trust fund be anything but big? Especially when your donation helped us rebuild the gym and the theater. That was super personal, man. I think I can speak for Sayla when I tell you we would’ve wanted to thank you. At the very least.”
“The thing is …” I take a beat, trying to decide how to explain this. “I’d walked away from all that years ago. I never even thought about the family business anymore. Or the money. That’s the truth. Once I started a new life here, I just wanted to be the man you know. Bridger Adams, science teacher. I never planned to access the trust. Ever.”
“Until Sayla and I needed the money.”
“It wasn’t like that.” I shake my head. “All Batman jokes aside, I’m not trying to be a hero here. Please don’t take it that way. I wasn’t looking for credit. Hence, the anonymous part. I just had the means to help. That’s all.”
“And you did help,” he says. “A lot.”
“Which felt good,” I admit. “For the first time, I let myself think the trust could make a difference, you know? In a positive way. I wanted to keep the donations going. But then my mother and her lawyers came after me, and I remembered exactly why I walked away in the first place. I decided to step away again. Far away. But now …”
Dex rubs his beard. “Now you want to help Loren.”
“Yeah, and other good causes,” I say.
His mouth goes crooked.
“Okay. Mostly Loren.”