She threw her head back and laughed. “You are now a part of a very large family.”
“I see that.”
“It will seem overwhelming at first. Trust me, I was in your predicament years ago when Pam married Dillon. But in time, you will come to appreciate the inclusiveness.”
He enjoyed engaging in conversation with Iris. She was easy to talk to. He had shared things with her that he hadn’t shared with other women. Such as that information about Rhonda. And Iris was a lot of fun to be with.
“Since we’re both living in LA, could I call and invite you to dinner?”
“Presently, I’m seeing someone.”
He should have known that a woman as beautiful as she was would be taken. “Thanks for sharing this little escape with me, Iris.”
“You’re quite welcome, Matt.”
Chapter Three
Two years later
“You are coming, right?”
Iris Michaels leaned back in her chair with a grin on her face, hearing the excitement in her best friend’s voice. “Yes, Pam, I’m coming.”
She and Pamela Novak Westmoreland had been roommates while attending the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Iris tapped a pen on her desk as she thought back to those days. Since neither Pam nor she had come from a wealthy family, their days at the university had been hard, even though they’d gotten scholarships. To make do, they had shared practically everything and had become best friends for life.
Pam had three younger sisters, and the oldest of the three, Jillian, and her husband, Aidan, were expecting their first child. Pam and Dillon were hosting a gender reveal party for the couple in two weeks. “Since you’re hosting the event, I guess you know the baby’s gender.”
Pam chuckled. “Of course. Dillon and I are the gender guardians and the only ones who know. It will be fun.”
“I’m sure it will be. If you need help with anything, let me know. I have no problem flying in a few days early.”
“Thanks, I might take you up on that. Oh, and by the way, Matt Caulder asked about you. He was here last weekend for the guys’ poker tournament.”
The last time Iris saw Matt had been at Pam’s youngest sister Nadia’s wedding six months after they’d first met, about a year and a half ago. Warren Forsythe, the man she’d dated for more than a year, had been her “plus one.” She had introduced Matt to Warren, and then wished she hadn’t when Warren proceeded to tell a few lawyer jokes. It was apparent to everyone but Warren that Matt, Jared Westmoreland and Canyon Westmoreland—all three attorneys—had not found the jokes amusing.
“What did Matt want to know?” she asked Pam.
“How you are doing. He always asks about you whenever I see him.”
“That’s sweet. I like him. He’s nice.”
“And I know the only reason the two of you didn’t get anything going two years ago was because you were in an exclusive relationship with Warren.”
Not anymore, Iris thought. She’d ended things with Warren eleven months ago, and it had taught her one valuable lesson. Some men just couldn’t be trusted.
“That was nice of Matt to ask about me,” Iris replied.
“Yes, it was. You’ll probably see him and Deena at the gender reveal party. They are invited as well,” Pam said.
Iris released a deep sigh. “It will be nice to see him, but like I told you, the last thing I’m interested in is another involvement with a man right now. What Warren did is still raw.”
“It’s going on a year, Iris. I hope you don’t think because of Warren’s infidelity that all men can’t be trusted. All I have to say about Warren Forsythe is good riddance. I never liked him anyway.”
Iris smiled, knowing her best friend really hadn’t liked him. Pam had always been a good judge of character, so maybe that’s why Iris had kept her feelings for Warren lukewarm. She would admit she had enjoyed spending time with him. She had made sure Warren understood, when they had agreed to become exclusive, the challenges they would encounter engaging in a long-distance relationship. She had stressed that trust was at the top of her list. He had wholeheartedly agreed. Yet in the end, he’d betrayed that trust.
To make matters even worse, he said she had played a part in his infidelity because Iris was the reason he had hired the woman in the first place. For months, Iris had encouraged him to delegate some of his CEO duties. Taking her advice, he hired someone to assist him. According to Warren, one thing led to another, and he and the woman ended up being lovers. He claimed they’d only slept together a few times. However, he never defined what a “few times” was. When the woman became possessive, he ended things. When she threatened to tell Iris about it, he decided to confess the affair to her himself. He had hoped she would understand his weakness and the reason for it.
She had not understood.