to be his bride.
“I wanted to marry her right away. She wanted to wait,” Eric said.
“Why?” Was she having doubts about the relationship?
“She has a lot of benefits planned for the charity this year and the idea of planning a wedding seemed like a daunting task. Of course, I offered to hire a wedding planner, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Hell, I offered to fly her to the island of her choice, whatever it takes to make her my wife.”
Trey thought back to their own wedding, simple and elegant, with their closest friends and family. She had fussed over every detail for months. It was a magical day and she’d been happier than he’d ever seen her. What a fool he’d been. He should have done everything in his power to make her that happy every day. If he had, she would still be his wife.
“Why the rush to get married?”
He scowled. “I’m not getting any younger, boy. I know what I want. Why wait?”
“Perhaps there’s a reason Sierra’s not in a rush to walk down the aisle again.”
The judge chuckled. “Given the way your marriage ended, I can certainly understand why she would feel that way.”
The man had a pair; Trey had to give him that. “You don’t know anything about my marriage.”
“I know everything I need to know. Sierra and I were friends long before we were engaged. She told me about the lonely nights she spent in this house while you were busy promoting your career. She told me about the partying, the drinking, and the women.” He looked at him pointedly. “You were a damn fool. You sure as hell didn’t deserve a woman like Sierra.”
Trey folded his arms across his chest. “If you think I cheated on my wife, you’re dead wrong.”
“Maybe you did. Maybe you didn’t.” He shrugged his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is that your wife was sitting home alone every night, reading about your escapades in the tabloids.”
Trey glanced at the carefully arranged bottles of liquor. Day one and he was already itching for a drink. “Look, I know that I made mistakes with Sierra, but I loved her more than anything.”
Eric walked to the window, his hands in his pockets. “If you’re holding out hope for a reconciliation, you can forget it. Sierra’s committed to marrying me.”
“Is that why she hasn’t been willing to set a date?”
Eric walked toward him, giving him a look that probably intimidated defendants and lawyers alike. “If you think that means she’s having second thoughts about marrying me, you’re dead wrong, boy.”
Trey smirked. “If you say so, man.”
Eric took a step closer. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but if this is a bid to win Sierra back, you can forget it.”
Trey decided it was time to lay his cards on the table. “I’m not gonna lie to you. Allowing Sierra to divorce me was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life.” He stood up, standing toe-to-toe with his adversary. “The only mistake that could rival that would be letting her marry another man.”
Eric clenched his fists at his sides. “Are you telling me you’re still in love with her?”
“Damn straight.”
“Bloody hell.” He turned on his heel and began to stalk the room. “You had your chance with her, and when the going got tough, you ran away like the coward you are.”
“I don’t give a damn what you think of me.” Trey reclaimed his seat on the stool and tried to control the urge to lash out. As much as he hated to admit it, the man was right. He had been a coward. He walked away when he should have fought to save his marriage. “The only opinion that matters to me is Sierra’s.” He sighed. “Look, I’m not proud of the way I handled things, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to earn a second chance with her.”
Eric glanced at the bottles in the cabinet above the bar. “You still drinkin’, boy?”
“Not that I owe you an explanation, but I was sober for several years. I had a setback, but I
“I wanted to marry her right away. She wanted to wait,” Eric said.
“Why?” Was she having doubts about the relationship?
“She has a lot of benefits planned for the charity this year and the idea of planning a wedding seemed like a daunting task. Of course, I offered to hire a wedding planner, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Hell, I offered to fly her to the island of her choice, whatever it takes to make her my wife.”
Trey thought back to their own wedding, simple and elegant, with their closest friends and family. She had fussed over every detail for months. It was a magical day and she’d been happier than he’d ever seen her. What a fool he’d been. He should have done everything in his power to make her that happy every day. If he had, she would still be his wife.
“Why the rush to get married?”
He scowled. “I’m not getting any younger, boy. I know what I want. Why wait?”
“Perhaps there’s a reason Sierra’s not in a rush to walk down the aisle again.”
The judge chuckled. “Given the way your marriage ended, I can certainly understand why she would feel that way.”
The man had a pair; Trey had to give him that. “You don’t know anything about my marriage.”
“I know everything I need to know. Sierra and I were friends long before we were engaged. She told me about the lonely nights she spent in this house while you were busy promoting your career. She told me about the partying, the drinking, and the women.” He looked at him pointedly. “You were a damn fool. You sure as hell didn’t deserve a woman like Sierra.”
Trey folded his arms across his chest. “If you think I cheated on my wife, you’re dead wrong.”
“Maybe you did. Maybe you didn’t.” He shrugged his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is that your wife was sitting home alone every night, reading about your escapades in the tabloids.”
Trey glanced at the carefully arranged bottles of liquor. Day one and he was already itching for a drink. “Look, I know that I made mistakes with Sierra, but I loved her more than anything.”
Eric walked to the window, his hands in his pockets. “If you’re holding out hope for a reconciliation, you can forget it. Sierra’s committed to marrying me.”
“Is that why she hasn’t been willing to set a date?”
Eric walked toward him, giving him a look that probably intimidated defendants and lawyers alike. “If you think that means she’s having second thoughts about marrying me, you’re dead wrong, boy.”
Trey smirked. “If you say so, man.”
Eric took a step closer. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but if this is a bid to win Sierra back, you can forget it.”
Trey decided it was time to lay his cards on the table. “I’m not gonna lie to you. Allowing Sierra to divorce me was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life.” He stood up, standing toe-to-toe with his adversary. “The only mistake that could rival that would be letting her marry another man.”
Eric clenched his fists at his sides. “Are you telling me you’re still in love with her?”
“Damn straight.”
“Bloody hell.” He turned on his heel and began to stalk the room. “You had your chance with her, and when the going got tough, you ran away like the coward you are.”
“I don’t give a damn what you think of me.” Trey reclaimed his seat on the stool and tried to control the urge to lash out. As much as he hated to admit it, the man was right. He had been a coward. He walked away when he should have fought to save his marriage. “The only opinion that matters to me is Sierra’s.” He sighed. “Look, I’m not proud of the way I handled things, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to earn a second chance with her.”
Eric glanced at the bottles in the cabinet above the bar. “You still drinkin’, boy?”
“Not that I owe you an explanation, but I was sober for several years. I had a setback, but I
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