Page 35 of Runaway Bride’s Husband

“So, I hear you’ve had an interesting week, little brother,” he said without even saying hello first. “I’m under strict instructions from Jasmine to get as much insider info from you as possible.”

“So you came all the way to Manhattan because your wife wants gossip?”

He shrugged. “Apparently, there’s a serious lack of good gossip in Cairo at the moment, so yes. She sent me here to interrogate you.”

I groaned. “Great, and here I was, looking forward to actually spending some time with you.”

He laughed. “Relax. I was already planning on stopping by to see you. It just got more interesting when I heard who you’ve spent the last week chasing around.”

“I wasn’t chasing her around,” I muttered. “I’m trying to help Mom. That’s it.”

“Ryan.” Amusement sparked to life in his eyes as he arched his eyebrows at me. “Ryan, Ryan, Ryan.”

I closed my eyes. “Don’t go there, man.”

“Maggie Pembroke?” he said her last name emphatically. “It’s her, isn’t it? The same Maggie you had a crush on when you were, what, seventeen? Eighteen?

I huffed out heavy breath. “It wasn’t a crush.”

He laughed. “Ryan.”

“Stop saying my name like that.”

“I will,” he said, laughing again. “As soon as you tell me the truth.”

“That is the truth.”

“You spent an entire summer talking about her. Just admit it, man. This is the same girl you had a little thing for a lifetime ago.”

“Fine,” I finally admitted begrudgingly, but if I knew Isaac, he wouldn’t let it go unless I did and I desperately needed him to let it fucking go. “I had a crush on her a lifetime ago, but it was severely misplaced. I blame it on the hormones.”

“Severely misplaced?” He grinned. “I don’t think so. I remember her. A little bit, anyway. She was hot. Way too young for me, obviously, but pretty.”

“Sure, but she might actually be a demon.”

Isaac laughed. “Come on, she’s can’t be that bad.”

“She is,” I reiterated. “If not a demon, then at the very least possessed. I’ve never met anyone like her. Seriously.”

He took a pointed glance at the window. “Well, we’re about three blocks away from the Catholic Church. They probably make house calls for exorcisms, or you could just admit that you might like that demonic streak. It’s okay, Ry. I won’t judge.”

I was about to laugh and tell him to go to hell when the restaurant doors opened and Daniel walked in. There were three other guys with him, tight-laced finance bros by the looks of it. They all wore dark suits and had perfect hair, the looks on their faces suggesting that they truly enjoyed expensing every meal.

Naturally, Daniel spotted me before the door had even closed behind the last of their posse and Isaac followed my gaze, his eyes widening when he saw who I was looking at. “Isn’t that him? The jilted groom.”

“Yep, but maybe don’t call him that to his face.”

Daniel turned to say something to one of the guys with him, then changed direction and made his way directly toward us. I sighed, honestly not knowing how this conversation was going to go, but it looked like he was intent on having it.

“Good luck with that,” Isaac muttered a second before Daniel stopped at our table.

“Ryan,” he said politely, surprise flickering in his eyes when he glanced at my brother. “Isaac? I could’ve sworn I heard you were living in Egypt now.”

“I am, but I had a few meetings in Chicago, so I thought I’d pop in to see Ryan on the way. He’s been so busy lately that he hasn’t gotten around to visiting for a few months.”

Daniel chuckled. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I’m afraid the situation I’m in currently may have contributed to his lack of free time.” He looked back at me. “On that note, can we talk privately? I won’t keep you for long.”

I pushed my chair back. “Sure.”