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Ashton’s gaze sharpened.
Shep nudged her foot beneath the table to silence her. “Which could belong to anybody. There’s litter strewn all over that field.”
Ashton frowned at Shep, as if displeased that he’d interrupted their conversation, then returned his attention to Prim. “Are you aware that the Hildebrand fortune was never claimed?”
“I wasn’t.” She shook her head. “Listen, I’m clearly not the right source for?—”
He talked right over her. “Apparently, Iris’s father had it tied up in so many legal knots that no one but a direct biological heir could ever take possession of the funds. For the past hundred years, his investments have been under the management of one of the oldest financial firms in the nation.” He looked ready to break out into a sweat from excitement. “Though many claim it’s a lost cause, they’ve never given up hope of finding an heir.”
Shep found it interesting that Ashton’s probing had been focused solely on the plight of the Hildebrand fortune. So far, he hadn’t asked a single question about the feud.
“Nice.” Prim sounded politely disinterested. “Well, I hope they find who they’re looking for.”
“It would take some extensive DNA testing to prove it, but the heir could be someone living in this very town!”
“I guess.” Despite how hard Prim was gripping Shep’s hand, she managed to sound so bored with the topic that he could’ve kissed her right then and there. She was an incredible actress.
Their tea arrived, and she gratefully accepted hers. She took a few sips and set down her glass.
Shep immediately swapped it with his glass, hoping to bring her smile back with his antics. He gave her a slow, deliberate wink that the shmuck on the other side of the table couldn’t possibly miss. “Thanks for sweetening it up for me, darling.”
“You betcha.” She squeezed his hand again.
A look of disgust chased away Ashton’s condescending smirk.
Tiva returned to take their lunch orders. As before, Ashton went first. While Shep was still ordering for Prim and himself, the cocky reporter from New York reached inside the natty looking man bag at his side. Shep didn’t know what else to call it. It certainly wasn’t a briefcase or a backpack.
He withdrew a red package tied with gold ribbon and held it out to Prim, speaking over Shep, who was still answering Tiva’s questions about how he wanted his steak cooked. “It’s from your mother.”
She laid it on the seat beside her.
He looked taken aback. “Aren’t you going to open it?”
“She already told me what’s in it.” Prim took another sip of her tea.
“Okay. Well…” He looked like he was having an inner debate. “Here goes nothing.” With a loud sigh, he folded his hands onthe table and leaned her way. “The real reason I asked you to meet with me today was so that I could tell you I’m sorry for how things ended between us.” He lowered his gaze to his hands. “I said some things that were unpardonable. I was angry about not getting selected for that job at the White House, and I took it out on you. When I heard you’d been admitted to the hospital a few hours later…” He sounded like he was about to break into sobs.
Prim gasped and turned white.
Shep half-rose from his seat, glaring at the man who’d ripped the color right out of her cheeks. “I’m thinking it might be a good idea to get a to-go cup for your mineral water.”
Ashton gulped and nodded. He gave a heavy sigh as he slid from the booth and dragged the strap of his man bag over his shoulder. “I really am sorry.” He left the restaurant without looking back.
Prim shuddered and reached for her napkin. She closed her eyes and pressed it to the backs of them.
Shep massaged her shoulders and back for a full minute before speaking. “I’m guessing your ex is the reason you worry so much about your weight?”
She nodded, making a damp sound against the napkin.
Never before had Shep wanted so badly to run after another person for the sole purpose of flattening their nose. “Mind if I ask what put you in the hospital?” So help him, if Ashton What’s His Face had raised a hand to her…
“Something stupid,” she choked.
“I’m listening.” Shep forced himself to breathe through the anger curdling in his chest.
“For days, he’d been riding my case about losing weight before our wedding, so I’d been trying to starve it off. The only reason our last fight pushed me over the edge was because I was already dehydrated, and my blood sugar was already nosediving.”
“Prim,” Shep groaned.
