Undeniably Married (Boston’s Irresistible Billionaires Book 4)
Undeniably Married: Chapter 37

Brody never called me back. And the midnight-ish deadline came and went. I was shocked. I thought he was going to do the right—and frankly, the smart—thing and move on with his life. First thing Monday morning, my attorney sent his attorney all the necessary legal documents I had mentioned to him on the phone. I’d already had them drafted just in case. The rest of the materials I had set to go in an email to my attorney as well as Mason’s PR people. Mason is at practice all day, but when Brody missed the deadline, Mason asked me to take more time to think my decision over.

I’m not going to let Brody get away with what he did to Mason. Or me, for that matter. He didn’t care about hurting either of us as long as his goal was met. Hell, he even used Eloise. The man didn’t care who he messed with or how he did it. No one should get away with that. My plan is to send everything out this evening and go from there.

A knock raps on my office door just as I’m packing up to leave and head home.

I glance up to find Jack filling my doorway. “Hey!” I greet him with a smile. “What brings you up to my neck of the woods?”

“I thought you’d want to see it.”

My brows pinch. “See what?”

“You haven’t checked your phone then, I take it?”

I shake my head. “No. I just finished with my last patient and was about to dictate and go home.”

“Here.” He walks in and comes around my desk, his phone in his hand. It’s cued up to ESPN live streaming, and my heart skitters in my chest. His finger presses the sideways triangle, and the screen comes to life with Brody standing at a podium.

“What can I say other than these last few months have been an enormous struggle for me,” Brody says, looking worn and beaten down. A look I’m positive is an act.

I roll my eyes derisively. “Always the fucking victim or hero.”

“I never intended for things to get this far. Yes, I cheated on my fiancée. It was wrong, and to her, I apologize again. Sorel Fritz will always be someone I love and admire, and losing her because of my careless and callous actions will forever be one of my greatest regrets. With that, I owe Mason Reyes an apology. I know by now you’ve all heard the audio from Sunday night’s game. A man has to take responsibility for his actions, and that’s what I’m doing now. I was resentful of Mason’s relationship with my ex, and I wasn’t shy about making that known in the locker room and to close friends of mine. My words and sentiments were misconstrued because never, at any point, would I ever want a player injured at my hands.”

“Wow,” Jack muses. “He’s throwing Tweo under the bus. I wonder how that will sit in the locker room.”

“Brody doesn’t care as long as his public image is still clean,” I explain.

“That said, I take full responsibility for Tweo’s actions and have decided to pay his fine.”

I snicker. “Ah. There you go.” I glance up at Jack with a smirk. “Feel better now?”

“Much,” he replies sarcastically.

“I won’t be taking any questions at this time. I simply want to apologize to my team, my players, my fellow coaches, the owner, Mr. Elmer, who has been endlessly supportive of me, the fans, who I love and appreciate so much, and most of all to Sorel and Mason. I hope we can all put this situation behind us now. Thank you for your time.”

Brody walks out of the press room amid reporters shouting his name and random questions at him.

Well then. I suppose I won’t be sending the email sitting in my drafts. That is if he signs the paperwork through his attorney.

Just as the thought hits my head, my phone vibrates on the side of my desk. I pick it up and see Brody’s name flashing across my screen.

Jack smirks. “I’ll let you get that.”

“Thank you. And thank you for coming up to show me.”

He gives me a wink and leaves my office, shutting the door behind him as I swipe my finger across the screen.

“I take it you saw my press conference?” Brody says into my ear, his voice low and even without even a hint of inflection.

“I did.”

“Your attorney should be receiving the signed documents now. I had my attorney wait until after the press conference to send them.”

A swell of relief rises up through me like a geyser.

“I don’t want anyone to know I’m the father, Sorel,” he continues before I can say anything.

“I have no plans to tell anyone, though eventually, when the child is old enough, they’ll need to know and understand they’re not biologically Mason’s.”

He swallows and clears his throat. “When that time comes, please have the courtesy to speak to me before you speak to them.”

“I will,” I assure him. “Regardless, you have no liability, and I promise to keep it that way. That was in the documents in case you missed it.”

“You think I’m a shitty person.” It comes out as a statement and not a question.

“Honestly, at this point, I’m grateful for what you did with Eloise. It led me to Mason in a way I otherwise wouldn’t have been. We all have demons, and we’re all flawed. It doesn’t matter what I think. You have to be able to live with yourself and your choices.”

He’s silent for a long moment before he says, “I meant what I said in there. Forgetting Reyes, I am sorry about everything that happened between us, and losing you will be the regret of my life. Without you, I think I’d be a shitty dad. Kids are, well, I don’t know if they’re for me.”

I pick up a pen and twirl it around with my fingers. “Then you made the right choice, Brody. One I appreciate both for the child and for myself.”

“Take care of yourself, Sorel. I hope you have everything in this life you deserve.”

“Thank you, Brody. Take care.” I disconnect the call and practically squeal in delight. It’s done. It’s over. Brody is gone and out of our lives for good.

“Where are you going tonight?” Serena asks in my ear as I tuck my phone against my shoulder and brace against the frigid Boston wind.

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me.”

“He’s going to propose.”

That stops me short, and a man at my back nearly plows straight into me. He snaps something I don’t care enough about to hear at me and continues on. I’m too busy blinking at the ghoulish Halloween decorations that threw up all over the coffee shop on the corner from our building.

Speaking of throwing up… “What? Why would you say that?”

She snorts. “One, you told him a few weeks ago you had to figure out the marriage end of your relationship.”

“So?”

“Two,” she continues without missing a beat, “it’s three months.”

“What’s three months?”

“This weekend marks three months since you got married, but he’s traveling this weekend for a game. Wasn’t that your deadline?”

“Yes, but we’ve only been together a short while,” I protest. “He won’t propose.” I start to walk again, confident in that. “And when I said we have to figure out the marriage side of this, we do. I mean, the wedding wasn’t real. How would we ever explain that to our kid? Oh, Mom got wasted one night in Vegas and asked me to marry her so I could be her revenge against her cheating ex. That doesn’t exactly sound like the best story. I realize divorce is tricky, but I don’t know. I don’t like being married for the wrong reasons.”

“And how does your doting, obsessed husband feel about that?”

I huff. “He agreed!” I exclaim.

“Uh-huh,” she says dismissively, but thankfully she changes the subject. “Anyway, have you booked your flight yet?”

“Yes. Mom, Dad, and I are flying in the Monday before Thanksgiving.”

“And Keegan?”

“She bagged out. I don’t know what’s up with her and this movie star guy, but she changed her mind.”

“Poor Keegs. Still, I’m so excited you’re coming. And you know I’m planning to fly in for the baby shower and stay through until after the baby is born. Aurelia and Zax agreed to temporarily move my position at Monroe Fashions to the Boston office.”

I roll my eyes as I briskly head for the front door of our building. “That’s because they’re Mason’s aunt and uncle of sorts. Do you think they could get away with not allowing you to move back here temporarily? Besides, maybe you’ll take a fancy to Boston in the springtime and stay.”

“Nope. Not a chance. But nice try.”

“Fine. I won’t push it. Yet. Listen, I just got home, and I need to take a shower before my date tonight.”

“You mean before your engagement.”

“Shut it, bitch. I love you.”

“Love you too. Call me tomorrow and tell me everything.”

“I will. Bye.”

I slip my phone back into my purse and rush inside the building. It’s annoyingly cold for it only being October.

“Oh, Mrs. Fritz-Reyes. Perfect timing.” The doorman stops me before I can reach the elevator. “I was just about to deliver these up to your unit. I have a couple of packages for you and Mr. Reyes that were just delivered. The boxes on the bottom were sent by courier and required a signature.”

A courier? Weird. “I can take them up.”

He smiles and hands me three boxes and an envelope. I step onto the elevator, curious about the boxes that required a special signature, but my focus is quickly intercepted by the envelope sitting on top. The return address is from Eloise. What in the Nightmare Before Christmas could she be sending me? Sigh. When will this end?

The elevator doors open, and I head to my apartment, shifting and shuffling the boxes and the envelope so I can open the door. With my gaze still locked on the envelope, I don’t notice or even comprehend the odd clacking sound until a bark makes me start and yelp. The packages fly out of my hands and crash to the floor while my feet skitter back as whatever made that sound jumps at me.

“Who are you?” I gasp as an adorable brown labradoodle puppy starts licking my hand. “Mason?!” I call out, only he’s not home. I rub the puppy’s head and catch its collar, twisting it so I can read the tag. “Vegas?” My face scrunches up. “Is that your name?”

“Shit,” I hear Mason curse. “Vegas. Down!” The dog doesn’t budge. It’s very happy jumping and licking at me. “Down!”

Mason is scrambling toward me wearing a fluffy white bathrobe and what appears to be nothing else. His hair is wet and sticking up all over the place, and his feet slip and slide on the hardwood floors.

“You’re home early,” he almost snaps at me, irritated like somehow it’s my fault there’s a strange dog in our apartment.

“My last two patients of the day canceled. What is going on?” I cry out, laughing hysterically. There is a strange dog in my apartment jumping on me, and Mason is wearing the biggest bathrobe I’ve ever seen.

He rolls his eyes when he sees my expression, but his lips are twitching all the same. “Don’t make fun of me. I wear this after I take a bath.”

I shake my head. “I’ve never seen it.”

“Because I don’t usually take baths when you’re home, princess.”

I point down to the dog. “Who is this?”

He groans and grabs the dog by the collar to pull him off me. “This is Vegas. He was supposed to be a surprise, but clearly he’s very smart as he somehow escaped his crate.”

“A dog?” I’m incredulous. “A puppy at that? You didn’t think that should be something we talk about first? Puppies are a lot of work.”

“You told me in Vegas you wanted a dog. I got you a dog. Besides, I read that animals are good with children, and after Eloise randomly showed up here and with all that I travel, I wanted you to have a guard dog to protect you. I had to wait until he was big enough and ready to leave his mama or whatever.”

I fall into a fit of laughter as the dog tries to come at me, its paws dancing in the air. “His mama?”

“Shush it, woman.”

I’m dying. I legit have tears streaming down my cheeks. Mason just used the word mama while wearing a fluffy bathrobe. “Yeah. I can see how this affection bomb would be terrifying and scare everyone away.” I rub its ears and face. “You’re going to be trouble. I can tell.” I glance up at Mason. “When did I say I wanted a dog?”

“When you were drunk right before you proposed to me.”

Oh. Funny, I don’t remember that one. “I love it. Him. Vegas is adorable.”

Mason sighs. “Good. I’m glad because I think you were right about puppies being a lot of work. I didn’t think about that.”

“It’ll be good practice for the baby.”

“No! Vegas, stop!” Mason cries as the puppy starts to root and scratch at the boxes that flew out of my hands. I all but forgot about them with all the puppy excitement. Mason tries to beat me to them, but he’s also trying to corral Vegas, so I get there first. Both of the boxes broke open when they hit the ground, and what I see spilling out of one of them stops my heart.