Chapter 18: Green Door

Wyatt's POV

The judge froze the savings account on Friday morning, and denied every word of Cory's motion.

Cassia's lawyer texted me the result before Cassia could.

The full hearing was set for the Monday after the awards dinner.

I stared at the message, standing in my shop with a chisel in my hand, and then I went back to work.

That was how I handled things, and it was the reason I was in this mess.

On Tuesday, the week before the dinner, the green door opened at four in the afternoon.

I knew the step before I turned around.

Cory stood on the threshold in a navy overcoat, with a cream envelope in one hand.

"Mr. Mercer," he said. "May I?"

"It's a public shop."

He came in and looked around, slowly, at the clamps and the planks and the half-finished chairs.

I did not stop sanding the chair leg in my hand.

"Nice," he said. "Honest work. I always liked a man who works with his hands."

"What do you want?"

"A conversation. Between two men who both care about the women in their lives."

My phone sat on the bench, on top of a ruler, facing him.

I had pressed the red button before he took his second step.

He did not look at it, because he was busy looking at me.

"You signed something," he said. "A declaration. You said you took photographs of me."

"I did."

"I could call that stalking. A man with a prepaid phone, following a married couple around the Loop for a year."

"You could."

"Your sister signed a lease and it's got her name on it, and you'll hear from my lawyer if you don't take that back."

"I'm listening," I said.

He set the envelope on the walnut table, and he thumbed it open, and I saw bills.

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