Million Dollar Marriage (11 page)

“I just want her to be comfortable with us. She hasn’t had any family around her in
a long time, and I think it would mean a lot to her.”

“Of course it would. All right. I’ll see what I can put together. What time should
I expect you?”

“By seven, I imagine.”

She sighed again, into the phone. “Holden…we’re going to have a long talk, you and
I. Soon.”

“I expected as much.”

“Be good to her, son. She’s not the kind of girl you’re used to. She’s…she’s a lady.”

“I’m well aware of that. But I have to say, I’m glad you are, as well.” He turned
to peer through the smudged window, and saw Lucy sitting alone at the
table. The waitress was bringing their food. “I have to go, Mom. Let me just run through
what I’d like waiting for her, and then I’ll have to go. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yes. I’ll see you then. Don’t worry about a thing, Holden. I’ll take care of it.”

“I knew I could count on you,” he told her.

“Always,” she whispered.

She was, Lucy told herself, an idiot. Just because the pretty, big-haired waitress
was ogling Holden openly, and just because he had been gone for so long, and just
because she had reappeared only moments before he had, did
not
mean the two of them had been making out in some storage room somewhere.

So why was that what she was thinking?

Holden sat down, smiled. “Sorry I took so long. Had to make a call.”

“That’s all right.” It wasn’t, but it should be. She had no business keeping tabs
on his every move.

The waitress appeared at once, to refill his coffee cup, and her smile was wide and
sexy, and her eyes were suggestive and riveted to him. “Is there anything else I can
get for y’all?” she drawled, including Lucy with her words but not with her eyes.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“You sure are, sugar.” She winked, and sauntered away, her big butt swinging all the
way across the diner until it vanished behind the counter.

Holden was good. He didn’t even watch her go. Pretending not to notice the flirting,
he dug into his food, sipped his coffee. But Lucy noticed. Every few moments she glanced
across the room to see that hungry
woman’s eyes on him. And she was getting madder by the minute.

It was stupid. It made no sense whatsoever. And she felt it anyway. Jealousy. Blazing
hotter with every sidelong glance.

“Something wrong with your sandwich?” Holden asked her.

“It’s fine. Why?” She dragged her gaze away from the woman to focus on him. There
was not even a hint of guilt in his eyes. Well, maybe that was because he didn’t feel
any.

“You haven’t touched it,” Holden said. “I’ll send it back.” He lifted a hand. “Hey,
waitress?”

“Holden, no, I told you it’s fine.” But Big Hair was already wiggling her way back
over here at the speed of light.

“What can I do you for, hon?”

Lucy rolled her eyes. Holden’s gaze slid from Lucy’s to the waitress’s, and back again.
“You sure the sandwich is okay?” he asked Lucy again.

“Yes. It’s perfect.”

Holden shrugged, and smiled up at Big Hair. “Never mind. False alarm.”

“No trouble at all, sweetie.” She’d pulled her pen out of her hair, in preparation
to write down his wishes, Lucy supposed. Now, she dropped it. Deliberately dropped
it. And when she bent to pick it up, her blouse gaped open revealing cleavage of Grand
Canyon proportions.

The fury spilled over. Before she could even try to reason with herself, some crazy
woman took over Lucy’s body, and she lifted her hand, and bumped her
water glass. It tipped, and the ice water splashed right where it should, soaking
that big hair until it went flat.

The waitress shot to her feet with a squeal.

“Oh, my goodness! I’m so sorry,” Lucy said.

The waitress yanked off her apron, and used it to dab at her hair.

“I really do apologize,” Lucy went on. “Are you all right?”

She finished dabbing, eyed Lucy with malice, but then caught Holden’s glance and calmed
herself down. “That’s all right, hon. It’s only water.”

She gave her apron a shake, then tied it around her waist again. “Can I get you anything
else before I go get the mop to clean this up?”

“Yes, actually, you can,” Lucy said, a sweet-as-light smile on her face, her voice
sugarcoated. “I’d like some more coffee. That is, if you’re done waving your chest
underneath my husband’s nose now.”

The woman’s eyes widened. She snatched Lucy’s cup away and stomped off, muttering
under her breath.

Lucy sighed, feeling an immense satisfaction…until she glanced Holden’s way and saw
him sitting there, staring at her as if he’d never seen her before today.

She licked her lips, growing nervous. “I shouldn’t have done that. I’ve got no right
to stop you from flirting if you want to.”

“Um, yeah, you do, actually. We have an agreement. And for the record, Lucy, I wasn’t
flirting. She was.”

She studied him, wondering what he was thinking.

Slowly, a grin spread across his face. “You’re just full of surprises, you know that,
Lucy?”

She shrugged. Actually, no one had been more surprised
by her actions than she had been. What the hell was happening to her? It was as if
this emotional, sexual, jealous woman had been hiding deep inside her all her life,
never making a peep until now.

And now she wouldn’t shut up for a minute.

W
hen Holden pulled into the driveway at the house, Lucy was swamped with a mingled
mishmash of feelings and memories. She couldn’t help but recall the time long ago
she’d been here before, with Holden. He’d been drunk and she’d been in the throes
of teenage adoration. She’d lost her virginity, and later, her pride. He hadn’t even
remembered.

The other feelings were nervous ones. She had to face his mother. Together, she and
Holden would tell the woman that her son was married. That she, Lucy, was her new
daughter-in-law. Mary Ellen Fortune was a kind woman, but strong, and protective of
her own. And Lucy wouldn’t blame her in the least for resenting this hasty marriage,
and the fact that she hadn’t even been a part of it.

It wasn’t going to be a pretty scene.

She was as prepared for it as she possibly could be. Holden had taken her to her own
apartment first, and she’d taken a quick shower, brushed out her hair until it gleamed,
applied a light coat of makeup, and donned a chic suit of deep sapphire blue. She
felt a bit stronger than she would have felt facing her new mother-in-law dressed
in jeans and a T-shirt, her hair in a ponytail. She’d also checked in on Cleo who
was in the care of a neighbor and none the worse for wear.

When they pulled to a stop, Holden got out and hurried around to her side of the car.
He opened her door, took her hand, smiled down at her. “Nervous?” he asked.

“A little.”

“It’s okay. I’m on your side, remember that.”

She studied his face, his smile, the warmth in his eyes. He’d been so worried about
her feelings toward him changing if they became sexually intimate. But if anyone’s
attitude had changed, it was his. He was more attentive, more…gentle with her, than
he’d been before.

She let him tug her to her feet and was surprised when his hand closed around hers
as they started up the walk to the huge front porch. But then she stopped and pointed.
“Holden, why are all those cars in the driveway?”

He glanced toward the fork in the drive, where several vehicles were lined up. Shrugged.
“There are always lots of vehicles here. Employees and stuff.”

She frowned at him. “They must be well-paid employees.”

Again, he only shrugged, and quickened his pace, drawing her up the front steps. He
paused at the door, sent her a funny little smile, and then opened it and pulled her
inside.

The house was pitch-dark. “All those cars, and the place looks deserted,” Lucy whispered.
She wasn’t sure why she was whispering.

“Oh, I’m sure
somebody’s
home. Come on.”

He pulled her on, through the dim foyer, and into the gargantuan living room she remembered
so well.
And as soon as he flicked on a light, a chorus of voices yelled, “Surprise!”

Lucy blinked in shock. A dozen Fortunes, maybe more, stood there smiling at her. Beyond
them, she saw gleaming balloons bobbing in the air, anchored in place by long curling
strands of ivory ribbon. There were several stunning arrangements of white roses placed
around the room and a mound of gaily wrapped gifts piled on a table at one side.

“I—I don’t know what to say,” Lucy stammered.

Mary Ellen Fortune came up to her, her eyes warm and welcoming. She reached out to
enfold both of Lucy’s hands in both of her own. “Welcome to the family, Lucinda. My
lovely new daughter.”

Lucy’s heart surged up into her throat. Her eyes filled, and the warmth of Mary Ellen’s
hands seemed to reach all the way to her soul. “You…can’t know how much what you just
said means to me, Mrs. Fortune.”

Mary Ellen’s brows went up. “Of course I do. And you’re to call me Mary Ellen…at least
until you feel comfortable enough to call me Mother.”

One of Lucy’s hands pressed to her chest, as if to calm the erratic beat of her heart.
“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, thank your husband dear.”

Blinking, she turned to look up into Holden’s eyes. “You did this?”

“I just called ahead—” he began.

“Holden’s too modest. He was determined to make sure everything would be perfect for
you when you arrived.” She lowered her voice, leaned closer. “He must care very deeply
for you, Lucinda.”

Lucy just nodded, battling tears still. She wanted to
turn to Holden, wanted to thank him, or hug him, or… But Mary Ellen was pulling her
into the crowd of family members, all of whom welcomed her with a warm embrace, or
a kiss on the cheek, or a kind word. Claudia was there, and so was Matthew, both of
them looking drained and exhausted. Claudia hugged her gently. “We can’t stay, darling.
But we wanted to be here when you arrived, and wish you well.”

“I’m so glad you were. Thank you, Claudia.” Lucy glanced up at Matthew. “Has there
been—”

“Not yet. But it won’t be long now.” His voice was strained, and tiny lines of tension
bracketed his mouth where none had been before. “Bryan will be safe in his mother’s
arms before we know it.”

“I know he will,” Lucy said.

“We don’t want to stay away from the Double Crown for very long,” Claudia said. “In
case there’s…any word.”

Lucy knew it would make little difference if they were at the ranch house, or here,
a mere two miles away. But she understood that need to be close, to stay very near
the last place they’d seen their beloved child. “I don’t blame you a bit. Go on. I
promise, I’ll visit you there soon.”

Claudia nodded, her eyes damp and painfully red as her mother-in-law guided her away,
and toward Holden, who remained near the door, watching.

Logan appeared, repeating his offer to help her if she needed it. She wasn’t certain
just what kind of help Logan thought she might need, but she thanked him for the offer.

Holden’s uncle Ryan gave her a hearty hug, and Lily welcomed her with a shadow in
her eyes. Lucy
remembered Lily’s warnings about Holden, and she knew the woman probably thought she
was crazy to have married him.

Vanessa smiled, saying she knew it all along. “I could see there was a spark between
you two, even with all that was happening at the christening.”

Lucy said nothing, and fortunately Holden chose that moment to reappear at her side,
his arm sliding possessively, protectively, around her shoulders. He leaned down close
to her ear. “Overwhelmed yet?”

She smiled up at him. What overwhelmed her was that he had called ahead to set all
this up.

Mary Ellen led them all to the formal dining room where a huge dinner awaited. And
when they’d finished eating, she rose, the picture of grace. “One last surprise, Lucy.
If you think you can bear it.”

“Another surprise?” Lucy looked at Holden. He looked back, a knowing smile playing
with his sexy mouth. “You again?”

“This one was my idea, yeah. I thought…well, it wasn’t much of a wedding. And you
deserve more, so I, um…” He shrugged.

“Bring it in, ladies.”

The double doors at the far end of the dining room opened and a cart was wheeled in.
Atop it, the most glorious wedding cake Lucy had ever seen towered, layer upon layer,
stacked with white pillars in between. Pristine white icing and delicate flowers and
vines and even a pair of lighted taper candles decorated the creation. And at the
top, two white china doves, nestled together beneath a lacy arch with real bells dangling
from it.

Lucy couldn’t breathe. She rose from her chair without
even realizing she’d moved, and went closer to the confection. It was perfect. Perfect
in every possible way. Her heart swelled…and yet it ached, too. She felt like a fraud.
Everyone had gone to so much trouble to help her celebrate a marriage that wasn’t
even real.

Her tears spilled over this time. She couldn’t hold them in. She looked toward Holden,
her gaze locking with his. He got slowly to his feet, came toward her, and picked
up the ribbon-decked cake knife. “Shall we?”

“It’s too beautiful to cut,” she whispered.

“We took plenty of pictures of it, dear,” Mary Ellen told her. “And we’ll save the
top layer, of course. You can’t cut that until your first anniversary.”

Their first anniversary. Maybe they’d eat it to celebrate the divorce. Lucy met Holden’s
eyes, and knew he was thinking the same thing. Why did the idea hurt so much?

She closed her hand with his around the knife handle, and together they poised it
over the cake. “Make a wish,” Holden whispered.

And she closed her eyes and wished with everything in her that this dream was real.

Then her eyes flew open. A baby, she thought frantically. I meant to wish for a baby.

But the blade was already sinking through the cake and the family was clapping their
hands and cheering.

Holden took Lucy to his wing of the house when she started looking as if she’d had
enough. The party had gone on for a couple of hours, even after the cake was served.
Drinks, snacks, family chatter and coffee, the usual Fortune family chaos.

He hoped she’d liked it. He thought she had.

He guided her through his wing, showing her the small, private kitchenette, and the
living room, the tiny office he kept here for those rare occasions when he had to
work from home, the large bathroom with its sunken, whirlpool bath, and finally, the
bedroom.

Their bedroom.

“Um…I can arrange things so you have your own bed. I’ll do that tomorrow. I should
have thought—”

“You thought of everything, Holden. That was really sweet, what you did for me.” She
sank onto the edge of the bed, looking tired, maybe a little weepy.

“It was too much, wasn’t it? I shouldn’t have had them all here to—”

“No.” She lifted her head, met his eyes. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had…a family
around me.”

“I know. That’s why I thought you’d like this.”

“I did like it. I just don’t think I’m clear on why you did it.”

Holden frowned, tilted his head. “I—I don’t know. I mean, I wanted to do something
nice for you.” He tried a tentative smile. “Is there a clause in our agreement that
I can’t do nice things for you?”

She closed her eyes. “No. It was nice. And I’m grateful. I just…” She shrugged. “I
never realized you could be so thoughtful.”

He shrugged. “Well, now you do. Surprise.”

She averted her eyes. Seemed nervous. As if she were avoiding looking at him. Finally
she got to her feet. “I’m going to take a shower. It’s late, and I have to be at the
hospital early in the morning.”

Ah, so that was it. No sex on her mind tonight. Maybe she was overwhelmed by his family
after all.
Or by him. Or maybe she felt odd sleeping with him in the house with other people
around, though they were all so far away it couldn’t possibly matter. And no one would
bother them.

She turned toward the bathroom. He caught her arm. “Wait a minute.”

She faced him, her eyes wary.

“Lucy, you don’t think I’m…expecting anything, do you?”

Lifting her brows, she pretended not to know what he meant.

“You do, don’t you? Lucy, just because you and I had sex at the cabin doesn’t mean
I’m expecting you to be all over me now that we’re back here. Don’t feel like you’re
under some kind of…pressure here.”

She blinked, apparently surprised again. “Then it’s…it’s all right with you if we
don’t—”

He lifted a hand, touched her cheek. “Of course it’s all right with me. And you don’t
need to make excuses, either, Lucy. Sex wasn’t part of our bargain. I don’t ever want
you to come to me for any other reason than because you want me.”

She blinked. “I… You…” Then she sighed, shook her head. “You’re not the man I thought
you were, Holden.”

“Yeah, well, you’ve given me a few revelations, too, lady.” He smiled at her, threaded
his fingers in her hair and gave it a playful tousle. “Go take your shower, Mrs. Fortune.
You can wear one of my T-shirts to bed. And tomorrow we’ll get the rest of your stuff
packed up and shipped over here, if that’s okay with you.”

She nodded. “Okay,” she said.

It was later, when she went to sleep in Holden’s bed and he lay in the next room on
the sofa, making sure she didn’t feel any kind of pressure, that the guilt rose up
again. Not a small wave this time, but a big one. What the hell did she think she
was doing here? Holden Fortune was pretty obviously not the man she had believed him
to be. Oh, he was convinced, it seemed, that he was just like his father. Thoughtless,
selfish, obsessed with sex and women and cheating on his wife.

But Holden was different. That was becoming more and more obvious to her. All the
years she’d spent telling herself she hated him, blaming him for everything that had
happened to her…they made no sense now. No sense at all. And tricking the man into
getting her pregnant suddenly seemed wrong.

She wasn’t sure she could go through with it now.

Damn him. Why did he have to turn out to be such a decent, caring man after all?

“Where is Lucy?” Mary Ellen asked when Holden came into the breakfast room for his
morning coffee. He could have had a cup in his own little kitchen, but when he’d awakened
to find Lucy already up and gone, he’d been lonely. And even though he knew what was
likely awaiting him, he’d decided to face the music and have breakfast with his mother.

“She had to be at the hospital early this morning.”

“Oh? Well, that’s all right. Gives us a chance to have that talk I promised you.”

“Mother—”

“Holden. I know why you did this. Or at least why
you
believe you did this.”

He frowned at her, his filled cup in one hand, the coffeepot in the other. “Why I
believe I did what?”

“Married Lucy, of course. You believe you married her so that you could inherit your
share of your father’s estate. And don’t deny it, Holden. I know you better than you
know yourself.”

Holden took a deep breath, prepared to argue with her, then let it out, seeing in
her sharp gaze that she did, indeed, see right through him.

“Sit down, Holden.”

He set the pot down, pulled out a chair, and took it. “Don’t lecture me on this, all
right? Lucy and I are both adults, and we both know what we’re doing.”