Married Right Away

“Okay,” she said, then licked her lips.

Ethan’s gaze was drawn to her mouth. He noticed her lips were lush and pink. Full. Very kissable. If he hadn’t already reminded himself of all the reasons he couldn’t encourage his attraction to her, he would have been very tempted to at least wonder what it would be like to kiss her. But he wasn’t. He couldn’t take the risk.

“Okay. We’ll hash out the details at Gerry Smith’s office,” he said. “You go ahead and get changed.”

He watched her walk out of the kitchen, and after she was gone, he combed his fingers through his hair in frustration. It bugged the hell out of him that she made him feel guilty for pushing her into this scheme when she could be planning to turn around and blackmail him. Before he could enter into this marriage, he had a lot of backgrounds to check out….

On the drive back from Gerry Smith’s office, they decided that since they were entering this partnership “together,” he might as well move into the bed-and-breakfast for the two weeks before their wedding. Then, thinking this as good a time as any, he casually asked Savannah to let him meet her friends again and from the expression on her face he realized she suspected he was going to check them out. For a few seconds it appeared she might get angry, but, instead, she simply told him she would invite them to the house that night.

Within seconds after their arrival, he found himself seated on a stiff-backed chair across the sofa from four very curious, not-too-pleasant women, and for the first time since he made up his mind to interrogate them he wondered about the wisdom of it.

“So, Savannah tells me that she told you all the specifics of our marriage,” he said, opening the conversation with truth since there was no way around it.

Not one of them smiled. Not one gave him an even semi-friendly look. His gaze moved from the two blue-eyed redheads to the blonde, to the last woman with the dark hair and serious eyes.

Though all four of them stared at him as if he were the angel of death, only Lindsay, the blonde, replied. “Yes. She told us that she was marrying you to preclude bad press which might hurt your father.”

Though he tried to fight the ludicrous urge to defend himself, since it was her brother who had put them in this precarious position, he failed. “I could press charges against Barry, you know.”

“Except that would be trouble for your father,” Lindsay said. Her eyes were sharp, observant and her tone was clearly adversarial. If he were taking guesses, right now he would put money on the bet that this one would be an attorney someday.

“Yes, it would. But that doesn’t negate the fact that I’ve made some concessions, too.”

“Not as big as Savannah’s concessions. If you look at this situation objectively,” Lindsay said, “Savannah is giving up much more because she’s forced to leave her home, which also happens to be her place of business, and ask her friends to run it while she’s gone so she can live with you.”

“I don’t mind,” Savannah said, unexpectedly jumping into the conversation on his side.

Ethan cast her a sidelong glance, glad she spoke up. Her quick agreement proved she understood his logic, but it was also the first time they were on the same side. And it felt right. Good. Unfortunately, it also gave him a tingly feeling in the pit of his stomach, which he liked a little more than he should.

“Her living with me is the only way this really works.”

“That may be true,” Becki said. “But I can’t help but feel that you’re somehow punishing Savannah for a crime her brother committed.”

Not one to let a good opportunity pass, Ethan leaped on that. “Which is my point exactly. Her brother is the one who committed this crime, but my father is the one who will suffer if word of this gets out. Can I trust you?” he asked, looking from one woman to the next until he was sure he had their complete attention. “Can I trust that none of you will sell this story to a tabloid?”

Becki gasped, “Sell this story to a tabloid?”

“That’s exactly what I said.”

“It appears, Mr. McKenzie,” Andi said, “that you don’t have a clue how friendship works.”

“I know how friendship works, but none of you is my friend. And it’s my father who is in trouble. I need to know that I can trust you or there’s no reason for Savannah and me to get married. And if there’s no reason for Savannah and me to get married, all bets are off on this baby.”

Silence covered the room like a cloak. Though Ethan hadn’t come right out and made a threat, everybody knew what he referred to when he said all bets are off on this baby. He glanced at Savannah, who sat perfectly still and silent. Though she wasn’t trying to sway the opinion of the four women in her living room, she wasn’t condemning him, either. She seemed to understand that he had no choice but to use the power at his disposal. And though she could have argued or cried, or even made her own threats, she did nothing. Said nothing. Which gave Ethan another odd tingly sensation. He wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

Finally, Mandi said, “We’ll keep your secret, as long as you’re fair with Savannah.”

Ethan nodded. “I never had any intention of being anything but fair. But there’s a lot at stake here, and I’m taking some pretty big chances, too. This is the deal Savannah and I struck. You guys are just going to have to trust me the same way she does.”

Even as the words were coming out of his mouth, Ethan couldn’t believe he said them. Not only had he admitted that he knew Savannah trusted him, and that’s why she hadn’t said or done anything when he made his threat, but also he had switched from making sure they kept the secret, to pleading his case because he wanted their approval. Why? Because it was obvious they loved Savannah and he didn’t want them to worry about her.

“Does anybody want coffee?” Savannah asked, bouncing from her seat.

Ethan guessed she had done that hoping that if she disturbed the group at this point in the conversation they might consider it closed. And closed on a satisfactory ending—with him telling them they could trust him. Since they had already said they would keep his secret, he couldn’t think of a better way to end it himself.

“It’s a little late in the day for coffee for me,” Ethan said, doing his part to close the discussion. “But I wouldn’t mind something cold.”

“Neither would I,” Becki said, rising. “Except you’re not getting it,” she added, nudging Savannah back down to her chair. “Mandi and I will get the drinks.”

“Yeah, and Andi and I will get out the cards,” Lindsay said, as she rose from the sofa. She looked at Ethan. “You do play poker?”

“I play poker,” Ethan said cautiously.

“Good,” Andi said, more or less directing everybody to a game table in the back of the room.

But when Andi and Lindsay were out of hearing distance, Savannah stopped Ethan by placing her fingers on his forearm. “You don’t have to play. This is just how we amuse ourselves since Thurmont’s not exactly a bustling metropolis.”

“I don’t mind,” Ethan said, and realized that he didn’t. Wacky thoughts were running through his mind. He had just butted heads with four women who should be thanking him for coming up with a plan that protected everybody, but he almost didn’t care. The fierce loyalty Savannah inspired touched Ethan because he knew it proved something. Savannah Groggin was a genuinely good woman.

“Ethan?”

“Yes?” he said, then, forced out of his reverie, saw Andi was losing patience with waiting for him to accept the cards from her. Through the course of his musings, the sodas had been distributed, and everybody was waiting for him to deal.

“Sorry.” He took the cards and began to shuffle, but he couldn’t stop his gaze from wandering over to Savannah. He should be pleased to constantly get confirmation of her virtue, but it only complicated the attraction he felt for her. He knew the genesis of his feelings was her pregnancy—because she was carrying his child he felt intimate with her. The puzzling, almost alarming part was that with confirmation came the realization that she was the same woman he had worked with two years ago. And realizing she was the same woman, he felt closer to her—which deepened the sense of intimacy.

Worse, as the intimacy deepened, his feelings about their impending marriage were changing. Suddenly he was thinking that it would be okay to sleep together…and he meant sleep, at least he had initially. He just wanted to lie cuddled together, with their baby between them. But that need was growing into a desire to touch all the wonderful velvet skin he had sampled when she let him touch her stomach to feel the baby…and more.

As the poker game progressed, he unsuccessfully tried to fight the sexual turn of his thoughts by taking them into neutral territory. He reminded himself that she was sweet and innocent and that this made her beautiful, and vulnerable in a way that hit him right in the heart, and he wanted to protect her. And that was bad.

Bad.

Bad.

Bad.

Because that meant his feelings were transcending typical lust and even infatuation and rolling into territory that could become love.

The only anchor he could mentally hold on to to save himself was that Savannah might not be drawing these same conclusions. But even if she was, if he didn’t say something first, odds were she would keep her emotions to herself because she was shy.

Plus, theirs wouldn’t be a real marriage. As long as he stopped entertaining these crazy ideas, there would be no inappropriate touching, so both of them would be safe.

That thought comforted him through the rest of the card game. It comforted him as he waved goodbye to her friends. It comforted him through the awkward minute when he insisted she go to bed and let him turn out the lights and lock the doors for her.

But when he was climbing the stairs to his room, congratulating himself on his determination to keep both of their hearts safe, he suddenly realized that he would be touching her. He would be kissing her, and he would be pretending to be madly in love with her every time he was around his parents, or in the public eye.

If he wanted his parents and the press to believe this was a love match, he was going to have to pretend to be in love with her, which included touching, kissing, living together, being friends, sharing a child.

Boy, he was in big trouble. He had a sneaking suspicion that Savannah Groggin was the one woman he could trust enough to really make another honest stab at marriage. Except he didn’t want to make an honest stab at marriage. The first shot almost killed him. He didn’t want to risk his heart or his sanity again.

And the whole heck of it was, he couldn’t even run like hell in the opposite direction to protect himself as he promised himself he would do if he ever met another woman who tempted him to let his guard down.

In seven days, he would be married to her.

Chapter Three

Standing in the small alcove off to the right of the courtroom in which he and Savannah would get married, Ethan turned at the sound of a side door opening. When he saw his parents, Penny and Parker McKenzie, he drew in a quick breath.

“Mom! Dad!”

Josh Anderson, the coconspirator who had been pressed into service to be Ethan’s best man, and Olivia Brady, Josh’s fiancée, both froze in surprise.

“Ethan McKenzie,” his mother scolded, sounding exactly as she had when he was ten. Slim and beautiful in her teal-blue suit, with her blond hair pulled in a severe chignon, Penny McKenzie looked every bit the part of a Washington hostess. “How could you possibly get married and not tell your parents?”

“I—I—I don’t know,” Ethan said, too shocked by their appearance to quickly come up with a suitable lie.

“Hilton told us about the baby,” Ethan’s father, Parker, said. In the sophisticated black suit that complemented his salt-and-pepper hair, he looked as rich, powerful and polished as his wife. He reached around Ethan to shake Josh’s hand. “Hi, Josh, good to see you again. Who is this?”

“This is my fiancée, Olivia,” Josh said, as Olivia stepped forward.

While Josh introduced Olivia, Ethan realized how odd this relationship must look to his parents. Even Ethan had never suspected Josh and his secretary had more than a professional relationship, but it was clear now that they loved each other and were happy. In spite of being dressed in a tuxedo Josh was more relaxed than Ethan had ever seen him, and Olivia, wearing a bright-red dress that complemented her sunny yellow hair and peaches-and-cream complexion, simply glowed.

“Nice to meet you, Olivia,” Parker and Penny said, both shaking Olivia’s hand.

“Hilton also explained that when you told him your girlfriend was pregnant,” Penny said, picking up the account her husband had started. “He spilled the beans about your father’s impending vice presidential announcement, and the two of you realized you needed to get married as soon as possible so the pregnancy didn’t detract from the campaign.”

“And I appreciate that,” Parker said sincerely, catching Ethan’s gaze. “However, you still should have invited us to the wedding.”

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Ethan apologized contritely, but inside he was marveling at Hilton’s brilliance. Having the family friend leak that Ethan was getting married gave the first breath of life to the story that would keep Parker’s career safe, and Ethan’s parents’ involvement innocent. They were here, they were participating, but they didn’t really know anything. Yet they believed they were privy to the bottom-line secrets. It would play perfectly in the press. “Everything just happened so fast—”

“Because you’re going to have a baby!” Penny interrupted, reaching up to lay her palms on her son’s cheeks. “My baby is going to have a baby.”

Once again overcome with his own emotion about having a child, Ethan knew exactly what his mother was feeling. “I almost can’t believe it myself, Mom.”

“We couldn’t be happier,” she said, then hugged Ethan fiercely. “In this day and age, the timing means nothing. I’m glad you’re not letting it concern you because it certainly doesn’t concern us. I’m ready to shop for the nursery with your new wife….”

Ethan saw Olivia and Josh exchange a quick look and he knew why. The comment underscored the fact that Savannah was going to have to deal with Ethan’s mother for the next few months, but more than that, it reminded Olivia and Josh—and now Ethan—of something they should have thought of from the minute they laid eyes on his parents. Savannah wasn’t expecting to meet his famous family today. She was on the other side of the courtroom, in her new white suit, probably getting rid of last-minute jitters by talking with her friends, completely unsuspecting of her fate.

He prayed a silent prayer that she didn’t mind surprises. “You’re going to have to talk to Savannah about the nursery, but right now,” he said, glancing at his watch, “you better go into the courtroom and take a seat. The judge will be here any minute. He said we’d start at three o’clock sharp and I have no reason to doubt him.”

At that his mother’s expression changed marginally. “Honey, did you hire a photographer?”

“No,” Ethan said, glad that at least this much of his explanation wasn’t a lie. “We threw this wedding together on short notice, Mom. Savannah and I figured we could pose for pictures at a studio later or you could have someone at the reception you’re undoubtedly going to host.”

Penny had the good grace to laugh and not try to pretend she wasn’t already planning some kind of party for the newlyweds. “Studio photos are fine,” she said. “But I wanted pictures of the ceremony. I knew you were pressed for time. I also knew you weren’t thinking about details, so I called someone. He’s probably out front now.”

“Mom!” Ethan gasped. Not only was he about to force Savannah to meet his family long before she was prepared, but he was also about to ask her to endure an impromptu photo session. “I can’t just…we can’t just—”

“Savannah will be fine with it,” Penny assured Ethan with feminine confidence. “All women want photos of their wedding. Trust me, she will thank me.”

“Yeah, it’s okay, Ethan,” Olivia said, sending Ethan the message with her expression that it would be better for Ethan to trust that Savannah could handle this than to argue and raise his parents’ suspicions.

“Okay,” Ethan said.

“Now that that’s settled…” Josh said, taking over the way Ethan knew a best man was supposed to when the groom was nearly on the verge of panic from unexpected complications. “Olivia, why don’t you take Ethan’s parents out to their seats and we’ll catch up with all of you after the ceremony?”

“Great,” Parker said. He held his wife’s elbow to escort her to the courtroom and Olivia led them out the door.

When they were gone, Ethan sagged. “What the hell am I doing?”

“You’re fixing a problem,” Josh said simply. “Keeping a secret that needs to be kept.”

“You see, that’s just the trouble,” Ethan said, pacing now. “For something that’s supposed to be a secret, a hell of a lot of people are involved.”

“Who?” Josh asked sweeping out his hand in a gesture of dismissal. “The only people who know are me, Hilton and a couple of Savannah’s friends.”

Ethan caught Josh’s gaze. “And Olivia.”

“Olivia is Savannah’s friend. So she goes into that general category. But more than that if you hadn’t found out the real details and told us, Olivia wouldn’t know. When Savannah was in Atlanta three months ago and she started leaking bits and pieces of this story she didn’t tell Olivia she was already pregnant. Olivia thought she was only considering the procedure not in Atlanta for an exam.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Ethan said, the speed of his pacing increasing.

“You’re just nervous.”

“Because I suddenly realize how much I’m asking of Savannah.”

“From what I remember of her, Savannah is very resilient.”

“She better be because I have a sneaking suspicion that my mother might have also called the press.”

Josh burst out laughing.

“Oh, funny. Very, very funny!”

Before Ethan could have a full-scale tirade, the side door of the courtroom opened again. The judge’s secretary poked her head in. “Judge Flenner says to tell you we’re ready.”

“Okay,” Ethan said. He took a long breath and straightened his shoulders.

Josh slapped him on the back. “You’ll be fine.”

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