The Bride Said, I Did?

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  “We’ll put out a press release in the morning,” he continued enthusiastically. “You’ll attend the premiere and the post-premiere party as my wife. As soon as the publicity jaunt is over, we’ll head off on a honeymoon.”

  And what about my book, Dani wondered. The deadline I’m going to have trouble making even without a honeymoon? Beau hadn’t asked her if it was a good time for her to take off. But she supposed she could always work on her honeymoon, if need be. Maybe they could even watch some of the movies she needed to review together. And then she could take a few notes and write about them later. Reassuring herself it would all work out if she just gave it a chance, Dani smiled and decided to go for the gusto this time. “You don’t waste any time taking charge, do you?” she teased, stepping into his arms.

  “Not when it comes to something I want as much as you.” Beau kissed the top of her head. “And now that’s been decided, I think it’s safe to do this.” He removed the velvet box from the inside pocket of his tan blazer, took the diamond engagement and wedding ring they had purchased and slid them onto her finger. “Just what all the best-dressed women are wearing this season,” he teased.

  Dani slid the wedding ring they had purchased for him onto his finger and went right back into his arms. “I know how you feel about fashion for men,” she said, loving the strong solid feel of him next to her.

  “A giant waste of time,” Beau agreed.

  “But I’d like to see you in this—” she indicated his ring and waggled her eyebrows at him suggestively “—and nothing else.” Maybe if they went back to bed and stayed there for a while, all these doubts she was having would fade. Heaven knew she never felt as safe or loved as when she was in Beau’s arms.

  “That can be arranged,” Beau said, kissing her deeply, until a wave of tenderness washed over them both. “Just as soon as we get this nasty business with Sharon over with.”

  Dani sighed and laid her head on his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist, cuddling close and listening to the steady beat of his heart. “I’m all for that,” she murmured affectionately, her anger about that unabated. “That woman has tortured you long enough.”

  Beau smoothed a hand over her hair. He laughed softly at the unusually protective note in Dani’s voice. “Can’t disagree with you there.”

  Downstairs a door opened, shut. Beau slid off his wedding ring and handed Dani the box for safekeeping just as Billy bounded in the door. “I think she’s coming,” he announced breathlessly.

  Beau’s dark brows lifted in surprise. “If Sharon is early, she must be anxious to get this over with, too,” Beau said.

  “Good luck.” Dani kissed Beau’s cheek.

  Billy and Dani disappeared into the next room and shut the door behind them.

  Dani settled down before the TV monitor to watch, while Billy put the digital camera and sound system through a quick check. They heard the click of high heels on the stairs. A moment later Sharon Davis breezed into the office next door, where Beau was sitting with his feet propped on an old wooden desk.

  “I’m glad you came to your senses.” Looking every inch the femme fatale in a low-cut red dress, she reached for the file of papers in his hand.

  Just as swiftly Beau snatched them out of his ex-wife’s reach. “Not so fast,” he warned sternly. “Before we get to our transaction, I want to get a few things clear.”

  Sharon made a face.

  “I can get you the part you want, but first you have to pull the plug on this exposé you’ve been peddling,” Beau said firmly.

  Sharon folded her arms. “Consider it done.”

  “And you’ve got to tell the truth about why our marriage ended.”

  Sharon shrugged. “It ended because you wanted to end it.”

  Beau said nothing, just looked at her steadily.

  After a moment Sharon exclaimed, “Surely you don’t expect me to tell people that you wanted a divorce because you found me in bed with the pool boy!”

  “Why not?” Beau said. He steepled his fingers together and propped them on his lap. “It’s the truth.” Beau continued to regard Sharon steadily. He finished grimly, “And he wasn’t the only one, either.”

  “Yes—” Sharon uttered a bored sigh and shook her mane of sleek dark hair over her shoulder “—but you never caught me in bed with any of them.”

  Beau dropped his feet to the floor and vaulted out of his chair. “So you’re admitting it?” He faced his ex across the surface of his desk, his fury rising as he remembered what a fool she’d made of him. “You slept with a lot of other men while we were married.”

  Sharon regarded Beau impatiently, displaying a coldness and a meanness that was completely at odds with her public persona. “I told you,” she said. “None of those men meant anything to me.” She sat on the edge of his desk, hiking her dress halfway up her thighs.

  Ignoring the show she was putting on for his behalf, Beau regarded her coolly. “Then why did you do it?” he demanded impatiently, his loathing and disillusionment evident.

  “Because I like sex,” Sharon said bluntly. “And I like men. A variety of men. I didn’t see why that had to stop just because we were married.” She leaned across the desk and ran a finger down his chest. Cast him a sultry look. “You could have done the same thing, you know. Experimented with others. I wouldn’t have minded.” Infuriated by Beau’s lack of reaction to her, she pushed him away. “But no, you had to be such a prude and act as if our marriage had been permanently damaged by my little fling.” Sharon slid off the desk and stalked away from him.

  “Maybe because it had,” Beau said quietly.

  Sharon glared at him. “But your chivalry worked against you in the end, didn’t it?” she taunted nastily. “Because you didn’t want the whole world to know how provincial and narrow-minded you’d been.”

  “Or what a tramp you’d been,” he said.

  Sharon propped her hands on her hips. “This is a new century, Beau.”

  Unmoved by her taunting, Beau stared her down. “Some things shouldn’t change. Honor. Fidelity. Commitment in a marriage are among them.”

  “If you say so.” Sharon rolled her eyes. “I don’t give a horse’s rear.”

  “That was clear to me then,” Beau agreed smoothly. “And it’ll be clear to the rest of the world soon, too, if you don’t back off.”

  Sharon narrowed her eyes at Beau. “What are you talking about?”

  “Smile,” Billy said, walking into Beau’s office exactly on cue. He pointed to the air vent above Sharon’s head, where the recording devices had been set up just behind the grate. “You’re on camera!”

  Sharon sputtered and swore and tossed her head. She glared at Billy, then at Beau. “You’re lying,” she told Billy. Storming past him, she headed out into the hall, down the corridor and into the room where Dani was still sitting. She saw the video equipment that was still running and the TV monitor that quite clearly delineated the room where she and Beau had been talking.

  Beau had followed her. Sharon’s fury was replaced by panic. “What do you want?” she demanded hoarsely.

  “I would think that’s obvious,” Beau replied grimly. “You, out of my life forever. The blackmail and extortion and lies to stop.”

  Sharon began to pace. “You can’t expect me to tell everyone the truth about our divorce.”

  “No, I guess I can’t,” Beau drawled. “That would be too out of character, even for an accomplished actress like yourself. But I can promise you this. If you continue with the autobiography filled with your lies or ever again come after me for money or imply to anyone—however indirectly or subtly—that my infidelity caused the breakup of our marriage, this tape will be released to every major news organization and TV show in the world. And then see where your career is!”

  Sharon’s lower lip trembled. Tears appeared in her eyes. If Dani hadn’t known better, she would have thought they were for real. Sharon might not be all that talented of an actress, but she was a wonder
ful fraud.

  “What about the new movie and the part of Maizie?” Sharon asked in a low trembling voice that begged everyone to take pity on her.

  To her chagrin, no one did.

  “What do you think?” Beau said, making it clear with one sardonic glance that he wouldn’t wish Sharon on his worst enemy, never mind people he considered his friends.

  Realizing none of this was going the way she’d planned, Sharon glared at Dani. Then she turned back to Beau to work yet another angle. “I can’t believe you could be so…so cruel and underhanded,” she said.

  “Neither can I, but then, I learned from a master,” Beau answered sarcastically.

  Infuriated that none of her manipulations were working, Sharon continued to glare at both Dani and Beau. “Did she put you up to this?” she asked after a moment.

  “No,” Beau said. “But she gave me the courage to do whatever it took, no matter how loathsome, to get you out of my life once and forever. And for that alone,” Beau said, drawing Dani against him and kissing her soundly, “she’s worth her weight in gold.”

  “THANK HEAVEN THAT’S OVER,” Dani said as they entered the house a scant half an hour later.

  Beau felt as if a giant load had been lifted off his shoulders. He reached over and squeezed Dani’s hand, aware he’d never been happier or more in love than he was at that moment. “Now all we have to do is announce our marriage to the world,” he said.

  Compared to what he and Dani had already been through since they’d discovered they were in love with each other, having a press conference to announce their marriage and that they had a baby on the way was going to be a piece of cake.

  “And get something to eat,” Dani said, her stomach rumbling, reminding them both they hadn’t yet had dinner. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  As they passed the library on the way to the kitchen, they saw that the light on Dani’s answering machine was blinking. She went to check her messages. There were two, both from her publisher, wanting to know why she hadn’t faxed in her review of Bravo Canyon. Dani made a face and pressed a hand to her forehead. “Oh, darn, I forgot all about my deadline.” Dani switched on her printer and pushed a button on her desktop computer. “You might as well read what I wrote.” She handed him her review.

  Remembering the last review she’d written about his work, Beau hesitated. Her eyes glowing affectionately, Dani pressed it into his hands. “Just read it,” she said softly. “Please.”

  Beau swallowed and turned his gaze to the page in his hand.

  The early buzz about Bravo Canyon was overwhelmingly bad, but I’m here to tell you it was wrong. Dead wrong. The love story at the heart of this film involves a loner and a battered wife. The victim of a cheating wife himself, Grady Bodine (played by Beau Chamberlain) is reluctant to get involved in a romantic relationship of any kind, never mind an adulterous one with the wife of the richest man this side of the Rio Grande. But when he realizes that the fate of this smart spirited woman is in his hands, when he realizes no woman should ever have to be treated with such unremitting cruelty, he decides to rescue her. And while rescuing her, goes against everything he believes in and falls in love with her. And she with him. Starved for love, in need of a tender touch and understanding, the two lovers fall into each other’s arms. And thereby put the lives of themselves and everyone close to them at risk.

  In the hands of a lesser actor, this would have been a standard western, at best. In the hands of Beau Chamberlain, Bravo Canyon becomes a masterpiece, one with the epic sweep of a John Ford film and the carefully nuanced performances of Chamberlain and all those interacting with him. You’ll want to see this movie more than once…

  Suddenly feeling like the world’s biggest fool, Beau said gruffly, “You don’t have to go easy on me now that we’re married, Dani. That wasn’t part of the deal.”

  Dani blinked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  Beau studied her, not sure when he had ever felt so disappointed in someone. Dani had always had a reputation for fairness. To watch her squander it now was like watching her self-destruct. “You’ve never really liked my acting,” he reminded her impatiently. “I don’t care. That’s not what we’re about.”

  Dani’s eyes widened. “You think I gave you a free ride on this one because we’re married?” she asked in a low incredulous tone.

  Maybe, Beau thought, she hadn’t realized until now what she’d done. “Yeah, to make up for all the things you said about me before. And I’m telling you—” he gave her a level look “—you don’t have to do that.”

  Dani drew herself up indignantly. “I didn’t cut you any slack.”

  Beau sighed. Now he had offended her pride. “Maybe not intentionally,” he said gently, “but it’s obvious your love for me has colored your feelings here.”

  “I beg your pardon. It has not! You did a damn fine job in that movie, Beau. People are going to be talking about your multilayered performance for years!”

  Beau knew he’d given the performance of his life in Bravo Canyon. Right now that was the least of their concerns. “Even so, your review is likely to be suspect because of our relationship,” he explained patiently, taking her hands in his. “I think you should consider pulling it before you end up making fools of us both. In fact, I think you should stop reviewing my movies altogether now that we’re married. It’ll save a lot of trouble if you do.”

  Dani withdrew her hands from his and crossed her arms. “Reviewing movies is my job.”

  Hating the businesslike look in her eyes, Beau sighed in exasperation and shoved his hands through his hair. “I know that, and you can review every other movie, just not mine anymore.”

  Dani stepped behind her desk and sank into her chair. “What are you saying here, Beau?” she demanded, her demeanor cool and unruffled. “That I am so unprofessional I can’t be objective where your movies are concerned?”

  A muscle ticking in his jaw, Beau braced his palms on her desk and leaned forward, lowering his face so that they were at eye level. “I’m saying it will save us from arguing and hurt feelings and everything else rotten that goes along with the two of us being on different sides of the same business.”

  Dani picked up the copy of her review and walked over to the fax machine. “I have never skipped a movie for personal reasons and I am not about to start now.”

  Beau watched her feed the review into the fax and punch in the appropriate number. “Not even for us?”

  Dani stopped and looked him straight in the eye. “If I stop reviewing your movies, then I am as much as admitting I can’t be impartial where you are concerned, and I can be. I am a professional, damn it.”

  Beau caught her hand before she could push the start button. “So am I. But that doesn’t mean I would deliberately do something likely to cause trouble in our marriage,” he said, his fingers tightening on hers.

  “Fine.” Dani jerked her hand from his restraining grip. “Then you give up making movies.”

  Realizing he couldn’t stop her from faxing indefinitely, Beau grimaced and stepped back. “Now you’re being ridiculous,” he said. Worse, she was acting like a stranger to him. Nothing like the woman who had shared his bed and warmed his heart the past few days. But maybe, Beau thought, he had only been seeing the parts of Dani he wanted to see, needed to see, to make this hasty badly thought-out marriage of theirs work. Maybe he’d been deluding himself about Dani’s potential for a lasting commitment.

  Dani edged away from the fax machine. “So are you,” she muttered, heading for the door.

  Not about to let her run off before they worked this out, he caught her arm and backed her up against the bookcases. “All I ask you to do is recuse yourself from reviewing any movie I’m in. That’s not so hard.” And if she took the time to think about it, she would know that.

  “And I told you I can’t do that,” Dani shot back stubbornly, splaying her hands on his chest and pushing past him. “Not without impugn
ing my reputation.” Narrowing her eyes, she reminded him in a flat implacable voice, “I treat everyone the same in this business. I always have. I always will. I’ve worked hard to be fair.”

  Beau knew that. He had always admired her integrity, even when he didn’t agree with her reviews. But none of that was the point. “No one would think less of you for passing on your husband’s movies,” he said, refusing to let her direct their argument to less-intimate ground.

  “Maybe they would.” Dani lifted her shoulders in an indifferent shrug. “Maybe they wouldn’t.” She looked at him steadily. “But I would think less of me. Darn it all, Beau—” she aimed a lecturing finger his way “—I don’t want to be one of those reviewers who does favors for family and friends. And, bottom line, this is what your request amounts to.”

  There was no missing the boiling fury in her eyes. “Meaning you aren’t willing to give an inch on this issue, even for your husband,” he ground out, aware he was growing more disappointed—and disillusioned—by the second.

  “Not even half an inch,” Dani countered flatly.

  “Fine,” Beau turned away from her, his own temper flaring.

  “Now you’re angry.” Dani followed him to the library doors.

  “Yes.” Figuring the last place they needed to be was her office, Beau headed for the living room.

  “Why?” Dani stamped down the hall after him.

  In the living room Beau crossed his arms and assumed a no-nonsense stance. “Because I think there’s at least part of you that wants this marriage to fail.”

  A rush of indignant color swept into Dani’s cheeks. “That’s not true!” She looked every bit as hurt and frustrated as he felt.

  “Then why won’t you do the one thing that’s guaranteed to give us a smoother ride?” Beau asked with mounting impatience.

  Dani didn’t answer.

  “I’ll tell you why,” Beau said softly when she started to turn away. Closing the distance between them swiftly, he caught her by the shoulders and forced her to face him. “I think you’ve just been waiting for an excuse, any excuse to walk out on our marriage because you’re scared to love. You’re scared to rely on anything or anyone other than yourself because of what happened to your folks.”