A Bride's Tangled Vows

by Dani Wade

  But hopefully not. She stared at the new queen-size bed that consumed more than its fair share of real estate. Great, another worry. How in the world could she share a bed with Aiden Blackstone?

  Long moments spent unable to imagine such a thing convinced her to worry about it another day. Instead, she settled in and let lethargy weigh her into the mattress. Please, just a few hours of oblivion.

  But before she could drift off, she heard a sound from Lily’s room. Christina’s heavy head lifted. Again, that shuffling sound. Muffled by the dressing room that connected her to the suite, but there nonetheless. Had Nolen or Marie come to check on Lily before retiring?

  A grimace twisted Christina’s lips as she pulled herself out from the warm nest under her covers. In the two years since Lily’s stroke, she’d often heard noises from her friend’s room. Sometimes the others came to say good-night. Sometimes a branch from the oak tree outside had scraped against the window. Sometimes she heard just the creaks and groans of a house that had seen a lot of living.

  Each time, a small part of Christina’s heart hoped it was her friend. That Lily had woken up and would walk in here to gift one of her gentle hugs and tell Christina she was okay. That she wasn’t responsible for what had happened.

  But it never came to be—and that broke Christina’s heart.

  A muffled voice sounded through the partially closed door of the dressing room, and Christina slowed, not wanting to interrupt. As she paused, the words “Hey, Mom,” barely floated in and her feet rooted to the floor. Aiden? To her knowledge, he hadn’t been to see his mother since he’d come to Blackstone Manor. But she’d hoped. Someday.

  She knew she should leave, give him some privacy. Instead, she found herself easing up to the door and peeking through the opening into the room beyond.

  Aiden hunched forward in a chair just on the far edge of the faint illumination from the night-light. Even in the deep shadows she recognized his long, solid build. His head hung low, and his shoulders slumped, as if a weight of emotion dragged him down. He remained silent for long moments, not moving, almost not breathing. It was hard to reconcile him with the virile man who had confronted her on the stairs days ago. Or who’d stood his ground against the derision of Jason and his crew.

  Her thoughts cut off as he looked up, gifting her with the sight of his strong features and stubble-lined jaw. It intrigued her, that small sign of weariness, that little mark of imperfection on a man usually so perfectly groomed. Would it scratch her skin if he kissed her? His deep-set eyes barely glittered in the darkness, lending to the mystery, the hushed intimacy of the moment.

  “I screwed up, Mom,” he said, surprising Christina with not only his words but his matter-of-fact tone. “I left here a kid, full of anger and pride. I had no idea what that would cost me, cost us. But especially you.”

  He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it in spiky disarray instead of sculpted artistry. “You didn’t blame me then, and you probably don’t blame me now. That’s the kind of person you are. But I blame me. Boy, do I—”

  The small choking sound tore Christina’s heart. She saw no evidence of tears, but the depth of Aiden’s sorrow reached out from across the space separating them. She wanted to go to him, hold him and tell him his mother understood. Her foot moved before she realized what was happening and only by locking down her muscles could she stop herself.

  Invader. Aiden wouldn’t want her comfort. And if he knew the role she herself had played in Lily’s accident, hers would be the last face he’d want to see right now.

  “But I will make up for it. I promise you, you will stay in this house for the rest of your life.”

  I’ll do my best, too, Christina thought.

  He stood, hands fisted at his sides, but he made no move to approach the bed holding the ever-silent woman. “Grandfather thinks this is some kind of game, with him in the role of chess master. But it’s not. It’s an act of penance. After all, you’d just been to see me when you had the accident. Coming to me because I refused to buck the old man and come to you. Resisting him was more important to me than you were.” Long moments elapsed when Christina could only hear the pounding of her heart.

  His final words floated through the air. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  He remained still for the length of one breath, then two, before he turned and walked away.

  Christina didn’t move. Couldn’t leave, couldn’t continue forward. She stood frozen, held by the realization that this might be a game to James, but Aiden was more than a willing player. His investment was deeper than she’d thought, and if he ever found out her involvement in Lily’s accident, she would become the biggest loser of all.

  Five

  Almost a week after making his pledge to his mother, the marriage license arrived—and Aiden was royally screwed.

  Oh, he would go through with it. In his gut, he knew this was the last thing he could do for his mother, one thing she could be proud of him for. She’d made her home here, been highly involved in the community, and she’d want him to care for it, too.

  He couldn’t promise her he’d stay. But he could get her safely settled and make sure the town remained secure. Still, his confrontation with Christina on the stairs taunted him. And the fire with which she’d argued with him in her bedroom—soon to be their bedroom—tempted him to enjoy everything she might have to offer. Which made it imperative to lay out some ground rules with his future bride, so they both knew what to expect—from this situation and each other.

  Following Marie’s directions, he found Christina in the back garden among his mother’s irises, which were in full, royal purple bloom in the spring sunshine. She was sitting on a wood and wrought-iron bench, a truly genteel resting place in the shade of a small dogwood tree.

  He marched up beside her and dug right in. “Look, Christina, in terms of this marriage, we should start with—”

  “Good afternoon, Aiden,” she said, squinting up at him in a way that wrinkled her delicate nose. “Won’t you please join me?” She motioned to the matching bench opposite her own.

  He frowned. “Christina, this is a business arrangement. We should treat it like one.”

  “Aiden,” she said, her tone a mocking version of his own stern one, “we don’t do business like that in the South. Or have you forgotten? Now stop being a jerk and sit down.”

  Her words brought on a mixture of irritation and amused admiration, but it was the haughty stare that cinched the deal, that had his blood pounding in all the inappropriate places. It was the same implacable look she’d given James, though this time, that arched brow almost dared Aiden to defy her.

  So be it. He was a New Yorker now, but he hadn’t forgotten how Southern hospitality worked. He forced himself to take the offered seat and studied his bride-to-be. “And how are you this afternoon, Miss Christina?” he asked with a cheeky grin.

  His Southern-gentleman routine coaxed a laugh from those luscious lips, which emphasized the shadowy circles under her eyes. For the first time, he wondered just how much of a burden this marriage was on her. Did her family approve? He didn’t remember much about them, except that his mother hadn’t cared for either parent. They’d divorced when Christina was quite young, he thought.

  Had they changed at all, like their daughter? He remembered her as a needy, clinging girl, always hanging around, begging for attention with soulful eyes that could rival a puppy dog’s. Or maybe those memories were colored by his resentment that she actually got the attention, the positive attention he’d wanted.

  Now there was nothing needy about her. The calm, capable woman before him was both admirable and frustrating. Still, he wanted to break through that mask and see the real woman underneath, the one he’d caught glimpses of when she’d defended his mother and insisted on doing what was right. That attitude was more than just the picture of Southern
hospitality. She possessed Southern grit. He wanted to dig deeper, to learn whether her dedication to those around her could be transferred to a sorry SOB like him.

  He shook his head. Nope, not gonna happen. When he finally walked away from here, he wanted it to be a clean cut. It was the way he lived his life: no attachments—not even to the woman he planned to marry.

  That didn’t mean he shouldn’t learn more, if only to guide him through the next year. Yeah, right. But he pushed, softening his tone. “Are you ready?”

  “I guess so,” she said, though her gaze slipped away to the irises dancing in the slight breeze. “I doubt even real brides are ever really ready.”

  You’re a real bride. Even as the reassurance leaped to his lips, he forced it back. “It’ll be over soon. Before long, everything will be settled, I’ll return to New York, and you’ll be free again.”

  Those dark eyes, sporting depths that made him uncomfortably curious, swung his way. “What do you mean?” she asked, her brow creasing.

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “Not from my side of the equation, it isn’t.” Her body angled toward his despite the carpet of green grass separating them. “How can it all be over? How can you take care of your mother and the mill from New York?” Those gorgeous brows lifted high. “And not break your end of the deal, because James isn’t about to let you out of it.”

  Aiden put out a hand in a soothing gesture. “Calm down. I’ll get Mother settled and a good manager in to take care of the mill. I know how to follow through—”

  “But not how to follow the letter of the law?”

  “James is playing dirty. I don’t think I should be expected to stay spick-and-span.”

  “Your mother would expect it.”

  Her words shot an arrow of emotion through him that he couldn’t name. But she was right. His mother had always expected them to take the right road, not the easy one. “Don’t worry. By then I’ll have found a way to break the agreement and clean up this mess.”

  For once, he caught just a glimpse of hurt on a face that was normally schooled with graceful care. “Thanks,” she said with a dry tone.

  “Would you please stop analyzing every word and just trust me?”

  “I don’t really know you. Why should I do that?”

  “Because I know what I’m doing. Or I will—” Eventually, but until then... “My grandfather certainly thinks he can outwit the two of us. He’s making us marry each other.”

  “Actually, he’s only making you,” she said, reminding him once more of the picture burning in his mind of her stepping from the shadows of his grandfather’s bed. The echoes of her words still rang in his head.

  “But are we going to let him continue to drive this boat?” Aiden asked. “I’d much rather be at the wheel.”

  She nodded, slow at first, but then stronger, as if she’d come to a decision. “Exactly what do you propose?”

  “A partnership, a business partnership with a few key goals. No pressure for anything else.” This arrangement would be more for his sanity than hers. As much as he knew he should not get on more intimate footing with this woman, he wasn’t a saint. But he wouldn’t be alone in that bed. And sex would only complicate his leaving all the more.

  * * *

  No woman should get married in scrubs, even if the wedding wasn’t real.

  There’d been no time to change when James had summoned her to the study earlier. She’d thought he wanted to talk about Lily or his health, but walked in to find a local judge with ties to James. Now she stood self-consciously, waiting for this drama to be over.

  Aiden, on the other hand, looked much more put together in casual khakis and a slick black polo shirt. Even his hair was styled in perfect little spikes, while hers was pulled back in a thick ponytail because she’d been finishing up Lily’s exercises. One could almost be forgiven for hating a man for being so beautiful.

  As the judge’s benevolent gaze fell on her, she felt a twinge of conscience. She knew it was nerves, but she wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Especially since there weren’t any acceptable options she could think of to stop this wedding from happening.

  Screaming as she ran from the room wouldn’t be appropriate bride behavior. Lily had taught her to act like a lady. Maybe it was her mother’s crazy genes trying to break through?

  She avoided meeting anyone’s eyes by cataloging the one room in Blackstone Manor she’d rarely been in. James’s study. Tradition seeped from the woodwork, adding to the gloom. What did James so love about this oppressive place? Maybe that was it...the atmosphere only added to the power he wielded here.

  Dark, mahogany shelves were loaded with perfectly placed leather-bound volumes. Heavy green drapes framed the three sets of windows in the room, the color of the material meant to reflect the landscaping outside. There was an impression of money and masculine strength, but not in a good way.

  The lingering feel was one of suppressed power and manipulation, as if the meanness exhibited here had soaked into the wood, though maybe that stemmed from the similarities to her own father’s office. He’d delivered many a harsh punishment from behind a desk similar to the ornate mahogany one dominating the far corner.

  Suddenly, Aiden appeared in front of her, blocking everything from view but his silvery gaze. “Christina,” he murmured, those mobile lips drawing her attention down, making her wish this was all real, even though she knew she shouldn’t. “You good?” The furrow between his brows deepened. “I mean, we don’t have to do this right now if you don’t want to.”

  Oh yes, they did. Before the nausea in the pit of her stomach got the best of her. The slight hope in his eyes made her sad. His face wavered for just a moment. “No, I’m fine,” she murmured.

  Nolen appeared over Aiden’s shoulder. “Anyone you want to be here, Miss Christina? I could make a call.”

  She couldn’t tell if the look of surprise crossing Aiden’s face was because Nolen asked or because she might want someone here. The last thing she needed was one of her parents showing up. Her brother would consider this a waste of his precious time. Besides, the fewer people to know, the better.

  At least for now. The truth would get out soon enough. It always did in a town the size of Black Hills.

  She closed her eyes tight, letting the darkness shut out all the watching faces, then centered herself from the outside in. By the time her lashes lifted, she was back on track. “No, Nolen,” she said. “All the family I need is already here.”

  Her eyes met Aiden’s. “I’m ready.”

  As they settled into place, Judge Harriman studied her for a moment, as if he knew all the secrets she was trying so desperately to cover up. Not that everyone wouldn’t eventually guess, once they knew she’d married the Blackstone brother no one had seen in ten years. Her pride was worth Lily’s comfort.

  “Let’s get a move on,” James fussed from his chair behind the desk. Christina could hear the shuffle of Nolen’s and Canton’s feet behind her.

  For Lily...

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two people in holy matrimony...”

  For Lily...

  “Since it is your intention to marry, join your right hands and declare your consent. Do you, Aiden, take Christina to be your lawful wedded wife to have and hold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”

  Christina struggled not to wince. For Lily...

  “I do.”

  Was it her imagination or did Aiden’s voice echo through the room?

  “Christina, do you take Aiden to be your lawful wedded husband...”

  For Lily... “I do.”

  “With this ring, I thee wed....” Instead of looking at the plain gold bands that came from she k
new not where, Christina started making a mental list of all the things she needed to do for Lily this afternoon. And tomorrow. And the day after that.

  Finally, Judge Harriman put her out of her misery. “As you have pledged yourselves to each other before God and these witnesses, by the power vested in me by the state of South Carolina, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

  She hadn’t allowed herself to think about this part. Luckily, Aiden had more sense than she did. His hand lifted to her chin as he turned to face her. Her mind registered the smallest details: how surprisingly rough his fingertips were, the difference in their heights as he leaned down, the first soft brush of his lips against hers....

  For me.

  Finally, her brain shut down, leaving only the feelings. The sharp tingle she hadn’t expected, and the heat she had. But it was the urge to curl up against him that had her jerking away.

  “Not as bad as you thought it would be, huh, boy?” James cackled.

  The room righted itself, giving her a clear view of the disgust on Aiden’s face as he stared James down—then licked over his lips. “Sweet,” he said, though his expression was neutral. “Something you wouldn’t understand, Grandfather.”

  All Christina felt then was the sting of the embarrassed flush creeping over her cheeks.

  If the judge was surprised by the exchange, it didn’t show. For once he ignored the old man. Pulling some paperwork out of his briefcase, he said with a grin, “Let’s get this signed all official-like.” Christina added her signature, which looked quite ladylike next to Aiden’s masculine scrawl. Then the witnesses and the judge signed. They’d just tied everything up in a neat little legal bow when the door opened.

  “Surprise,” Marie said, wheeling in a tray with a three-tier—oh, dear—wedding cake!

  Christina rushed over on the pretense of helping. “Marie, what are you thinking?” she asked, her overblown mind barely registering the chocolate and teal colors swirling over the layers like waves.