My Favorite Husband

by Pam McCutcheon

  “That’s Mrs. Vincent,” Chaz said with a menacing look.

  “Stop it,” Kelly said. Though Billings probably had some suspicions, he didn’t know exactly what was going on with their little party, and she wanted to keep it that way.

  Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to stop Billings’s revelation. He pulled a coil of rope from behind his back. “This was tied to Mrs., er, to the lady’s balcony.”

  Kelly closed her eyes in disbelief as she felt the weight of everyone else’s gaze on her. Great. Now they’d want her to explain that.

  Billings continued inexorably. “My staff thought you might have chosen a unique way of avoiding paying your bill, but since your purse and all your belongings were still there, I concluded there might be a different need for the rope.”

  Grace stared at him, her mouth agape. “What in the world . . . ?”

  Kelly snatched the coil out of Billings’s hands and avoided looking at Chaz. No doubt he was wearing a big grin. In fact, she avoided looking at anyone else, to avoid the questions in their eyes. “Thank you,” she said with as much dignity as she could manage and dropped the rope on a nearby chair. “I don’t suppose you brought—”

  Silently, Billings held up a key.

  “Thank you,” she repeated and snatched it out of his hand.

  He might have made off her black list if he had left it at that, but apparently, he couldn’t. Bowing slightly, the assistant manager added, “Since you left so precipitously out the window, I thought you might be in need of a key to your room.”

  Annoyed by the gasps around the room as the others suddenly realized what the rope was for, Kelly snapped, “And you didn’t think I might have met with foul play?”

  “Well, no,” he said with a small smile. “You see, I remember seeing Mr. Vincent entering the hotel with that rope earlier.”

  Now she was in for it. But first, all eyes turned to Chaz, who just grinned.

  “Surely you didn’t climb down from the third floor on that,” her mother said in horrified tones.

  Kelly felt her cheeks flush with warmth as Scott unsuccessfully tried to stifle a chuckle. It did sound rather foolhardy now, but it had been rather exciting at the time.

  Spencer turned to glare at Chaz. “You gave your word. You said you wouldn’t go near her until she was ready.”

  “Not quite,” Chaz drawled. “I said I wouldn’t go near her door. The balcony is nowhere near the door.”

  Candace looked impressed by this odd bit of reasoning and Scott let out the laugh he’d been trying to suppress. “Damn, I wish I could’ve seen that. What’d you do? Swing in from your room like Tarzan, or climb up to the balcony like a human fly?”

  “Climbed up,” Chaz said with a twinkle in his eye. “But it wasn’t easy.”

  Kelly rolled her eyes, but there was no stopping these two when they were on a roll.

  “Oh?” Scott said in a delighted tone. “Do tell.”

  “Well, the trellis helped, but it’s kind of difficult to climb in the dark with a mask on and a rose between your teeth.”

  “Not to mention those tight pants,” Scott said with a laugh.

  “Yeah. I’m afraid I may have startled the people on the second floor.”

  Candace smiled a little wistfully, but no one else seemed amused. Except perhaps Billings in a smarmy sort of way. “Thank you,” Kelly told the manager firmly and shut the door in his face.

  “Tell me more,” Scott urged Chaz.

  Kelly glared at her brother. “No, I think that’s enough for one day. Now that I have my key, I’m going to my room.”

  “But you can’t leave us like this,” her mother protested. “Don’t you have an announcement to make?”

  “No.” And Kelly had no intention of elaborating on that statement either.

  “But I haf an announcement,” Amalia said.

  “What’s that?” Scott asked with a grin. Obviously, he was the only one brave enough to ask the question.

  “Chaz and I are to be married,” Amalia declared brightly as if she hadn’t said it a dozen times before.

  Almost everyone in the room rolled their eyes.

  “No, we are not,” Chaz said firmly. “I told you—God told you. It ain’t gonna happen. Can’t you take a hint?”

  “But we must be married,” Amalia said in bewilderment. “I am with child.” As they all stared at her in astonishment, she beamed at Chaz and clarified, “Your child.”

  13

  Chaz stared at Amalia, stunned. What a whopper.

  But before he could say anything, Kelly turned on him with fury in her eyes. “You said you loved only me. That you had never touched her.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “Then how did she get pregnant?”

  Chaz spread his arms helplessly. “Hey, I think we’ve established the fact that she’s a pathological liar. Besides, I’m not the only man in the world, you know.”

  “Then who did the deed? One of your pygmy captors?” Kelly asked sarcastically, giving Amalia a scathing once-over. “Yeah, I can just see them trying to scale Mount Garcia.”

  There was a choke of laughter from Scott, and both Chaz and Kelly turned on him, saying simultaneously, “That’s not funny.”

  Scott backed off with his arms raised and Chaz took a deep breath, then leapt into the fray again. “I don’t know who got her pregnant. So far as I know, it was an immaculate conception.”

  Kelly sniffed. “Well, you’re no Joseph and she’s certainly no Virgin Mary.”

  Amalia shoved her hands on her hips and glared at Kelly. “But I was virgin, until Chaz.” Then her expression turned sly and calculating. “It was the best night of our lives.”

  From her heightened color, that lie only made Kelly burn hotter. If Chaz didn’t do something soon, he was afraid she was going to explode. “No, honey,” he reassured her. “That’s impossible. Last night was the best night of my life.”

  “Ha,” Kelly exclaimed. “So you admit you were with her.”

  Damn it, how had she gotten that idea? “No, I don’t. I can’t admit it, because I’ve never been with her. She’s lying again.”

  Grace chose this moment to break into the conversation. “So what did happen last night?”

  Chaz slanted a glance at Kelly, letting her choose how much to reveal.

  Since all other eyes were on her as well, Kelly turned red. She muttered something about a roller coaster, but before anyone could ask her to repeat it, Amalia was stamping her foot again.

  “I am not lying. I am pink,” she declared.

  Pink? They all looked at each other in equal incomprehension.

  “What?” Chaz ventured, though he hoped he wouldn’t be sorry he asked.

  “The little line, she is pink.”

  Bewilderment was replaced by enlightenment on all the expressions in the room. “You mean you took some sort of home pregnancy test?” Chaz asked, just to make sure he understood.

  “Yes. We shall have a fine, healthy son.”

  Now, he was positive a home pregnancy test wouldn’t show that. Good Lord, what universe did this woman live in? Because it sure wasn’t the reality Chaz belonged to. “Those tests aren’t totally accurate, you know.” Were they?

  “Oh, it is,” she assured him. “Now you haf to marry me.”

  “Fine,” Kelly said in exasperation. “Marry her. Anything to shut her up.”

  Not a chance. “But I don’t want her—or some other man’s illegitimate bastard. If she’s even pregnant at all.”

  “Of course I am,” Amalia said in indignation. “Would I lie about that?”

  “Of course you would,” Chaz said in equal resentment. “You’ve lied about everything else.”

  Amalia pouted. “I am not lying.”

  Kelly still looked doubtful, so Chaz said, “Look, I know. I’ll take a paternity test. That’ll prove I’m not the father.”

  Candace shook her head. “I don’t think you can do that until after the baby�
�s born.”

  “If there even is a baby,” Chaz snapped back. And if there was, he couldn’t wait for months to prove his innocence. He’d lose Kelly by then.

  “You see,” Amalia said in triumph. “You haf to marry me.”

  “No, I don’t,” Chaz snapped. “Besides, I’m already married, or have you all forgotten? I’m happily married to Kelly.” And he wanted to keep it that way.

  “Oh, pooh,” Amalia said, waving away his eight-year marriage as if it were inconsequential. “We can fix that before the little one comes.”

  “But I don’t want it fixed. I want Kelly, not you.” Casting around for some way to make her believe him, he said, “Remember yesterday? Even God agreed with me.”

  But Amalia’s expression turned smug. “I think about that. God didn’t strike you dead because He save you to be the father of my child. He forgives you. I forgive you.” And the woman had the nerve to hold her arms out to him in absolution.

  “No,” Chaz said desperately. “There is no way you can prove I’m the father of that child or force me to marry you.”

  “Oh, yes there is,” Amalia said with a smug smile.

  “Like what?” None of this crap she was spouting would hold up in court.

  “Juan and Gilbert.”

  “Huh?” She’d totally lost him . . . and everyone else in the room, too, if their expressions were any indication.

  “My brothers,” she explained. “They come all the way here to welcome you to the family. They wait by your door.”

  “Is this another lie?” Chaz asked suspiciously.

  “No, look. You see.”

  When Chaz hesitated, Scott said, “Here, let me.” He crossed to the door and opened it slightly to peer out.

  “What do you see?” Chaz asked.

  “Hmm, two big bruisers about seven feet tall with bulging muscles and a striking resemblance to Amalia.” He paused, then added, “They look pissed.”

  Yeah, right. Chaz pushed Scott aside to look out for himself, then swore under his breath. Scott had been exaggerating, but only a little. And those two behemoths looked as if they wouldn’t tolerate any disrespect to their sister. Now what?

  “Juan, Gilbert,” Amalia called through the partially open door.

  Chaz closed it, fast. As soon as he did, he knew he had made a mistake. He should have shoved Amalia out into the hallway with her brothers.

  “How sweet,” Kelly cooed. “A family reunion. Don’t let us keep you from it.”

  Not funny. He glared at her, then at Amalia. “I don’t suppose they’d listen to reason?”

  Amalia shrugged. “They don’t speak English very well.”

  And Chaz’s Spanish was very rusty. While adequate for a dig, it wouldn’t stretch to fake pregnancies and questionable virtue. He wouldn’t trust Amalia to translate anything accurately, either. “What have you told them?” he asked.

  “That you are the father of my child and refuse to marry me.”

  Chaz groaned and shut his eyes.

  “You see?” Amalia said in triumph. “It is the right thing to do.”

  Oh, great. His choices were to marry Amalia or be beaten to a bloody pulp by her brothers, then be forced to marry her.

  “Why don’t you just do it, Chaz?” Kelly asked with a sigh.

  Chaz regarded her in disbelief. She couldn’t mean it. But she wasn’t being sarcastic—she looked totally serious. “Why?”

  “Because she’ll hound you until you do.”

  No, that wasn’t the question he’d asked. Not why should he marry Amalia, but why was Kelly saying such an awful thing? Unfortunately, the expression on her face said it all.

  Damn. I’ve lost her.

  Kelly knew she ought to feel bad when she saw the shock and despair settle over Chaz’s features, but all she felt was numb. Let him have a taste of how it felt to have his world drop out from under him. Hell, let him marry the woman. He deserved the Latina man-eater after all he’d put Kelly through.

  She wanted to believe him, she really did. But Amalia was so smug, so insistent, so damned glowing, how could Kelly not believe the woman? Especially since Chaz had conveniently left out the fact that he’d been imprisoned with her for five years. If he lied about that, he was probably lying about this, too. What man could resist such temptation for so long, especially when the temptation was so . . . persistent?

  If only he hadn’t lied about it, if only he’d told the truth, she might have been able to forgive him. But now she’d always remember that he’d made love to Amalia first, then to her.

  Yuck. The thought of having shared any part of Chaz with that woman was revolting, but especially that part. Disgust shivered over her as she had the irrational feeling he might have somehow transferred Amalia cooties to her in the act of love.

  I need a shower. Bad.

  But amidst the anger and disgust, a little disappointment crept in, disappointment that it hadn’t worked out. Last night had been so perfect that she had cherished the idea it might last forever. Fat chance. Her eyes narrowed as a sudden thought occurred to her. Had Chaz played the Courageous Corsair for Amalia, too? Had he charmed her with his romantic wiles?

  The thought hurt, but Kelly had to admit it was unlikely. Amalia didn’t need any encouragement.

  A series of heavy thuds hit the door. The Garcia brothers, no doubt. Amalia looked pleased, but Chaz was a little wary.

  Well, Kelly was just pissed. There were more than enough people here to witness her humiliation. She didn’t need any more. “I’ll get it,” she said through clenched teeth.

  She stalked to the door and pulled it open. “What?” she demanded.

  The brothers were just as big and beefy as Scott had described, but were better dressed than she expected. They stared down at her, then let out a spate of Spanish.

  Kelly cut them off in mid-stream. She wasn’t about to take any crap from anyone else, especially in a language she didn’t understand. “Can’t you see we have a situation here? You’re not wanted. Go away.”

  Incomprehension was their only response.

  Amalia came up behind her. “You can’t say that to my brothers.”

  “Yes, I can. I just did.”

  Amalia seemed a little baffled by Kelly’s logic. Kelly wasn’t surprised. Obviously it didn’t take much to confuse her poor little brain. To follow up on her advantage, Kelly added, “And if you don’t like it, you can join them in the hall.” One less person in the room would be a Good Thing.

  “No,” Amalia said, stomping her foot. “I stay here with Chaz.”

  “Fine,” Kelly all but spat at her. “But your brothers stay outside. There’s no room for them in here.”

  “No, they must meet Chaz,” Amalia insisted.

  “That’s all right,” Chaz said, holding his hands out in a warding-off gesture. “I can wait.”

  Of course he could, especially since the most likely scenario was for the Garcia fists to meet Chaz’s face. And she didn’t want to be in the middle of a brawl in the bridal suite. “They stay outside,” Kelly said firmly. “Take it or leave it.”

  Amalia frowned, but nodded in defeat.

  Glaring at the beefy bookends, Kelly pointed to two chairs on the opposite wall of the hallway and spoke in one-syllable words she hoped they could understand. “Sit. Stay.”

  Amalia added her bit by waving them toward the hall chairs with a few words of Spanish, and Kelly closed the door.

  “Very good,” Scott said. “And will you teach them to roll over and play dead next?”

  “No,” Kelly said, ignoring his untimely humor. “Next, I’m going to speak to Spencer.” She’d put it off long enough.

  As Scott sobered and they all turned to look at Spencer, Kelly added, “Privately. In fact, I’d appreciate it if you’d all leave.”

  “No way,” Chaz exclaimed. “I’m not leaving you alone with him. Come on, Kelly. Give me another chance to prove I’m telling the truth.”

  She so didn’t want to do
this. Sighing, Kelly said, “Stop making assumptions.”

  “About what?”

  “About everything, Chaz. About what I plan to say to Spencer, about you and me and our future together, about whether you even have the right to tell me what to do.” She folded her arms and glared at him. “You don’t.”

  “But—”

  “I don’t want to hear it. You gave up all rights to censure my actions when you slept with Amalia.”

  “But I didn’t sleep with her,” he said, exasperation strong in his voice.

  “Tell that to her brothers.” She turned to address the spectators. “In fact, you can all tell them—outside. Would you all please leave so I can talk to Spencer?”

  Nobody moved.

  “Fine,” Kelly said. Since she didn’t intend to have this discussion in the hallway, she grabbed Spencer’s hand and dragged him into the bathroom, then firmly closed and locked the door.

  Inside, the luxurious accommodations were plenty big enough for their discussion, but they felt a little cold with all that pink and gray marble. Well, there was no help for it—she was just going to have to deal with it.

  She glanced at Spencer’s hopeful expression and took a deep breath. God, this is hard. “Spencer, I’m sorry it turned out this way.”

  He slumped against the marble vanity. “It’s bad news, isn’t it?”

  But despite the dejection in his stance, he didn’t look nearly as disappointed or despairing as Chaz. That should tell her she was doing the right thing, even if nothing else did. “I’m sorry, it wouldn’t work. I don’t love you as much as I loved Chaz.”

  “Loved? Past tense?” His spirits seemed to rise. “Does that mean you no longer love him?”

  “I don’t know.” She had loved him so long, had worried about him for what seemed like forever. He was a part of her whether she liked it or not. Yes, she still loved him and nothing could change that. Except maybe distance. And time. “But I do know I can’t live with him.”

  “Then stay with me,” Spencer coaxed. “You could learn to love me. And I won’t ever betray you.”

  Pain speared through her. And though she was certain he would never hurt her, she would never love Spencer the way she had loved Chaz. It wasn’t fair to Spencer to pretend otherwise. She shook her head sadly. “It would never work. Besides, there is someone else who would love to be with you.”