“Who?” Spencer asked in bewilderment.
“You know who,” Kelly chided. “She’s done some strange things the past couple of days, things that are out of character for her. And she didn’t do them out of love for me.”
Spencer shrugged. “Yes, I suppose I do know who you mean. But if you’re not going to stay with Chaz, I might still have a chance with you. That’s possible, isn’t it?”
She hated to get his hopes up, but she didn’t want to hurt him too much either. Especially since he looked so hopeful. “Anything’s possible,” she said gently. “But don’t count on it. I’m not planning on changing my mind.”
Spencer nodded thoughtfully. “Well, while I still have a chance, I’ll wait for you. You’re worth it.”
He was very sweet, but she couldn’t help but notice he’d said only that he’d wait for her, not that he’d fight for her. And, damn it, she really wanted a man to fight for her. It only reinforced her decision to let Spencer go.
She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t wait too long. You deserve better than someone who doesn’t love you. Think about Candace, okay?”
He just stared at her mutely, stubbornly.
Sighing, Kelly opened the bathroom door. It hadn’t been easy, but it had gone better than she expected.
Conversation ceased as soon as she opened the door and she felt the weight of everyone’s gaze on her, silently asking what had just gone on in the bathroom. In Chaz’s case, hurt and despair went hand in hand with the mute question.
It’s no one’s business but mine, she wanted to scream at them. But she couldn’t say that, and small talk was out of the question. A pregnant silence fell, which only ticked her off even more.
She was positively grateful when she heard a knock at the door. It gave focus to her anger. Kelly stalked across the room, preparing to give the Garcia brothers a piece of her mind whether they could understand it or not. She yanked open the door and froze as a flash went off in her face.
Blinking, she realized the flash was attached to a camera, which was attached to a reporter . . . one in a veritable sea of them, all surging toward her in an overwhelming wave, roaring out questions.
“Mrs. Vincent?”
“How do you feel about your husband coming back from the dead?”
“Will you answer a few questions?”
“Where has he been for the past five years?”
More flashes went off and Kelly finally unfroze long enough to slam the door in their faces. And throw the dead bolt. She turned to face the others and was surprised to see Chaz right behind her. Great—she was sure the pictures had captured both of them just perfectly.
Even worse, there went Kelly’s only avenue of escape. Not to mention everyone else’s. “Sorry, I thought it was Amalia’s brothers.” One of these days, she was going to have to learn to use the peephole.
Chaz shrugged. “Not your fault. Obviously, they already knew we were here.”
“No,” Kelly said with a shake of her head. “They only thought it. Now they know it.” Sighing, she sat down on a nearby chair. “It looks like we’re stuck here for awhile.”
Her mother pierced her with a look. “Since we are, perhaps you would take a little time to explain yourself?”
“Explain what, Mom?” Kelly asked wearily. “You want me to bare my most intimate feelings in front of my publisher and Chaz’s girlfriend? I don’t think so.”
“No,” her mother said with a snooty tilt of her head. “But I think you owe it to us to let us know who you did choose.” She cast a doubtful glance in Spencer’s direction. “Apparently, Spencer and Charles know, so there’s no sense in keeping us in suspense any longer.”
Why not? “That’s easy—I choose neither.”
Her mother looked flabbergasted. “But—”
“It’s not open for debate, Mother. I’m tired of this whole thing and I just want out. Is that so hard to understand?”
“No, it’s not,” Scott said and came over to give her a hug. “You deserve a break. What do you want to do?”
What she really wanted was to get out of here, but she could still hear the reporters out in the hallway, so that wasn’t going to happen. She thought about it. “The first thing I need is a lawyer. I need to find out where I stand before I can do anything.”
Scott nodded. “That makes sense. Would you like me to call Mr. Birnbaum?”
Kelly shook her head. Their family attorney was so old, she wasn’t sure he could handle it. “This situation would probably shock him into a heart attack.”
“So do you have someone else in mind?”
Well, there was one person. Kelly turned to her mother. “What about your boyfriend, Gerald Wainwright?” He had been pursuing her mother so hard the last few months, Kelly was sure he’d be willing to help. And though the portly attorney sometimes seemed more interested in his dinner than the law, he knew how to be discreet.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” her mother said in indignation.
No, that term was too vulgar for her mother. “Your man friend then.” And when her mother’s expression didn’t unfreeze, Kelly said, “Acquaintance. Whatever. Would you ask him to come?”
“I don’t know. . . .” her mother hedged.
Kelly gave the door a significant glance. “Well, we can’t exactly go to him, can we? Please, just call him. Don’t try to explain the situation on the phone or you’ll be at it all day. Just ask him to come. He’ll do it for you.” When her mother didn’t move, Kelly added, “I can’t do anything, one way or another, until this is resolved legally.”
“Oh, all right,” her mother said ungraciously and headed over to use the phone.
Kelly glanced around the room, taking in everyone’s attitude. Chaz was surly, Amalia impatient, Spencer reserved, Candace hopeful, Grace annoyed, and Scott amused. Unfortunately, Kelly was stuck with the lot of them, and their emotions, until they figured a way out of this mess.
Great, just great.
14
Chaz glared impartially at them all from his spot near the balcony, feeling the anger that had been simmering within him come to a boil. No matter what he said, Kelly seemed determined to believe the worst of him. Okay, he could understand that she might be a little ticked off that he had spend the past five years with Garcia, but she ought to believe him that nothing happened.
She needed to just get over it, tell him whatever he needed to do to fix it, and let them get on with their lives.
Unfortunately, she was being stubborn. He couldn’t force her to believe him, and he didn’t want to wait around until she finally decided to forgive him. For something he hadn’t done, no less.
To hell with that. I want outta here.
Scott grinned. “Anyone care for a game of bridge?”
“Not funny,” Chaz said with a growl.
“Hey, I was just trying to find a way to pass the time.”
“Well, don’t,” Chaz snapped. He was sick of waiting. He headed for the door.
“What are you doing?” Kelly asked in alarm.
“I’m leaving.”
She stepped in to block his path. “You can’t.”
“Why not? All I have to do is answer their questions and I’ll be free to go. My fifteen minutes of fame—no big deal.”
“But it is a big deal,” she insisted. “They don’t seem to realize the full impact of what’s happened here and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Full impact?” What was she talking about?
Kelly rolled her eyes. “When they were yelling questions about me, there was one question that was conspicuously absent.”
Chaz still didn’t get it. He shook his head. “You’re gonna have to spell it out for me.”
“Ah, that question,” Scott said in enlightened tones. “The one that goes, ‘Are you a bigamist, Mrs. Vincent? Or is that Mrs. Preston?’”
Oh, that question.
Damn it, they were right. His escape now blocked, Chaz scowled
. Only a total asshole would expose her to something like that. And in his current mood, he wasn’t sure of his ability to keep the secret if they asked rude questions. But how long would he be stuck here?
He turned to Grace, who was finally off the phone. “So, is your boyfriend coming?”
She glared at him. “Gerald is more than happy to help, but he can’t be here until tomorrow morning.”
Damn. Spend the night with these people? No way. “I’m outta here,” Chaz said before he even realized he’d spoken the words aloud.
“But I just told you why you can’t leave,” Kelly protested.
Chaz glanced around, feeling trapped in this damned frilly room, and looking for any means of escape. Then he spotted it. “Yes, I can,” he said. He crossed to the chair by the door and snatched up the rope Billings had left. “With this.”
Scott laughed. “Why not? You’re still dressed for it.”
Gee, thanks for reminding me. He glanced down. Changing clothes was yet another reason to get the hell out of this room, not to mention getting rid of the red negligee still hidden in his shirt. But that gave Chaz a plan. “I’ve got it all figured out.” He glanced at Kelly. “Do you want to spend the night in this room until the reporters leave?”
“Not really.”
And he sure as hell didn’t want her in Deuce’s clutches either. “Then we can make our escape while everyone else covers for us.”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Kelly said doubtfully.
“It’s simple,” Chaz said, running the rope through his hands. “You and I go down the rope, then two of these guys throw jackets over their heads and go out the door. The reporters will think it’s you and me trying to avoid the camera and follow them. They can lead them away from the third floor so all we have to do is sneak back in to go to our own rooms.”
“We’ll come back to the hotel?” Kelly asked doubtfully.
“Sure,” Chaz said, warming to the plan. “They won’t expect us to come back here, and you still need to stick around to wait for Gerald, right?” And Chaz had nowhere else to go at the moment.
“I guess so, but . . . who’s going to pretend to be us?”
Chaz glanced around the room. “Scott can play me and . . .” He trailed off as he took in the female options. Gracie was out, and from the expression on Candace’s face, she didn’t relish the idea either. “Uh, Amalia?”
Kelly looked pissed at the mere idea that Amalia could play her.
Amalia didn’t look too happy about it, either. She crossed her arms and looked belligerent. “No. I will not leaf you alone with her.”
“Would you rather I go out there and tell them she’s my wife?” Chaz challenged.
Amalia pouted. “No.”
“Then do this for me, please.”
“Then you marry me?”
The whole room seemed to sigh in disgust as Amalia repeated her favorite mantra.
“I’ll tell you what,” Chaz said, prepared to deal. “If you can prove you are pregnant, then I’ll consider it.”
That seemed to stun everyone, which just made Chaz impatient. Did they think he was an idiot, fergawdsakes? This put the burden of proof on Amalia. Even if she was pregnant, which he sincerely doubted, he’d take all of half a second to “consider” marrying her.
He took advantage of the resulting silence to add, “Once Scott and Amalia have the reporters outside, all you have to do is refuse to answer any questions. They don’t know who either of you are, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Just pretend you wanted to leave the room without getting your picture in the papers. I’m sure Amalia’s brothers will follow you, and once they realize their sister is being harassed by the press, they’ll help you get rid of them.”
“What about the rest of us?” Grace asked.
“Oh, stick a pillowcase over your head and run the gauntlet,” Chaz said carelessly. “They’ll never know who you are.”
“I’ll do no such thing,” Grace said, drawing herself up in indignation.
It was hard to believe this humorless woman had given birth to Kelly and Scott. Chaz sighed. “You won’t need to. Once Scott and Amalia have drawn the reporters away, you and Candace can leave at your leisure. Even if some of the reporters do stick around or come back to this room, they don’t know who any of you are. Just play dumb. It’s me they want. And Kelly.”
Scott nodded slowly. “That makes sense. I think it’ll work, too.” He grinned. “Hey, does that mean I get to wear your Zorro outfit?”
Much as Chaz would like to change clothes right now, he shook his head reluctantly. And he was almost sure Scott was kidding. “No, your denials will be more believable if you wear your own clothes.”
Then, before anyone else could formulate any objections, Chaz grabbed the first two coats he could find and shoved them at Scott and Amalia. “Here.” He went to look over the balcony. Good—no one was in the courtyard. Swiftly, he tied the rope to the railing. “Wait until we’re safely down, then head out the door. Lead them out the south entrance, and we’ll circle around to come in the north.”
“Okay,” Scott said, grinning like a fool. Chaz shook his head in disbelief. Scott was actually enjoying this.
“Come on, Kelly,” Chaz said, determined not to lose momentum. “Let’s go.”
She glared at him, but headed toward the balcony.
“I’ll go first,” he said, “so I can catch you if you fall.”
Her expression turned doubtful. “Fall?”
“Don’t worry,” he assured her. “It’ll be easy. Just like last night, remember?”
“My memories of that part are a little hazy,” she muttered with a doubtful glance over the edge.
Well, his weren’t. He remembered how she had put her whole trust in him, had taken a leap of faith and jumped wholeheartedly into the adventure he had planned.
Too bad it hadn’t lasted.
“You’ll be fine. Unless you want to stay here . . . ?”
She glanced back at the roomful of people staring at her in varying forms of disbelief. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
Chaz quickly shimmied down the rope to the ground. Kelly, bless her, didn’t even hesitate. She didn’t need any help either, as she made it down easily.
She looked proud of herself, too, which surprised Chaz a little. He knew she could do anything she set her mind to, why didn’t she?
A little breathless, Kelly looked at Chaz and her gaze sobered. “Are you really going to do it?”
“Do what?”
“Marry Amalia.”
Anger rushed over him. How could she even ask such a question? “What do you care?” he snapped back at her. “You’ve just proved you wouldn’t believe me, no matter what I say.”
She looked taken aback, which just ticked him off even more. “C’mon,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.” He strode off without a backward glance. Either she followed him or she didn’t. At this point, he didn’t care.
* * *
Candace peered down over the balcony. “They’re down now,” she told Spencer. And, amazingly, they were both safe. “You can untie the rope.”
Spencer did, and nodded toward Scott. “Go ahead,” he said. “They’re leaving.”
With a grin, Scott held Spencer’s coat up over his head and instructed Amalia to do the same with Candace’s. “Ready?” he asked the Latina with a wicked grin.
“Yes,” Amalia said, looking grim but determined.
“Okay,” Scott said. “Candace, will you get the door? That way we won’t have to worry about shutting it on the way out.”
“Of course,” Candace said. And she’d make sure she was behind it, far from any cameras. Pizzazz might not be able to weather the scandal if she was associated with this mess.
She opened the door and Scott and Amalia rushed out, holding the coats close against their faces. Candace quickly shut the door again, then couldn’t resist a peek outside. “I don’t believe it. The plan is actually working.” The reporters all ru
shed off after the decoys, with Juan and Gilbert lumbering along in their wake.
She opened the door a little wider, cautiously. “They’re all gone,” she said in wonder.
“Good,” Grace Richmond said and brushed past her. “I’m going to my own room before they decide to come back.”
Candace said nothing as the haughty older woman left. Now, finally, Candace and Spencer were alone.
She closed the door and Spencer looked up in surprise from where he was coiling the rope. To prevent him from asking why she was still there, Candace said, “It looks like Chaz’s plan is working.”
“Yes,” Spencer said with a grimace. “I hate to admit it, but he’s very good at that sort of thing. Makes it hard to compete.”
“Do you have to compete?” At his puzzled expression, she added in what she hoped was a nonchalant tone, “I mean, what did Kelly say to you in the bathroom?” Candace knew what Kelly had told them, but had she told Spencer anything different privately? He didn’t seem upset. Did he think he still had a chance with her?
He shrugged as if he didn’t care, but she knew better. “The same thing she said to everyone else—she doesn’t want either of us at the moment.”
“At the moment?” Candace didn’t care for the sound of that.
“That’s right,” Spencer said with a grim smile. “That’s how she feels now, but I’m not giving up hope. I’ve waited this long, I can wait a little longer.”
Despair filled her. Couldn’t he see it was hopeless? Couldn’t he see that Candace loved him to distraction? But a little anger filtered through at his denseness. “Don’t you think it’s time to give up?”
“No. Why would I?”
She wanted to scream at him, but controlled her emotions firmly. “Well, it seems so . . . Pygmalion. You helped Kelly create herself in a new image, then fell in love with that image.” As he seemed to ponder that, she added, “But who are you in love with? The real Kelly or your idealized version of your creation?”
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