The Accidental Bride

by Christina Skye

  And then she thought of the slow intimate kiss that had followed.

  Her hands trembled. She locked them hard on the arms of her seat.

  “Is everything okay, ma’am?” A concerned flight attendant leaned down, frowning at Jilly. “Can I get you an air sickness bag?”

  Jilly shook her head. Throwing up wasn’t going to make her feel better. She was pretty sure she would get over this betrayal, but Walker would be with her forever, haunting her with what happiness might have been hers.

  She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Just tired. Suddenly I’m very, very tired.”

  * * *

  WALKER HAD TO ADMIT, his men were still razor-sharp. They’d been working hard to adjust to civilian life, just the way he had, but some moves you never forgot.

  “Do you have that straight, Cudahy? She’ll be the one in the red suit. Pretend that you’re the police or something. Do whatever it takes. Just keep her away from that jet. Don’t hurt her. Just detain her until we’ve taken off. You got that?”

  “Jeez, Lieutenant. That’s your sister? You didn’t tell me she was such a babe.”

  A babe? Walker had never thought of Darrah in those terms. He was pretty sure that she would cringe at the description, too.

  “She’s one of the best litigation attorneys in the country, Cudahy. Don’t mess with her. She’ll rip you four to shreds before you realize she’s there.”

  Walker heard the sounds of laughter. “Hell, we won’t hurt her, Lieutenant.” Cudahy chuckled. “Finesse. Charm. This is going to be fun.”

  Walker shook his head, wishing he could be around to see what Darrah did when she realized the jet was gone. But he didn’t have any more time. Jilly’s plane was landing in Denver in less than twenty minutes.

  And he was going to be right behind her.

  * * *

  DARRAH HALE FROWNED AT the tall man in a camo jacket who was blocking her way. He flashed some kind of a badge and held out a cell phone.

  “Miss Hale? I’m Riley. Military police. We’ve got a problem with your brother.”

  Darrah frowned. “My brother? What’s wrong?”

  “He’s on the phone. He wants to talk with you. And I think you’ll want to have this conversation someplace private.”

  What in heaven’s name had Walker done now? He had screwed up his life enough. Since he had come back from Afghanistan, Walker had wanted nothing to do with any of them.

  And now this thoughtless marriage with no protection for his assets. What was it about men and a pretty face? There were gold diggers on every corner. Couldn’t men see that?

  She had been surprised to see how tired he looked and how much weight he had lost since she’d seen him last. If she hadn’t been so irritated, she would have worried about how he was going to recover, both in mind and in body.

  But Walker had always been strong. He had never welcomed her worry. And he had turned his back on the family without ever once calling for help or news.

  So she wouldn’t waste time worrying about him. Her brother would not expect or welcome that kind of concern. In her family, weakness was ruthlessly rooted out. It began young, as soon as you were old enough to understand the difference between yes and no.

  Between having and not having.

  Darrah gave her head a little shake, forcing her thoughts back to the present. “Where is Walker? What’s happened? Has he been arrested?” Instantly, all her instincts for litigation flared to life. “What’s he being charged with?”

  The man’s eyes narrowed. “He has not been arrested, ma’am. I’m afraid it’s worse than that.” He gestured down the hall to a quiet alcove. “You can talk to him in there. He said you would want to keep this quiet.”

  Oh, there was no mistake about that. The last thing Darrah wanted was to see her brother’s problems blazing on the pages of a national tabloid.

  And yet…

  Something didn’t seem quite right here. It wasn’t like Walker to ask for help. And if he was in trouble, why hadn’t he called her himself?

  She stopped short, reaching for her cell phone. She didn’t know anything about this man. And her family had always been a target for kidnappers.

  She turned around. “I forgot something in the car. I’ll be right back.” She picked up her pace, her eyes on the big double doors at the end of the hall.

  “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, ma’am.” His strong hand gripped her arm. “So we’re going to go over here in the corner, nice and quiet. You’re not going to make a fuss, either. Because if I have to, I have restraints. Duct tape makes a fine gag.”

  Darrah stared at him in disbelief. What was Walker involved in now? Frankly, she was getting sick and tired of his problems. If he chose to stay here in this backwater town like a hermit, that was his problem. But her skills of persuasion were legendary.

  She didn’t expect to be here long at all.

  She smiled at the man in the camo jacket. “I’m certain we can work out this misunderstanding. You do know who our father is, don’t you? Senator Hale?”

  Usually mentioning the name was enough. Her father’s reputation could unlock all kinds of doors.

  But this man had no reaction. “I know who he is. A downright bastard, from all I hear. Now if you’ll just step this way, ma’am.”

  “But—you can’t. I have a plane to catch. I’m in the middle of a complicated litigation—”

  “Not now you aren’t.”

  Suddenly Darrah Hale was surrounded by four tall, unsmiling men. One look at their faces told her all the arguments in the world would not help her. But…oddly, they looked familiar now. She realized that they had been at her brother’s wedding earlier that day. What was going on here?

  She glanced outside to the tarmac, hearing the drone of motors. A small, private jet was turning to taxi out to the runway.

  Darrah cursed. That was her family’s jet. And it was going to leave without her.

  The hand tightened on her arm.

  “That’s my plane! He’s taking off without me.”

  “Sure does look that way, doesn’t it?” The man in the camo smiled slowly. “Must be somebody very important on that plane.”

  And that was when Darrah Hale realized how thoroughly she had been outflanked by her brother.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Oregon

  JILLY MADE IT THROUGH the Denver airport by sheer grit. She had no energy and no appetite. When her legs felt jittery she stopped for a yogurt and a granola bar before boarding her flight to Portland.

  Some small part of her brain kept making her turn around, checking to see if Walker had followed her.

  But the rest of her brain warned that he wouldn’t come after her. He wouldn’t care. It had all been a performance anyway. She would never fit in with a rich, successful family like his. Running away as she had would give him the perfect excuse to bring their performance to an end.

  Once, walking past a crowded gate, Jilly almost thought she heard him call out her name. But she kept right on moving. The time for happy ever after was over. She was back to her world now, and in her world heroes were an extinct species.

  Besides, Jilly told herself that she didn’t want Walker to come after her. A clean, fresh break was best. She kept telling herself that over and over again.

  It didn’t stop the pain or the crushing sadness.

  * * *

  THE SKY WAS GRAY, SPITTING with rain when she landed in Portland.

  Jilly arranged for a rental car and then broke her caffeine promise, loading up with a large cup of coffee. Without it she had no hope of driving all the way to Summer Island.

  Right now all she could think of was being home, caught in the warm circle of her friends. When her big Samoyed puppy barked, licking her face, maybe she would start to feel normal again.

  * * *

  OLIVIA PULLED BACK THE dusty curtain at the window, her hand on her hip. “Caro, did you notice that car? It’s been parked there for a while, but th
e driver hasn’t gotten out.”

  “What car?” Caro wore long rubber cleaning gloves up to her elbows and her hair was caught up beneath a hand-knitted hat. They had been hard at work all afternoon, cleaning and renovating the front room of the old Harbor House. “If it’s one of the teenagers from town hoping to graffiti our back wall, I’m going after them with a bucket of cleaning solution. I’ve washed off that wall twice this month.”

  “I don’t think it’s a teenager.” Olivia put down her dust cloth, frowning. “I’m going to check it out.”

  “You’re not going out there alone. It could be a thief. Or a stalker.”

  Olivia laughed dryly. “Who would have any interest in robbing us? There’s nothing of value to steal. I doubt we’re attractive targets, either. Seriously, have you seen my bank account lately? Every penny is going into renovating this dilapidated old place. Stalking me would be pointless.”

  “A stalker isn’t exactly sane,” Caro said uneasily. “I’m going with you.” She picked up her big broom. “Let’s go.”

  They used the back door and circled around so they could approach the car from the rear. There was indeed someone sitting motionless in the driver’s seat.

  And Olivia was the first to realize who it was. She ran forward, smiling. “Jilly, when did you get back? Why didn’t you call us?”

  She flung open the driver’s-side door, and her breath caught when she saw Jilly’s face, pale and slick with tears. “Oh, Jilly, what’s wrong? Is it your heart again? I’m going to call 911. We can have an ambulance here fast. Better still, move over. I’ll drive you straight to the hospital. Does it hurt much?”

  Jilly gave a sad laugh, her hands gripping the steering wheel. “Oh, it hurts. It hurts more than anything I’ve ever felt,” she whispered hoarsely. “But it’s not my heart. At least, it’s nothing a cardiologist can cure.”

  “What do you mean?” Olivia sank down beside her. “What’s happened?”

  Jilly wiped shaky fingers across her face. “It finally happened, the thing you three kept telling me would happen. I met him. He’s the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He’s the man I wanted to marry. I even thought about having children with him, though I’d be the worst mother in the world. But—it was all a lie. I never knew him at all. And now…I just want to crawl into a hole and die.”

  They didn’t waste time with questions or arguing. Caro and Olivia simply caught her arms, pulled her from the car and guided her inside. Within seconds she was curled up in the Harbor House’s only comfortable wing chair with a blanket across her lap and hot herbal tea steaming on the table beside her.

  Now the questions could begin.

  “Who is he? If he hurt you, I’ll kill him. I’ll stick knitting needles in his throat. I’ll rip out his fingernails,” Olivia said fiercely.

  “Ditto that for me,” Caro cut in. “Did he work in the resort? A chef maybe?”

  “No, he lives in Lost Creek. His name is Walker. He’s an ex-marine.”

  “Oh, right. You mentioned him when you called.” Caro glanced at Olivia, who was heating soup on the stove. “How did you meet him? I doubt he was there for the knitting.”

  “No, he’s a local celebrity. A true hero.” Jilly’s voice broke. She looked down and grabbed a tissue, blowing her nose loudly. “Everything happened so fast. But he was perfect. And he has the most amazing dog named Winslow.” Jilly gave a little smile. “I’m going to miss Winslow. In fact, I miss him already.” She rubbed her eyes. “Is it possible to fall in love with a dog?”

  “What have you eaten today?” Olivia said worriedly.

  “Some yogurt and half a granola bar in Denver. Not much else.”

  Her two friends shared more anxious glances. “And you’re definitely not feeling any heart symptoms? No chest pain? No nausea?”

  Jilly shook her head. “It’s not like that. This is worse than high blood pressure or sudden dizziness. And why aren’t you two laughing? We always used to argue about falling in love. I swore it would never happen to me. I was completely smug, no romance for Jilly O’Hara,” she whispered. “Then I met Walker. Now here I am. A wreck.”

  “We’d never laugh at you, Jilly.” Caro handed Jilly another tissue, frowning as Jilly tore the wet paper into small pieces and stacked them in a little pile.

  “You know what the strangest thing is? When we were together…I actually felt like I belonged somewhere.” She took a drink of her tea and squared her shoulders. “But it was a lie. I thought he was a regular person, but he’s not. He never got around to telling me that his father is Senator Hale from New Hampshire, the most powerful man in the Senate. His family probably owns most of the northeastern United States. Talk about bad choices. A man from that kind of family—and me. How could that ever work out?”

  “You’re a celebrity, too,” Olivia said loyally. “Your Jilly’s Naturals line is sold everywhere. You may not be rich yet, but you’re going to be.”

  “Olivia’s right. He’d be lucky to have you,” Caro said firmly. “But I don’t like this part about lying. He didn’t tell you anything about his family?”

  Jilly shook her head tiredly. “He hinted at some tension there. He told me they weren’t close, but no details. Nothing about which Hale family he belonged to. Everything happened very fast, and we weren’t exactly concerned about our distant relatives or life stories. For the first time in my life I stopped asking questions. I decided to trust him. Stupid me.”

  “Oh, honey.” Olivia rubbed Jilly’s shoulder. “Maybe—well, maybe there’s more to it. Have you talked to him?”

  “No point. I heard enough to know everything I need to know. His sister told him that I’m a gold digger. That I only married him for his money and his assets.”

  Olivia nearly fell off her chair. “Wait, you two are married?”

  Jilly smiled crookedly. “Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that. It was a favor we did for a friend at the resort. Something to cheer her up before she goes into the hospital. It wasn’t meant to be permanent, but yes, it was legal and binding. A crazy idea.” Jilly rubbed her eyes. “I knew if I got back to Summer Island I’d be safe. Now I just want to sleep. But first, where is Duffy?”

  “He’s with Dr. Peter over at the animal shelter. We can take you to see him on the way to my house,” Olivia said. “I’ll make you something to eat and then you can sleep as long as you want.”

  Jilly nodded, too exhausted to argue about anything. “I miss Duffy. Can we go now?”

  “Right away,” Caro said. “Why don’t you and Olivia drive back to her house? I’ll go and get Duffy myself.” Caro shot another worried glance at Olivia. “You two go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Jilly yawned again, looking pale and vulnerable.

  The rest of their questions would have to wait.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  “WHAT ARE WE GOING to do about her?”

  Olivia paced the immaculate kitchen of the old renovated farmhouse she had bought two years before. She stopped to straighten a set of teacups and smooth the fresh roses in a crystal vase. “She has to sleep, Caro. Then she needs to eat. Most of all…we have to drive that pain out of her eyes. This man—she called him Walker Hale?—has hurt her very badly.”

  “I want to strangle him for that. But you know, our Jilly isn’t always an easy person to deal with. As angry as I am right now, I can see there could be more to this.”

  “The questions will have to wait.” Olivia watched Jilly’s big white Samoyed wolf down his food. “She’s already asleep. I’ll take Duffy up after he’s eaten and gone for a run on the beach. He’ll love that.” She straightened a dishcloth hanging from the door of her sleek stainless-steel refrigerator. “I still can’t believe they got married. I was hoping she’d relax up in the mountains, but this is a new Jilly. I’ve never seen her this open or vulnerable.”

  “We’ll find out all the details tomorrow, after she’s rested.” Caro frowned at the brown paper bag that Olivia had b
rought in from Jilly’s rental car. “There’s something white in there.” Caro opened the top of the bag and caught a sharp breath. “Olivia, you need to see this.”

  Her friend pushed in beside her and gave a low whistle. “That’s one gorgeous wedding dress. So they really did get married in Wyoming. I’m going to kill her for not telling us.” Olivia looked at Caro, her eyes filled with worry. “How did this man get through Jilly’s defenses so fast? That’s what I want to know. Jilly doesn’t open up to anyone. It’s taken us years.”

  “Tell me about it.” Caro’s lips set in a flat, angry line. “Can I use your computer?”

  “Sure. Why?”

  “I’m going on a hunting expedition. I’m going to find out everything there is to know about Walker Hale and his illustrious, driven, filthy rich family.” Her eyes narrowed. “Gage always tells me you have to know your enemy better than your friends. I figure we should start right now.”

  * * *

  WHEN CARO WANDERED OUT of the living room half an hour later, she looked more confused than ever. She accepted a cup of tea from Olivia and sank into the beautiful chintz chair near the window. “Jilly’s sleeping. She seems more relaxed now. Duffy’s curled up on the bed next to her, snoring in dog fashion.”

  “So why the big frown?”

  Caro stabbed a hand through her hair. “Because there’s next to nothing on the internet about this Walker Hale. Oh, I found a boatload of press releases and interviews with his famous father. It looks as if the whole family is in politics or law. His sister handles litigation for a big Boston law firm, but Walker has stayed out of the limelight. He was in the marines serving in Afghanistan. He did two tours of duty there. Then he was hurt and he came home. That’s all there is. Something doesn’t add up here, Olivia.”

  “So we’ll dig deeper. Since he was in the marines, maybe you can email Gage for more details.”

  “I sent him an email ten minutes ago. But if he’s out in the field, I may not have an answer soon.” Caro’s eyes darkened.