Aidan's Arrangement: (The Langley Legacy Book 4)

by Peggy McKenzie

  Aidan nodded. “I haven’t talked to her, but I would assume so. We haven’t seen each other since—in a while.” Aidan hadn’t told anyone about his accidental meeting with a very naked Maura Jackson yesterday. The image of her naked body was still burned in his brain.

  “Then make a deal with her. Offer her and her parents fair compensation for their land. Her mom and dad can start over somewhere else, and Maura can go live her life free of commitment from you. Hell, it isn’t as if Harvey homesteaded the land himself. He’s got no emotional attachment to the place. It was given to him by his uncle. The same uncle that accused your dad of killing his horse on purpose, remember?”

  “But what about the requirement in the marriage contract to have a baby between the Jacksons and the Langleys? Who will get The Legacy if there is no child to pass it down to?”

  “Look, after an appropriate amount of time, and Maura quietly rides off into the sunset, you can do your duty to provide heirs for your family's legacy with someone more suitable as a wife. Someone worthier of the Langley name—like Beth Chaplin."

  The very mention of Beth’s name punched him in the chest. “Have you seen her lately? I heard she was coming to New Dawn Springs to visit her mother this summer.” Aidan hated how he sounded. He wished he could get Beth out of his head but if eight years wasn’t enough—

  “Some of the guys talk to her from time to time. Mike said he ran across her in Portland about six months ago. He said she is as gorgeous as ever. Sophisticated. Just the kind of girl you want for a wife, Aidan.”

  Aidan sat still, waiting for the pain in his chest to fade. It never completely went away, not since she’d moved to Portland and left him behind. Beth had made it clear she wanted to get out of New Dawn Springs and see the world. She had asked him to go with her, but that was impossible. He was as much a part of The Legacy as it was of him. And he could never leave his parents behind. He just kept hoping he could somehow convince Beth to come home and be his partner in carrying on the legacy of the Langley family. So far, no luck.

  "I don't know—I'm afraid my parents will be a bit squeamish about this plan of yours."

  "As long as you provide the Jackson girl with a fair settlement and she’s happy with it, why would they care? You get the land and resources you need, and someday you will marry a girl your mother will be proud to call daughter. You will populate the Langley house with dozens of grandkids your dad can rock on his knee.”

  "I don’t know, Tommy. Do you think if I talked to her she would be agreeable? She's a Jackson, and I’ve been told all my life they aren’t reasonable people to deal with.”

  “Look, the girl isn’t in love with you. If she’s as much a pawn in this marriage arrangement as you are, don’t you think she would take any offer you presented if it gave her an escape out of this mess? When the time is right, you can bring in my investor and cut the bank out completely. Then pay off the Jacksons, and you’ll be the one who is credited with doubling the hold of The Legacy. It's a win-win situation for you, my friend."

  “Your investor?” Aidan grinned at his friend. "Are we partners now?”

  Tommy shrugged. “Why not?”

  Tommy grinned back, ground the gear into neutral, pushed the clutch, and turned the key. He guided the rattle trap roadster back on to the spring rain rutted roads and head toward town.

  Aidan sat and thought about everything his friend had said. Tommy had come up with a brilliant plan to keep him from spending the rest of his life married to someone he barely even knew. And that’s all he cared about. Well, not all he cared about. Maybe if he could make enough money on this deal, he could convince Beth that being a country wife wasn’t the hardship she imagined. Maybe he could convince her to join him on The Legacy.

  He hummed a tune under his breath and sighed in relief. The sun was suddenly shining over his world again. This morning he was in the pit of despair at the thought of marrying Maura Jackson. Now, thanks to Tommy, he couldn't wait to get this wedding ceremony behind him.

  Chapter Five

  Two days after Maura had been informed she was part of a marriage arrangement with Aidan Langley, she spent the morning of her wedding in a haze. She wouldn't let herself think about the details of what today would bring. It was just too much to process, knowing tonight she would not be returning to her little back bedroom on the second floor of her family's home. It wasn’t as if she had spent a lot of time there growing up. It was just that she had known it was there waiting on her if she ever needed it.

  A soft knock rapped on her closed bedroom door before her mother breezed into the room, the dreaded wedding dress draped over her arm.

  "Oh, darling. I hope you like it. I’m sorry you weren’t given the opportunity to pick out your own dress, but—"

  "But you and Papa were afraid if I knew about this arrangement beforehand I would head for the hills. Yes, I totally understand." Maura didn't hide her sarcasm. It was the only armor she had against this nightmare.

  Her mother had the audacity to look hurt by Maura's comment.

  "Maura, this isn't what I wanted for you. You must know that, my darling girl. But these desperate, gut-wrenching situations we are in call for desperate, gut-wrenching measures. Your papa agreeing to this arrangement to marry you to that Langley boy shows we are out of options."

  “Or maybe it was the quickest way Papa could get rid of me now that I’m home full-time and without any prospects of a job.” Maura’s chest hurt at the thought her papa didn’t want her around, but there was something between them, a distance Maura had never understood. It was as if he didn’t like her. But why?

  Maura watched a single tear slip down her mother's cheek. It tore at her heart. She could be the bigger person and save her mother at least a little bit of grief.

  "Momma, please don't cry. I’m sorry I said anything at all.” She wrapped her arm around her mother’s shoulders to comfort her.

  “Maura, darling. I’m sorry. For the situation we are in. For allowing Harvey to marry you off to Sully’s boy…"

  "Aidan," she prompted.

  Her momma wiped at her tears. “Yes, Aidan. He seems like a nice young man. I’ve only seen him a handful of times in all the years we’ve lived here. Harvey likes to keep to himself, and he hates it when I go to town without him, so we pretty much stayed to ourselves all these years—”

  “Isn’t it lonely, Momma. Being out here with just Papa? Don’t you have any family you could go visit from time-to-time? I’ve never heard you talk about anyone.”

  Her mother hesitated for a second then added, “No, there’s no one.”

  Maura searched her mother’s face for a sign of something. Was she trying to tell Maura something? Convey some message? Before she could ask, her momma changed direction entirely.

  "Okay, let's get you ready for your big day."

  Maura rolled her eyes but kept her mouth closed. It didn't help anyone to beleaguer the point. She had agreed to this arrangement with Aidan Langley, and she would keep her word whether anyone else thought a Jackson would or not. It was funny that a Langley would take the word of a Jackson after all these years.

  Two hours later, Maura was standing at the top of the wide, winding stairs of the Langleys’ great room on the arm of her papa, waiting to walk down them to the center aisle dividing rows of folding chairs borrowed from the church just for this occasion.

  Maura's bird's-eye view gave her the opportunity to observe her surroundings without the worry of being observed in return.

  It appeared most of everyone in attendance were friends of the Langleys. A couple of her papa’s friends showed up. He wasn’t well-liked around the community, so he didn’t have many. And, only a handful of her momma’s friends came—just the ones who dared to visit at the farm in spite of Papa’s belligerent nature.

  They came to see the spectacle, Maura supposed. After all, it wasn't every day two feuding families united in holy matrimony. She was certain everyone just wanted to say they were pres
ent in case a fight broke out. No one wanted to be left out of that sort of social notoriety. Not when entertainment was so expensive to buy. There was always a line forming for free fun and food.

  The Langleys insisted on having the wedding in the great room of the main house—something about starting a family tradition now that the big house was finally completed. Maura didn’t care one way or the other. Where she was married under this marriage arrangement made no difference to her.

  And it helped that Sully Langley took care of all the arrangements. He hired a family friend, Reverend Folger, to perform the ceremony and the reverend’s wife was playing songs to entertain the guests gathering below.

  Maura had been in awe of the beautiful two-story home. It was obvious the Langleys had done well before the depression played a dirty trick on them. It was the same for her papa and momma. They had worked hard to make that run-down piece of property a decent place to live. They hadn’t done as well as the Langleys, but they had done well enough.

  Her papa pulled her hand and wrapped it around his forearm. She would like to think it was for encouragement, a gesture of unity, but that would be out of character for him. She figured it was more to keep up appearances and that he was feeling a bit charitable toward her for agreeing to marry Aidan Langley. After all, her papa had pointed out more than once since he and Sully had signed the marriage agreement, that she should count her lucky stars. Sully’s son was considered quite a catch for someone like her. Like her? His words had hurt, but she should be used to his offhanded comments by now.

  Taking advantage of her wedding veil, she pulled it down over her face to study her groom without anyone knowing it. She cast a glance at the massive fireplace where the reverend and her groom waited. She stumbled.

  "Stand up straight, Maura. You don’t want anyone to see you slouching."

  Maura stiffened her spine and her resolve. "Of course, Papa. We certainly wouldn’t want that," she whispered, hoping she hid the hurt behind her words.

  Her papa nodded, and they continued to stand, waiting for the signal to march down the stairs toward her destiny. Her outward appearance may have been calm, but her internal dialogue was screaming loud and clear. Are you sure you want to do this? The answer was equally loud. No, but I made my decision. I’m doing this—for Momma.

  She redirected her attention to the man waiting for her at the altar. This was the first time she had seen Aidan Langley since the day he surprised her swimming naked in the creek. She remembered a lot about that day.

  He was taller than she remembered. His frame was more muscled. And, much broader at the shoulders. He had a look about him she found—appealing. His Irish ancestry showed in his dark auburn hair, long around the edges with the slightest of curls giving him a boyish feel. It would have been endearing except for the arrogant set of his jaw. And his blue eyes—

  Shock vibrated through Maura's body when she realized those eyes she was remembering from two days ago were now focused on her. How could he have known she was looking at him? Nonsense, she chastised herself. It was just a coincidence. He couldn't see through her veil. She pulled her courage together and continued to study him.

  He seemed impatient, shifting his weight from foot to foot like he wanted to hurry up and get this farce of a wedding over with. "No more than I, Aidan Langley. No more than I."

  "Did you say something, Maura?" Her father leaned in to hear her whispered answer.

  "Nothing of importance, Papa."

  For the next few minutes, she stood next to her father and waited for the signal to march down the aisle toward a man and his family that her papa had maligned for as long as she could remember. Now, she was being asked to pledge her love and loyalty to those same people for the world to witness. No, not love. Not once did her papa mention love. It was as it always had been between them. Something simmered underneath their relationship that kept her papa at arm’s length.

  Her thoughts moved back to her arrangement with Aidan. She would be having his child. The thought made her core bloom with need. It both disgusted and infatuated her.

  Here in her private world, behind this thin veil of lace, she could admit to herself she was attracted to him. Very attracted. Looking at him now made her feel things. Things she shouldn't feel. And knowing these feelings could get her in very deep trouble with a man who didn’t love her, sobered her musings immediately.

  She heard the familiar chords of “Here Comes the Bride.” Her time was up.

  Chapter Six

  Aidan stood in his family's great room in front of the fireplace and waited for a bride he didn’t want.

  The starched white linen shirt his mom asked him to wear scratched the hell out of his neck. She also had asked him to wear a neck tie with his suit, but that was where he drew the line. He might have been willing to make those sacrifices for a bride of his choosing—for Beth—but this was not a union he wanted to sacrifice for, and yet, that was exactly what he was doing.

  Reverend Folger stood next to him, his bible in his hand, ready to bless this union. He faced his parents and Mary Jo Jackson sitting in the front row of wooden chairs lining his family’s great room. Some of their friends probably showed up just to see the circus show. His sarcasm must have shown on his face. His dad gave him a rather stern look he didn't think he deserved.

  He pulled a finger around the front of his collar, trying to find some relief. Shouldn't this thing be going by now?

  A low hum rippled through the small group of people. Aidan looked up and saw the woman he was going to pledge his life to—his soon-to-be wife—standing at the top of his family's winding staircase.

  The reverend's wife played the wedding march on his mom's piano from the corner of the great room. Everyone stood, and Harvey Jackson walked his daughter down the stairs to the back of the room. Aidan watched his bride come toward him down the center aisle. His heart hiccupped against his ribs. He was nervous as hell.

  Aidan hadn't seen or spoken to Maura since the day he found her standing naked on the bank of the creek. What did they have in common? Nothing. Except saving their families’ futures, he conceded.

  She moved with a stilted gait. It almost looked as if she would bolt at any moment if her arm wasn't hooked through her father’s. A veil covered her face. Aidan wished it were Beth under that veil. He would have loved to gently pick it up and reveal her dark hair and dark eyes staring up at him. If only.

  Too soon, Maura Jackson stood by his side, her hand in his. Reverend Folger spoke the words that would bind them and soon the deed was done. He was a married man.

  "And now you may kiss your bride, Aidan."

  Crap. He'd forgotten about that part of the ceremony. He hesitated and looked at his dad and mom. They were expecting him not to embarrass them. It wasn’t just that. His parents were kind and good people. They would be mortified if he embarrassed his bride as well.

  Resigned to his fate, he turned to his bride and lifted her veil. What he found underneath was unsettling. Her eyes were the Ireland green he remembered surrounded by lashes so long and thick he swore they beat like the wings of a bird when she blinked. Her face resembled an angel—wait a minute. Hadn’t he thought the same thing when he first saw her standing naked by the water? And hadn’t his vision been dashed by her yelling at him—screeching at him?

  "Stop staring at me like a simple-minded fool. Kiss me and get it over with. Everyone is watching us," she hissed at him.

  And there it was. Again. The true nature of Miss Maura Jackson—now Mrs. Aidan Langley. Without a shadow of a doubt in his mind now, he knew he was marrying a shrew.

  Thank the Good Lord Tommy had spent yesterday sneaking into his dad’s office and re-wording of that one particular little clause in the marriage contract his dad and Harvey Jackson signed this morning. Just that one little clause he was hanging his hat on. Just in case.

  He roughly pulled his new bride’s body close against his; he had meant to punish her for snapping at him, but the minute
Aidan's hands tangled in his wife’s wheat-colored hair beneath her veil, the moment her soft curves collided against his chest, he felt—a spark of something. He dismissed the notion. He was a healthy, red-blooded male. It was biology. Plain and simple. He’d get over it.

  He turned his head just so and angled his mouth to fit perfectly over hers. And then, he kissed her.

  Somewhere between his intention to give her a perfunctory kiss on her lips and the actual over-the-top, curl-your-toes kiss, a discreet cough from the reverend brought him back to the present. He saw the shocked look on his bride’s face and wondered what the hell just happened. This was not at all what he’d planned.

  Tommy, standing up as his best man, gave him a look that left him no doubt he'd stepped out of bounds.

  Well, she couldn't get pregnant from a kiss, so no harm no foul at this point. But he would have to be careful around this little miss and not get caught up in her charming curves. Aidan pulled away and faced the congregation, his new bride at his side. They stood side by side, hand in hand, smiling to the crowd showing a front of unity. He felt a twinge of guilt. He knew she thought they were marrying in every sense of the word and preparing to have a life together, regardless of how unconventional it started. Perhaps once he got to know her better, he could approach her with an offer she would be interested in. The sooner, the better.

  "Aidan, darling. You look so handsome." His mom rushed to his side and hugged him, tears shining in her eyes. He knew they were happy tears mixed with sad ones at how this day came about. He only hoped she would be happy when he explained about the extra clause Tommy added to the contract. He pushed that unpleasant thought down deep. That was not a conversation he wanted to have today.

  His dad shook his hand. "I'm proud of you, son. Seems like you and the Jackson girl might get along alright after all."

  He shot his father a silent message. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't insisted. He could tell by the look on his dad’s face he received his meaning loud and clear.