A Wedded Arrangement (Convenient Marriages, #3)

by Adams, Noelle

  Savannah was starting to get uncomfortable with the seriousness of the conversation. She squirmed slightly in her chair and sipped her tea. “It wasn’t that bad, Mom. I had friends in my same situation.”

  “Yes, but you also had to watch kids live fantasy lives. I don’t blame you for being bitter about it. Anyone would. But I’m glad to see you’ve been growing a little less resentful than you used to be. Lance has been a good influence on you.”

  Savannah almost choked on her tea. “Lance has never been a good influence on anyone. He’s a world-class jackass.”

  Her mother laughed and patted her arm again. She was really in a sappy mood this afternoon with all this arm patting. “I know you think you believe that, but it doesn’t seem like you do. The way you talk about him has changed over the past several months. You don’t hate him anymore. In fact, I think you might even like him now.”

  Blushing for no good reason, Savannah tried to hide it by taking a long sip of tea. “I do not like him, Mom. Please don’t start getting ideas. You know exactly why I married him.”

  “Yes, I know. But what does that have to do with the way you feel about him now? You’ve gotten to know him better. He’s not as bad as you thought he was.”

  Savannah wanted to argue, but she stopped herself because she genuinely tried not to lie to her family. Or to herself. She made a face as she mumbled, “Maybe not quite as bad.” She had to take comfort in a couple of bites of cookie after such a difficult admission.

  Laughing again, her mom said, “He’s improved a lot as he’s grown up. Even I can see it. And I always thought he wasn’t as completely self-centered as all his friends, even when he was a teenager.”

  “Mom, he got me fired from my job! He was as self-centered as it’s possible to be.”

  “I know he got you fired. And it was terrible. But do you really think he knew what was going to happen when he talked to the manager? Did he know you were going to get fired because of one little thing he said?”

  “How could he not know it?”

  “He was barely more than a kid himself. And there’s no way I believe he was trying to get you fired.”

  Savannah shook her head, wondering when her mother had put on rose-colored glasses about Lance. “If he didn’t know how it was going to play out, then he was a clueless idiot. And whether he meant for it to happen or not, he still did it.”

  “Yes, he did. But that was almost fifteen years ago. He’s changed, just like you have. And you might start to think about how you’re going to feel after this marriage is over in a few months.”

  “Relieved. I’m going to feel relieved.”

  “Are you?”

  “Yes. There’s nothing about this marriage I like except the money. So please remove any other thoughts about it.”

  “Okay, Van.” Her mother’s smile was knowing, slightly ironic. It made Savannah decidedly nervous. “All other thoughts are now removed.”

  AT FOUR THIRTY THAT afternoon, Savannah was in the passenger seat of Lance’s SUV, on her way north to southwestern Virginia. Lance’s cousin was getting married at a prestigious winery in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the wedding party was staying in a luxury mountain resort nearby. Since Lance was in the wedding, they were driving up early and not coming home until Sunday morning.

  Savannah had been to a few of these wedding weekends with Lance before, so she knew what to expect. Two days of dressing up and fake smiling while surrounded by the trappings of over-the-top wealth.

  At least the timing was perfect. They were at peak season for the autumn leaves, and the scenery as they drove was already stunning. She spent the trip looking at it since she didn’t have much else to do. Lance was listening to some sort of indie rock. It wasn’t bad music, but she wasn’t familiar with it, so it didn’t hold her attention. He’d let her switch to something else if she asked, but she wasn’t in the mood.

  Her conversation with her mother was making her uncomfortable with Lance. She’d tried to push it out of her mind, but the questions kept coming back to her, causing her to feel weird and nervous. So she’d been quiet with him since they’d loaded the car and left Green Valley.

  They’d hardly talked in the hour and a half they’d been driving, so she was surprised when Lance asked out of the blue, “Is there something going on with you?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I don’t know. You tell me.” He was focused on the road and not on her, and his voice was as insouciant as normal.

  “I don’t have anything to tell you.”

  “While I might appreciate an occasional reprieve from your insults, it’s not like you to be so quiet for so long. Until just now, we went ninety-four minutes without saying a word. It’s kind of creepy. I can’t help but wonder if you’re plotting something over there.”

  She snorted. “People can occasionally be quiet without having nefarious motives.”

  “Maybe. But you usually aren’t.” He paused for a minute before he added lightly, “You still mad about the orange juice?”

  “What? Are you serious? Of course not.” She hadn’t even thought about the orange juice since she’d left the condo this morning.

  “All right then.” He gave her a quick, searching glance that immediately shifted into his normal leisurely indifference. “Have I innocently stumbled into offending you in some other way and now have to watch my back for fear of retaliation?”

  “Innocent? It’s got to be three decades since you’ve done anything innocently.”

  “Fine. Swap the word out to unintentionally and answer the question.”

  She stared at his profile. The clear hazel eyes. The deep dimple in his chin. The way his hair flopped forward onto his broad forehead. His fingers were wrapped loosely around the steering wheel. His shoulders and jaw were relaxed.

  He turned to look at her with arched eyebrows.

  “No,” she said, vaguely surprised that he was genuinely waiting for her to answer. “You haven’t offended me.”

  He murmured, “Okay” almost under his breath.

  Her heart was racing like crazy. She had no idea why. To cover, she did what she always did. Quipped, “You haven’t offended me in any way—other than heartless insensitivity with the orange juice and a lifetime of self-indulgence and depravity.”

  Lance chuckled. “Well, I’m used to your being offended about that. But if I haven’t offended you in a new way, then why have you been so quiet?”

  She swallowed and stared out the window. She wasn’t about to answer his question honestly since that would mean talking about the conversation with her mother, but she didn’t know what else to say. She wondered why he was even asking. He wasn’t supposed to care what she did as long as she fulfilled the terms of their prenup.

  “Savannah?”

  She turned her head toward him with an openly annoyed look. “What?”

  “Are your parents okay?”

  “Yes!” She was so surprised by the question that she blurted the answer out. “They’re fine.”

  “They like the car?”

  “Oh yes, they love it. It’s got less than twenty thousand miles on it, and the seats are really comfortable. It’s perfect for them. And you should see my dad driving it around town. He’s had Fords all his life, and he’s been perfectly happy with them, but he’s so proud of having a Lincoln.” She had no idea why she was rambling on like this.

  Lance smiled, slanting her quick looks as she talked. “Good for him.”

  “Thanks again for arranging it for them.”

  “You’ve already thanked me. You don’t have to do it again. All I did was make a phone call.”

  “Yeah. But some of us don’t know what it’s like to be able to arrange the sale of a perfect car for far less than it’s worth with nothing more than a phone call.”

  He nodded as if to acknowledge what she said was true. “I’m good at that kind of thing. It’s what I do.”

  “Yeah, I bet. You and your corporat
e consultant mojo can occasionally come in handy.” She paused, realizing she sounded teasing without the slightest hint of bitterness. Exactly as her mother had implied she was feeling toward Lance. It scared her so much she added, “But you don’t really think, no matter how good at it you are, you could ever have built a successful business as a corporate consultant or gotten my folks that car if you hadn’t been born with money and connections.”

  Lance was as smart as she was, and he’d always done well in school without trying very hard. After graduating from an Ivy League college, he’d gotten both a JD and an MBA before coming back to Green Valley to set up his business. As an independent corporate consultant, he was brought in by businesses who were in legal or financial trouble or were going through major transitions or sudden growth. At first he’d gotten jobs through the people he already knew, but he’d quickly developed an impressive reputation and got calls now from businesses all over the country.

  Lance wasn’t looking at her anymore. “I know that. And if I ever forget, I always have you to keep reminding me.”

  Savannah focused out the window at the mountains, her stomach twisting in nerves. She didn’t know what to say.

  After just a minute, Lance added, “There’s a scenic overlook coming up. You want to stop and take some pictures?”

  She blinked at him, startled by the offer. “Yeah, I’d like to if you don’t mind. The leaves are stunning this weekend.”

  “We’ve got plenty of time. We’re just half an hour out now, I think, and I’d like to stretch my legs anyway.”

  When he’d parked the car, she reached into her bag to pull out the camera she always carried around with her. It was a high-quality digital bridge camera with enough features to take good photos but still small enough to regularly keep with her. She got out of the car and snapped some pictures. Then she switched it to video mode and panned the scenery and the people who’d stopped like them to admire the view. There were only three cars, and she lingered with the camera on Lance, who’d walked to the other side of the overlook and was talking to an elderly couple who’d gotten out of an RV.

  He’d put on his sunglasses since the clouds were breaking up, and his expression was the one she’d mentally labeled his “nice smile.” It had only a slightly sardonic edge to it.

  She wondered what he was talking to them about. She lowered the camera and headed toward him.

  Her hopes of overhearing the conversation were dashed when he glanced over as she got closer. “You ready?”

  “Anytime. I’m not in a hurry.”

  He started toward her, turning to say to the couple, “Enjoy your trip.”

  “Thanks,” the woman said. “You and your pretty wife do the same.”

  Savannah’s mouth parted slightly as she processed that comment. She peered at Lance questioningly as they walked back toward the SUV.

  “What?” he asked softly. His eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses, so she couldn’t read his expression very well.

  “What was that about?”

  “What was what about?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You know what. How did I become your pretty wife?”

  “You’ve always been my pretty wife.” At her look, he relented with a soft laugh. “They were asking me about you since it was clear you knew what you were doing with the camera. Then they told me I was a lucky man to have such a pretty, talented wife.”

  Her cheeks warmed slightly. Hopefully he’d think it was the brisk breeze. “You are a lucky man. Not many spoiled assholes get the benefit of a wife who’ll tell him exactly what she thinks of him—even if it’s just for a year.”

  As they walked, he’d put a hand on her back, an instinctive gesture of moving her in the direction they were going. Usually he only did that when they were around people they knew, but he was probably just in the habit now. His hand was higher than usual. Above her shoulder blades. His thumb was lightly brushing the bare skin at the back of her neck.

  It made her shiver a little.

  They reached the car before he could answer. He walked with her to the passenger side and opened the door. She had no idea what he was thinking and gazed up at him in anxious confusion.

  “I never doubt how lucky I am,” he said.

  She gulped. Was he serious? She still didn’t know the answer when she’d settled in her seat, returned the camera to her bag, and hooked her seat belt.

  By that point, Lance was behind the steering wheel again. He took off the sunglasses and gave the corner of his mouth a smug quirk. He said as if continuing his previous comment, “How could I doubt it? After all, how many times have you told me that everything I’ve got is because I was born lucky?”

  THAT EVENING, AFTER the rehearsal dinner, Savannah and Lance were still sitting at their table, chatting with one of the other groomsmen and his wife—Peter and Melissa. She’d been surprised to discover that she actually liked them. They’d obviously been born into money, but they weren’t particularly snobbish or entitled. They were smart and funny, and Savannah enjoyed herself at dinner.

  As far as she could tell, Lance was enjoying himself too.

  The groom was a cousin of his, so he knew or was related to most of the wedding party. They were laughing about a story he was telling about a disastrous dinner with a client when a dark-haired little girl came over to their table.

  Savannah couldn’t remember the names of all the people she’d met, but she did recall that this child was a flower girl. A niece of the groom, so she was also related to Lance.

  She looked about eight or nine, and she was cute with big brown eyes and a serious expression. “You said we could practice,” she said, peering up at Lance.

  He raised his eyebrows slightly. “We can definitely practice, but I thought maybe we’d do it tomorrow morning.”

  The little girl frowned. “I want to practice now. There’s music.”

  There was a string quartet in the corner of the large banquet room, providing accompaniment to the dinner.

  Savannah still had no idea what they were talking about, and she gave her husband a tilt of her head.

  He obviously saw the unspoken question. “I told Holly I’d help her practice dancing so she’d be ready for the reception.” He looked back at the girl. “This isn’t really dancing music. Why don’t we wait until tomorrow morning?”

  “So you’re not going to practice with me?” Holly’s eyes were huge and betrayed.

  Lance’s face twisted before it settled into a resigned smile. “Yes, I’m going to help you practice. I guess we could try a little bit now. We’ll do the best we can with this music.”

  Savannah watched in astonishment as he got up, took the girl’s hand, and then led her to a corner of the room that was free of tables and people. There, he leaned over enough to help her get her hands in a dancing position, and the two of them began to make halting steps in a vague semblance of a dance.

  “Oh my God, he’s adorable,” Melissa gasped, leaning forward so she could see the inexplicable couple more clearly. “You’ve got to get a picture.”

  Savannah was already reaching into her purse to pull out her camera. Something strange was throbbing inside her. Something emotional. There was no way she could find a name for it, but it started in her chest and filled her entire body. She snapped some pictures before she switched to video mode and filmed Lance’s dance with the little girl.

  She’d never seen him interacting with a child before. He wasn’t a kid person. His friends were in their thirties, but a lot of them hadn’t even married yet. And those that had were waiting to have children so they could focus on their career or keep having fun. They were reaching the point in their lives when they were thinking in that direction, which was why she’d been to six different weddings with him since they’d gotten married, but this was a first.

  Lance was smiling now—looking slightly self-conscious but with no hint of irony. His attention was entirely on the girl, and Holly was obviously having a grand time.
After a minute, Savannah zoomed in on his face with her camera lens, focusing briefly on the slight sheen of sweat on his forehead, the dark stubble on his jaw, one wayward curl against his neck.

  They danced for about ten minutes, and when Lance finally straightened up, half the room broke into applause for them. Everyone had been watching the little scene.

  Savannah put her camera down and waited while Lance thanked Holly and then strode back over toward her. He looked as confident and sophisticated as ever, but something made her think he was slightly uncomfortable.

  He wasn’t at all shy. He never minded being the center of attention. So she wasn’t sure what might be prompting his mood except he just wasn’t used to dealing with a kid.

  He slid into his seat, smiling dryly at Melissa and Peter, who were openly laughing at him. It was a minute before he turned his head slowly toward Savannah. He lifted his eyebrows. “Nothing to say?”

  “Nope.” She hid a smile and felt the ridiculous urge to hug herself. “Not a word.”

  “I don’t believe you. You always have something to say, and I just gave you prime fodder for mockery.”

  “I don’t need to say a word.” She leaned over toward him. She was supposed to be a loving wife, so she needed to act like she was overcome with sappy feelings. And she wasn’t going to let it matter that it wasn’t entirely an act. She slid a hand across his back to rub his shoulder and pressed a kiss against his jaw. He smelled very faintly like the expensive aftershave he used when he dressed up. “Because I’ve got the whole thing filmed for posterity.”

  That made all of them laugh. Lance himself was laughing as he turned his head toward her unexpectedly, brushing his lips against her mouth. “You better put it in a vault because I’m going to sneak into your bag and erase it just as soon as I have the opportunity.”