by Susan Hatler
“I have my ways,” I replied with a wink.
“Such as?”
“You should know by now that I can talk my way into anything. I’ll be getting the wedding charm for Jill. But thanks so much for the ride,” I said.
He raised a brow, but the twinkle in his eye told me he was impressed. I swelled with pride, and preened a little under his gaze, though I knew it shouldn’t matter to me what he thought. It just felt so good to finally get one over on him.
Just as Ben opened his mouth to respond, one of the pilots emerged from the cockpit, and signaled for Ben to approach him. Ben excused himself and walked over to him. The two of them exchanged a few words, and then I heard the pilot ask in a loud whisper, “Is your cousin single? Maybe you could introduce us?”
I sat a little higher in my seat and smiled. I’d proved to Ben that I could outsmart him, and now this guy had showed him I was desirable. Ben glanced at me with an unreadable look. Then he shook his head and muttered something to the pilot, who quickly left.
My heart deflated.
I didn’t know what Ben had said to the pilot, but he’d obviously made it clear I wasn’t someone the man would want to date. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. Maybe I could get Ben to see me as a worthy opponent, but he’d never have feelings for me. That had been true in high school and it was just as true now. If only it didn’t hurt so much.
Chapter Three
I blinked awake when the plane bounced gently on the tarmac. The plush, buttery-soft leather seats had cocooned me on the flight, and I hadn’t been able to keep my eyes open. Apparently getting my heart kicked by the guy I’d been crushing on forever had worn me out.
As the world came back into focus, I noticed the overhead lights were still dimmed, barely illuminating the luxurious interior of the plane. The cabin was roomy, and the seats were spaced so a person could have a decent amount of privacy.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t chosen that last option, which became all the more obvious when I realized my cheek was resting on Ben’s shoulder. Yikes! My mind raced as I tried to think of a way to lift my head without him noticing, since he was wide awake and still working on his laptop.
“Did you have a nice nap?” he asked, his breath warm against my ear.
So much for easing off unnoticed.
“Um . . .” I sat up so fast that the blood rushed to my head, making me dizzy. Or at least that’s what I told myself. There couldn’t possibly be another reason for feeling lightheaded. Certainly not the scent of Ben’s cologne, the intoxicating hint of sandalwood making me think of us strolling together on a moonlit night. . . .
Ugh. What was wrong with me? The man did not see me as dateable. I needed to stop dreaming about him and accept that he and I would never happen.
He nudged me with his elbow. “Sarah?”
Latching onto the first distracting topic that came to mind, I pointed to his laptop screen. “You’re not asking for enough money,” I said, indicating the arbitration brief he was working on. “That kind of injury warrants a much larger settlement.”
He nodded. “I agree, but the client doesn’t want to go to trial. She wants the case settled as soon as possible.” He paused a moment. “Why didn’t you ever go to law school?”
His question felt like a punch to the gut, but I found myself saying, “I’d wanted to go to law school, but my uncle’s early onset Alzheimer’s disease took a turn for the worst during my senior year of college.” A wave of sadness washed over me. “He moved in with my parents, but the disease progressed so quickly that I had to get a job to help pay the medical bills.”
His gaze held mine. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, I was too.” I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. I rarely talked about that time in my life, so it surprised me that I’d revealed something so personal to Ben. But his eyes looked so sincere that I wanted to open up to him.
“Have you ever thought about going back to law school?” he asked.
“No.” I opened my mouth to say more, but then the pilot’s voice came across the intercom welcoming us to Atlanta. And like that I remembered how Ben had said something unflattering about me to the pilot earlier when he’d asked Ben if I was single. I suddenly felt very foolish. “When would I have time for law school? I’m too busy stowing away on a real lawyer’s jet in order to retrieve my friend’s wedding charm.”
He flinched. “I didn’t mean to imply—”
“No, I’m sorry,” I said, running my hand over my hair with a sigh. He’d hurt my feelings and I’d reacted just like I’d done in high school when I ruined his science fair project. “It’s really late. I guess I’m kind of cranky at one in the morning.”
He gave me a look. “It’s actually four in the morning on the east coast.”
I threw my hand up. “I stand corrected.”
He smirked as the plane came to a stop. “We’d better gather our things.”
I still felt lame for opening up to him, but at least I wouldn’t have to see him for much longer. I’d get off the plane and we’d go our separate ways, which would be good. Being around was tormenting my feelings.
I collected my luggage from Becca, gave her a hug, and then exited the plane. The muggy air outside enveloped me, making my clothes cling to my skin. Welcome to the South. We walked across the tarmac to find a rental car waiting for Ben. That’s when it occurred to me that I hadn’t arranged for transportation from the airport. Not smart, Sarah. Not smart.
I stared at the car. “Um . . .”
“No wheels, huh?” The corner of his mouth hitched up and he seemed to find my mortification amusing. The louse. “I’ll give you a ride if you ask nicely.”
Would smacking the best man with my carry-on be wrong? I narrowed my eyes. “Apparently you don’t believe in karma, huh?”
He grinned at me. “Fine. Get in.”
“Very kind of you.” I muttered as I lifted my bag into the trunk. At least I wouldn’t have to wait for a taxi in this thick air that was making me sleepy again.
Ben settled into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and then pulled out of the airport. All I wanted was sleep right now. Seriously. It’s like someone had shot me with a tranquilizer dart. Trying to stay awake, I peered out the window. As I took in my surroundings, adrenaline zipped through me, waking me up as I stared at the bright lights before me.
The city of Atlanta spread out all around us, a series of complicated highways and skyscrapers twinkling in the vast night sky. I hadn’t expected Atlanta to be so big, or so cosmopolitan and I found myself gawking at the scenery as we exited the highway.
I squinted through the window. “Is that a baseball park?”
Ben nodded. “Yeah, for the Braves. You a baseball fan?”
“More like an Oliver Kelly fan,” I said, naming the hottest player in baseball at the moment. He was all the rage on TV commercials and, of course, in all of the magazines. Despite his fame and fortune, he seemed like a sweet southern boy at heart, which made him all the more appealing to fans across the country.
“He’s a good player, but I don’t see what he’s got that I don’t,” Ben muttered with a grin.
“Hmm . . .” My mouth curved upward at his joke, but I didn’t have a retort. I’m sure a lot of women would think Ben was a good catch, but they probably didn’t get the joy of his competitive side. He seemed to save that for me. So unfair. We rode in silence for a few minutes. “Atlanta is a lot bigger than I thought it would be,” I said, and then realized I’d said my thoughts aloud.
“You’ve never been to Atlanta before?” he asked, sounding surprised.
“Nope, first time,” I said.
“I’ve been here a few times for business,” he said. “I’m actually going to visit a client later today. I need to make this a legitimate trip since I used the company jet. So I moved up a meeting with a client.”
Ben leaned closer to me as he plugged his cell phone into the charger. My belly fluttered. I tried to ign
ore how good he smelled, but given his proximity I was having a hard time.
“I read they filmed a bunch of scenes from The Walking Dead in Atlanta,” he said.
“Huh,” I said, releasing my breath as he moved back to his own seat, and we left the city behind and moved into the suburbs.
We drove down sleepy streets, passing a few smaller neighborhoods filled with newer homes built in the Craftsman style, high-end shops and eateries, and boutique condos. A few early-morning joggers ran along the sidewalks, making me wonder what it would be like to run in the thick heat during the day. It was all I could do to run on the treadmill a few times a week in my air-conditioned gym.
Ben pulled onto a winding and broad avenue that ran past older homes set on long expanses of green lawns, surrounded by black wrought iron gates or low stone walls. My mouth hung open as those enormous houses—some of them looking to be around ten thousand (or more) square feet—came into view.
There were Tudor Revivals, Grecian Revivals, Mediterranean style, Center Hall Colonials with Doric columns and wide porches abounding. Unlike the more commercial neighborhood we’d just driven through, this one had a sleepy, quiet air that spoke of wealth and privacy.
“There it is,” Ben said, pulling up at a wide gate that was wedged between two tall brick pillars that formed the ends of a long wall that ran around the perimeter of the house. I wasn’t so sure there was even a house visible at first. Then Ben punched in the security code Jill had obviously given him, and the gates opened. We drove along a perfectly groomed swatch of red paver bricks and concrete until the home came into view.
The house was a stunning beauty that soared several stories high and had a long porch that ran the entire width of the front. We’d arrived.
****
Ben parked in front of Jill’s grandma’s massive house. I looked up at the columned antebellum façade, wondering if Jill had visited here often. We climbed out of the car and retrieved our bags, hauling them up the front porch. I reached into my purse and pulled out the house key. “Here’s the—”
“I’ve got it.” He stepped by me, slipping the key into the lock before I had chance to use mine. Typical.
“How did you get a key?” I asked.
“Jill’s mom. Apparently she keeps several extras on her key ring.”
I stared at him blankly, trying to control my annoyance. He always had to steal the whole show. He couldn’t even let me put the key in the lock!
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. This guy was unbelievable. But I wouldn’t give him the pleasure of knowing how he got under my skin. “Let’s just get the wedding charm. Jill told me it would be in the attic.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Ben opened the front door, pausing to let me go through first. “I’m happy to help them out, but I don’t get why this charm is so important. Why can’t they just get married and then get the charm later?”
“Don’t you understand tradition?” I moved past him, ignoring the tingles that danced along my skin as my arm brushed against his. “It’s romantic that Jill wants to continue a long-standing tradition in her family.”
Ben shrugged. “I don’t see what traditions have to do with staying married. My parents got divorced despite whatever traditions they had at their wedding.”
My mouth fell open. “When did your parents get divorced?”
“The same year Kenny won the science fair,” he said, which meant the same year Ben had ruined my project. Had his sadness over the divorce made him lash out at my poor, unsuspecting volcano? The thought actually made me feel even worse.
“I’m sorry about your parents.” I swallowed, imagining how hard the divorce must’ve been on him. “I had no idea they had divorced.”
“Marriage doesn’t last.” Ben shrugged, following me into the house.
I wanted to tell him that some marriages do last. My parents were still together and very much in love. But I didn’t think now was the time to point this out. So I kept walking. The place was silent as a tomb. I looked around the foyer, and peered into the great room to the right. A large curving staircase led to the second floor.
“I’m guessing the attic will be upstairs.” I flipped on some lights. As we climbed the stairs, I couldn’t help asking, “Do you think Jill and Ryan’s marriage won’t last?”
“They have as much of a chance as anyone to make it work.” Ben hiked up beside me. “But the odds of them making it are slim.”
I guffawed at his pessimistic attitude. “But they’re perfect for each other.”
“They’re compatible,” he corrected. “No one is perfect for someone else.” He paused and glanced over at me. “I assume you’re the type of person who believes in soul mates and other halves and people completing each other?”
Now it was my turn to shrug. “I like to believe there is someone out there for everyone. Oh, here we are,” I said pointing up to the ceiling on the third floor, where there appeared to be a handle for a pull down staircase.
Ben stood on a chair from the hallway and stretched up to reach the handle. Then he pulled the ladder down, jumped off the chair, and bowed to me. “After you.”
“Thank you.” I smiled, noting he was acting quite charming for this early in the morning, especially considering he hadn’t gotten any sleep at all. I sneezed as I reached the top of the ladder, but I managed to find a light switch. “Man it’s dusty up here. Jill said the broach would be in a box marked ‘the wedding charm,’” I mused, looking around the large space.
“Let’s start at opposite ends,” Ben suggested.
“All right,” I agreed, since I couldn’t think of a better way to go about the search. So I headed one way as Ben headed in the opposite direction. We searched in silence. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to how boxes were stacked. Christmas decorations here and baby clothes there. After about half an hour, I was about to fall asleep right here on the floor when I spotted a box marked The Wedding Charm.
“I think I found it,” I called to Ben. I bit my lip as I pulled the lid off the box. I hoped that this was the correct box. Sure enough, sitting inside on top of a pile of lace was a small jeweler’s box. My breath quickened.
Ben came up beside me. “Let’s see,” he said.
Drawing in another breath, I opened the velvet box, and found a folded piece of paper inside. No charm. Ben and I exchanged a glance, and then I pulled the paper out and opened what appeared to be a letter.
I read it aloud,
Dear Jill,
I believe you’ll be the next in my family to get married, so you’re probably the one reading this letter. I have not been well these last months, and I’m not sure I’ll be around much longer. Therefore, I’m leaving my most precious legacy, my wedding charm, in the hands of my dearest friends.
Marriage is a sacred institution. My dear husband, Jacob, and I were married for fifty-two years, and not all of those times were easy. But Aunt Virginia is divorced, as are Cousin Marcie and Cousin Louis. I’m not going to let anyone else taint my grandmother’s wedding broach. So . . .
I paused, reading ahead silently. “Oh, no.”
“What?” Ben asked, leaning over my shoulder so his cheek brushed against mine.
Warm tingles flowed through me, but I tried to focus on the task at hand. Not easy for me to do with him so close.
“I don’t think this is going to be as easy as we thought,” I said, with a groan. “Listen to this: I’ve left three of my best friends in charge of the wedding charm to make sure the wearer is worthy. Ida Carter, Ella Smith, and Gina Larson will determine if you are indeed ready to get married. Lasting marriage is about three things . . . love and respect, trust and teamwork, and commitment.
If you and your fiancé are able to complete the tasks my friends assign you, then that will prove you both have what it takes to have a lasting marriage. In that case, my broach is yours to wear, and you will have my blessing. If this isn’t Jill reading this letter,
then another in my family has divorced, and you will still have to go through the tasks to prove you’re worthy this time around. Hugs and kisses, Grandma.”
Ben and I stared at the letter in silence. I’d finished reading. Didn’t he notice his cheek was still against mine? And why hadn’t I moved? Oh, right. Because I reveled in the feeling of his warm skin against me. Not good, Sarah. I stepped back.
All at once, exhaustion filled my every pore. I shook the letter in my hand, unable to believe we’d flown across the country and the wedding charm wasn’t even here. What a debacle.
“There’s no way Jill will be able to have the broach now.” I turned to Ben, feeling utterly defeated. “She and Ryan can’t make it out here to complete whatever crazy tasks Jill’s grandma wants them to do. It’s Saturday morning. They get married tomorrow night and they can’t just ditch all of their family and friends who’ve flown in for the weekend to be with them.”
“Well,” Ben said slowly. “There is another way.”
My heart leapt with hope. “What other way?”
“We can pretend to be Jill and Ryan,” he said, simply.
I blinked. “Come again?”
“I heard Jill say she hasn’t been to Atlanta since she was a kid. Her grandma’s friends won’t know the difference between them and us. We can act their parts, complete the tasks, and win the broach for Jill. Do you have a better plan?”
“No.” I gulped, a sense of horror rising up in my chest as I realized that he was right. We had no choice. In order to retrieve and deliver the wedding charm before my best friend’s wedding, I had to fake being in love with my childhood nemesis.
Chapter Four
I opened my eyes, staring at the unfamiliar chandelier on the ceiling. My jet-lagged brain took a moment to compute where I was, probably because my body just longed for more sleep. I sat up in bed, my neck stiff from the few hours of sleep I’d had. I climbed out from under the floral bedspread and wandered to the open window. A thin breeze pushed at the curtains, but that did nothing to cool the warm muggy air around me. Trying to break free of the thick air that was coaxing me back to sleep, I peeked out into the backyard.