by Sara Orwig
“I don’t know much about your private life,” she said. “If I’m going to marry you, I think you better tell me, at least briefly.”
“Sure. I was born in Downly, Texas.”
She smiled. “You don’t have to start that far back.”
With a flash of even, white teeth, he grinned. “My mom’s family all came from Mexico because of relatives in Downly. Are you familiar with Downly?”
“I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been there.”
“Mom and her family got jobs there and their citizenship. My mom got a job as a maid for a wealthy family. Actually, it was Dirkson Callahan.”
Startled, she looked up at him. “Oh, my. You’re about to buy some of his wells in South Dakota. You told me at the office that it was routine business. I know you’re close friends with his son, Gabe Callahan, but will buying the wells be something more personal?”
“You’ve already moved into the fiancée mode. You wouldn’t have asked me that at the office,” he said, sounding amused again.
“Are you going to be one of those men who’s got everything bottled up and keeps a lot to yourself? Maybe I should learn the parameters here.”
He laughed and put his arm around her to squeeze her shoulder as they walked. “I’m teasing you. Gabe always thought Dirkson was an uncaring dad. He didn’t keep up with his boys or share in their lives. None of them were happy with him. I talked to Gabe about it before I did anything, and he said it wouldn’t mean anything to his dad or any of them if I bought those wells and to go ahead. So I am. And you can ask whatever you want.”
“Oh, really?” she said, stopping to put her hand on her hip, unable to resist flirting with him.
“Oh, yeah,” he answered in a husky voice, his eyes twinkling, and her pulse jumped. “What very private thing would you like to know?”
She caught her lower lip with her teeth as she thought for a few seconds. “Am I ever going to get breakfast in bed?”
“If you’re in our bed, you will,” he answered.
“You are quick. I’ll remember that.”
“So will I,” he said in a deeper voice. They looked at each other and both laughed.
When they did, he hugged her lightly again. “I’m liking this deal better by the minute.”
“Don’t get excited. You’re accustomed to me being your secretary and doing whatever you ask. That isn’t necessarily going to happen when I become your wife.”
He leaned closer, tilting her chin up with his forefinger and gazing at her. “Then I’ll just have to butter you up so I get my way.”
She smiled when he did and they turned to continue walking. “Does your mom still work for him?” Lara asked.
“No. She quit to open a small tamale stand and tiny café—I mean, really small. This was before I was born, so I know little about it. My mom met my dad and I think it must have been love at first sight. They were married three weeks after they met and they loved each other deeply. He was a good dad, too. He had immigrated to the US earlier, gotten his citizenship and had a job. He worked in construction. He really wasn’t a strong man and shouldn’t have been doing that.”
“You don’t take after him there,” she said without thinking about it.
“I didn’t know I’d exhibited any great stamina in the office,” Marc said, sounding amused and looking down at her.
“You carry things around sometimes. I’ve seen you do things. I’m observant,” she said, aware her cheeks were suddenly hot.
“Oh, yeah?” He touched her arm as he stepped in front of her again. “Maybe I should ask what else you know about me from observation.”
She thought a moment. “You send roses to women you’ve been out with, and if it’s someone a little more special, you send a big mixed bouquet. Right?”
“Damn. I must be as predictable as hell. How did you figure that out?” He stared at her.
“That’s a guess. The mixed bouquet has roses. The lady who gets the mixed bouquet gets roses plus other flowers.”
“Well, you’re right.” He nodded and they continued walking.
“Go on about your family,” she urged him. “I don’t know anything about them.”
“When my family moved to Texas, they didn’t have money, but they were successful. Mom’s little café grew and when my dad’s health began to fail, as long as he could, he helped in the café. By that time, my grandfather was doing better and he put some money into her café. Then my dad’s health got worse and he had heart problems. I had wonderful parents and wonderful grandparents and I’m sorry you lost your family so early in life. It hurt to lose my dad and it’s going to hurt like hell to lose Grandpa.”
She grasped Marc’s hand and squeezed lightly, releasing him swiftly and trying to ignore the inevitable tingles. “I know, Marc. I was so close to my mother.”
“When I lost my dad, I got closer to my grandfather on Mom’s side. He was the father figure in my life after Dad was gone.”
“You had a lot of family.”
“My mom’s dad worked for a successful rancher and moved up to become foreman. On that side of the family I come from people who are driven and work hard. My mom put work first in her life always. So did Grandpa. Sometimes I think they both worked too much. The man who owned the ranch didn’t have children. When the rancher’s wife died, he willed the ranch to my grandfather and four years later, when the rancher died, Grandpa inherited it. I was seven years old then and already loved to visit my grandparents. It’s a great ranch.”
She noticed his voice changed and she wondered how much he liked ranching versus working in Dallas in an office.
That question and others would have to wait. She was getting tired of walking and her feet were killing her in her heels. She looked at her surroundings. “I’m not familiar with where we are now and we’ve walked quite a way.”
He swung her around and they headed back as she laughed. “Oooh, I get what I want the minute I ask. I’m going to like my new role.”
He stopped and faced her. Surprised, she looked up at him as wind caught locks of his dark, curly hair.
“I’m beginning to look forward to our deal. And we better get on with it. So, we’re on for dinner tomorrow night?”
“Yes, thank you. We need to make wedding plans if you want to move so fast.”
He stepped beside her again and they continued walking. “Think of the secretaries in the office. Is there anyone who’d be a good replacement? If we can find someone who’s already working there, it’ll be easier for you to train them before you leave.”
“You have two who should be perfect. They’re quiet about their work and I don’t think most people realize how much they get done. Let me think about that tonight before I give you names. But you should know you’ve got good employees.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
By the time they walked back to his car and drove to her house, the sun was setting in the western sky. When they walked up onto her porch, Marc stepped between her and the door. Surprised, she looked up at him, suddenly feeling caught in the depths of his brown eyes.
“Definitely, I’ve made a good choice here,” he said in husky tones that gave her a tingle.
“And I know I made a good decision in accepting your offer. You’ve solved so many problems in my life. My world will change, thanks to you. The thing we need to remember is you have plans and I have plans. I’ve had my goals since the first six months of my mom’s illness. I don’t intend to give them up. I got engaged and we thought we could work it out, but we didn’t plan on a baby. This baby is part of me and my mom and my family, and I’m not giving it up. Now I’ll be free to get my education. I feel I owe that to my mom.”
“That’s one reason you were such a good choice. You have an agenda. You won’t want to stay married. E
ven if we get along great, you’ll want to go to med school and I won’t want a wife who is wrapped up in school and becoming a doctor. Besides,you know, Lara, that I still love my wife and I’m not over that loss.”
“I understand that. You know you have to let go, but part of you can’t ever let go when it’s someone you love,” she said solemnly.
He nodded. “How about seven tomorrow night?”
“Excellent. Tonight I’ll have my own little celebration all by myself. Tomorrow night we’ll make wedding plans.”
“Are you taking charge of my life?” he asked, looking amused.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. You’re capable of taking care of yourself.”
“I’m glad to hear you think so,” he said, smiling at her.
“I’m going in and celebrate.”
“Save some celebration for tomorrow night. When I leave here, I’ll go see my mom. I want to tell her and my grandfather about you. My grandfather’s days are really limited. He’s a sick old man.”
Marc caught her lightly beneath her chin, making her heart flutter. “You’re absolutely sure, Lara? You can take tonight to think—”
She stifled his words with a finger to his lips. “I’m absolutely sure I want to marry you on a temporary basis.”
He smiled and she pulled her hand away. “Good. You’ve made me happy, and you’ve solved a big dilemma for me. I want to keep Grandpa happy in his last days. I don’t want him to worry about his family.”
“That’s good, Marc. You’re a good guy.”
“Maybe not quite so good,” he said as he shook his head. “I am going to inherit a lot if I do what he wants.”
“You could get along without all that. You love the ranch because of your grandfather.”
“You keep seeing that halo over my head,” he said.
“There are moments it’s there. Moments,” she said, smiling at him.
He laughed. “That’s what I thought from my very practical secretary. You don’t really see me as such a saint.”
“With what you’re going to do for me, oh, yes, I do see a halo. Now, I think you should let me say good-night and go inside.”
“Of course,” he said, stepping away. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and tomorrow night I’ll take you to dinner and we’ll plan our wedding.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“Start believing. I’m really happy, Lara, and I hope you are, too.”
She smiled as she watched him walk toward his car. Only when he pulled away did she go inside.
When she shut the door behind her, she finally let go. Shouting for joy, she spun around her entryway and stopped in front of a mirror that had belonged to her mother. She looked at herself. “Mrs. Marc Medina. Hello, Mrs. Marc Medina,” she said, feeling tingles each time she said her future name. She was going to marry him. She would have enough money for her future, for her education, for her baby. More than enough money. She’d even be able to pay some of her mother’s medical bills. Marc was being incredibly generous. He was a multi-millionaire, but he must be inheriting a lot to be so generous. She waved her arms in the air and spun around again.
“Mrs. Marc Medina,” she repeated, looking at herself again. This time, though, her exuberance was tempered. She told herself she needed to guard her heart well, because Marc would stick with his plan and end their marriage. She knew he was strong-willed and she would be deluding herself if she thought he would fall in love and want to stay married. That wasn’t what she wanted, anyway. She wanted to be a doctor and to pursue a career in medical research.
Meanwhile, Lara intended to enjoy Marc, have a good time with him and keep her heart absolutely locked away. She turned to face the mirror again. “Can you do that when he is handsome, fun, and oh, so sexy?”
Yes, she could keep from going to bed with him. She’d known him a year and hadn’t slept with him, hadn’t fallen in love with him. She didn’t want emotional hang-ups tangling up her life now that she could do so many things she’d planned on doing. She had to resist his appeal.
“After this marriage I have plans for my future and Marc Medina is no part of them. And Marc has plans for his future and I’m not part of his plans,” she told her reflection in the mirror. “Remember that. I have plans for my future and I can’t wait to start.”
She rushed to her closet to plan what she would wear to work.
It was past 2:00 a.m. when she fell asleep, and her dreams all included Marc Medina.
* * *
To her relief, the next day at work she was too busy to think about her new life or her dinner plans, and she barely saw Marc until after four when he postponed their talk and told her he would pick her up shortly before seven.
After work she rushed home to shower, change clothes and take down her hair, aware it was the first time that she’d have her hair down with him and be dressed in a flirty, flattering outfit. Was he even a fraction as excited as she? She suspected he merely viewed their dinner the same way he would one of his business dinners where he was about to close a deal.
She, on the other hand, could barely contain her excitement or stop thinking about the fantastic fortune he would give her. But along with her excitement came a constant nagging worry that she should guard her heart or risk getting badly hurt. She had to stay out of his bed, because sex would mean nothing to him except physical satisfaction. She had to be on constant guard against seduction that would be briefly satisfying and then could bring down all sorts of problems for her.
She needed to keep a wall between them, she reminded herself. Eventually, they would part and he would never look back. By then if she had her baby, she’d better have her life in order.
As she laid out clothes to wear, she looked at herself in the mirror, studying her stomach, which was still flat. She wasn’t far along in her pregnancy and she was tall and slender. Most people would think this baby was Marc’s and he was agreeable to that. Why was he being so generous with her? Was it because of the loss of his own baby and his wife? She knew he was relieved to find someone who would be happy to part when he ended their marriage—she could understand that one and how she was probably the only woman he knew who would walk away with a smile. And she’d better maintain that distance from him so she would be able to leave without any kind of hurt. She had worked for him for a year and she could say goodbye and be okay right now. She wanted to feel the same way when they ended their marriage.
When her doorbell rang, she took a deep breath, picked up her purse and went to answer. Her new husband-to-be and her new life stood waiting on the other side of her closed door.
Three
While he waited for Lara to come to the door, Marc looked at the neat flowerbeds bordering the porch of the small house where Lara lived. He wondered how much they would see each other once they wed. She could settle on the ranch because he knew that’s what his grandfather wanted. Other than that, he didn’t care what she did to get ready for her baby and to go back to school when their marriage ended.
The door swung open and he turned, momentarily startled. “Lara?” His gaze swept over her and his pulse jumped unexpectedly. His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. “You worked until your regular closing time, so you had just an hour to get ready.”
“That’s right,” she said, looking at him with wide, curious blue eyes.
“You look gorgeous.”
She smiled. “Thank you. Come in and see where I live.”
He walked into her place, not because he was interested in seeing where she lived. He merely wanted to look at her longer.
“You let your hair down. I never see you like this.”
“No, this isn’t how I want to look at the office. I stick to business there, as you know. We get things done, and that’s what I want. Tonight’s a little different and it’s not an office event
. It’s a celebration, so I dressed for the occasion.”
“Did you ever,” he said. “You look absolutely wonderful. I’m happy all over again that I asked you and you accepted.” His gaze swept over her again. Her thick, long dark brown hair was brushed back from her face, caught and pinned on the sides of her head to fall freely with the ends in big, loose curls. He had the ridiculous impulse to tangle his fingers in the inviting mass.
“Come in and look around.” She turned and he followed her, his gaze slipping over her much more slowly, drifting down to her tiny waist. She had a slight, sexy sway to her hips as she walked. She wore a sleeveless black dress that ended above her knees. It was formfitting, beautiful and seductive with her figure. And she did have a figure, something she hadn’t shown to this extent before.
And he had never seen as much of her legs before. Now he discovered her legs were long, so long and shapely that he couldn’t stop admiring them. But this new discovery was disturbing. He didn’t want to find her highly appealing. He wanted the kind of impersonal relationship they’d had all year at the office. His heart was still locked away, numb after losing Kathy, and he didn’t want involvement with Lara, a night in bed with her because of lust and then all kinds of emotional complications. He wanted to stay out of her bed and keep this marriage in name only. But he’d just discovered that was going to be more difficult than he had imagined. He tried to reassure himself by thinking about their past year working closely together. There had never been even one second of flirting, much less anything more.
As he glanced again at her legs, he didn’t feel reassured.
Her home was filled with furniture that looked as if she had inherited it from her mother—a big comfortable-looking wooden rocking chair plus two wingback chairs in deep blue upholstery and a matching sofa. He gave his surroundings a cursory glance and returned to looking at her.