“It wouldn’t be a hardship. I’m easy to be around. Ask anyone.”
She looked at Mitch.
“It’s true. You get to live in a castle, and if you can deal with whatever mad idea he has going next, then he’s easy to live with.”
Caroline’s brow wrinkled in confusion. It was cute.
“Is this like a job position? You’d pay me to live with you and have your children? Are we talking something Michael Jackson would have done?”
Josh almost laughed, but she was deadly serious.
“We’re talking about a marriage. An equal partnership. Everything I have will be yours, and vice versa. We’ll make decisions together and get to know each other as we grow old. It’s simple. It’s how marriage used to be. People have been doing this for centuries. It isn’t a big deal. Don’t overthink it. It’ll be great. Instead, focus on all the fun we’ll have down the years.”
“But I don’t know you. I don’t know anything about you. Other than you sing Sinatra songs and middle-aged women throw underwear at you.”
“I don’t just sing Sinatra,” Josh informed her. “And there’s nothing I can do about the underwear. Believe me, I’ve tried. Who knows what goes through a woman’s head that makes her think I want her used nylon underpants.”
Caroline blinked several times.
“She wants to know more about you,” Mitch said helpfully. “Not the underpants.”
“Sure.” Josh nodded. “What do you want to know? Ask away.”
She seemed blank. Her gaze darted about the room as she searched for something to say. Josh took pity on her.
“Fine,” he said when no questions were forthcoming. “I come from a decent family. My dad is Scottish, my mom is American. They met in Atlantic City when my dad was on shore leave from the merchant navy. They were married fast and settled in Atlantic City, where they ran a miniature golf course together. I had a normal childhood. Wasn’t brilliant in school and wasn’t dumb either; mainly I just wanted to sing. I started doing gigs when I was thirteen, then as soon as I was legal I worked the clubs. I got my first big break playing Caesars. Apart from that, I don’t have any brothers or sisters, and this idiot”—he pointed at Mitch—“has been my best friend since I was six. What else is there to know?”
She took a deep breath. “Any history of mental illness?”
“You mean me?” Josh pointed at himself. He couldn’t hold in a laugh, the question was so ludicrous.
“Don’t worry,” Mitch said. “I know where you’re going with this. Unfortunately, he’s sane. We have the paperwork to prove it.”
She turned back to Josh, who was trying his hardest to appear serious and sane.
“Are you dying and desperate to reproduce before you go?”
“What? No!”
Caroline’s green eyes stared at him, while she pursed her luscious pink lips. His eyes wandered over her delicate cheekbones down to the beauty spot on the curve of her chin. That spot was begging to be kissed.
“You’re homosexual, aren’t you?”
Mitch spat coffee all over the carpet.
“No,” Josh told her. “I’m not gay. Not even remotely.”
Mitch was struggling to hold in his laughter, which wasn’t helping.
“Don’t you need to be somewhere else?” Josh asked him.
“No way.” Mitch grinned with delight. “I’m not missing this.
“Look,” Josh said. “I’m offering you everything I have. You won’t regret this—trust me, I’ll make sure you’re happy.”
“You don’t know that. You can’t promise something like that.”
“Yes. I can and I will. You’ll be so damn happy you won’t know what to do with yourself.”
Her cute little brows frowned with confusion, and Josh wondered when the last time was that he saw a woman frown. Every other woman he knew had been paralysed with Botox. There was silence in the room. Caroline looked around, giving every item her full consideration. Only the pulse throbbing at the curve of her jaw gave away the fact that this was anything but a normal conversation.
Caroline’s blood was pumping so fast that it made her feel dizzy.
“Is this real?” she said.
Josh laughed. He had a good laugh. It was deep and full of joy. From the sparkle in his eyes and his easy, laid-back attitude, she bet he was a man who laughed a lot. She almost envied his ease, and wondered what it would be like to be so relaxed about life.
“I’m afraid so,” he told her.
He leaned forward to put his elbows on his knees. He clasped his hands as he stared her in the eye. Her heart thudded loudly under the spotlight attention. She licked her lips.
“What do you say, Caroline Patterson,” he drawled. “Want to marry me?”
Caroline swallowed hard as a cool sweat broke out on the small of her back.
Mitch lobbed a small blue cushion at Josh. “How about you give the girl some time to think about it?”
Josh tossed the cushion back. “Why don’t we let her decide what she wants to do?”
The two men stared at her. Josh all shoulders, blue-black hair and luminous blue eyes. And Mitch with his wavy golden hair, hazel eyes and tall, lean frame. You didn’t see many men like these in Invertary. There was more testosterone in the room than in all of Scotland.
She studied Josh, hoping for some clue as to whether this was some sort of joke. But all she saw was complete conviction and determination. His full lips softened into a mischievous smile.
“I promise.” His voice was a low vibration that worked its way across her skin. “You won’t regret it.”
Caroline knew, from scanning the tabloid magazines in the library, that there were women queueing up for a chance to marry Josh. Women who fancied themselves already in love with him. Or women who wanted his money and fame. Caroline wanted neither, and she definitely wasn’t in love with him. In all her thirty-one years she’d never been in love. And, as far as she was aware, no one had been in love with her. She’d been waiting to be swept off her feet. She was still waiting. She clasped her hands tightly as they began to shake. What if this was her only chance at a family? She glanced at Josh. His children would be beautiful. No, their children would be beautiful. Her heart stuttered and her mouth dried. Children. She’d given up all hope of ever having any.
Avoiding Josh’s eyes, Caroline worked at steadying her breathing. Her gaze roamed around the grand room, and she automatically detailed every missing feature and hidden piece of history. His words rang in her ears—they would be partners, what was his would be hers, she’d get to live in the castle. Her palms began to sweat. She eyed the cracked single-pane windows that he’d no doubt replace with aluminium double glazing. She shuddered. What if this was her only chance to save the castle?
She shook her head to clear it. It didn’t help. What she was thinking—what she was considering—was wrong. So very wrong. She looked at Josh’s smiling face, and then at the TV where the fireplace should be. That beautiful old fireplace. Knowing it was hidden tipped her over the edge. She felt her decision rush at her like a high-speed train. There was no avoiding it. She’d decided subconsciously. The deed was done.
“I have some conditions.” Her voice was a croak. She cleared her throat.
Her heart was beating so loudly she could hardly hear anything else. Part of her brain was screaming for her to shut up. The other part was cheering her on. Josh shot Mitch an excited look. He beamed at her while his friend slumped down into his chair in resignation.
“Shoot.” Josh spread his hands wide.
“If I agree, I want to be in charge of the castle restoration. I don’t want any complaints. I want to be able to restore the place without interference. What I say goes.”
“Done. The castle is yours.”
Adrenalin shot through her. The castle was hers. She took a deep but shaky breath. She’d just sold herself—and the price was a castle. The room blurred in front of her as her heart pounded hard enough to be p
ainful.
“I want to get married here, in Invertary.” She was pleased her voice didn’t waver.
“Fine by me.” He was practically bursting with enthusiasm. “But I don’t want to hang around. We’ll go to the registrar tomorrow and get it done.”
Caroline swallowed hard. “No. I want a proper wedding. With friends and family. In a church.”
Josh stared at her for a moment. “Fine. You have three weeks.”
“My sister is eight months pregnant. If it’s in three weeks, she won’t be able to attend.”
“We’ll do something else for her later. If we’re going to do this, I want to do it fast. I’m done waiting. I want to be married. Three weeks is long enough.”
Caroline stared at his determined expression. He smiled softly. Something inside of her calmed. “Okay.”
Caroline stood unsteadily. Josh and Mitch stood too, making the vast room seem a whole lot smaller.
“Then”—she cleared her throat—“the answer to your question is yes.” She looked up into the mischievous eyes of a stranger. “I will marry you, Josh McInnes.”
She held out her hand to him, to seal the deal. With a wicked smile, he engulfed her hand in his. A bolt of pure electricity shot up her arm and through her body. She tingled from head to toe. Josh’s eyes darkened.
“Good decision,” he told her. “You won’t regret it.”
CHAPTER TWO
“You know.” Mitch chugged on his bottle of beer while he sat at the kitchen counter. “I thought that your most embarrassing moment was in Italy, when you were serenading that chick you were drooling over and fell off the stage.” He shook his head slowly. “But this tops anything you’ve done in the twenty-nine years I’ve known you.”
“What?” Josh shrugged. “This is great. The hunt is over. I’m getting married. Why is this embarrassing?”
“The fact you don’t know the answer to that question is what worries me the most.”
Josh ignored him and padded over to the freezer. There had to be something he could zap and eat. Adrenalin always made him hungry.
“You should be happy.” Josh pulled two trays of lasagne out of the deep freeze. “This is what we’ve been working towards for months.” He grinned as he stabbed the plastic lid with a fork. “I have to be honest with you. There was a minute where I thought you weren’t going to pull it off. I thought I’d have to bring in the professionals.”
“And I have to be honest with you. I thought you’d get bored of this and move on to something more productive and slightly less insane—like the new album.”
Josh plonked the food in the microwave and pressed the button that said dinner. Nothing happened. He randomly pressed a whole lot of other buttons until the machine started to work.
“Look.” Josh grabbed two root beers from the fridge. “You know me. When I make up my mind about something, it’s a done deal.”
“Yeah, but that’s business. Not finding a wife.”
“Apparently it works for everything.”
Mitch rubbed his hand over his face. “There’s no talking to you. You’re determined to ride this inanity train wherever it leads, aren’t you?”
Josh pulled the trays out of the microwave to see if anything was happening. They were still ice. He put them back in and pressed random buttons again.
“This isn’t insane. It’s logical. Practical. You’re just jealous because you didn’t think of it first. I’m not possessive. You can have my idea. I’ll even find you a wife if you want.”
“I’ll take you up on that”—Mitch paused as if in thought—“the minute hell freezes over.”
Josh grinned at him.
“You do realise,” Mitch said, “that you’ve just told a woman you don’t know that you’re going to have sex with her, and only her, for the rest of your life.”
Huh? Josh leaned against the counter.
Mitch pointed at him. “You didn’t think about that, did you?”
Josh bristled. “I can do commitment. I’m looking for commitment.”
“Well, you better hope she’s good in bed.”
Josh felt a momentary pang of doubt. He narrowed his eyes at his friend. “You’re not going to make me second-guess this. I know I’m doing the right thing. And I’m not going to discuss my marital sex life with you.”
“What sex life? You proposed. You shook hands. She practically jumped out of her skin and then she left. I’m still burning from the heat of the exchange.”
“I’m not listening to you.” Josh reached for the phone. “You can’t talk me out of this. I know it’s a great idea.”
Mitch shook his head as he looked at the ceiling. Josh dialled his parents’ number in Florida.
“It’s Josh,” his dad shouted through the house.
A moment later, his mother was on the other phone. Josh grinned over her endless questions about his health. This was what he wanted: exactly the kind of comfortable relationship his parents had. Something that was stable and built on strong foundations, not on hormones. He glared at Mitch. Like he was going to take advice from a guy whose social life was dead and whose last serious relationship was in high school.
“I’ve got news.” Josh squeezed the words in when his mother paused for breath. There was silence. He chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’s good.”
“Do you want to spit it out, son?” his dad said. “Or do we have to guess?”
Josh took a deep breath. “I’m getting married.”
More silence.
“We didn’t know you were dating anyone.” His mother sounded confused.
“It’s been a fast process. I haven’t known her long, but you’re going to love her. We’re getting married in a few weeks.” He checked the calendar stuck to the fridge. “Mid-August. In Scotland.”
There was silence.
“Hello?” Josh called.
“You got a girl pregnant, didn’t you?” His mother’s tone oozed disappointment.
“You better not have,” his father threatened—like he could influence the situation in some way. Josh almost laughed.
“I didn’t get anyone pregnant.” How was it possible he was thirty-five and his parents still made him feel like a teenager?
“I don’t understand,” his mother said. “Was it love at first sight?”
“Not exactly,” Josh hedged.
“If there’s no baby on the way, then why the rush?” his father said. “Marriage isn’t something you jump into quickly.”
“You two did,” Josh pointed out.
“Those were different circumstances,” his father said.
“Yeah, but you don’t regret it,” Josh said.
More silence. He heard his mother take a deep breath.
“What’s she like?” his mother said at the same time as his father said, “How long have you known her?”
Josh answered his mother. “She’s great—she’s sensible and sweet and really organised.”
He could almost hear their stunned expressions.
“She’s not like your usual girlfriends,” his mother said anxiously.
“And that’s a good thing, right?”
“How long have you known her?” his dad asked again.
Josh ignored him. “I’ll send you some plane tickets for the wedding. It’s going to be great.”
“How long have you known her, son?” His dad used the voice that used to scare him witless as a kid.
But he wasn’t a kid any longer. He glanced at the clock. “About an hour.”
“What the hell?” his father barked in his ear.
“Well, great. Good talk,” Josh said. “I’ll see you both at the wedding.” He doubted they could hear him. “I’ll call another time.” He hung up.
“That went well,” Mitch said from behind him.
Josh turned to see that Mitch had eaten both portions of lasagne. His stomach grumbled.
“They’ll come around.” He opened the freezer and started his hunt for food all over again.
Caroline walked straight past the community centre and into the Presbyterian church on the corner of Dewar Street. She wasn’t sure how she’d gotten out of the castle. All she remembered was agreeing to marry Josh, and the next thing she knew she was walking back to work. They’d shaken hands to seal the deal.
She shook her head slightly. When she’d imagined a proposal as a child, it hadn’t included a handshake. But, in saying that, back then her proposal fantasy had included a unicorn, a flowing pink dress and a real-life prince.
She pushed open the heavy wooden doors and went searching for the minister. She found him in his office.
“Caroline,” the old man grumbled. “If this is more hassle about the roof fundraiser, you can turn around and leave now.”
Caroline sat down hard in the rickety wooden chair facing his desk. She held her briefcase tightly in her lap. “I have a confession,” she said.
He looked confused. “You know we’re not Catholic, right?”
“Of course I know that, but I need to confess. I’ve done something terrible.”
“Okay.” He took off his bifocal glasses and linked his hands on the blotter in front of him. “I’m all ears. What do you need to confess?”
Caroline took a deep breath. “I’ve agreed to marry a man I don’t love.” The words rushed out in a gust of air.
Reverend Morrison frowned at her. “Why are you bothering me with this? We both know that isn’t a sin. If it was, half the town would be in here complaining.”
“But it’s wrong. Isn’t it? It has to be wrong.” She glanced around the room, taking in the battered desk and the wall full of photos from his years running the parish. “I only did it to get my hands on the castle.”
“The castle?” He thought for a minute. His eyes went wide. “Did you agree to marry that singing American?”
She nodded as her cheeks burned.
“Caroline, I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t know why you’re asking me if this is okay. You have a better grasp of life’s moral issues than I have. Does this man know you don’t love him?”
She nodded again.
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