A Gentleman’s Offer

by Dara Girard

  Nate poured himself a drink. “Yes, she said he got the idea from us.”

  “Us?” Yvette thought for a moment then covered her eyes and groaned. “Oh, no.”

  “That’s why I didn’t want you to tell anyone.”

  “But Lewis never seemed like the marrying type.”

  Nate swallowed his drink then set the glass in the sink. “The fact is he told her about us. She can keep it a secret for a while, but not for too long. We’ll leave for Vegas Friday instead of Saturday.”

  Yvette shrugged. “Okay. Are you worried about her?”

  He left the kitchen and sat on the arm of the couch. “No, she seems to know what she’s doing.”

  “I wonder if Lewis does.”

  “If they want to get married, we can’t stop them. We’re certainly not the ones to tell them not to. They’re two adults.”

  Yvette dropped on the couch. “Yes.”

  “You don’t sound convinced.”

  “It’s just that Lewis has never thought or even talked about marriage before.”

  Nate smiled. “Neither did I. If you had met me a few months ago you wouldn’t believe me right now.” He slid down beside her. “In a few days you’re going to be Mrs. Nate Blackwell and then we’ll be on our way to Paris.”

  A couple days later as they sat on the balcony, Yvette could feel nothing but happiness. Yesterday she and Nate had gone to Belle Isle. They had spent the day playing with the dogs and he had sketched them and her; she had made him a cherry pie. The day before that they’d visited the lakeshore and enjoyed the miles of beach and now they sat together quiet in each other’s company knowing there would be more days, no, years, like this.

  “Diana will be returning soon,” Nate said. “We can’t stay here.”

  “You can slum it for a while at my place.”

  “Maybe, or I’ll set us up in a hotel while we look for a place.”

  “You’ll move to Michigan?”

  “Sure. You want to stay, right?”

  “Yes, but isn’t your business and everything back East?”

  “It will survive without me. Don’t worry, the money won’t run out.”

  She hated when he talked about money that way. “That’s not what I meant. I mean you have an entire life back there. You can’t just pick up and move. Won’t you miss it?”

  “Not really. I can always visit. My life is here now, with you. You can still run Le Chic Hounds and get involved with other charities.”

  “It just seems like you’re giving up a lot.”

  “No. I came here to make a decision about whether I’d go back or not and I’ve made it. My life is here.”

  “Okay,” she said, unsure.

  “You just have to tell me where you want to live. I’d like something by the water.”

  “Me, too.” He looked so excited she felt guilty for the niggling worry gnawing at her. She didn’t like how quickly he was cutting himself off from his past. Why didn’t he want anyone to know about them? Why did he want to get married so quickly? What was he running away from?

  Two days later, Yvette continued to ponder these questions. She sat in Le Chic Hounds helping Madlyn with inventory when Estelle came in with Lucy.

  “Hello, Estelle!” Madlyn said. She whispered to Yvette, “She comes in almost every week and spends.”

  “Your favorite type of customer.”

  “You better believe it.”

  Estelle walked up to them. “Ooh, that looks interesting.”

  “It’s a new line of bowls.” Madlyn went on to describe their special features while Yvette stacked them.

  “It sounds just perfect for my Lucy. I would like one, please.”

  Madlyn dashed over to the cash register. “I’ll ring you right up.”

  Estelle stayed with Yvette. “You know you’re always welcome to attend our weekly meetings.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I know you don’t really need us. You have a full life. With your business and fabulous valet,” she said with a teasing grin. “I saw that you met Marshall Post. Did you get a new puppy?”

  “What?”

  “At the Care for Animals charity. I saw you with Marshall.”

  “You must be mistaken. I didn’t get to meet him.”

  “Yes, you did. You were sitting right next to him almost all evening.”

  Fear twisted her heart. “Lewis?”

  “I don’t know what name he used with you, but that was definitely him. I never forget a face. Especially one as handsome as his.”

  Yvette couldn’t move. Lewis was the con artist? The puppy mill culprit? He was scamming rich women into buying non-breed dogs? It suddenly all made sense. The expensive clothes and watches he wore that he could never have afforded on a struggling photographer’s salary. She finally understood why he’d been so interested in her relationship with Nate and his sudden attention to Cathleen. She had to do something. She couldn’t let the marriage happen.

  “Wow, Yvette, you’ve really done well for yourself,” Lewis said, glancing around the apartment.

  She took his jacket. “This isn’t my place.”

  He walked into the living room, ignoring James’s low growl. “But now you can afford one like it.” He sat on the couch. James followed and sat in front of him. Lewis turned away. “Where’s Nate?”

  “He’s picking King and Queen up from Le Chic Hounds. Would you like anything to drink?”

  “Do you have champagne? I feel like celebrating.”

  “I’ll get you some apple juice.”

  He shrugged. “I’ll get myself a bottle later.” He threw up his hands in triumph. “Look at us. We can afford a lot of things now. Nate seems like a good guy and Cathleen’s sweet. What the hell is wrong with your dog?”

  “What is he doing?”

  “He’s staring at me.”

  “James, come here.”

  The dog didn’t move. His gaze remained fixed on Lewis.

  Lewis sniffed. “He’s not very bright if he doesn’t know his own name.”

  Yvette frowned and handed Lewis his glass. “James is very smart. I don’t know why he’s acting this way.” She tugged on his collar. “Come on James, stop that. You’ve met Lewis before. He’s nothing like Arthur.” James made a sound of protest, but let Yvette lead him to her side. She sat on the couch and stroked his head. “Good boy. I want you to behave. Perhaps he thinks you’re Nate’s rival or something.”

  Lewis laughed and leaned toward the dog. “You have nothing to worry about.”

  James curled his lip, revealing his teeth.

  Lewis jumped back. “Oh, well.”

  Yvette tapped James’s nose. “Be good.”

  Lewis took a gulp of his drink, set the glass down, then stretched his arms out across the length of the couch. “So what did you want to see me about?”

  “Nate told me you and Cathleen are getting married.”

  “Yes, isn’t that great?”

  “Yes, and very lucky. You’re marrying a rich woman.”

  He lifted a brow in challenge. “And you’re marrying a rich man.”

  “Because I love him.”

  Lewis rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t have given him the time of day if he didn’t have money.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Look, if you asked me here to change my mind about Cathleen you’re wasting your time. You can’t talk her out of it, either, because she loves me. A lot. Tonight we’re meeting at her favorite restaurant and running off together.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know how you make your ‘extra’ money.”

  He finished his drink, then stared at the glass. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m talking about how you have been using our store to gain access to rich dog lovers to scam them into buying phony designer dogs. I saw the dog you sold Estelle Walters.”

  He set his glass down. “So what? She lo
oks happy, doesn’t she?”

  “It’s illegal.”

  “After I’ve married Cathleen I’ll stop. I won’t have to run it anymore.”

  “You’re not going to marry Cathleen.”

  He flashed a slow, cruel smile. “Yes, I am and no one is going to stop me.”

  Yvette boldly glared back. “I will.”

  He shook his head as though she were a foolish child. “Don’t stand in my way, Yvette. I’ve dreamed about a chance like this.”

  “She deserves better.”

  “Nobody even looked at her before me. I make her happy. There’s nothing wrong with getting paid for the privilege.”

  “You scheming, conniving pig. You don’t even care about—”

  “Who are you to tell me about caring? Who do you care about? And don’t give me that garbage about loving Nate. You saw him and saw how rich he was and then started flashing your legs in high-priced stockings and dressing up like a fine lady. Don’t tell me you went after him because he had a great mind.”

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  “You’ve never looked at a man before. All you’ve ever cared about were animals. I know; I’ve been trying to get you to love me for years. But you’ve never seen me, never even considered how I felt or anyone. Men look at you and you take it for granted. I’m not going to be taken for granted anymore. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there and I’m fighting to get my fair share so you’d better stand out of my way.” He headed for the door.

  “If you go through with this, I’ll tell everyone the truth.”

  He turned and shoved her against the wall, his hand around her throat. “Don’t play games with me, Yvette,” he warned in a low voice. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will.”

  Yvette started to see stars and seized his wrist, but he suddenly released his hold and let out a scream. She glanced down and saw James biting his leg. Lewis tried to shake him off, then grabbed a vase and hit him. James crumpled.

  Yvette dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face. “If you’ve killed him I swear I’ll get you.”

  Lewis looked down at them in disgust. “Yes, I know how much you like animals. What do they call female dogs again?”

  Yvette gently lifted James in her arm. “He’s still breathing. I have to take him to the vet.”

  Lewis blocked her way. “First you have to promise me you won’t say anything.”

  “No.”

  He removed a strand of hair from her face with his finger. “It would be a shame if you suddenly disappeared. I could put you in a place where Nate’s money won’t be able to find you.”

  “I’m not afraid of you. Now get out of my way.”

  “You have such a pretty face. I wonder if Nate would want you anymore if something bad were to happen to it.” He slapped her.

  She stumbled back in shock.

  “Still not afraid of me?”

  Yvette placed James down and grabbed a broom. “I want you to leave.”

  “I could ruin everything for you. How would Nate feel if he came home and found us together?”

  “I said get out.”

  “You can’t force me.” He glanced at James. “Your little protector is out of commission and there’s no one else here to rescue you. I think you’d better start listening to me.” He wrestled the broom from her and threw it on the ground. He grabbed her arms and pulled her close, his breath hot on her face. “Come on. You want to care about somebody? What about caring about me? Who’s been your friend all these years? Who listened to your pathetic stories about your father and how no one liked you in school? Wasn’t I always there? Huh?”

  She struggled against him.

  “I will kill you in two seconds if you do not let her go,” Nate said in a quiet, deadly voice.

  Lewis shoved Yvette away. “We were just playing a little game,” he said, startled by Nate’s sudden appearance.

  Nate’s gaze pierced the distance with a fury that stilled the air. “And we’re going to play another game. You’re going to get out of our lives—and Cathleen’s—and we will never hear from you again.”

  Lewis scowled, but didn’t speak. He grabbed his coat then stormed out. Once he was gone Yvette lifted James. His eyes had opened but didn’t look focused. “He’s hurt. We’ve got to get him to a vet.”

  Nate saw the side of her face. “Did he hit you?”

  She nodded then glanced down at James. “He also hit—”

  Nate didn’t give her a chance to finish. Within seconds he was out the door. He returned minutes later rubbing his knuckles. She noticed red spots on his shirt.

  “Is that blood?”

  “Don’t worry, it’s not mine.”

  “What did you do to him?”

  “I doubt he’ll remember.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means I sent him home.”

  Yvette gasped and widened her eyes.

  “No, I don’t mean heaven,” he said quickly. “I made sure he got in his car after making my point clear. He may stop at a hospital, but that’s his decision.” He took James from her. “Come on, let’s go. You can tell me what happened.”

  Cathleen looked at her watch for the fourth time. Lewis should have been there by now.

  “Hi, Cathleen,” Nate said taking a seat.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Keeping you company.”

  “You don’t need to. My bags are in the car and Lewis will be here in a minute.”

  He shook his head. “No, he won’t.”

  “Yes, he will. He asked me to marry him. He wouldn’t have changed his mind.”

  “It’s my fault.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I wanted to make sure he really loved you so I told him that if he married you, you’d be disinherited.”

  She set her mouth firm. “He does love me.”

  “Then why isn’t he here?”

  “He’s coming.”

  “Cathleen,” he said gently. “He’s not the only man out there.”

  “You’re marrying Yvette and I didn’t say anything. Why did you do this to me? You had no right! Do you think Yvette would marry you if you didn’t have money?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

  “It’s different for me. I’m older and—”

  “And selfish. You can have happiness and do whatever you want but I can’t.” She stood and raced out the door.

  Nate returned to the apartment ready to fall into bed. He didn’t feel tired, he felt weary. He wished he could have done more damage to Lewis but knew he’d never see him again. At least the vet had said James would recover completely. And Yvette was better and he knew Cathleen would take time to forgive him. He wasn’t selfish. Maybe in the past but not now and he’d prove it.

  When he opened the door, Yvette met him.

  “A woman is here to see you.”

  He paused. “What woman?”

  “She said her name is Kim.”

  Fear gripped him, but he kept his voice neutral. “Did she say anything to you?”

  “No, she’s really nice.”

  Kim came up behind Yvette. Years of long-buried memories threatened to crush him. Why hadn’t she changed? She was just as beautiful as when his father had married her over ten years ago. She made sixty look like a gift—her silver hair touching her shoulders, her tailored suit complimenting her figure. She forced a smile, he knew she could smile easily but rarely smiled around him anymore. “You look so much better. Have you made your decision?”

  “I’m getting married,” he said in a flat tone.

  The smile disappeared and confusion replaced it. “What? I thought—”

  He held up a hand. “You don’t need to think. You just need to leave.”

  “I was wrong. I can’t tell you how awful I feel about everything. I know I was selfish because I couldn’t handle your illness and a part of me was jealous of how your father worried about you all the time. I almost felt as though there
was three of us in the marriage when I wanted him all to myself. I should have been there for you when Tracy left and you couldn’t work for a while and all the things you suffered through. I know you may not forgive me now, but I hope you will one day.” She took a hesitant step toward him. “I’m glad that you’ll have someone by your side.”

  He gritted his teeth. “That’s not why I’m getting married.”

  Yvette frowned. “By his side for what?”

  Kim sent Yvette a nervous glance then stared at Nate astonished. “Doesn’t she know?”

  “Know what?”

  She turned to Yvette. “Nate has cancer.”

  Chapter 14

  Yvette sat quietly in her room. Now it all made sense: the nose bleeds (she hadn’t believed he’d cut his finger in Paris), the sleepless nights, the fevers, the dizziness. He was truly sick. The entire time she was playing make-believe he was dying right in front of her. She felt ill.

  Nate knocked softly on the door then entered. “Can I talk to you?”

  She shrugged, not trusting herself to speak.

  “I’m sorry you found out this way.”

  “I bet you’re sorry I found out at all,” she said bitterly.

  “I didn’t want it to be a factor in your decision.”

  “You were afraid I wouldn’t marry you.”

  “Or that you’d marry me out of pity.”

  “What’s the decision everyone keeps talking about?”

  “I need aggressive treatment to fight this particular cancer and they want to know when I’ll start. I’ve decided not to.”

  She stared at him. “What? Why?”

  “I fought twice before. I thought I’d beaten it both times, but I hadn’t and I don’t want to go through it again. Kim married my father before my diagnosis. They used to call me their match-maker. I helped her brother out of a situation then introduced her to my father. After I got sick my father’s concern for me put a strain on their marriage. He was by my side all the time, always worried about me. And she…” Nate shrugged. “It was hard for her. One doctor said there was nothing he could do for me. When I told my father he refused to believe that.” The corner of his mouth quirked in a quick grin. “He made things happen so that I could get the specialist I have now.