While he’d hoped for a more enthusiastic reaction, Ford knew that his taking matters into his own hands was not in their plans. They insisted on running a tight ship, and their many successes with dozens of other campaigns justified their pride. “I’m sorry to spring it on you, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t want to end things with her to start a fake relationship with one of the ladies you found for me. We’ve been seeing each other for quite a while, and things are going well. It moves our personal timetable up quite a bit, but we just couldn’t say goodbye to each other.”
“Well now, don’t keep us waiting,” Charlie began slowly, and Ford could imagine the gears shifting in his head as they changed course. They liked to be in charge, but they were also highly adaptable. “Who is she?”
Besides his savior? “Her name is Lily Ashton, and we’ve been dating for the last several months.”
“She’s the one who always shows up to events with you, right?” Robert asked.
“That’s the one. She’s a model, and she’s a college graduate, no kids, no criminal history that I know of, always perfectly at ease in front of the camera, of course. I think she’ll be a great asset to the campaign as well. Basically, she’s the perfect woman.”
Robert pushed off his elbow, sitting up straighter as he processed the news. “People have seen you two together, so it might not come as huge surprise. This could work. Might even be easier to pull off than bringing in a stranger and asking people to buy it. If nothing else, it’ll save time.”
“Well,” Charlie said, crossing off a line from his agenda with a quick stroke of his pen. “I guess that’s settled, then. If your bride to be is amenable to having the engagement public, then I don’t think we have anything more to discuss. I’ll get the press release drafted, and we’ll have it ready after the big moment. Does Joelle have your itinerary? She can arrange for a photographer and make sure there’s some press.”
“She doesn’t, but I’ll make sure she does when we finalize our plans. I haven’t decided exactly where we’ll do it, but we are set for tonight.” He’d solved a major issue facing his campaign, but he was the only one excited about the progress. Going for it and asking Lily to team up was a smart move. His team saw procurement of a fiancée as a line item on the weekly agenda, and he would’ve been the only one suffering had they chosen a stranger from the list of candidates. This way he at least got to pair up with a woman he liked.
The rest of the meeting flew by in a barrage of information, meeting notes, appearance requests, and poll results. Ford’s re-election was riding on the information they threw at him, but his mind was on Lily. With the time he’d freed up by eliminating the fiancée candidate interviews, he could shop for her engagement ring and make arrangements for the official proposal. He’d presented it as an agreement, a political move, but there was no reason he couldn’t surprise her, try to make her happy in the process. She may not realize it yet, but she was doing him a huge favor, and he wouldn’t forget that. She deserved something nice, something that fit what he hoped would be their growing relationship. During election season, everything was focused on him, his platform, his stats, his chances. It was fun to think of someone else for a change. And if that someone else was 5’10’’ with endless legs and the face of an angel, then so much the better.
• • •
Lily sat on her bed, feet tucked under a fuzzy pink blanket and stared at her phone. She could put it off all she wanted, but eventually she was going to have to call her parents and tell them about her upcoming engagement. Saying yes to Ford’s proposal was easy enough, but her parents were probably going to be a bit more difficult to handle. Risking them finding out after the fact was unacceptable, so she dialed their number, hoping to catch them at home together. She held her breath as the phone rang, not sure if she wanted them to answer or not.
“Hi, honey.” Her dad picked up after a couple of rings.
“Hi, Dad. Is Mom home?” She leaned back against her pillows, twisting the end of her ponytail around her fingers.
“Sure, is everything okay?” The concern in her father’s voice made her wish she didn’t have to break the news.
“Yes, everything’s fine. I just need to talk to both of you.”
The wait for her mother to pick up the phone was interminable. For everything that she’d been through, Lily felt foolish for being afraid to talk to her own parents, but there was almost no way they’d be pleased with what she was about to tell them.
“Hi, Lil.” Her mother’s soft voice came on the line, and Lily took a deep breath.
“I wanted to talk to you guys together because I have some exciting news.” She pressed her lips together, willing her voice to stop shaking. She was an adult making her own decision, and there was nothing to fear. Trying to inject as much confidence and enthusiasm as she could into her voice, she continued. “I’m getting married.”
Silence filled the line, making it impossible for Lily to gauge her parents’ reaction. Finally, her mother spoke. “To whom?”
They hadn’t met Ford, but they knew about him. “To Ford, of course. I haven’t been seeing anyone else.”
“So, you’re engaged to a congressman?” Her father finally found his voice.
“Yes, Dad. That’s the one.”
“Oh, honey, that’s great.” The disappointment in his voice cut through his words.
“We’ll have a long engagement, so you’ll get a chance to get to know him. I just wanted to let you know because we’re going public with the engagement soon, and, of course, I wanted you to hear it from me.” They weren’t thrilled, but maybe the call would be easier than she’d anticipated.
After a pause, her father spoke again. “Is it that you’re worried you won’t find anyone else?”
“What? No! Why would you say that?”
“Sweetheart, it just seems to me that a Republican congressman is the last person you would choose to be your husband. Aren’t you worried about Soldier On?”
“Of course I am, but Ford has nothing to do with that.”
“Sweetheart, any husband can help or hurt your efforts, but I’m more worried when that husband is a conservative politician. I’m sure he won’t try to make things harder for us, but I can’t see him being much help towards reaching your goals. That’s all I’m saying.”
“It feels like you’re saying that he’s not who you would choose. You don’t know anything about him.” Lily surprised herself with the protectiveness she felt toward Ford and their relationship.
Her dad sighed. “I’m sorry I brought it up. I guess I just worry about you so much. It’s true that if I had my choice, it would be someone who is a little more used to caring about social issues and other people.”
“Ted, we don’t know that he doesn’t care about people. That’s a pretty big assumption to make.” Her mother finally spoke.
“I know Republicans, Jules. And they don’t exactly mix well with the kind of progressive social change we work toward. Honey, I hope he proves me wrong. I really do.”
Ford had been nothing but supportive of her work with Soldier On, had even offered to help her get the word out. The only way she’d know if he was sincere would be to give it time, though. He’d have to come through with the interview or show her in other ways that he was interested in their success. She knew going into the engagement that they would have detractors, so facing her parents was likely the first of many times she’d have to defend their relationship.
“Obviously, I hope you’ll support us, but if you don’t feel that you can, that’s your choice.”
“Sweetheart, we do support you. We love you, and we’d love to meet Ford. Bring him by the house, okay?” Her mother jumped in, likely worried that her dad’s judgment would cause a rift.
They had been summarily opposed to her first engagement, and it was ages before their relationship was repaired. She’d married Nathan despite their protests, and when he died, it was harder for them to c
ome together in grief. They had argued that not only was she too young to get married, but that army life was tough, that her marriage would be more stressful for the deployments. They worried that his job was too dangerous, that he’d be sent into combat. They had no idea how right they were, and it lingered between them, an unspoken awkward reminder, when they came together as a family after his death.
“Sure. I know he’d like to meet you, too.”
She ended the call with her parents, sorry that tension was rising up again just when she and her father were getting along so well. Working together on Soldier On had brought them closer, had allowed them to get to know one another in a new light. She hated to threaten the easy rapport they’d developed, but she couldn’t keep her engagement a secret. She’d agreed, and the only thing left was to make it official.
• • •
What did one wear to a real proposal from a not-quite boyfriend for a political engagement that might not last past November? Lily stood in front of her closet that evening, scanning the selection and wishing she’d had more notice so she could shop for the perfect outfit. Though to be fair, she had more clothes than one person could ever wear, and nothing could quell her nerves as she waited for Ford. Except for maybe Ford himself. Once he arrived, and she could look into his eyes, she’d breathe again, confident she’d made the right decision and ready to move forward. She slipped on a simple red sheath that ended right above the knees, the color a nod to his political affiliation, and pushed her feet into the black Louboutin stilettos she’d worn to Carly’s wedding. Swiveling in front of her mirror, she admired the sassy bows on the backs of the shoes and remembered how Ford’s eyes had been drawn to her bare legs more than once the other night. Satisfied with her appearance, she tucked essentials into her clutch and went to the living room to wait.
As punctual as he was handsome, Ford arrived at her apartment at six o’clock sharp. At the sound of his knock, her heart raced, pounding in her chest. With a shaking hand, she grabbed her clutch and somehow managed to propel herself across the apartment to let him in. He stood in the doorway, almost shockingly handsome in a charcoal tailored suit and looking as nervous as she felt.
“Hi.” She whispered the word, knowing she sounded ridiculous but unable to pull herself together.
“Hi.” The tension broke with his smile, and she breathed him in. That sophisticated bergamot scent that both enticed and relaxed her, the perfectly Ford combination of elements. “It looks like you’re ready to go.”
“Yep. I was nervous when I was waiting for you. This is a big deal, you know, but I’m ready now.” Nervous didn’t begin to describe it, but every second she stood beside him, the anxiety subsided.
His eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. “I’m glad you didn’t change your mind.”
“Of course not. I wouldn’t want you to have to resort to the file folder women.” She shuddered dramatically and was rewarded with Ford’s rich laughter. Making the joke lightened the situation, reminded her that this was going to be fun.
“You saved me from a hideous fate,” he said with a grin. “Shall we?” He stepped toward the door, clearly looking forward to the evening.
Lily had worried that he might want to know more about her first marriage now that they were getting engaged, that there would at least be questions. He knew all the basics, but she hadn’t elaborated more than absolutely necessary in their past conversations. Nathan occupied so much of her heart, but she wanted to keep as much of their life together as possible to herself. The more she talked about him, the more real his death seemed. Ford didn’t seem to have any concerns or questions, though, which was a relief. Lily didn’t like talking about Nathan with people who didn’t know him. It was too painful, so Ford’s lack of curiosity was refreshing. And why should he be bothered? They were about to embark on an engagement brought on by necessity, not a real commitment blossoming from their deep and abiding love for one another. There was no reason for him to complicate matters with a lot of unnecessary discussion about past romances or comparisons. She certainly didn’t know much about his romantic history. It was best this way, less likely that they’d get hurt. Their relationship was surface-level and their engagement was a practicality, and she should keep that in mind. Her first marriage was real, so real she sometimes didn’t recognize that it was truly over. Keeping the two separate was a lot easier than figuring out how to open her heart to someone new.
She locked up behind her and took his offered hand as they walked out of her building. Warmth traveled up her arm as he entwined his fingers with hers, sending a bloom of excitement through her. Staged engagement or not, it was going to be a fun and romantic evening. A perfect gentleman, Ford let her into the passenger seat of his car before getting in himself. As he navigated out of the parking lot, she adjusted the air conditioning vents to face her.
“By the way, I told my parents that you proposed, so they won’t be surprised when the engagement becomes public. I have good news and bad news.” She checked her makeup in the visor mirror.
He glanced at her before turning his attention back to the early evening traffic. “Give me the good news.”
“They think I’m crazy to do this, but they promise to be supportive and keep their opinions to themselves.”
“About me?”
“About everything. Me getting married again, especially to someone they’ve never met. It’s a bit much for them to take in, but they’ve promised to be supportive.” She wasn’t sure how supportive they would be, but she felt confident that they would at least give him a chance.
He turned onto the highway and shot her a quick grin. “That sounds great so far; I mean, we couldn’t really ask for more. What’s the bad news?”
“They want to meet you, and they don’t exactly vote Republican.” That was an understatement, but he’d find that out soon enough.
“That doesn’t sound so bad. Sounds completely reasonable, actually, and I’m great with parents. Don’t worry about it. I won’t hold their politics against them.” She had to laugh at his easy confidence; he had no idea who he was dealing with. It would be interesting to watch, at least.
“I’m more worried about their opinion about your politics, actually. They are firm in their beliefs, and it won’t be easy.” She shrugged. “Meeting the parents, all the nerves, it’s completely normal, but given the circumstances…”
“Yet another reason it’s good that we are the only two who know that there are, in fact, circumstances. Can you imagine trying to explain to your parents that I needed a fiancée and you agreed to take the job?”
The laugh that escaped was so abrupt it was almost a snort. “Ha! I can’t even tell you how crazy that would be.” Their disdain of politicians, especially conservatives, combined with this scheme? Their heads might explode. “It would confirm everything they think they know about politicians.”
“Will your father be insulted that I didn’t ask his permission?”
Not likely, since the last time she got engaged, she’d ignored their pleas to reconsider and plowed ahead with her plans. They thought she was too young for marriage, that starting her married life off with her husband leaving on a long deployment was foolish, that she should wait until he returned home. She hadn’t listened, and they didn’t attend the City Hall nuptials, creating a huge rift between them that only widened as she adjusted to her life as a newlywed with a husband at war. After their conversation that morning, if they ever tried to stop her from getting married again, Lily would be surprised.
“No, he and my mom are very comfortable with my independence. They just want to get to know you, which I now realize will be strange if they start to think of you as part of the family and we don’t end up getting married after the election. I didn’t think of it until just now, but people will expect us to set a date and start planning the wedding. I haven’t thought further than the engagement! I don’t know how long I can put my mom and Carly off before I have to start looking at ven
ues and wedding dresses.” She gripped the door handle, thinking for the first time that this fake engagement might backfire on her. The idea that she could walk away if she wanted when November rolled around was her security blanket and had apparently blinded her to the details. Was she going to find herself trapped in a fake marriage? “Crap. What am I going to do?”
Ford put his hand on her thigh and rubbed gently, the warmth and weight of it melting her stress again. Had he always had this calming influence on her? Maybe that’s why she gravitated toward him. “Let’s take it one step at a time. We can tell people that we want a long engagement and we’re going to put off even thinking about wedding planning until after the election. I’m sure it will make perfect sense to everyone. Then the holidays will be a distraction, and before you know it, six months will have gone by and then we can worry about it again. If you’re still willing.”
She relaxed against the buttery soft leather of the seat and let the relief sink in. “You’re absolutely right. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”
“It’s good that you brought it up. Better to anticipate any possible complications than to be surprised and blow our cover. Tonight, try to relax and have fun. My assistant arranged for a photographer to catch the moment I propose, so don’t let that surprise you. Tomorrow morning, my team will send out a press release, and then the real work will begin.”
Texas Temptation Page 102