by Judy Angelo
But now the sad truth was, all her qualifications didn’t mean a thing if she didn’t find a way to continue conducting her experiments. She could feel that she was heading for a breakthrough. In her research on degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s Disease and multiple sclerosis she had the unusual advantage of an extensive knowledge of the diseases as well as the possible treatments that the plant world could provide. She wanted to use her training in botany and neuroscience to explore alternatives to the current treatment options, many of which came with serious side effects.
She was even considering the ways in which her research could be of benefit in areas such as mental illness. Current treatments provided some relief to victims of the most serious of mental illnesses, schizophrenia. At the same time, long-term use altered the brain in such a way that some patients ended up with tardive dyskinesia, a disorder which had them making uncontrollable involuntary movements such as facial grimacing and tongue thrusting. Of course, this proved embarrassing and typically caused them considerable distress. The way Lani saw it, if she could find an alternative for such patients, one that would eliminate this condition, then this was one of the many areas in which her painstaking research would be well worth it.
The thought had hardly settled in her mind when the door burst open and Minerva, energetic as ever, bounced in. “Hey, Lani. Hey, Chris.” She sent her shoulder bag sailing onto the low table by the entrance. “Here you go,” she said, holding out a stack of envelopes to Lani as she dropped her aluminum water bottle onto the nearby shelf. “I got the mail.”
“Thanks, Min.” Lani took the envelopes but it was with a heavy heart. The chances were good that more than half of them were bills.
“No prob.” Minerva headed toward the sink where she began to wash her hands. “I can’t stay late today,” she said as she scrubbed. “I’ve got a doctor’s appointment.”
“You okay?” Chris looked up from the dish into which he’d been peering.
“Yeah,” Minerva said, tossing her head to get the shock of jet-black hair out of her eyes. “I just need to go get a shot. At my other job, apparently you’ve got to have all your immunizations up-to-date or they’ve got a problem.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s like they think I’m going to infect them or something.”
Chris gave a snort of a laugh. “I wonder if all those tattoos and piercings have anything to do with it?”
Minerva jammed a fist on her hip. “It better not or else they’ll have a lawsuit on their hands. That’s discrimination.”
While Chris and Minerva chattered away Lani was busy opening the envelopes. So far so good. She was on envelope number three and all she’d seen were a newsletter, a credit card solicitation and a bank statement that was so depressing she barely spared it a glance. But envelope number four, that was the killer. It was from the company from which she’d leased the building and before she even opened it she knew what it would say inside.
Gritting her teeth, Lani went ahead and opened it anyway. “Pursuant to my letter dated February 15, this is to advise that your rent is now two months in arrears. If payment is not made within seven days of the date of this letter proceedings will be instigated to regain possession of the property and recover all outstanding amounts, including fees. In order to avoid this, please make arrangement to immediately make payment in full.”
Despite herself, the hand that held the letter trembled. She’d expected a reprimand, definitely a warning, but not this. Seven days to find two months’ rent plus fees? Where in heaven’s name was she going to get that kind of money?
She knew she was at fault for paying the salaries – excluding hers – before taking care of the rent but Chris was a father with two young children. How could she tell him she wasn’t going to pay him this month? And Minerva was working two jobs to put her little sister through college. How could she dash that dream?
Now, though, it seemed she would have to. She’d gone without a salary for two months just to make ends meet but even that hadn’t been enough. Without new funding the bank account had quickly run dry and even though she’d promised the leasing company she would catch up on the arrears within three months it was now obvious they weren’t going to wait any longer. And who could blame them? When she’d made the promise she’d been sure something would have come in. Now, over a dozen meetings later, nothing. Now she knew it had all been wishful thinking on her part.
“You okay, boss? You don’t look so good.” Minerva had turned toward her, a slight frown on her face.
For the second time that morning Lani found she had to explain herself to a member of her team. “I’m… fine, Minerva. Just some business I have to take care of.”
And as she said the words Lani’s mind crept back to her meeting of the day before. Before he would give her any money Ridge Kent wanted her to be his wife. But only for one year. She guessed she could manage…as long as they had a little talk first and she'd laid down the rules of this engagement. Under the circumstances she could see no other way out of her dilemma.
And so, that conclusion reached, she made up her mind. She would do it. She would marry Ridge Kent. And, with all the wolves that were snarling at her door, the sooner the better.
CHAPTER TWO
“So what do you think?”
Ridge watched Rafe’s face, trying to judge his reaction. His brother was all of six years younger than he was, only twenty-eight, but he had a good head set on his shoulders. More important than that, he was good at taking risks and winning. He had the nose for that sort of thing.
Rafe cocked an eyebrow at him. “You’re asking me for advice? What about Ransom? He’s the big brother, advice giver and everything rolled into one. Why don’t you ask him what he thinks?”
Ridge gave him a cutting glare. “Because, dear brother, I don’t want to ask Ransom. And I don’t want to ask Ryder either so don’t even go there.” Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his desk. “When you were trying to get Anya you asked me for help. Now it’s your turn to tell me what you think will work.” Then he chuckled. “You’re the one who always prided himself on knowing tons of women and how they think. So what should I do about Lani?”
“Oh, Jeez.” Rafe exhaled and put his hands on top of his head, his fingers interwoven and his elbows sticking out to the sides. “I never tried blackmailing a woman before. You got me with that one, Ridge.” He lowered his hands and then he, too, was leaning forward. “And I’m a married man now so all that talk about me knowing lots of women, just keep it on the down-low, will you? That kind of stuff’s behind me now.”
“Yeah, sure.” Ridge shrugged. “Anya won’t hear it from me. But that still doesn’t help me with my situation. Lani turned me down flat, bro. Walked out the door and never looked back. Looks like it’s time for me to draw for plan B.” He grimaced. “The only thing is, I don’t have one.”
“Hey, bud. Don’t you know you’ve got a wild card?” Rafe was looking at him like he was slow. “You’re in the oil business. Tell her that. Money talks. Don’t you know that?”
Ridge shook his head. Now it was his turn to look at his brother like he was slow. “Did you hear what I said?” he asked. “I already offered her money, enough money to cover the cost of her research and her lab for more than a year. She turned me down cold.”
“Not good enough,” Rafe said drily. “Give her an extra half-a-million on top of that and you’ll be good to go.”
Not liking the sound of that, Ridge frowned. “I don’t know,” he said slowly. "That smacks of all-out bribery.”
“So what do you call the offer you made her before?” Rafe shrugged. “Same thing but with the extra mil you’re sweetening the pot. She won’t just be covering her expenses. She’ll have some money to spend on herself.”
Ridge shook his head. “That would only make things worse. If you knew Lani you’d have figured that out.”
“And that’s the thing,” Rafe said, getting up from his chair and walking over to t
he big bay window. “I don’t know this Lani of yours. How come I never heard about her before now?”
“Because,” Ridge said slowly, “she and I have never been…romantically involved.”
Rafe’s eyes narrowed and he turned to face Ridge. “Then why the hell do you want to get married to her?”
Ridge grimaced. He drew in a deep breath then let it out. “It’s hard to explain.”
Rafe gave him an impatient look. “Try me.”
For a moment Ridge didn’t reply but then he decided to spill it. "Her name’s Lani Donatelli. She’s a big-time research scientist who runs a lab. Allied Labs, it’s called.”
Rafe looked intrigued. “Since when did you run in those circles? A research scientist?”
Peeved by his brother’s disdainful tone, Ridge made sure to set him straight. “We both happen to be members of the Houston North Academy school board. I fund some of their extra-curricular programs and she’s their advisor for the science programs. I’ve known her for almost a year.”
“And you’ve been lusting after her ever since, I bet.” Rafe was grinning now.
“Why doesn’t your crudity surprise me?” Ridge shook his head. “Anyway, the important thing is, I kind of like her.”
“Kind of?”
“Okay, I’m attracted to her. A lot. It’s just that she’s never given me the time of day.” He sighed. “And it doesn’t help that we haven’t seen eye-to-eye on a few issues being dealt with by the school board.”
“So you’ve been pissing her off, huh?”
“You could say that.”
Rafe chuckled. “No wonder you’ve had to resort to blackmail.”
Ridge gave him an exasperated look. “Yeah, well not all of us were blessed with your gift of gab.”
“The ladies call it charm,” Rafe said, looking way too pleased with himself.
Ridge didn’t bother answering that one. Instead, he went right to the heart of the problem. “So what’s your suggestion, Mr. Expert? I called you here for advice. Now give it.”
Rafe was smiling as he walked over and dropped back down onto the chair. “You know what, big brother? It feels good to have you coming to me for advice for a change. After all those years of you trying to bully me and boss me around I’m in the driver’s seat now.”
“Trying?” Ridge scoffed. “I bossed you around because you were the runt of the family and you still are. Don’t you forget it.” The kid had grown pretty tall, topping out at six foot three, but he was still no match for Ridge who bested him by an inch, not to mention forty more pounds.
“Yeah, but a runt who’s got the key to solving your problem,” Rafe said, looking like he didn’t give a damn what Ridge had just said. “Right now you’re desperate so I’m the one in charge.”
“Is that right?” Ridge regarded him with a cool stare.
“That’s right,” Rafe said, “so listen up.” He straightened up then sat forward in his chair. “Now here’s what we’ll do-”
A call came over the speaker phone, cutting him off. “You have a visitor, Mr. Kent.” His assistant’s voice came in, clear and crisp. “Miss Lani Donatelli.”
Surprised, Ridge glanced over at Rafe just as his brother raised his eyebrows. “Bring her in,” he told Miss Poole.
“I think that’s my cue to exit,” Rafe said and got up out of his chair.
“Wait.” Ridge got up, too. “What’s the idea you had for plan B?”
Rafe shrugged. “That’s irrelevant now. The lady’s already here. Improvise.”
And with that he turned on his heel and walked to the door just as it opened and Lani stepped in.
“Good day, Miss Donatelli,” Rafe said with a smile and a polite nod, making her eyes widen in surprise. Then, before she could respond, he went through the door and closed it firmly behind him.
Still standing by the door, Lani gave Ridge a look of puzzlement.
“My brother,” Ridge said then waved her over to a chair. “He heard your name when Miss Poole announced you.”
“Oh.” Lani relaxed visibly. “For a moment there I thought you’d been discussing me or something.”
Ridge cocked an eyebrow. “Now why would you think that?”
“I don’t know. I just…” She shook her head. “Anyway, that’s not important. What’s important is why I came to see you.”
Ridge watched as she settled in her chair then, his thoughts racing, he walked back to his desk but he did not retake his seat. Instead, he perched his rear on the edge of the desk and as he stared at her he folded his arms. “And why did you come to see me, Miss Donatelli?”
For just a fraction of a second tough little Lani looked hesitant, like she was afraid to say whatever it was she’d come to tell him. But then he saw her set her lips in a tight line and when she looked back at him her dark eyes flashed and she did not drop her gaze.
“I came to see you, Mr. Kent, to tell you that I will marry you.” Her brows furrowed and she raised her hand to point an imperious finger at him. "But only for one year and not a day more. Do you understand?”
Ridge stared back at her, his look deliberately serious, but inside he was laughing. The way Lani was talking anybody would think she was the one in control of this situation. She was like a little terrier trying to assert its authority over a Mastiff.
After staring her down for a few seconds longer Ridge gave her a slow smile. “I’m glad you came around, Lani. Now go get yourself in order. We’re getting married next weekend.”
CHAPTER THREE
“I’m still amazed. How did you pull this off so fast?” Marie Donatelli straightened Lani’s veil one more time. “A full-scale wedding in two weeks? How is that even possible?”
“I keep telling you, Mom, I had nothing to do with it. It was Ridge’s team that pulled it all together.” She wrinkled her nose. “I guess all things are possible as long as you have the money.”
Marie smiled. “Well, it certainly helps.”
“Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?” Lani’s words came out more as a grumble than a compliment. It was so unfair. The money had come so easy for this event – and Lani knew Ridge was spending thousands – but when it came to finding money for research that could make a huge difference in people’s lives, she couldn’t get any. Unless, of course, she married a man who was an expert at working her last nerve. How she would survive a year with him, she had no idea.
Marie stepped back, her brown eyes glistening as she gazed at her daughter. “You look so beautiful,” she murmured, her voice cracking. “The perfect bride.”
Lani frowned. “Mom, are you crying? Don’t tell me you’re getting emotional over this. I told you, it’s just an arrangement. We’ll be going our separate ways in a year.” Then she gave Marie a cheeky grin. “Or less, if I’m lucky.”
“I know your situation is a bit…unorthodox…but it’s a wedding. My daughter’s wedding. I can’t help it if I get choked up.”
“Just try and hold it in,” Lani said drily. “Please.”
Marie sighed. “I’ll try, honey, but I’m not promising anything. You know me.”
Lani shook her head but she didn’t answer. Yes, she knew her mother well, like how she would tear up at the drop of a hat. Her mom cried over commercials, for goodness sake.
“But do you know what?” Marie continued. “Maybe it’s a good thing this is happening. You were always so focused on your studies and then on your work, you haven’t paid much attention to your social life.”
Lani gave Marie a crooked smile. “You seem to know a lot about my social life.”
“I do,” Marie said with absolutely no hesitation. “You’re twenty-nine, Lani. It’s time you started thinking about your future.”
“I am thinking about my future. That’s why I work so hard.”
Marie gave an exasperated sigh. “Let me put this another way. It’s time you started thinking about my future which, I hope, will include grandbabies.”
Lani laughed. “Mom, you're aski
ng for grandkids already? You’re only fifty-five. You’re not like Dad, who’s already retired. You’re a busy woman. Where would you have time for grandchildren?”
“Don’t you worry about that. All I want is for you to start thinking about family. You’re not getting any younger. Remember that.”
Lani didn’t bother answering. It was no use reminding her mother that this wasn’t a real marriage, only a temporary arrangement that would be over in a year. When she’d first told her about it, instead of expressing shock that her daughter would even consider such an arrangement she’d looked relieved, like she was glad there was finally hope for Lani. At the news, her father had simply shrugged and said, “You do what you have to do.” She had such weird parents.
The only sane one had been her sister. Three years older than Lani, she’d always acted like she was a surrogate mom, dispensing advice like it was her purpose in life. Of course, she’d had lots to say about the ‘arrangement’. She hadn’t liked the idea, not one bit, and she’d told Lani so. But Lani had made up her mind and she wasn’t about to change because Paula said so. It wasn’t like she ever followed her sister’s advice anyway.
And just as the thought crossed her mind the door swung open and Paula stuck her head inside. “Come on, Lani. We’re ready for you. Dad’s already at the front, waiting to give you away.”
Those words made Lani’s heart flip over but she straightened her back and drew in a steadying breath. Then, as her sister held the door wide open, she walked out.
“Well, here goes nothing,” she muttered under her breath.
***
“You pulled this one out of a hat,” Ransom said, peering into the mirror as he straightened his bow tie. “Where’ve you been hiding the little lady?”
“Oh, around,” Ridge said casually as he relaxed on the sofa and watched as his older brother finished his titivation then turned toward him. “We’ve known each other about a year.” He wasn’t prepared to say much more than that. He’d already spilled his guts to Rafe. He wasn’t about to give his other brothers reason to start bugging him. Rafe was a risk-taker so he was cool but Ransom and Ryder? Too uptight for anybody’s good.