The Rags-To-Riches Wife

by Metsy Hingle

  The living room led to a bright sunroom with flagstone floors, lattice work, ten-foot ceilings and southern, eastern and western exposures. There were French doors leading to a stone patio off the sunroom. Reversing direction, Lily headed back toward the foyer. This time she stopped at the base of the staircase and glanced up to where she suspected the bedrooms were located. Thoughts of the bedrooms and her and Jack’s sleeping arrangements set off a nervous fluttering in her stomach.

  She hadn’t allowed herself to think much beyond the wedding, let alone to the wedding night. She and Jack hadn’t discussed what their sleeping arrangements would be. On the one hand, she knew it was silly for them not to share a bed. They were married and it wasn’t as though they were two strangers who had never shared a bed. They had. They were expecting a baby together—a baby that had been created the old-fashioned way. But when she’d gone to his room that night, she hadn’t realized who he was, that he was Jack Cartwright, a member of Eastwick’s elite and the newly appointed board member of Eastwick Cares. No, he had just been the handsome stranger who had eased the ache in her heart. That night, in his arms, it hadn’t mattered that she’d failed once again in her quest to discover who she was and why she had been left at the church. What had mattered was that he had wanted her and she had wanted him. And, for that one night, she hadn’t felt so alone.

  But she had no mask to hide behind now. There was no more pretending she was someone else. She was still Lily. Only now she was pregnant and married to Jack Cartwright, a man who didn’t love her, a man who had married her out of his sense of responsibility because she carried his child. She looked at the rings on her finger, remembered the night Jack had given her his grandmother’s engagement ring and kissed her. She touched her lips, recalling the rush of heat and emotion she’d experienced that night. She’d felt that same rush of feeling when he’d recited his vows and slid the wedding band on her finger. His voice had sounded so strong and true, she could almost believe that he’d meant those words.

  And if you do, Lily Miller, you’re setting yourself up for a fall.

  It was true, she reasoned. If she had learned nothing else in those years she’d been a ward of the state and in the foster-care system, she had learned not to wear rose-colored glasses. Too many times she had gotten her hopes up, thinking that she would be adopted, only to find herself passed over when the couple she’d pinned her hopes on became pregnant or an infant became available for adoption. Lily Miller would do in a pinch—but only until the real thing came along. Jack might desire her, he might even have married her for the baby’s sake. But he didn’t love her. The surefire path to heartache would be to allow herself to think otherwise.

  “There you are.”

  She turned at the sound of Jack’s voice and darned if her heart didn’t kick an extra beat as she watched him walk toward her. He’d lost his jacket, shed his tie and opened the buttons of his shirt at the collar. His dark hair looked a tad less perfect, as though he had shoved his fingers through it. A trace of five o’clock shadow darkened his jawline and made him even sexier than she’d remembered. He looked so tall and strong and sure of himself, she thought. Unlike her, he didn’t seem to be suffering any second thoughts or concerns about the fact that they were now husband and wife.

  “I’m sorry I left you alone so long. My mother and father arranged for us to have the honeymoon suite at the Embassy Hotel for the rest of the weekend as a surprise. Apparently the limo driver was supposed to take us there and I screwed things up by dismissing the driver and taking my own car. But I told them we’d take a rain check. I hope that’s okay. I thought you might prefer spending some time here, getting used to your new home.”

  “That’s fine and yes, I would. Thank you,” she said.

  “Have you had a chance to look around yet?”

  “Just the living room and the sunroom.”

  “Do you want me to give you the rest of the tour?”

  “I’d like that,” she said.

  The rest of the house consisted of a formal dining room with a fireplace, paneled walls, mirrored china closets and corner cabinets. The family dining annex had French doors that offered a natural flow out to two great covered porches with ceiling fans. One of the porches had mahogany screens and a fireplace perfect for curling up next to with a book. The country kitchen was custom-made with marble counters, tile floors, glass-fronted cabinets, a teak island for chopping and a six-burner commercial stove. The large bay window looked perfect for a family breakfast table and she could easily see herself, Jack and their baby sitting there.

  “The library is this way,” Jack said.

  The library was cozy. Paneled with old barn siding, it had another great fireplace and coffered ceiling. There was an adjacent bar room with a fridge and ice-maker and a second powder room.

  “And this is what I guess you’d call a family room,” Jack said as he led her into another large room with a stone fireplace and a coffered ceiling.

  Lily moved about the room, took in the details. Built-in bookcases and cabinets completely encircled the room and the cabinets and ceilings were beautifully striated. Oversize chairs, two couches with undertones of forest-green and taupes. It was definitely a man’s home. And there lying across the arm of one of the big overstuffed couches was the afghan from her apartment. She walked over to the couch, picked it up and held it to her breast. When she brought her gaze to Jack’s again, her voice came out in a hoarse whisper as she asked, “How did this get here?”

  “I brought it,” he confessed. “While you were getting ready this morning, I went over to your apartment and convinced your building manager to let me inside so I could pick up a few of your things.”

  “But why?”

  “You said you didn’t have time this week to see the house or move any of your stuff. I know the rushed wedding, coming here, it’s all been hard for you. I thought if you had a few of your things here, it might make you feel more comfortable.”

  “That was very thoughtful of you. Thank you.” His kindness and sensitivity moved her. She was coming to realize that kind, sensitive gestures were not uncommon for Jack. She’d known he was a kind and giving man from his work on the board. He hadn’t simply opened his checkbook to help sustain the work they did at Eastwick Cares, he had also given of his time and himself. She’d also seen the way he interacted with his family. Even with his somewhat overbearing aunt Olivia he had shown nothing but patience and caring. She might not have planned this baby, but the better she got to know Jack the more convinced she was that he was going to be a wonderful father to their child. The truth was he would be the perfect husband for her in every way—if only he had married her out of love instead of duty.

  “I’ll arrange to pick up the rest of your things and your furniture next week and move it in here.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think my furniture will blend very well with your things,” she told him, which was the truth. Her furniture was like her—plain, inexpensive, only reproductions of fine antiques. Whereas Jack’s furniture was like him—elegant, pricy and genuine antiques passed down through generations.

  “We’ll make it work,” he assured her. “I meant what I said, Lily. I want you to feel comfortable here. This is your home now, too. So if there’s anything you don’t like about the house, feel free to change it. Or if you decide you don’t like the house itself, that you’d rather a live in different architectural style, just say the word and we’ll look for another place.”

  “No. I love the house, Jack. Really. It’s warm and welcoming.” She looked at him. “It’s beautiful just the way it is. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  “All right. But if you change your mind, just say so. I swear it won’t bother me a bit. The important thing to me is that you and the baby are happy here. The vows I took today, I meant them, Lily. I want this marriage to work. I want us to build a life together.”

  “So do I,” she admitted and there was something about the way he looked at her that
made her heart beat just a tad faster.

  “I know we haven’t discussed it much, but I want this to be a real marriage. I want to be a real husband to you and a father to our baby.”

  “I understand.” She did understand, Lily told herself. Jack was a sexy, virile man. He was also an honest one. He wasn’t the type of man who would cheat on his wife even if he didn’t love that wife.

  “I’m glad.” He cupped her cheek. “Did you want to rest a while? Or would you like me to show you the upstairs?”

  The upstairs was just as impressive as the main floor. There were four bedrooms with baths as well as a sitting room with a fireplace. A huge office with ceiling beams and bamboo trim led to an outdoor terrace. Glass-fronted linen closets and a handy laundry chute lined one section of the hallway. There was another suite with a bath and a private wing that she could have fitted her entire apartment into.

  “This leads to the attic,” Jack explained, indicating a set of stairs. “We can save viewing it for another time. I’m a little worried about you climbing the narrow steps. But it has two bedrooms, a full bath, a sitting area and a playroom.”

  “A playroom?”

  He grinned. “I’m told the original owners had five children.”

  Lily swallowed. “Five?”

  “Sounds like a lot in this day and age, doesn’t it? I imagine it wouldn’t be easy to have a family that size. There were just three of us and mealtimes alone were crazy. But as nuts as my family makes me at times, I wouldn’t trade any of them. And there’s a part of me that thinks it might be nice to have a house filled with kids.”

  It sounded nice to her, too, Lily admitted silently.

  “The master bedroom is down this way,” he said and Lily followed him down the hall. He opened the door and motioned for her to enter.

  The master bedroom was actually a suite and every bit as lovely as the rest of the house. A stone fireplace took up one wall. A huge mahogany bed took up another. There was a couch and there were more overstuffed chairs. Everything had been done in varying shades of brown, ranging from ivory to mocha. The adjoining bath had his-and-hers sinks, a steam shower and a tub big enough to swim in. There was even some high-tech television built into the mirrored bath wall. Again, it was a room designed for a man.

  “This door over here connects to the room next door. I thought you might want to use that room as a nursery. It’s close, so we’d be able to hear the baby cry or to handle late-night feedings.”

  Lily didn’t miss thewe and knew that he expected them to share the room and the big bed. And the truth was, she reminded herself, there was no reason they shouldn’t. Yet despite the wedding ring on her finger and the baby growing inside, she couldn’t help feeling cheated.

  “The dressing rooms and closets are over here. My things are in here,” he said and led her into a huge walk-in dressing area and closet. He flipped the light switch and revealed a closet lined with dozens and dozens of suits, shirts, ties and shoes—all neatly arranged on racks and shelves. “I thought you could use this one, but we can swap if you’d like,” he offered and opened the door to another dressing room.

  She walked over to the vanity table and stared down at her own brush, mirror and the cut-glass perfume bottles that she collected. She picked up the mirror, ran her finger tips along the silver edges. Then she put it down and walked over to the closet. The thing was the size of a small bedroom and there, hanging neatly on the racks and folded on the shelves were the clothes she had packed in the suitcase that morning. She turned and looked at him.

  “I had them brought here today while you were getting ready,” he explained. “I knew it was going to be a long day and I didn’t want you to have to worry about unpacking.”

  “Thank you. That’s was very thoughtful of you.”

  He nodded and they exited the dressing room. “My mother had the caterers pack up some food for us from the reception. Would you like to rest a bit while I go down and get dinner ready?”

  “That sounds good,” she said and suddenly realized how tired she was.

  “Then you go ahead and relax. I’ll let you know when it’s time to eat.” He kissed her on the forehead and started to leave, only to stop when he reached the end table next to the bed. “I almost forgot. There’s one other thing I brought from your apartment, but I wasn’t sure where to put him.” He pulled open one of the drawers and took out her old battered teddy bear.

  “Bentley,” she said and took the stuffed animal he held out to her. She clutched him to her. The worn brown bear had been a Christmas gift she’d received from Ellen and Mick Davidson. She had been six and they had been her foster parents for nearly a year by then. They had wanted to adopt her and had begun the paperwork necessary to make her their little girl. She’d been thrilled. At last she was going to have a family, a real mother and father. She had even begun to call them Mom and Dad. Then, in January, Ellen Davidson had discovered she was pregnant with twins. It had been a miracle. After years of trying and failing, they had given up on having a baby. And now they were having two at once. Of course with two babies of their own on the way, they could no longer afford the expense of an adoption. There was also the problem of needing a bigger house that they couldn’t afford if they had three children. As much as they loved her, the two little babies needed them more. After they had packed her things and driven her back to the orphanage, Ellen Davidson had been crying. So had she, Lily recalled.

  “Please. I promise I’ll be good and I won’t eat too much or take up too much room,” Lily sobbed and clung to the woman she had thought would become her mother.

  “You are a good girl,” Ellen told her and, taking her by the shoulders, she eased her back. Tears ran down Ellen’s cheeks. “You’re going to be fine, Lily. And Bentley here is going to keep you company. Aren’t you, Bentley? You take care of our Lily until her new parents come, okay?”

  Then she handed him to her and Lily clutched the bear to her chest. “What if no one wants me?”

  “They will, sweetheart. I promise they will. Before you know it another couple are going to come through that door, take one look at you and scoop you up to take home and be their little girl. Until then, you have Bentley.”

  Ellen Davidson had been wrong. No one had ever come. No one had ever wanted her to be their little girl.

  But she still had Bentley, she thought and felt tears prick her eyes.

  “Oh, jeez. Please don’t cry,” Jack said, stress swimming in his eyes. “I saw him on the bed in your apartment and it looked like you’d had him for a while, so I thought he was special to you. And I thought if I brought him here, it would help you feel more at home. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “You didn’t upset me,” she told him, swallowing back the tears. “Thank you,” she said and without thinking, she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him.

  For a moment, Jack went stock-still and she was keenly aware of her belly pressing against him, her breasts pressing against his chest. Then his arms slid around her and he held her close. And then something shifted. What was meant to be a hug of gratitude turned into something more.

  Lily could feel her pulse speed up. She became much too aware of the hardness of Jack’s chest crushed against her breasts, of the flatness of his abdomen against her rounded belly, of the strength of the arms holding her close.

  Feeling as though she were treading in dangerous waters, Lily eased away. She looked up at him, saw the heat and the hunger in those deep blue eyes and she saw something more. For no more than a nanosecond, she could have sworn she saw loneliness. And because she’d known what it was to be lonely and alone, she rose up onto her toes and she kissed him.

  Seven

  In the time since Jack had found Lily again and strongarmed her into marrying him, they had shared all of three kisses. And all three of those kisses had been initiated by him. Not this one, though. This one Lily had initiated all on her own and somehow it all had to do with that rag-tag teddy bear she’d
called Bentley.

  Bentley, old pal. All I can say is thank you.

  Then Lily parted her lips and Jack forgot all about Bentley. He forgot all about the craziness of the past two weeks. He forgot about everything except Lily and how sweet she tasted—liked the almond filling in the wedding cake, like the apple juice in her champagne glass, like innocence and seduction all rolled into one. And he hadn’t realized until that moment how very, very much he had been in need of her kiss. He deepened the kiss.

  “Jack,” she gasped his name and tipped her head back, giving him access to her throat.