Lisa Wells - Dib

by Lisa Wells

  “No. But, I’m sure I will when this headache goes away.”

  “I certainly hope so,” he snapped. Now, what was he supposed to do?

  She glared in response. “You don’t sound like a man in love.”

  “I totally agree,” his grandmother said. “What’s going on here?”

  Covey sighed. “Grandmother, nothing’s going on. I love Lacey. I’m just thrown that she doesn’t remember our wedding.”

  “Covey is that true? Do you love me?” Lacey asked quietly.

  “Yes.”

  “That settles it. Lacey, I’ll move in with you and Covey until you get to feeling better. He is gone so much; you’ll need someone around to help you. I’m not leaving your health to a servant. I’ve waited a long time to meet you.”

  “You have?”

  “Yes, I’ve been seeing you in my visions for years. I just told Covey about it last week, because rumor got out he was going to do something totally asinine like get married just to make me happy.”

  Covey blustered. Who’d told her that?

  “Thank God, his brothers spilled the beans on him. Damn fool man. Anyway, it’s all worked out nicely. He’s met you and you two have fallen in love at first sight.”

  Did they tell her before or after the ToSay Show? “Dammit, Grandmother. Lacey will live with me without your help. I’ll be there to keep a close eye on her recovery,” he sputtered, bristling with indignation that these two women were managing to turn his world upside down.

  “Covey James,” Lacey exploded, “that’s no way to speak to your grandmother. Shame on you.” A shadow of anger swept across her face as she spoke.

  He blinked in surprise.

  “What?” She pulled the covers up over her hospital gown obviously finding no humor in the situation.

  His grandmother broke in soothingly. “Lacey, dear, it’s okay. I trust Covey. If he’ll stay home and pamper you, I won’t interfere. He probably thinks I’d have a heart attack if I heard the two of you having sex.”

  Covey came to stand beside Lacey. “I don’t think you’re feeling okay.” He sure as hell didn’t feel well. He felt like he was drowning in a lake of mystery.

  “I’m not?” she asked.

  “No. You’re not.” Covey paced the room, scared to death he was going to say the wrong thing.

  “Okay. If you say so. I feel fine, though. My head just barely hurts.”

  “That’s because you are doped up on medication.” He stopped at the windows and looked out at the lights. It had to be the medication that was doing this to her.

  Covey turned to his grandmother. “I think you should leave and let Lacey get some rest. I’ll spend the night with her.” He reached out and hugged his grandmother. “Thank you for coming.”

  “Of course, I came. You knew I would the minute I found out she was hurt. Now, don’t you hurt this precious child, or I’ll come back and haunt you when I’m dead,” his grandmother warned him with a straight face.

  Covey tried to look innocent. His grandmother’s eyes told him clearly she wasn’t buying it. She looked past him at Lacey.

  “Lacey, take care of yourself. I love you already.”

  Covey walked his grandmother to the door. “It’ll be fine. Stop worrying so.”

  “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but that child is in love with you. I would like to speak with you for a moment in private,” she said.

  Covey stepped outside the door and closed it.

  “Covey there’s a chance I don’t have cancer,” she said without warning.

  Covey reeled from the shock of her words. He reached out and hugged her tight. “Thank God.”

  His grandmother pulled out of his arms and fiddled with the cuff of her blouse. “Now, don’t get your hopes up, because I probably do. But, there’s a chance I don’t,” she warned. “I just thought you should know.”

  “What do you mean? What’s this all about?” Covey asked.

  “Well, now, don’t get mad. But, I was diagnosed by a friend of mine.”

  “A doctor friend?”

  “No. A psychic friend.”

  Covey pounded his hand into the wall. “Dammit Grandmother, you’ve put us all through this by the word of a psychic?”

  “Well, dear. I trust him. He’s legit.”

  “Have you gone to a real doctor yet?”

  “Yes, I’ll know on Monday. I just don’t want you to do something you’ll regret with Lacey. I want you to be with her out of love, not worry about me. It was wrong of me to make my last wish known.”

  ****

  When Covey came back in the room, his shoulders didn’t know rather to droop or grow. His grandmother had a chance. He could set Lacey free and see if she came back to him.

  It was time to settle some things with Lacey. He spoke before he could talk himself out of what had to be done. “This isn’t funny. What do you think you’re doing?” He didn’t need any more fantasy play. He’d had enough. He wanted good, old-fashion, real life drama.

  She returned his glare. “I agree. A head injury is a dangerous thing. I’m not doing anything to be funny.” She shook her head like a wise sage.

  “That’s not what I mean and you know it.”

  She looked at him with eyes shadowed from fatigue.

  He felt like a heel for forcing her into this discussion. Tension filled the room as he waited for her response.

  “Are you mad because I told your grandmother she could help plan the real wedding?”

  “Of course, that’s why I’m mad. What were you thinking?” He ran his hand through his hair.

  “I thought the two of you were close! Why wouldn’t you like the idea of my including her in our big day? I’ve never planned a wedding. My mom’s not even in the country to help. I can’t remember why we decided not to wait until she was back in the country?”

  “Lacey this isn’t funny. Knock it off.” She was making him crazy. No way could he tell her it was time to get an annulment. Or a pretend annulment. She didn’t even remember why they got married. If she didn’t remember, he couldn’t tell her he loved her. That would be taking advantage of her.

  “Covey, you’re causing my head to hurt. I don’t understand why you’re so mad.”

  Because I love you and I can’t tell you. Because you don’t even remember I told you I didn’t love you.

  He felt as confused as she was acting. He needed to say something to snap her out of it. “Lacey, you’re just like all the other women. The minute you found out I was CJ the third, you decided to trap me into marriage didn’t you?” The words felt like acid coming out of his mouth. Of course, Lacey wasn’t trying to trap him. She was confused. “Lacey our marriage is a farce. It’s in name only.” He’d promised her nostrings-attached. She had to remember, before he could try to change her mind.

  Lacey gasped.

  When he reached for her, she slapped his hand away. Who could blame her?

  She grabbed for a tissue and blew her nose loudly.

  “Why are you crying? Dammit. Stop that.” He took another tissue and wiped awkwardly at the tears running down her cheeks. He was making a mess of this.

  Lacey snatched the tissue out of his hand. “You’re no better than Urinal Scum.”

  “What the fuck. I’m nothing like your ex. You’re the one behaving like Urinal Scum, trying to trap me into this marriage.” Would he be able to remove the wedge he was driving between them when the time was right? Would the time ever be right?

  Lacey flung the box of tissues at him. “Oh yeah? He asked me to marry him and then ran off with Ms. January. You, on the other hand, actually marry me and then tell me it’s all a joke.” She pulled the blanket over her head.

  Covey jerked the covers off her head. “Stop that, you’ll suffocate.” He was nothing like her ex. He was honest. He hadn’t cheated on her. He was letting her go to keep a fucking promise.

  “What do you care if I live or die?” she asked. A tiny hiccup added emphasis to her pa
thetic question as she pulled the covers up beneath her eyeballs.

  “Lacey are you telling me you don’t remember what led up to our wedding?”

  “Of course I do,” Lacey, answered moving the covers enough to breathe through her nose.

  “Good, then why the tears?”

  “You asked me to marry you,” she shouted in accusation. “You bought me a beautiful ring, you took me to the house we were going to live in. Now, you ask me why I’m sad.” She looked at the ring on her finger.

  “Lacey, that’s not it at all. You and I are all about sex. I’m your Mr. Wrong. You’re my Ms. Right, because you don’t want marriage with me. This is all a farce to give my grandmother happiness. She’s dying of cancer.”

  “Get out of here. Why are you making up this awful story?”

  “Lacey, what do I do for a living?”

  “You’re a musician and you’re important.”

  “And what do you do for a living?”

  “I plan weekends for married couples.”

  “How did we meet?”

  “You asked me out on a date to meet your family.”

  “Before that?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t remember. But, don’t you dare tell me I married a guy just so I can have sex with him. I am not a tramp.”

  “We got married with the understanding that we weren’t going to have sex.” Just three days earlier, she’d been thrilled with the idea of convincing him she was a tramp. Now, it was an insult.

  “How dare you! Are you saying I don’t turn you on?” she exploded.

  Where in the hell had she came up with that explanation? “I’m not saying that. I’m saying we’ve had sex. Great sex.” Covey sat down on the bed beside her. “Listen. You needed to get away from your ex for a while, and I wanted to make my grandmother happy.”

  “That’s the most ridiculous story I’ve ever heard.”

  “It’s not a story, it’s the truth.” It did sound a little bizarre.

  “Why don’t you just grow some balls and tell me you have cold feet instead of making up this story that portrays me as, as, I don’t even know what?”

  “Lacey Valentine, you didn’t listen to a word I said if you think that’s what I said. I told you a story of a lovely young woman who agreed to bring happiness to an old woman’s heart.”

  “That’s not how I see it. You told a story about a girl who was good and went bad because of you. A girl with no morals. You’ve corrupted me and ruined me for another marriage, according to the story you’re telling.”

  Was she right? “There’s nothing bad about exploring your sexuality before you get married. I have not ruined you.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “If we’ve really had casual sex, then you have definitely ruined me?”

  “That’s idiotic. Why on earth would you say such a thing?”

  “Because men don’t marry women who go around engaging in casual sex. Nor women who get involved in a sexless marriage. It makes me sound weird.”

  “That’s not true. We’ve had casual sex and I’d marry you if I were going to marry someone. But, I don’t believe in long-term marriage because it spells the death of sex in a man’s life,” he lied. He had to snap her out of this whole love thing.

  “Unbelievable,” she yelled.

  “It’s true. I’ve heard it all my life. I’ve yet to find a married man who has sex as often as he wants it. As a single man, I can say, I get it as often as I want it.”

  “You are an ass. I’m glad our marriage is a farce. I would never want to marry someone like you.”

  Pain tore at him. “Well good. I’m glad that’s solved.”

  “Out. Get out of this room. I don’t want to see you again,” she yelled, while pointing to the door.

  Lacey was screaming so loud a nurse came in and asked Covey to leave.

  Covey agreed to leave. Not because the nurse told him to, but because he needed to regroup and come up with a new plan. He’d made a mess of things with Lacey. He didn’t blame her for throwing him out of the room.

  Chapter 27

  Lacey wasn’t sure what was going on, but she knew one thing. It was time for her to go home. She was in love with a man who just told her their whole relationship was based on a lie.

  How could that be? Had she really made plans to live with a man as his wife with no real love between them?

  Picking up the phone, she called the one person she knew she could depend on to tell her the truth.

  “Maddison. I need your help,” her voice broke on the last word.

  “Lacey, what is it? What’s happened?”

  “I’m in Texas.” She tried to remember getting to Texas. She couldn’t remember any of the trip. Why could she remember Maddison and not what happened in the last week? “Do you know why I’m here?” she asked. She shuddered at the thought of Maddison confirming Covey’s story.

  “Yes. You and your Dibs date were going to get married to make his grandmother happy before she died.”

  Lacey swallowed the despair in her throat. “How do I feel about my Dibs date?”

  “Are you okay?” Maddison asked, suspicion in her voice.

  “Yes, just a bit confused.” Lacey’s throat ached with defeat.

  “He’s your Mr. Wrong. That’s why you’re doing it. He’s your rebound man to get over Urinal Scum. You wrote all about him in your Great Moment’s journal.”

  Lacey closed her eyes. A heaviness fell upon her shoulders as the words sunk in. The love she proclaimed to Covey just now wasn’t real. It was a figment of her imagination. She wasn’t in love with Covey. The feeling would go away when her memory returned. “Maddison, are you sure?” The feeling didn’t feel fake.

  “Lacey what’s wrong? Are you okay? Why are you asking me these things? You don’t sound okay.”

  “It’s nothing. I’m just tired. I’ll talk to you later.” She shut her cell off before Maddison could ask her any more questions. There was no need to worry Maddison about something she hoped was going to be a short-term problem.

  In the meantime, what was she supposed to do now? Covey wasn’t lying. She’d given her word to be his temporary wife. How was she going to do that while her brain was telling her she was in love? She closed her eyes feeling utterly miserable.

  Of course, it didn’t matter how she did it. That much, she knew.

  All that matter was that she keep her word. Her word, it would appear, was he would stay her Mr. Wrong - no matter what.

  When Covey came back to visit her, she was ready with a smile. “I remember. Sorry about the scare. I’m not in love with you. I was just confused with the medication and all.” The swell of pain was beyond tears as she uttered the words he was dying to hear.

  An expression she didn’t recognize replaced his smile.

  “You did? So, you’re not in love with me?” he questioned.

  Lacey forced a laugh and rigidly held her tears in check. “No. Of course not. You are so wrong for me.”

  Covey walked over to the bed. Laying his lips on her forehead, he said, “I see you really are back. I’m glad.”

  “Me too. What are we going to do about the media circus?” Lacey asked flippantly, while her heart crumbled.

  He shrugged. “We acknowledge the marriage.”

  He was seemingly unaware of the torment inside of her. “I’m kind of fuzzy on the sex part. Are we going to have sex in this marriage?”

  He didn’t answer. He leaned down and looked at her closely. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yes.”

  “Lacey, we weren’t going to have sex so we could have our marriage annulled.”

  “Annulled?”

  “Actually, I need to come clean on something. We’re not really married. I hired a fake judge.”

  Lacey closed her eyes. How many more surprises was he going to throw at her? “Why?”

  “I wanted to have sex with you.”

  “You put me through a fake marriage so you could have sex?” Sh
e turned her head away from him. “Why would you do that?”

  “I’m a selfish bastard. I’m sorry.”

  Lacey rubbed her hands over her face. “I think not having sex is best for now.” They weren’t really married. There was nothing keeping them together.

  Sex? How could she tell him she didn’t even remember what having sex with him was like? She closed her eyes to keep her secrets from him.

  He mistook her reaction as one of being tired. “You need your rest. Why don’t you sleep?”

  Lacey didn’t want to be left alone, but she didn’t want to be in the same room as him either. As soon as she was better, he was expecting something of her that was out of her reach to give him. He was expecting her to keep her heart to herself.

  He was expecting her to play the part of a loving wife with out being in love with him. Maybe someday, she really would have her memory back and this would all feel okay. Until then, it felt like shit.

  Chapter 28

  Covey spent the night sleeping in a chair beside her bed. He’d come back in as soon as she was asleep and stayed with her all night. The sight of her with a bandage wrapped around her head left him feeling raw inside.

  Perhaps he should send her back to Mistletoe, before he did something foolish like tell her he loved her.

  He could tell by the look in his grandmother’s eyes that she knew they were up to something. He should just come clean with her and get Lacey as far away from his heart as was possible. She wasn’t safe around him.

  She woke up an hour ago when a nurse came in to check her vitals. She hadn’t said a word to him.

  “How long is the silent treatment going to go on?” Covey asked.

  He was tired of his own thoughts. He wanted to listen to hers for a while.

  “Where are we going when we leave here?”

  “Back to the cabin. I like your hair down. It’s like the sunlight is sprinkling gold dust at the tips of each strand.” She stuck her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. “What movie did you get that line out of?”

  “I’m wounded. I was being sincere.”

  There were shadows in her eyes he didn’t understand. “Are you sure you’re okay?”