Hurrying to her side, he kneeled before her and took the clothes from her. He set them aside and tenderly took hold of her hands. “I wasn’t kidding, Maggie. I want to help.”
“Really? And what will your father have to say about that?”
He shook his head and fought back unease about the lie he’d told his father and, in a way, the lie he was telling her. “I don’t care what he’ll have to say. This is between the two of us.”
“And what will other people think, Owen? The ones who know we’re seeing each other? What will they say about you giving me money?” she shot back, angry color riding high on her cheeks.
He shrugged. “They’d say it was about time that you and I explored our attraction. As for the giving you money part, we can figure out what would be the appropriate thing to say.”
She arched a brow at that, and it occurred to him what she’d meant. With a stammer, he said, “We’re business people, Maggie. People will understand it’s just a business loan and nothing more.”
She motioned between the two of them and said, “And this? What’s happening between us? Do you really think people will be able to separate the two?”
Sadly, she was right. People could be cruel and petty. Even downright nasty, and their relationship was already causing talk. Anything more, like an exchange of money, would clearly bring out the worst in certain people.
“We’re two logical and responsible people. We should be able to think of something,” he said, wanting to find a way to help her but aware that by doing so, he’d be creating even more issues for himself. Thanks to his lie, his father was waiting for a move like this from him and expecting him to betray Maggie. If he found out otherwise, Owen would find himself tossed out of the company. He told himself he could survive that financially, but losing his identity and his place in the business…
That thought was driven away as Maggie mumbled something he didn’t quite hear, especially since it sounded a lot like, “We could get married.”
“Huh? Can you repeat that? A little louder. I think I may have gone deaf or something,” he kidded and dragged a hesitant smile from her.
“I said, ‘Maybe we should get married.’”
Well, hell, he had heard it right, and while it sounded crazy at first, it made sense in a weird but logical way.
“I could lend you the money as your wedding gift,” he said, quickly catching on to what she intended.
“And I could give you whatever collateral we agree on as your wedding gift,” she confirmed, but then quickly added, “But not the Fifth Avenue store.”
He understood all too well. She was the soul of the business, but the flagship store was part of her heart. He hoped that at some point he’d be part of her heart and soul as well.
“Not quite how I had pictured this happening, but it makes sense,” he confessed, trying not to be disappointed that the discussion of their marriage was businesslike and rational. But then again, that’s the kind of people they were, and anything else would be out of character and totally irrational.
* * *
“You pictured this happening?” Maggie asked, not really sure what he meant by the offhand comment. She was scared to believe that he meant what she hoped he did, namely that he had pictured their relationship getting to the marriage stage.
A slight dip of his head and half shrug answered her. “Well, I’d kind of thought about it. You and me. Where this was going, if it was going anywhere.”
“Which you hoped it would?” she asked, the pitch of her voice rising in encouragement.
The first hint of a smile brightened his features, and his eyes glittered with growing amusement. “Fishing, Mags?”
She looked away from him, snatched her shirt from beside her, and nervously plucked at the fabric. “I’m usually more direct, Owen, but yes, I am fishing. I know my proposal wasn’t very romantic—”
“Your proposal was decidedly unromantic,” he said and cupped her cheek. He urged her face up to meet his, so handsome and full of life. “I care for you, Maggie. I have for some time. My gut tells me this is the right thing to do. If you agree, let’s sit down and discuss what we need to do to finalize this plan.”
A business plan. Not a marriage commitment. Not a love affair, she thought, but as she locked her gaze on his, maybe what she needed—what she wanted more than anything—was there in the depths of his eyes. Maybe.
He’d said he cared for her, and that was a good start. In time, maybe it could be more. Maybe it could be what she’d always pictured for her marriage. A real marriage filled with the kind of love her parents had shared before Fate had taken her mother away.
She stuck her hand out to seal the deal, afraid to delay for fear they’d both reconsider. That common sense would rear its ugly head and logic them out of this crazy-ass arrangement.
“Agreed. Let’s sit down and work this out.”
Chapter 22
Owen offered their apologies to Mrs. Patrick, who had wanted to make them a celebratory dinner to commemorate their engagement. They cut short their Sunday to visit Maggie’s father and tell him the news. As a precaution, Maggie phoned her father on the way, so when they arrived, he quickly ushered them into his study and sat them down for the discussion.
Owen shook her father’s hand with purpose, trying not to seem as anxious as he really was. He took a seat beside Maggie on the big leather couch opposite the wing chair where her father ensconced himself. With his slightly wrinkled button-down shirt, open at the collar, and the oversize sweater he wore, he had a Mr. Rogers look about him, but the gaze he fixed on Owen was direct and determined. He might look cuddly, but there was nothing soft about him, Owen realized. His face was stern with nothing to give away what he might be thinking about the two of them and the reason they were there.
“I’m sorry I didn’t do this in the traditional way, sir,” he said as he took hold of Maggie’s ice-cold hand and twined his fingers with hers in a show of unity.
“And what way would that be, Owen?” Maggie’s father asked, his voice surprisingly neutral.
Owen risked a quick glance at Maggie’s pale face, well aware of how difficult it was for her to defy her father with this engagement, because he knew how his father had reacted when he’d first found out about their dating.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call and ask your permission for Maggie’s hand in marriage.”
Her father blew out a breath and waved an exasperated hand in his direction. “My daughter is her own woman. She doesn’t need my permission, but I think she would like my blessing on this engagement, and I have to confess, I’m worried about the suddenness of this decision.”
“But will you give us your blessing, Dad?” Maggie asked, a tremble in her voice as she squeezed his hand so tightly, he worried she might break a bone.
Her father looked between the two of them and down to their joined hands before facing them again.
“I remember how the two of you used to play together on the beach. I always wondered if it could become more, but the enmity between your father and me spilled onto you kids… I never expected you might find each other again.” He paused and inhaled deeply, reached into his sweater pocket, and withdrew a small black box, like one that might hold a ring.
“Since this is so sudden, I know you haven’t had a chance to look for a ring, and you probably wanted to pick one out together, but…” He stopped again, emotion nearly strangling his words as with a choked voice he plunged on. “It would make me very happy if you used this ring. It’s been in our family for generations, and it was Maggie’s mom’s ring.” He leaned forward and held the box out to Owen.
With a half glance at Maggie, who had tears streaming down her face, Owen took the box and opened it.
The engagement ring inside was a stunning table-cut sapphire, the blue so dark, it almost looked black. Surrounding the ring were a do
zen or so glittering diamonds.
“This is beautiful, sir. I’d be honored if Maggie wore this to commit to me.”
Turning on the couch, he slipped the ring from the box and took hold of Maggie’s hand. While they had worked out the terms of their supposed marriage bargain hours before, as he gazed at her face, he knew they couldn’t delude themselves anymore about the step they were about to take. About the commitment that went far beyond the terms of any kind of business deal.
“Maggie, will you marry me?”
With a sniffle and a tear-filled “I’d love to,” he slipped the ring on her finger.
It fit perfectly. Looked right at home on her slender finger, and as he leaned over and kissed her, nothing had ever felt more right.
* * *
Since Owen knew that the announcement with his dad would not go as well as the meeting with Maggie’s father, he opted to go it alone to reveal the engagement the following morning. Especially since he needed to tell his father that his plans to get to Maggie in order to obtain the Sinclair properties had been nothing but a great big lie. But as his father glared at him, his gray eyes cold as stone, telling him the truth became an impossibility. Somewhere inside of Owen, he still wanted his father’s approval, and his father would never approve of a marriage with Maggie based on love. Worse yet, he feared losing his position at Pierce Holdings, since he loved what he did and he’d known nothing else for far too long.
“I didn’t think you had it in you, Owen,” his father said, his gaze searching Owen’s features as if to gauge if Owen was being truthful.
“Maybe I’m more like you than you think,” he said, the words bitter on his tongue.
His father continued the stare-down, but then something slipped into his gaze. Something softer and almost like concern.
“Being more like me… Are you sure about this, Owen?” his father asked, giving Owen hope that things could change. Making him think that he could finally tell his father the truth.
“Am I sure? Are you saying that maybe it’s time to end this fight with the Sinclairs?” he pressed.
His father hesitated and fisted and unfisted his hands in obvious agitation. “I can’t ever forgive Bryce Sinclair. What he did… I can’t.”
Despite his father’s words, Owen sensed that change was possible. Maybe not today, but soon. “Nothing is forever, Father.”
“Nothing except death,” he said, possibly revealing too much, since he immediately jumped to this feet, slashed his hand sharply through the air and added, “Enough. You did just as I asked, but this prenup agreement… It seems to me that it will only make it harder to get our hands on the store locations.”
With disappointment alive in his gut and the deception weighing on his conscience, Owen said, “As I told you before, Maggie is a smart woman. She wouldn’t go into this deal without guarantees. The prenup was something I had to agree to so I could seal the deal.”
His father paced back and forth as he considered Owen’s words, then he stopped and faced him. “What if she turns the stores around? What if she repays you the monies you’re lending her?”
Which Owen hoped she would, because he believed in her and her vision for the stores. But if she didn’t… Offhandedly and without meeting his father’s gaze, he said, “There was always that possibility, Father. At least now we have first crack to buy the properties if it doesn’t work out.”
“And if the losses are more than the value of the properties? There may be other creditors wanting their piece of the locations and inventory to repay them.”
He’d known that based on the earnings report and what Maggie had told him about Gold Shore’s concerns, but he hadn’t cared, since he wanted to help her fulfill her dreams. With a shrug, he said, “At least we have an in now. It’s more than we had before.”
He felt the force of his father’s stare, but Owen kept his face averted, hoping his father wouldn’t discern the truth on his features.
“We’ll see” was all his father said, too easily. It created worry that his father had seen through his ruse.
“Will you come to the wedding?” Owen asked, even though he was fairly certain of what the answer would be.
“And see Bryce Sinclair? Have him think that everything is fine between us? Hell no.” As his father left Owen’s office, he shouted out, “But I’ll be delighted to attend the divorce proceedings.”
Chapter 23
Connie shook her head so hard, Maggie worried her friend might need a neck brace to keep it from twisting off.
“I cannot believe what I’m hearing. It’s a joke, right?”
“No joke, my friend,” she replied calmly to make it clear to Connie that she wasn’t kidding.
Connie continued wagging her head from side to side, forcing Maggie to reach out and cup her friend’s face.
“No kidding,” she repeated, even more seriously.
Her friend shied away from her touch and stared at her hard. “I’m your BFFF, and that’s why I’m saying, this is insane. You can’t treat marriage like a business deal.”
Maggie arched a brow in what she hoped was an imperious look. “Are you telling me you don’t write prenups for your clients?”
Connie finally settled down and glared at her with the kind of look that Maggie supposed her friend used for adversaries in court. “You know I do, Margaret Ann Sinclair. But I know you want more than a business arrangement between you and Owen. I know that inside, you want the whole ball of wax. The happily ever after.”
“What if I do? It doesn’t make how we’re doing this wrong,” she parried.
Connie’s stance loosened a bit. “You know he’s the one. The only one and if you start it like this, it’s almost like giving up before you even get started.”
She hadn’t been ready for Connie’s reaction. Certainly not her friend’s concern that Maggie was “giving up” as she’d put it.
“Funny, but I thought you’d be more worried about the possibility I’d have to give Owen the properties.” If she lost the properties, she wouldn’t be able to make the balloon payment on her family’s mansion, and the bank would assume ownership of the property. With the town house also leveraged, it would only be a matter of time before she lost that as well.
“I know losing all those things that were your family’s would break your heart, but you’d heal in time. Losing Owen after you fell in love with him…”
“I care for him a great deal, but we’re both still working on the love thing,” she countered, denying what she feared was deep in her heart. Fear like her friend Tracy had challenged weeks earlier.
A long, almost painful silence followed until Connie yanked a legal pad from the side of her desk and picked up her pen.
“I’ll do whatever you want, Mags. Whatever. Tracy and Emma and I will be here for you no matter what.”
“I know you will, Connie. But you don’t have to worry. Owen and I know what we’re doing.”
It was evident from the look on her friend’s face that Connie wasn’t quite as sure but wasn’t about to argue with her anymore.
“Tell me the terms again,” Connie said and started writing as Maggie repeated the details of the deal she’d made with Owen.
* * *
His brother was quiet for several long minutes after Owen told him about his engagement.
“Wow. Just wow,” spilled out of Jonathan’s mouth. But then he immediately held up his hand to silence Owen and said, “Sorry. Don’t get me wrong. I think you and Maggie will be great together.”
Owen narrowed his gaze and peered at his brother, trying to gauge his sincerity, and while he didn’t detect any guile, something wasn’t sitting well with Jonathan.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re not being one hundred percent truthful?” Owen said.
Jonathan blew out a rough breath and looked away, shaking his
head. With a sharp shrug, he said, “It’s not going to be easy for you. You’ll have to deal with Father.”
“Done. Hers too. He gave us her mother’s engagement ring as a gift,” he said.
“Wow. Okay. I have to confess I wasn’t expecting that camp to give in so easily,” Jonathan said and raked the longish strands of his hair back with his hand.
“What else?” Owen asked, not wanting anything left unsaid between them.
“There’s the stores and her friends. Not sure how they’re going to react, especially Connie.”
“Who I expect you to escort as my best man,” he said and clapped his brother on the back.
“You’re a cruel, cruel man, Owen,” he said but with a grin. “So how did they react?” he tacked on.
Owen wagged his head and shrugged. “I’m not sure. Maggie was going to talk to them today. Luckily, Emma is up from Sea Kiss for some kind of bridal show in the city.”
“And Connie lives in her office, so no problema,” Jonathan said with decided bite.
“If she really bothers you that much, I can get someone else to escort her,” he said, thinking of at least two other friends who he wanted to be groomsmen at the wedding.
Jonathan waved his hand in a not-needed gesture. “It’s okay, Big Bro. Besides, I wouldn’t want to turn that woman loose on any other unsuspecting male. I can handle her.”
As the discussion turned to who else would be standing up beside him at the wedding, it occurred to Owen that Jonathan could totally handle Connie and in more ways than one. He hoped that the time they’d have to spend together during wedding events would help settle whatever had happened between them. He wanted his brother to be happy. He suspected that for that to happen, Jonathan had to settle any unresolved issues that lingered with Maggie’s best friend.
* * *
Emma glanced between Connie and Maggie, her features a mask of disbelief.
“You’re joking, right?” Emma said, her words an eerie echo of Connie’s lament earlier that day.
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