"I saw you, of course," she said to them, "but we weren't introduced."
Jake grinned. "That's because my brother monopolized your time while you were there."
"My name is Heather Crenshaw."
Lindsey looked at the little girl standing between her father's boots. "I'm pleased to meet you."
"I'm four."
"Well, you're practically all grown up, aren't you?"
"I'm going to have a baby sister or brother."
Jake laughed. "Well, now that you know all our family secrets, Lindsey, why don't we all sit down."
"Dinner's almost ready," Gail said. "Heather, be sure to go wash your hands."
"Yes, ma'am," the little girl replied and scampered off.
An awkward silence fell and Lindsey didn't know how to get past it. She looked at Jared, who'd come in behind her, and he must have seen the plea for help in her eyes.
He stepped closer and put his arm around her waist. "Actually, there's another family secret I want to share with you. Lindsey and I are getting married."
Everybody but Joe stared at him as if he'd just thrown a hand grenade at them. Lindsey saw Jared and his father exchange looks and then Jared gave his dad a slight nod.
"Well!" Joe said, clapping his hands together. "This calls for a celebration. Congratulations, you two!"
Gail was the first to recover. "Oh, by all means! Let me put dinner on the table. Joe, maybe you could find some wine for toasts."
Jake stepped forward and took Lindsey's hand. "You're a brave woman, Lindsey, to take on the chore of raising this guy. I can only offer my very best wishes."
Ashley quickly followed him. "This is so exciting. Why, it's only been a couple of months since Jared insisted that he would never—" She gave a quick cough. "That is, I'm so pleased to welcome you to the family. I guess you'll be moving to the ranch soon."
"Dinner's on the table," Gail called, and they walked into the lovely, open dining room with large picture windows on two sides. Jared slipped his hand down to Lindsey's. Only then did she realize she was shaking. This was worse than awful. The Crenshaws were wonderful people and she and Jared were lying to them, making them think that—well, that they were in love and eager to get married.
And they weren't.
Jared leaned down slightly and whispered in her ear. "Relax. We've told them. No reason to be nervous now."
As the meal progressed, Lindsey slowly relaxed. Conversation covered general topics. She didn't say much, if anything, but enjoyed listening to the three men talk together, kid each other, and she knew that this was what she had missed growing up as an only child.
Everything went well until they were enjoying dessert and coffee and Gail brought up their impending marriage.
Heather looked up. "Who's getting married?"
Lindsey recalled that Heather hadn't been in the room when Jared told them. She glanced at Jared, who smiled at his niece. "Actually, Lindsey and I are getting married."
"See there, Unca Jared? See there? You are too going to have a baby," Heather said. Lindsey froze. "Daddy and Mommy got married and now they're going to have a baby."
Jared reached for Lindsey's hand and gently squeezed it. "That's not going to happen for us anytime soon, sweetheart."
"I am so excited," Gail said with glee, after Joe and Jake had toasted the happy couple. Lindsey's nerves tightened. She felt as though she were in a nightmare she couldn't escape. "Another wedding in the family," Gail continued. "I can hardly wait." She smiled at them. Have you picked a date, yet?"
Jared cleared his throat. "Yes, we have. We're going to get the license tomorrow and get married while we're there."
Jared watched his mother and Ashley erupt into what he considered to be clamoring hysteria at the idea that they would consider such a thing. They must think he was a teenager planning to elope without permission.
"Jared Crenshaw," Gail said firmly, "you were not raised to behave in such a way. You are not being fair to Lindsey."
"Oh," Lindsey said, "that's all ri—"
"Neither one of us wants to make a fuss," Jared replied firmly.
Jake spoke up in a drawl, "Nice try, bro. But it's not going to fly. You might as well give up now."
Joe remained silent, watching the scene from the sidelines and occasionally glancing at Lindsey.
When she caught his gaze, Lindsey said, "We want to get married before the Christmas holidays. I don't want to make too much of it because of Dad's health."
"I can understand that," Gail said, and Lindsey sighed with relief until Gail continued. "You won't have to worry about a thing. Ashley and I can put together whatever's necessary and your dad won't have to be involved, except to give you away, of course." She looked at Ashley. "We can do a small wedding, don't you think?"
Ashley couldn't hide her amusement. "Absolutely."
"Mom," Jared began.
"Give it up, son. Your mother's right, you know. That's no way to begin a marriage." Joe's gaze was steady.
Gail got a calendar and said, "How about a week from Saturday? That will give your dad time to feel a little stronger. What do you think?"
Lindsey stared at Jared in a panic. Say something! Do something! We can't—
Ashley reached for Lindsey's hand, causing Lindsey to start in surprise. "Please let us do this for you, Lindsey."
Jake leaned over to Jared and murmured just loud enough for Lindsey to hear, "You might as well surrender now, you know. Saves time and believe me, this is one argument you two aren't going to win."
Jared looked at Lindsey. "What do you think?"
He gave nothing of his thoughts away. But a picture was forming in Lindsey's mind, one that embarrassed her beyond belief. They'd met six weeks ago at Jake and Ashley's wedding. Now Ashley was pregnant. Did the family think that she'd gotten pregnant, too? It didn't bear thinking about. They must think she'd trapped him into marriage, just as he'd implied she had. It would do no good at this point to attempt to explain the truth.
She forced a smile on her face and said, "I would be honored to have you help us plan a wedding to be held in not quite two weeks."
Six
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the minister said. "You may kiss the bride."
Those were the words that sealed his fate. He was now a married man. He waited to hear a clanging in his head of cell doors being slammed shut. Instead, all he heard was the sudden silence from the gajillion people that had been delighted to accept an invitation to their sudden wedding.
He turned to Lindsey, who was watching him with a hint of wariness. Yeah, well, all of this was new to him, too. He winked at her, causing her to smile.
The kiss was an expected part of the ritual and it wasn't as if they'd never kissed before. He relaxed and put his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace, accompanied by the oohs and aahs of the sentimental women in the audience.
She lifted her mouth to his and he brushed his lips against hers. That was all that was necessary, so why didn't he let her go instead of deepening the kiss in a possessive gesture that startled even him and caused a ripple of laughter among the guests?
The amusement stopped him. He stepped away from her and took her hand before they turned to greet their guests.
Everyone applauded. Jake, who had served as Jared's best man, clapped him on the back and said, "Congratulations, you managed to survive the ceremony."
Not funny. He acknowledged the comment with a nod and wrapped his arm around Lindsey's waist as people moved toward them.
The ceremony had been held on the large back lawn at the hacienda. Jared had to admit that the family had done a miraculous job of pulling this together so quickly.
Luckily, the weather had turned nice—cool but sunny and no wind. His mother, bless her heart, had hired a crew to set up a large tent that covered the hundreds of chairs and the altar, just in case of rain.
The smell of barbecue wafted across the area, making his mouth water. Who would have tho
ught when he attended Jake's wedding that he'd be the next one getting married? Certainly not him.
Fresh flowers sat in large vases on each end of the table that had been used as an altar, and the air was redolent with their scent, as well. Gail's pastor officiated at the ceremony and everything had turned out just as they'd planned.
Lindsey quivered to see the horde of people coming up to greet them. She didn't know half of them, even though she knew many had flown in from Washington to attend the senator's daughter's wedding.
She'd called Janeen back to tell her of the change of plans. As she expected, her friend was pleased but decided not to come down there since Lindsey would be in New York in two or three weeks.
Therefore, Lindsey had asked Ashley to be her matron of honor. The look of joy on Ashley's face told her she'd done the right thing.
She looked over and saw her father standing beside Jared's dad just a few feet away. She couldn't remember a time when she'd seen him so happy…at least not since her mother had died.
Lindsey was thankful that his health had improved enough for him to walk her down the aisle.
Today had been the first time she'd seen Jared wearing anything other than his usual boots, jeans and a Western-style shirt. Today he wore a dark suit and tie with black dress boots, of course. She had to admit that he looked quite handsome, the dark colors emphasizing his blond, blue-eyed looks.
When she'd walked out of the hacienda this morning, her hand resting on her father's arm, and saw Jared waiting with Jake near the pastor, Lindsey had fought to keep her composure.
Although Jake and Jared were very similar in both their coloring and build, it was Jared who continued to cause her heart to race.
Jared.
Her husband.
"Have I told you that you look like a queen in your wedding gown," Jared said quietly.
"Thank you." Gail and Ashley had helped her choose a gown. She had wanted something simple and understated and she'd found the perfect one—a long-sleeved gown with a cowl neck that had a Renaissance look about it. She had ended up having the kind of wedding she'd dreamed about—and it was all a sham.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"A little tired." Jared had been the perfect fiancé and groom, accepting all the teasing with humor and grace. No one could have guessed that he wasn't a besotted bridegroom. The kiss at the altar had probably been meant to convince everyone. If she hadn't known better, she would have been convinced that he couldn't wait to get her alone and out of that dress!
She shivered at the thought.
"Is it too cold for you to stay outside?"
"Oh, no. Once we're out in the sun I'll be fine."
Before they could leave, the photographer had to take pictures of everyone in the wedding party, the parents as well as one of the bride and groom alone.
The hours sped by until only the senator, Jared's parents, Jake and Ashley and the newlyweds were left. Everything had been carted away from the lawn and there was no sign left that there had been a wedding held there that day. The flowers were now in the house, giving off their soft scents as a reminder.
Even Heather had fallen asleep without a fuss after all the excitement of the day.
Senator Russell said, "I want to thank each of you for your handling of the wedding details and making Lindsey's day so perfect. Since y'all have done so much for the couple, I decided I would do my part by helping with the honeymoon."
Jared looked at Lindsey with a slight frown. She shrugged, having no idea what her father was up to now.
"Senator," Jared said politely, "that's really generous of you, but we decided not to go on a honeymoon just yet."
The senator laughed. "Well, now you are! We've been plotting a little behind your back. I hope you like our little surprise." He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a fat envelope. "Here you go."
Jared handed the envelope to Lindsey. Her hands shook and he helped her open it.
Airline tickets and several brochures spilled out. "Cancun?" Lindsey asked, wondering if this day could possibly get worse. "You're sending us to Cancun?"
The senator beamed. "That's right. An all-expense-paid trip. Nothing's too good for my little girl. Now I want you to go and enjoy yourselves, explore the area, see the sights, spend some time together…just the two of you."
"You said, 'we' have been plotting. Who do you mean?"
Gail spoke up. "Actually, Ashley and I were in on this. When the senator told us what he wanted to do, we agreed to go shopping for the two of you, so you'd have the proper attire for a week in the tropics."
Lindsey didn't dare faint—they'd immediately believe that she was pregnant.
"How, uh, what an unexpected—it's such a surprise. Right, Jared?"
She saw a tic along his jaw. Otherwise, he looked perfectly relaxed.
"I must say, Senator Russell, you've managed to think of everything, haven't you?" There was a slight edge to his voice.
Lindsey glanced at Joe and saw that he and Jared were in silent communication.
Gail said, "Why don't you two get changed? You still have to be on the road for a while."
Jared reached for the tickets and looked at them. "These tickets say we leave out of Austin tomorrow morning at six o'clock."
"That's right," the senator said. "I've arranged for you to stay at one of the hotels near the airport tonight. You should arrive in Cancun around one o'clock tomorrow and have plenty of time to see the place in daylight."
Jared took Lindsey's hand. "Are you up for this?" he asked, ignoring the rest of them.
What could she say? No, I'd rather keep to our plans of my moving into your place until after New Year's?
She summoned her best smile and said, "Sounds like fun, doesn't it?" without looking at him. She walked to her father and hugged him. "You're the best father in all the world. I love you, Dad." She closed her eyes and laid her cheek on his chest.
He patted her back a little awkwardly. "Good, good. I love you, too."
"Then we'd better go get changed," Jared said matter-of-factly. "We still have a two-hour drive ahead of us and it's already getting late."
"Good idea." She could put on the clothes she'd worn this morning as well as grab a few minutes alone to face this unexpected development in their plans. She took her time slipping out of her gown. She carefully hung it in the closet of the bedroom where she was changing and removed the dress she'd worn from another hanger.
She and Jared hadn't planned on this. In fact, the subject of a honeymoon had never been brought up. They had spent the last few days moving her things to his place and getting her bedroom ready for occupation for the necessary few weeks. They'd fallen into a comfortable camaraderie during the past two weeks, almost like the one they'd had when they were seeing each other.
Except for one thing—they avoided intimate contact.
And now they were going to be alone for a week in a romantic tropical paradise.
Maybe she should pack several books to read.
* * *
Jared stood staring into the closet of the bedroom where he'd grown up. He'd removed his suit, tie and dress shirt. He'd put on his customary shirt and jeans, pulled on his boots and yet he still stood there, wondering what the hell he was going to do now.
He seemed to stay in a half-aroused state whenever he was around Lindsey. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been with a woman, but he knew it had been too long for him to be able to spend a week alone with Lindsey without doing his damndest to get her into bed with him.
Which was what had gotten him into this predicament in the first place.
He'd recognized that there was no way they were going to get around this offer without seeming churlish and ill-mannered. Everybody at the wedding and reception—everybody but his dad, that is—was convinced they were madly in love with each other. Love at first sight. A race to the altar so that they could be together.
And there wasn't a thing he could do to change that
.
He sincerely hoped that the good senator would suddenly find himself available to take calls from the Crenshaws.
* * *
Jared was waiting for Lindsey when she came downstairs, standing with his hands tucked into the back pockets of his jeans and rocking slowly back and forth from heel to toe in his boots.
She had her coat draped across her arm.
"I'm ready whenever you are," she said and Jared turned and saw her. "Oh. Good. That's good. Our bags are already in the car."
Her dad hugged her tightly against him. "I want you to rest and relax this week, sweetheart. You've been a little tense lately, what with all your wedding plans and all."
"I'm sure I will," she replied, knowing she was lying.
Russell shook Jared's hand. "You take care of my girl, you hear?"
Jared looked at him with a steady gaze. "You know I will."
While Ashley and Gail hugged Lindsey, Joe pulled Jared aside. "I want you to know how proud I am of you. The rest of the family will never know what you've done to ease a delicate situation."
Jared shrugged. "Since I was the one who set the whole thing off, I figure I needed to do what I could to repair the damage I'd caused."
"Like I said. I'm prouder of you than I can possibly say."
Jared glanced at his watch. "We need to go," he said, acknowledging his father's words with a brief nod. "Ready?" he asked Lindsey with a smile.
"Oh, yes. My face hurts from having to smile so much," she said, too low for the others to hear her.
He burst into laughter, causing everyone watching them to conclude that this was the beginning of a wonderful life together.
If they only knew.
Seven
"I can't believe we're going on a honeymoon."
Jared glanced at Lindsey, who had been quiet for the hour they'd been on the road. "I'm having trouble adjusting to the idea, myself," he replied.
"We had everything worked out. We'd get married—"
"—at the courthouse—"
"—right, at the courthouse. I'd move into your house for a few weeks and then we'd go our own way."
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