The Bride's Choice Read online

  “We’ll go sit out on the deck. It’s a nice night.”

  She felt even more curious about Caleb as she followed him into an attractive living area with a polished oak floor, a forest-green sofa, one chair and little else. At one end of the room in front of sliding glass doors was a mahogany dining table and eight chairs.

  They walked through the sliding doors to a wide deck. Light spilled through the glass as Cal motioned her toward a padded chair. He sat nearby, turning his chair to face her.

  “You have a nice home.”

  “Thank you. I enjoy it.” Cal felt his stomach knot. Think of the money, he reminded himself. Think about the moun- tain of debts and what the money would do to relieve them. He took a long drink of the beer, wishing now he had poured himself a straight bourbon. He looked at Juliana.

  “I still don’t understand why you need the money. You have a good practice and a beautiful home. You’re single, so you don’t have any other person to support or worry about.” She shrugged. “I can’t imagine going into a love- less marriage, even for that much money.”

  “For the sake of the boys, you should think about it,” he replied, turning the tables once again. “You’re giving up a lot of things that they may need as they grow up. They may need braces—”

  “They already do. Chris is wearing braces now. But I can manage,” she said with more conviction than she really felt.

  Cal felt amused at himself. In all his qualms and doubts and indignant speculation, he had never considered that she would give him such an emphatic no. He had expected her to accept the moment he got the proposal spoken. “It’s only one year,” he remarked.

  “I don’t care if it’s one week,” Juliana said, her heart racing as she stared at him. Damn him, anyway, for his proposal. And for having bedroom eyes that made her feel weak in the knees whenever he gave her one of his brood- ing looks.

  She stood. “No matter how sexy and appealing you are, Mr. Duncan, or how intelligent or charming, I do not care to sell myself to you for half of Elnora Siever’s estate! I have to go home now.”

  Three

  As Juliana walked away, Cal was at her side instantly, moving into the dining room with her.

  “Wait a minute,” he said, his hand touching her arm lightly. “Just listen. Sit down.”

  It was worse in the light where she could see him in total clarity and his brown eyes compelled her to do what he wanted. Amounts of money danced in her head. The man proposing marriage wasn’t a three-headed, drooling mon- ster and his proposal was tempting.

  “Think of your boys and sit down,” he said more force- fully, giving her the full impact of his dark gaze and pulling out a chair from the dining table. As she sat down, he moved another chair close to sit and face her.

  “How could Elnora have done this?” Juliana said, run- ning icy fingers across her forehead. She shivered in spite of the warmth of the room.

  “I agree entirely and would never have drawn up that will. Which is why she went to Willard Mason.”

  Juliana looked at Caleb, feeling the tension spark be- tween them and the clash of wills. “You still haven’t an- swered me. You have a nice home. You have a good business, I imagine. Why do you have to be so greedy?”

  He gave her an impassive stare as he reached out to tuck a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. She felt the warm brush of his fingers and a tingle radiated from the contact of his hand with her skin.

  “Mr. Duncan—”

  “I’m talking about a marriage in name only,” he inter- rupted quietly. “There wouldn’t be anything physical—” He paused, his dark eyes boring into her. “Unless you want a physical relationship,” he amended matter-of-factly.

  Juliana’s mouth dropped open as she stared at him, and Cal had to bite back a laugh.

  “In name only?” she repeated.

  He was in deep now and he clung to the remembrance of the amount of money each one of them would inherit. “As beautiful as your body is, I know we’re strangers. I’m sug- gesting in name only. I like my solitary life and peace and quiet and I am not a marrying man.”

  “It doesn’t sound that way,” she said dubiously.

  “In name only for one year. You have three boys to raise and send to college. I don’t know how well-fixed your grandmother or your mother is, but I imagine you may have to help them, too. And you have to take care of yourself. That’s a lot of people to be obligated to, and even if your mother and grandmother are self-sufficient, you have the responsibility for the boys. Think what you could do with half of Elnora’s estate.”

  He knew when to rest his case. He became silent, wait- ing, his gaze on her, while she seemed to stare through him into some distant place. Idly, he wondered again how she would look with her hair falling free. He resisted the im- pulse to reach out and tug loose the golden locks. Her skin was as smooth as silk and her lips full, looking tantaliz- ingly soft. What would it be like to kiss her?

  He shoved the question from his mind instantly. Keep re- lations distant and professional. Yet, when he gazed into her blue eyes, his good intentions evaporated and a little warn- ing of danger popped into his mind. The last thing he wanted was to be drawn into a relationship with her. Three boys, a mother and a grandmother—Juliana Aldrich came with large responsibilities. Now she was staring outside, her wide forehead slightly furrowed. He wondered what she was thinking.

  Thoughts tumbled in Juliana’s mind, and like an annoy- ing insect buzzing around her head, his words seemed to jam her rational processes. As beautiful as your body is…. How many men had ever told her she was beautiful? Barry hadn’t even told her that. Did Caleb Duncan really find her beau- tiful? More than likely, he was trying to spin a web of charm to get his greedy hands on Elnora’s estate. Yet, when Ju- liana weighed the possibilities of inheriting enough money to take care of the boys, she almost wanted to weep with re- lief. All her scrimping and saving was never enough. Her preschool business might have to close in the next few months because they were barely making enough to cover costs. And every month now, she was sliding a little more deeply into debt with all the expense of raising the boys.

  “In name only,” she repeated softly and looked at him. “You’ve thought this over.”

  He nodded solemnly. “We would get Green Oaks and could move there.”

  “And in a year, we divorce and split the money?”

  “Yes, if it’s necessary to divorce. Perhaps we can have the marriage dissolved because it was never consummated.”

  She studied him, wondering what such an arrangement would be like. His whole aim in life must be to acquire money. He was accustomed to living alone and doing as he pleased, to working for himself. He seemed strong-willed, stubborn, determined. Would he make a shambles of their lives if she agreed to his proposal? “I still don’t think—”

  “Don’t reject the idea too swiftly. Think what that money can do for your boys,” he repeated.

  She did, swiftly and with a sinking feeling, because Cal Duncan was right. She would have her preschool funded; she could write the books she’d been planning about her methods for teaching small children to read; she could help Mimi and her mother, both of whom needed help. And the boys—the possibilities for them were endless. Clothes, camp…She was still struggling to make the payments for Chris’s braces. Quin’s counseling was incredibly expensive, too. And, best of all, the boys would have a father.

  Juliana looked up at him with wide eyes, and Cal felt his stomach clench. “What?” he asked.

  “You’d be like a father to them,” she answered with a note of amazement.

  He shook his head. “Now, I don’t know anything about being a father—”

  “You did fine with Chris earlier this evening. You’d be a role model for them.” She stopped and bit her lip. “You know me—and now I know why you’ve checked into my life so thoroughly—but I don’t know you. Do you have a terri- ble temper?”

  “Terrible is relative,” he answered cautiously.
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  “That sounds like your legal mind trying to hedge. Would I have to fear your hitting the boys or striking me?”

  Amusement flared in his eyes, and he shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t ever strike you.” He wondered if he should amend that with the truth that there might come a time when she would receive a playful swat on her cute butt, but he decided now was not the time to mention the possibility. That wasn’t what she was asking about anyway. “As for your boys, no, I wouldn’t hit them, either. I’m even- tempered enough that we can all get along.” His dark eyes narrowed. “But I do like my peace and quiet.”

  “Well, then, Counselor, you better settle for the life you have and forget marriage. There is no way you can have three boys under the same roof and have peace and quiet.”

  Cal clamped his lips closed, knowing she was telling him what he already knew and didn’t care to think about. “It’s only one year.”

  “It’s ridiculous,” she said suddenly, knowing the plan would never work. “We would be in your way and you’d boss us around.” She stood. “I should go home.”

  “Sit back down,” he said. His voice was quiet, yet she did as he wanted, perching on the edge of the chair.

  “See what I mean about bossing us around,” she stated darkly, wondering how he could be so quietly compelling.

  “It’s for your own good,” he rejoined in an offhand manner.

  She stared into dark brown eyes that seemed to envelop her and stop her thought processes, mesmerizing her. “What about your lady friend?”

  “Leah?” he asked and Juliana was startled, the spell broken.

  “Who’s Leah?”

  “You just asked me about her.”

  “I just guessed there might be someone even though you said earlier that there wasn’t.”

  “There’s no one I’m serious about. Leah Caldwell and I date occasionally, but there are no ties. I’d give up other women while we’re married.”

  Juliana tilted her head and studied him. “Why do I find that difficult to believe?”

  “I will not cause embarrassment to you or your neph- ews. I can keep my word about other women.”

  “Your body might not agree.”

  “I’ll worry about my body,” he drawled quietly, the words playing over her and making her skin tingle as much as if his fingers had trailed over her. Suddenly, she was once again too conscious of him, undercurrents of awareness tugging at her senses.

  They stared at each other while she mulled over what he suggested. He was a forceful, crusty, determined man. And sexy. If she accepted his proposal, would she be getting into something that she would regret? Yet, only one year in a marriage in name only—how difficult could that be? Dark brown eyes stared back at her, and she felt out of her depth.

  “I don’t really know much about men.”

  “You don’t need to know much about them to agree to this. You know how large Green Oaks is—we would hardly see each other.”

  “With my nephews around, I can promise you we’ll see each other.” She chewed her lip. He might be a good influ- ence for the boys. Lord knows, the man could be com- manding.

  Cal waited quietly, again studying the tiny freckles on the tip of her nose. Her gaze swung around to meet his and the worried look vanished from her features. She smoothed her skirt and stood. “I’ll give your proposal thought. We have six months—”

  “No, we don’t,” he said, coming to his feet, his casual movement placing him too close to her. She had to tilt her head to look up into his eyes and she was five feet eight inches tall. He had to be over six feet tall. She started to take a step back and then felt annoyed with herself. Let him be the one to back off.

  “I remember the will saying we were to marry within—”

  “Juliana,” he said in that voice that stopped her words instantly. “I need the money right away.”

  Cal’s gaze shifted to a point beyond her. Guilt plagued him, but there was no way he was going to tell her the truth. He had learned long ago the terrible consequences of re- vealing everything about himself. “I’ve been considering expanding my law firm. I want to make commitments right away. I can’t wait six months.” He looked down into her wide blue eyes and saw the rising anger.

  “How soon do you have to know?”

  “I don’t see any reason to wait. If you give this some thought tonight, I think you can reach the same decision I have.”

  “Mr. Duncan—”

  “Call me Cal,” he ordered, his voice compelling and husky.

  “Cal,” she said, meaning to snap it out because she was angry, yet a prickle ran across her nape and she had a sense of becoming more intimately involved with him just from that simple form of addressing him. And nothing in her tone sounded angry or forceful. He waited, his gaze intent on her. “I have to give this some thought because so many people are involved.”

  “That’s exactly why it shouldn’t take you any time to consider my proposal. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. What could you possibly lose?”

  The words hung in the air between them, invisible, yet so tangible to her as she looked into his eyes. She wanted to say she was too aware of him as an appealing male, too vulner- able because she had been deceived by Barry. She would have her heart at risk. How easily she could imagine falling in love with Caleb Duncan. There was only one certainty in this—she did not think he ran any chance of falling in love or losing his heart. His love was money.

  “You make it sound so simple,” she said with reluctance because just being in the same room with him made her tin- gly. He was watching her, and she gazed back at him and was locked again in one of their staring contests, only this was no contest. She felt caught and held by invisible bonds, while awareness of him magnified and her pulse jumped. He was only inches away, leaning forward. Her skin vibrated and she could all but feel sparks jumping between them. Speculation and curiosity were obvious in his gaze.

  “I seem to remember you said something about no mat- ter how sexy and appealing I am—that was an interesting remark,” he said in a low voice.

  “Don’t get carried away,” she replied, wishing she didn’t sound breathless.

  Cal gazed into her large blue eyes and wanted to put his hand behind her head and pull her the last few inches. He wanted to taste her full lips, to feel their softness, to invade her mouth, yet the logical side to him warned against get- ting involved. Keep the whole arrangement impersonal. It could get incredibly sticky if he didn’t. And he could end up permanently committed, a married man with a wife and three boys, when he had no such intention. Or he could end up as he had with Andrea—getting his heart torn apart.

  While part of his mind argued, the other part had one desire. He gazed again into fathomless blue eyes, full, rosy lips that were slightly parted, and knew that under any other circumstances he would lean the last few inches and taste her tempting mouth. Caution, common sense screamed.

  “I have to give this thought.” But in her heart, Juliana knew she’d been thinking about marrying Caleb ever since he’d asked her to dinner. How could she not think about it, considering all the good it would mean to the boys? Juliana moved impatiently to the sliding glass door, once again seeking the softer lights on the deck. She brushed past him, bumping against him. As he steadied her, an enticing scent coaxed him to forget what was sensible.

  “Sorry,” she said, her cheeks turning a delightful pink. He moved away as swiftly as if he had grasped a burning skillet.

  “Just think about the money, Juliana,” he said, follow- ing her out to the deck.

  Annoyed, she glanced at him. “I’m thinking about my nephews. At least you should make a good father figure for them. Would you give them some of your time?”

  He was silent for a while, as if he was weighing her ques- tion. Faint light shone on the angles and rugged planes of his face. “Yes, I’d do that,” he answered finally, and she felt he meant what he said.

  Silence descended once again, the dar
kness enveloping them, moonlight splashing across the yard while shadows danced in the faint breeze. Crickets were chirping their night song, but Juliana barely heard them. “If you give me your word, I expect you to keep it. Trust is important to me.”

  “I’ll remember that,” he answered quietly, and she stared at him, unable to see the expression in his eyes in the dark- ness. He hadn’t answered that he would keep his word or that she could trust him—merely that he would remember that’s what she expected. His answer disturbed her, and then she brushed it aside as she went back to considering his proposal. What did she have to lose? Surely she could resist falling in love with him. All that money—the boys would be completely cared for. She could afford to send them to col- lege. All she had to do was live one year under the same roof with Caleb Duncan.

  Marriage to Caleb Duncan. Her stomach fluttered, her pulse raced and she felt dazed at the prospect. She sat down at the patio table, determined to try to look at everything objectively.

  Cal sat across from her, waiting.

  “Cal,” Juliana said finally, aware that calling him by his given name sounded intensely personal, even though he probably had not given it a thought. “There’s something that’s worrying me. You said that if we marry, that after a year we can dissolve this whole thing. But suppose by that time, the boys think of you as a father?” she asked.

  Cal felt torn between relief and anxiety because it sounded as if she was sincerely considering accepting his proposal. For the first time, he thought about her nephews actually getting attached to him—something that hadn’t occurred to him.

  “Quin is in counseling now because of losing his par- ents,” she continued when Cal didn’t answer her. “I don’t want him to lose someone he loves again.”

  Cal rubbed his jaw while he tried to come up with an an- swer. “It’s difficult to imagine that they would really think of me as a father. I don’t see myself that way.”

  “It could happen.”

  “All I can do is promise to do my best to avoid hurting them.”