The Bride's Choice Page 5

  Juliana felt torn between wanting to accept and wanting to say no, unable to say the words because they would be ir- revocable.

  “Who knows—after a year we might like the arrange- ment,” he said quietly.

  “That’s hard to imagine now.”

  “People have married for dumber reasons, and then the marriage has worked out.”

  “But we’re not going into this with forever in mind. I have to think about the feelings of my nephews.”

  “I know you do.” Reaching into his jacket pocket, he handed her a sheet of paper. Maybe if they talked about numbers, she would see reason. “Here’s a suggested budget.” He looked up to find her studying him with a searching look and he wondered if she had listened to any- thing he had just said. “What is it? Have I suddenly turned purple?”

  “No, I just don’t know you at all. What do you really enjoy doing?”

  “Something quiet. I fish, I hunt, I ride. I like to read. What do you like to do?”

  “I don’t have time for anything except caring for the boys and running my preschool.”

  “If you had time?”

  She shrugged. “I like books, movies, ball games, party games, parties, dancing…”

  “Only one of those things is a solitary endeavor, while all of mine are. As I said, Green Oaks is a large house. We should be able to stay out of each other’s way. You can have the big bedroom.”

  “Thanks,” she answered dryly, wondering if he had been to the house and looked it over. “Have you gone out there?”

  “No, and I think we should. How about tomorrow after- noon?”

  “Fine,” she said, thinking things were moving too fast. She locked her fingers together and felt as if she were standing in a cold northern wind. “I have to answer for the boys as well as myself, because whatever I do will change their lives.”

  He nodded solemnly, and she picked up the papers he had handed her and, leaning toward the light, she studied the figures, looking up in surprise. “This is very generous.”

  “Good. We can afford to be generous.”

  Juliana studied his proposed budget again and knew she could live with it easily, probably even save money from it. She ran her hand across her forehead. “I just can’t imagine not having to worry constantly about taking care of the boys.”

  “Well, you won’t have to. If you’d like, it’s fine with me if your grandmother lives with us.”

  “That’s nice, but it won’t be likely,” she answered, again surprised by his generosity and suspecting he would hate for her relatives to live with them. “I’ll ask Mimi, but I think she’ll prefer to stay in my small house, she has lots of friends in the neighborhood.”

  “We could work it out to buy that house for her.”

  Another shock. She couldn’t understand him. On one hand, he was driven by greed, yet at the same time there were moments he was surprisingly generous. Maybe his magnanimity was a ploy to inveigle her into the marriage.

  Silence stretched between them. “Elnora put us in a real predicament,” she said after a while. She closed her eyes, feeling as if she were jumping off the edge of the world into endless space.

  “Juliana,” he said quietly. “If you’re terrified of the proposal, you can just say no.”

  “I want to say no. I want to go on with my life, but there’s so much more I can do for the boys if I say yes.” She paused to study the handsome man seated across from her. And he was handsome enough to set her pulse racing every time she was around him. He looked relaxed, sexy, appealing, so what was causing the butterflies in the pit of her stomach?

  His dark eyes were unfathomable as he watched her, and she had no idea what he was thinking. He reached out to take her hand. With deliberation, he laced his fingers through hers.

  “You’re scared as hell and I am, too, but Juliana, it’s a fortune. My folks will ultimately benefit, your boys, your mother and grandmother will benefit. You and I will bene- fit. The law business has ups and downs. I can use the se- curity this money will bring. And I’ll do my best by your boys.” His voice softened as his gaze held hers. “Juliana, what’s your answer?”

  With her hand held in the warmth and strength of his, she felt some of her fear dissipate. He sounded strong and sure and she knew life was filled with risk no matter what deci- sion she made. She narrowed her eyes, remembering that first day in Willard Mason’s office. “I don’t think we’ll al- ways get along.”

  “Damn right there,” he answered quietly. “I’m sure we won’t, but that doesn’t mean things will be impossible.”

  She took a deep breath and gazed into his brown eyes, unable to say the words.

  “The risk is small,” he said.

  She felt a flash of annoyance and removed her hand from his. She was risking her heart as well as her nephews’ emotions. They could be devastated by the end of the year, if they grew to love this man. She could imagine Caleb Dun- can’s pragmatic legal mind and his orderly bachelor life, undisturbed by rambunctious boys and an aged grand- mother. She had had one heartbreak; she did not want an- other. He wasn’t risking anything, while he was asking them to risk what was most important.

  She leaned forward across the table, catching his shirt in her fist. “You’re so sure of yourself, Counselor. You may be running some kind of risk here yourself!” she snapped, annoyed with his self-assurance.

  Startled, Cal stared at her, seeing the anger and warring expressions cross her face. It was a good thing she wasn’t a trial attorney, he decided. She’d give herself away. What she was feeling showed plainly in her expression. Right now, her eyes were dancing with fire, while only minutes ago she had looked frightened speechless.

  “I won’t hurt you,” he said, still feeling sure of himself, unable to see how either of them could lose. “And like I said, I’ll try to avoid doing anything to cause hurt to the boys.” He didn’t see that he ran any great risk. He wasn’t going to fall in love with this woman or let her nephews grow too attached to him. Yet, even as he reassured himself of his immunity, he gazed into her blue eyes and felt his body re- sponding to her. She was feisty, not afraid to stand her ground. She was attractive, too damned attractive. His shirt was still knotted in her fist and he realized she could be in- tensely passionate. That sent his temperature soaring.

  She released his shirt and sat back, glaring at him while he smoothed his shirtfront. She took a deep breath and her dress pulled tautly over full breasts. His gaze lowered, and he realized how he was looking at her and yanked his atten- tion back to her face to discover more sparks dancing in her blue eyes. Why did those sparks tempt him and make him want to lean across the table and place his mouth on hers?

  “I want to sit the boys down and tell them that we are marrying only because of Elnora’s will and that the mar- riage might not last. I want them to know that you will go out of their lives someday.”

  He nodded, thinking that sounded reasonable. And he knew she was thinking about accepting his proposal. It was what he wanted, what he expected. She would have to be the biggest kind of fool to pass up such a fortune when she had so little to risk—and this was the woman who had fended off a man at gunpoint for her money. In spite of the doubts she’d expressed, he was sure of her answer. As he stared at her, she gazed back solemnly.

  Another twinge of guilt struck him because she was forthright and honest and said she valued trust. His con- science warred with him to level with her now—but there was too much at stake. He wasn’t going to run the risk, so he clamped his jaw closed and kept his past to himself while he waited.

  They continued to stare at each other and he felt his nerves grow taut. He wanted to urge her to a decision, but he had long ago learned to hold his silence.

  “Yes, Cal, I will marry you,” she announced in a sol- emn, clear voice, and his heart thudded violently.

  Four

  Juliana clutched her fingers together in her lap and almost took back the words as swiftly as she’d said them. Her pulse ra
ced and she felt nervous and uncertain. The steely-eyed gaze he was giving her didn’t help.

  Cal sat without moving, his heart pounding in his chest. Marriage. It was what he had suggested, what he thought he wanted, the answer he’d expected, so why did the prospect seem so terrifying? Because his legal mind knew he could get entangled for life.

  “Then it’s settled,” he stated grimly.

  “Don’t sound so overjoyed,” she snapped with a twinge of embarrassment and annoyance.

  He rubbed his jaw and gave her a long look. “I didn’t mean anything personal. It’s only that I’m not accustomed to being with a whole family, and as soon as we repeat our vows, I’ll be the stepfather of three boys.”

  “I know how you feel.”

  There was another long pause while he tried to adjust to the prospect of marriage. She was staring at him as if he had sprouted two heads. He knew he should reassure her, but the words wouldn’t come. He felt as if chains had just clamped around his neck. He thought about the money and some of his panic lifted. And he knew they might as well get the process started. He needed the money as quickly as he could get it.

  “How about getting married two weeks from Satur- day?”

  “That’s so soon,” Juliana said, biting her lower lip, drawing attention to her mouth that looked soft and sen- sual. He tried to remember what he had been saying, and with an effort pulled his gaze back to hers.

  “Why wait? We can have a small wedding—” His eye- brows arched. “Did you want a big fancy wedding?”

  “In a way, that would be nice,” she said with surprising wistfulness. Then her voice returned to her usual brisk tone. “But under the circumstances, I think we better have a small wedding. A very small one.”

  “I agree,” he said, enormously relieved. “We’ll begin preparations as soon as possible. But for now, I think we both could use some sleep. I’ll take you home.”

  As they walked out to the front door, Cal moved close to her side. “We might as well look at the house tomorrow. I’ll notify Willard about our plans. We can move our things over there right away. I have a pickup if you need to use it.”

  When she gave him an exasperated look, he arched his eyebrows in question. “You don’t agree?” he asked as he held open the door and she walked outside. When she brushed past him on her way down the driveway, he caught an inviting fragrance.

  She gave him another long look and he could feel her disapproval. “You’re taking charge.”

  “You’re in charge of the wedding,” he said. “We’ll both look at the house. If you object to any of my suggestions, say so.”

  “I will, Counselor.”

  He never doubted she would. At the car, he paused, placing his hands on her shoulders, feeling the small bones that seemed so delicate. He was too aware of touching her and wondered why he was having such an unwanted fiery reaction to her. “I know you have lots of responsibilities right now. Your budget is stretched thin.”

  Juliana closed her eyes in exasperation, and then looked up at him. “I hope I can adjust to the fact that you know all about me.”

  “Not everything,” he said in a husky voice that suddenly changed the moment and made her doubly aware of how close he stood.

  “There are some things you’re never going to know,” she said, meaning to sound firm, but the words came out sounding breathless, even to her ears.

  He rubbed her chin with his forefinger in a slight touch that should have been impersonal, but was not. “I’ll pay for the wedding. Go get a long, white dress if you’d like.”

  Startled, Juliana stared at him through the darkness, wishing she could discern his expression better. “You’ll pay?”

  “You sound shocked.”

  She was thankful then for the darkness that hid her hot cheeks, because she knew she was blushing with embarrass- ment. “I’m surprised because money seems important to you.”

  “It’s damned important, but we’re going to have enough and you might as well have a wedding you want. Do what- ever you please.”

  “That’s generous, but we should keep things simple be- cause it really is meaningless.” As she turned to the car, he reached around her to open the door. Her shoulder brushed against him slightly, yet she was aware of the faint contact. He closed the door and went around to slide behind the wheel.

  They drove to her house in silence. He cut the engine and got out, walking around the car as she stepped out. He paused in front of her as they stood in the dark shadows of a tall sycamore.

  While Juliana gazed up at him, he placed one hand ca- sually on her shoulder. Why couldn’t she be oblivious to his touches? There was something constantly disturbing about him, and all the slight contacts were stretching her nerves taut.

  “This will be a marriage of convenience, nothing more,” he said quietly, “yet it’s going to throw us into a close rela- tionship. And we have to have a wedding. So, here’s to friendship.” Taking his hand from her shoulder, he held it out and she placed her fingers in his, feeling his warm, sure grip as they shook. With his other hand beneath her chin, he tilted her head up. “It might be nice if our first kiss isn’t in front of everyone at our wedding,” he said softly, and her pulse fluttered. His hand slid behind her head. He drew her closer as he leaned down to brush her lips with his.

  “I don’t—” She started to protest. They didn’t need to kiss except to exchange a customary light kiss at the wed- ding, but his lips brushed hers as if he hadn’t heard her speak. At the moment of contact, heat spun from his touch and she forgot about what she was saying.

  His mouth moved so lightly on hers, igniting a longing that startled her. He brushed her lips again, just the merest touch, yet it was tantalizing and so faint that it would be ri- diculous to protest what he was doing. But as slight as his kiss was, it sparked a fire in her. Her body became heated. He straightened, looking down at her, his gaze unreadable in the darkness, and she felt the need to move away from him. “I better go inside.”

  “I’ll meet you at the house tomorrow,” he said. “What time will be convenient?”

  “Eleven o’clock,” she answered, barely thinking about her words, her lips still tingling. “Thanks for dinner,” she said perfunctorily. She hurried away from him, crossing the yard. As she stepped into the darkened house, she heard him drive away. She touched her lips, stunned by the impact of a faint kiss that should have meant nothing. Instead, it had stirred an unwanted response and she knew if he had pulled her into his arms and really kissed her, she would have let him.

  “No,” she whispered, remembering Barry, remembering how she had been hurt before. “No, Caleb Duncan. I won’t give you my heart,” she whispered softly as she went to her room.

  “This is Quin. Quin, meet Mr. Duncan,” Juliana said the next day as she stood with the boys on the wide front porch of Green Oaks. Solemnly, the eight-year-old shook hands with Cal. “And this is Josh,” Juliana said as Cal gave the little boy a smile. “And you’ve already met Chris,” she finished, nodding toward her oldest nephew, who was ea- gerly studying his surroundings.

  A breeze tugged at locks of Cal’s black hair. Looking handsome in a charcoal suit and conservative burgundy tie, he punched the button and she heard chimes ring inside the house. Smoothing back stray tendrils that had escaped her chignon, she was aware that her red cotton skirt and sleeve- less shirt were far less formal than his suit.

  She glanced across the yard at the tall iron fence, the tall spreading oaks, the flower beds that needed more careful attention. She wondered how long she would live at Green Oaks before she felt as if it were really her home. She re- membered coming back to it a hundred times over when she visited Elnora, but she was always aware that Green Oaks belonged to the Sievers. Soon it would belong to her and her new husband. Her stomach churned as she glanced at him again to find him watching her with a smoldering look that made her hope a secure future was worth the step she was taking.

  Sunlight shone on the majestic white col
umns and a breeze fluttered leaves on the spreading limbs of the live oaks in the yard. Tall pines grew to the east of the house. As she looked at the cool porch and the large expanse of yard, Juliana remembered how much she loved the place.

  Eight Ionic columns ran across the front of the elegant Greek Revival antebellum mansion. The windows were wide; rocking chairs and a swing were on the porch that ran across the front and curved around the east side of the house. To the south was a garage and an old carriage house. Juliana knew that far back on the property was a toolshed and an empty chicken roost. To the east were small houses that now belonged to Gladys and Stoddard.

  She had admonished the boys to be on their best behav- ior and her charges fidgeted as they stood in front of her. Quin cast surreptitious glances at Caleb Duncan. The child’s expression looked less than happy.

  When the door swung open, she faced Stoddard, who gazed down at the boys, looking at them as if bugs were about to invade the house.

  “Afternoon, Stoddard,” Cal said with ease while the man who had been both butler and chauffeur stepped back and held open the dooi. The boys bounded inside, and Juliana rushed after them.

  “We’re visitors,” she said, clamping a hand on Chris who was already starting to dash for the steps. “Don’t touch things. Be very careful. No running in the house,” she in- structed, looking at her three blond nephews. All of them had tangled curls and blue eyes like their mother. At five, life was a constant adventure to Josh and now his eyes sparkled as he studied the house.

  “Gee, look how big it is!”

  “We’ll look around, Stoddard,” Cal said.

  “Yes, sir. Gladys will have sandwiches at noon. Would you like me to show—” he paused and gazed down his nose at the boys “—the young gentlemen this house?” Chris rolled his eyes at Juliana, who gave a tiny shake of her head.

  “Thank you, but they probably prefer to explore on their own,” Cal replied, glancing at Juliana as Stoddard left.

  “Are we the young gentlemen?” Chris whispered.