Bride by Mistake (17 page)

“I’ve felt very ashamed these past few weeks. While I’d like to grant Mrs. Addison’s fondest wish, I had no right to interfere. Not in a dishonest manner.”

“You did have Eloise’s welfare at heart,” Meg said, not knowing how to respond.

He shook his head. “I’ve made a mess of things. I see that now. That’s why I’ve come to you for advice.”

“Advice? Me?”

He nodded. “You’re a levelheaded young woman. I’m in over my head, and I’d appreciate any suggestions you have. On how to make amends.”

At that moment the doorbell rang again. No one ever dropped by, yet now Meg had two visitors stacked on top of each other.

“Excuse me, will you? I’ll see who that is.”

When Meg opened the door, she nearly gasped. There stood Zach Addison himself. In gray slacks and a navy sport jacket,
he looked breathtakingly handsome. Meg’s heart raced and her throat felt dry as sand. “What are you doing here, Zach? I thought you were going to a baseball game.”

“I did, but it ended early. Do you have a minute, Liza? I want to talk to you.”

Zach looked at her expectantly. Since she couldn’t very well close the door in his face, she said, “Of course I do. Come on in.”

“There’s a car like Gram’s parked out front,” he said.

“It’s not a car like Eloise’s. It’s her car.”

“What?”

“Ian is here.”

“Ian is here? Whatever for?”

As Zach entered the house, Ian stood, picked up his cap, and started the frantic twirling again. Zach strode toward him. “What’s going on, Ian? Is Gram all right?”

“Yes, sir. Madam is just fine. I dropped by to see Miss Liza so I could…”

Panic flashed in Ian’s eyes. His pleading gaze met Meg’s, begging for rescue. She searched her brain for a logical explanation for his presence.

“Actually, Ian came over to return my bracelet.” Meg fingered the gold bracelet on her wrist. “I must have dropped it at Eloise’s on my last visit and he brought it back to me.”

Zach quirked an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you give me the bracelet? I would have gladly returned it.”

He shrugged. “I needed to run an errand anyway. Now if you young people will excuse me, Mrs. Addison likes a cup of tea before retiring. Complete with a slice of gingerbread and a dollop of whipped cream.”

Zach’s gaze softened. “You certainly spoil my grandmother.”

“It’s my greatest pleasure, sir.”

“Have a seat, Zach, while I see Ian out,” Meg suggested.

She followed the butler onto the porch. When they were out of hearing range, Ian said, “I value your opinion, Miss Liza. Do you think I should tell Mr. Zachary about my deception right away? Or wait until after Madam’s birthday party?”

“Tell him right away. Zach needs to know the truth. He’s terribly worried about Eloise.”

Ian hung his head. “He’ll be very angry about what I’ve done.”

“Probably so. But maybe his relief will be stronger than his anger. At least we can hope that’s the case. Just be up front with Zach. It may work out better than you think,” Meg said, although she had no clue.

He nodded. “I’ll tell him everything. And thank you, dear child, for your wise counsel.”

As Ian started to walk off, Meg gripped his arm. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. You had a good reason for what you did.”

He turned to meet her gaze. “Does being deceitful for a good reason justify the deceit?” Ian tipped his cap and didn’t wait for an answer. “Good night, Miss Liza.”

“Good night.”

This would change everything, Meg realized. Zach planned to propose to her based on the fact that Eloise was ill. But since she wasn’t, there would be no need for the proposal. Meg felt a tug in the area of her heart. While she wanted this charade to end, it hurt terribly to think of leaving Zach. And never seeing him again.

As she watched Ian walk to the car, Meg sighed. How could she criticize the man? She and Zach were just as guilty of pretense as Ian. And they too wanted to please Eloise. But did that justify their behavior?

Shakespeare had nothing on the Addison-O’Malley gang. There wasn’t an aboveboard relationship among them. Fortunately, everything could still be resolved—except for one thing.

You’re falling for Zach. And it’s the head-over-heels kind of love.
Liza’s words echoed in Meg’s mind as she went back into the condo. Was Liza right? And if so, what should she do about it?

Meg shrugged. It didn’t matter now. Ian would tell Zach that Eloise was healthy, and their engagement would end. Tears stung her eyes as the pain of that reality hit home.

She blinked back the tears. This was a great solution to her dilemma. With no reason to pretend, she could fly home and pick up her life where it left off.

But deep in her heart, Meg knew that was impossible.

Zach paced Liza’s living room as she walked Ian out to the car. Although the game between the Royals and the White Sox had been exciting, he could barely concentrate. His mind only focused on one thing.

Liza O’Malley.

One good thing had come of it. He’d made an important decision during that game. He had decided he’d have a serious talk with Liza. Lay his feelings—his heart, if need be—on the table.

Liza reentered the house and walked toward him. She wore a pair of jeans and a sunny yellow T-shirt that made her complexion and auburn hair glow. As she joined him, Zach said, “We can’t go on like this.”

Liza’s green eyes widened, and she looked more delectable than ever. Without giving her a chance to reply, Zach strode toward her and gripped her shoulders. “I’ve tried to go back to the way things were, but that’s not possible.”

“Oh, dear.”

Zach pulled her gently toward the couch and they both sat down. “When I asked you to pose as my fiancée, I didn’t intend to change our relationship. But I feel differently about you now.
I think about you constantly. What’s even scarier is that I think about us.”

“Oh, dear. Oh, dear.”

“Liza, could you say something besides ‘oh, dear’?”

“Oh, mercy.”

“I haven’t told you this, but I went to see Jeff Thomason. You know, my psychiatrist friend?”

“Oh…”

Zach placed his hand gently over Liza’s sweet mouth. He couldn’t survive another “Oh, dear.”

“I explained the feelings I’m having about you, or tried to. Do you know what he said?”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“He said we should give our new relationship a chance. What do you think of that?”

Liza shrugged those delectable shoulders. “I don’t know what to think.”

“Neither do I. But I’m sure of one thing. Going back to buddy status isn’t going to happen.”

Her lower lip trembled. “It’s not?”

“Nope.”

“So, what do you suggest?”

“Are you willing to change our relationship?”

“What do you mean, change it?”

Zach looked into those magnificent eyes, and with all the sincerity in his heart, he asked, “Are you willing to date me, Liza?”

Her hands shot up and covered her lips, and her eyes grew big as half dollars. Was the thought of dating him repulsive to her? he wondered.

“You want us to date?” she finally parroted. “For real?”

“I do. Then we can figure out what we mean to each other.”

“Would this affect your grandmother’s party?”

“Not in the slightest. We’ll go ahead and announce our engagement as planned.”

“Because she’s ill.”

“Yes.”

“That’s the only reason, right?”

He nodded. “Gram’s heart condition got this ball rolling. But I’m shocked at the momentum it picked up.”

“Me too.”

Liza hadn’t answered his question, Zach realized. Hadn’t told him whether she would date him or not.

While he felt he might explode if he had to wait another second, he must tread carefully. “Do you feel the same about me?” he probed.

Liza hung her head. She didn’t seem pleased about changing the status quo. She took a deep breath, and her green eyes met his head-on. When their gazes locked, Zach’s heart skipped wildly.

“You aren’t the only one who’s confused about our relationship. I feel things that…” She stopped speaking and looked away.

Zach lifted her chin so her gaze met his. “Go on.”

“I feel things for you that are surprising. Startling.”

“Good startling or bad startling?”

“Powerful.” She bit her lip, then continued. “What I feel for you goes far beyond friendship.”

Zach’s pulse beat faster than a drummer in a rock band. Liza did care for him! Far more than just as a friend!

“So is it okay to date? For real this time?”

“We’re moving awfully fast. Why don’t we wait twenty-four hours before we decide? If we feel the same tomorrow evening, we’ll start dating.”

Zach felt a stab of disappointment. “I don’t plan to feel any differently tomorrow.”

“Things can change, Zach. But if we feel the same, we’ll go ahead.”

Zach was glad she hadn’t turned him down cold. “All right. I guess that makes sense.” He leaned forward and placed a gentle
kiss on her forehead. While he wanted to do far more than that, he could wait until tomorrow.

“Good night, Liza.”

“Good night, Zachary.”

As Meg watched Zach walk toward his car, her heart pounded so hard that she could hardly catch her breath. Zach wanted to date her! For real, not pretend! She could scarcely believe her good fortune. For several moments, she basked in that wondrous thought. Gloried in it. Dating Zach, a fantasy she’d had in high school, was becoming reality.

Don’t be a fool
, her conscience nagged. Multiple roadblocks stood in their way. Her relationship with Martin, for one. And the minute Ian told Zach that Eloise wasn’t ill, their pretending would end and Zach would leave her. Just the thought of it tore at her heart.

His footsteps clicked on the sidewalk, taking him farther away from her with each step. Suddenly something inside Meg snapped. She just couldn’t let Zach go.

“Zach?” she called.

He turned to face her. “Yes?”

“I’m glad you want us to date.”

He took an eager step in her direction. “You are?”

She raced down the stairs toward him. “Yes. And I don’t need more time to think about your proposition.”

They were just a few feet apart now. She could still use good sense and say she’d decided not to date him. That it was a stupid idea, which it was.

Instead she said, “I would love to date you, Zach Addison.”

The words burst out of her before she could stop herself. She had to know what it was like to have Zach care about her—even if their romance lasted only a few hours.

He covered the distance between them in several long strides. Then he swept Meg into his arms and pulled her to him. As his arms wrapped around her, Meg felt passion she’d never experienced.

The scent of honeysuckle and the brightness of the moon intensified the magic. Zach held her close and when he kissed her neck the sensation took Meg straight to heaven.

“You know something?” he whispered. “That’s the best news I’ve ever heard.”

Rapture stirred Meg’s heart as Zach stroked her hair and gazed into her eyes. “Oh, Liza, Liza. I don’t know what’s happening to us, but let’s run with it and find out.”

“Yes, let’s,” she said, raising stupidity to new heights.

Zach’s magnificent eyes penetrated her very soul. And for an instant, Meg thought she saw love reflected there. Love! When he bent to kiss her, Meg came fully alive. For the first time in her life.

She responded to his kiss with a sense of joy and pure delight. She pressed against Zach, into Zach, wanting to get as close as possible.

She wanted to absorb him—to drink him into her very being.

A soft moan escaped his lips, and Meg’s knees nearly buckled from the ecstasy of kissing Zach. Of holding Zach. Of having him hold her.

When the kiss ended, he stroked her hair again and she felt more like a fairy princess than a ballet teacher. “I won’t rush you,” he promised. “We’ll give this all the time in the world.”

She nodded. “Do you want to come in?”

“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do. But I’m going to use good sense and head for home. We’ve taken enough giant steps for one day.”

“You’re right, of course.”

“Until tomorrow.”