The Texan's Contract Marriage (7 page)

Frank Dalton, Ginny’s husband, was a no-nonsense accountant with his own business. Marek liked him and thought he was a good match for his sister. Jess hunkered down to say hello to the little girls, and they all headed toward the barn. Ginny sailed through the back gate, her short, shaggy black hair blowing in the wind.

Marek told himself to hang on to his patience with her.

She swept into the kitchen, her face almost as red as her shirt. “Marek, have you lost your senses? You can’t marry someone you don’t love.”

“Hi there, sis. You look a little hot and bothered. Want a cool drink?”

“No, I don’t. We drove all the way out here so I can talk some sense into you. Pray she turns you down.”

“Ginny, I’ll have the cool drink. And I hope she accepts. I think this is the solution to the problem. I don’t think it will create a bigger problem.”

“And when you fall in love again?”

“There is still something called divorce if this marriage becomes a burden. But I do not expect to fall in love again. Sometimes someone falls in love for a lifetime. He loves that one person and that is the only love of his life on this earth. You don’t believe that happens?”

“Maybe sometimes, but I don’t think that will be the case with you. You hurt now, but you’re strong and young and you’ll love again.”

“Is your crystal ball out in the car? You think you know me better than I know myself?”

“I don’t want you locked into something where you get hurt.”

He smiled at her. “Relax, Ginny. I appreciate your concern. I’ve thought about this and I think it’s a workable solution,” he said, retrieving a cold beer and opening the bottle. “Want to sit where it’s comfortable?” he asked, motioning toward the living area adjoining the kitchen. “You can see the girls riding around in the corral from there.”

“They brought their swimsuits because they’ll be hot after they ride. They were overjoyed to get to see the horses. Marek, please do not do this. I know you will be unhappy.”

“Stop worrying. I’ve looked at this every which way and I still think this is the best solution. I’ll have some control. We’ll have Noah with us far more. She’ll be in Budapest this fall. If I don’t do something, she’ll take him to Budapest and we won’t even see him all the time they’re gone. I don’t want to lose him. Or even be merely a tiny part of his life. He’s too important to me. I think he is to you, too.”

“He is, but so are you,” she said, frowning. “I don’t want you hurt.”

“Ginny, stop worrying. I’ve gotten myself into this. If it doesn’t work, I’ll get myself out. This is an ambitious, busy woman who doesn’t have time for a private life. She sings at the Metropolitan in New York next spring. Her career is rising, and she’ll need help with Noah.”

“She has help. Her sister is her nanny.” Ginny sat staring at him, rubbing her forehead. She shook her head. “I pray you’re right and you know what you’re doing. She’s trying to carve out a career for herself and she’s been somewhat successful so far. What happens if you fall in love with her? You’ll get hurt. She isn’t going to settle down and give up that career.”

“I would never ask her to, and I’m not going to fall in love.”

“You’re still suffering over your loss, but eventually you’ll heal and move on. You’ll hurt yourself. She will let you see Noah some without you marrying her. Please don’t do this.”

“I want more than brief visits with him several times a year.”

“Since when did you want to become a dad?”

“You know how I love your girls.”

“Yes, but you’re their uncle, not their dad, which is much more demanding. It’s a demanding, full-time job and you’ll love that baby like you can’t believe. Then, if you and Camille split, you’ll really be torn. Have you thought about that?”

“Yes, but life is fraught with hazards and you just have to take some risks when you love someone whether it’s a child or an adult.”

She turned away to watch her girls. “You don’t know what love is until a child comes into your life. Frank’s life and mine revolve around the girls. You take that baby to raise part of the time and you’ll love him more than you can possibly imagine. Maybe you already love him just because he’s Kern’s.”

“Ginny, stop worrying. I want to take the chance. I want him in our lives.”

Silence stretched while they studied each other. He waited patiently, certain of what he planned.

“Okay, Marek, I’ll try to stop worrying and I’ll stop arguing with you,” she said finally. “I’m going on record though. I think you’re making an enormous mistake.”

“If this were turned around and Kern was in the spot I’m in and it was my baby, I think Kern would want me to do the best thing for Noah. I’ve mulled it over, and this seems the best solution to keep Noah in our lives.”

“You might be right. When will she give you an answer?”

“Tuesday night we’ll get together again. I think I’ll know then, and I’ll call you as soon as I do. She’s talking to her sisters now.”

“I can’t imagine you doing this. I can’t imagine her doing it, either. Both of you have switched off your common sense. Maybe her sisters will talk her out of it.”

“Stephanie will try. I’ll call you Wednesday morning.”

“You call me Tuesday night. I’ll be a wreck. In the meantime, I’ll try to think up another plan.”

He smiled. “Thanks, Ginny. Tuesday night we’ll know whether I’ll marry Camille or not.”

*

Tuesday night, he had butterflies in his stomach. He had made multimillion-dollar deals without a qualm, but tonight he suffered uncustomary nerves. For once in his life he didn’t have a backup plan. This was it, and he could only pray she accepted. Stepping into the entrance of her condo, he experienced the same reaction as the first day he had met her, an awareness of how striking she was and the sense of energy surrounding her even as she stood still. Her hair was a midnight cascade, falling below her shoulders. Her sleeveless black dress with a scooped neckline revealed lush curves. A thin gold chain with a diamond pendant circled her throat.

“Hi,” she said, smiling at him. “Come in.”

“You look gorgeous,” he said.

Marek could not discern any indication of her decision from her expression. He realized she was an actress as well as a singer and she hid her feelings well. She would do well in a boardroom in a high-stakes negotiation. “You asked to see Noah before we leave for the evening,” she said, leading him into the living area and motioning toward the leather couch. “Have a seat, and I’ll go get Noah. I won’t be gone long.”

“So Noah is awake and happy?” Marek suspected that with one look at her sisters he would know Camille’s answer to his proposal.

“He’s awake and bubbly. Stephanie has gone out for the evening, and Ashley is on the phone.” She hurried out of the room to the nursery, where Ashley waited with Noah. “Thanks, Ashley. I’ll bring him back to you. Sure you don’t want to come say hi?”

“No, I might start crying,” she said, pushing up the sleeves to her gray sweatshirt.

“We’ve talked about this. The money should be some consolation.”

“I worry about you. I worry about how badly you’ll miss having Noah with you.”

“I’ll be fine. I have my career. Marek said he can change the schedule if we want to see Noah more.”

“I hope he holds to that.”

Camille took her son and hurried back to the front room. Marek stood by the piano, looking at sheet music. His navy suit and tie were a quiet understatement of his power and wealth. A tall, handsome and appealing man, always commanding. Was he ever at a loss or uncertain? He turned to cross the room.

“Ah, the happy baby,” he said, reaching for Noah, who kicked and held out his arms.

“Do you really want to take him? Your shirt looks fresh and it’s white as snow.”

“I’m not fragile and my shirt washes,” Marek said, taking off his coat and tossing it to the sofa. He turned to Noah.

“I think he remembers you.”

“Hey, that’s great. I hope so. I suspect he’s happy to see everyone. So far, I haven’t seen him unhappy.”

“He has his moments, but most of the time, he’s happy.”

Marek walked away, talking to Noah, carrying him to the window to show him the outside. Then he sat on the floor with him and handed him some toys. It amazed her to watch him, the wealthy, powerful rancher dressed in his immaculate suit, tailor-made white shirt and his hand-tooled boots that could have been custom-made, while he sat on the floor playing and making goofy noises for Noah. Noah laughed, a hearty sound that made him shake all over, and she couldn’t keep from laughing with him.

“Why will grown people do anything to get a baby to laugh?”

“Got me, but it’s fun. You can’t keep from laughing in return,” Marek said, making another silly sound and laughing with Noah. Her heart squeezed while her pulse jumped. Marek’s appeal soared when he laughed. Creases bracketed his mouth and his even white teeth flashed. Her heart was definitely in for a bumpy ride.

Finally, he stood. “I’ll give him to you. Another night we’ll play longer.”

“I’ll take him back to Ashley. Just a minute and we can go.”

She hurried out of the room, holding Noah tightly in her arms, wondering whether she was making the right decision or not. After tonight, there wouldn’t be any turning back.

Just as before, they went in a limo to his Dallas home, where they sat outside with drinks. He removed his navy suit jacket and tie as he had the last time. While she watched him, it occurred to her to wonder about his handsome appeal. Was she in any danger of falling in love? He sat close, facing her. He set both drinks on a glass table.

“I’ve waited long enough, and we’re alone now,” Marek said. “What’s your answer? Will you marry me?”

Four

H
er insides roiled and her palms became damp even though her hands felt icy as she gazed into his brown eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “Yes, I will.”

He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them. He pulled her up and gave her a light hug. “Thank you,” he said in a voice that sounded choked with emotion.

He smelled of citrus and sandalwood and the fresh cottony scent of his immaculate dress shirt. He was warm and tall, and his arms around her felt reassuring. He leaned away a fraction to look down at her and her only thought at that moment was how handsome he was. “We’ll make this work, Camille,” he said in a husky voice. A pang racked her because his emotional reaction was not due to her, but to her baby.

“I don’t want to fall in love,” she whispered, biting back the words that if she did, he would break her heart.

His dark eyes widened and then narrowed as he gazed at her, a look that became more intense. She felt as if he was seeing her as a woman for the first time. He inhaled deeply, and a hard look came to his features while a muscle worked in his jaw.

“Forget what I said,” she said, stepping out of his embrace, walking away from him to put distance between them and to keep him from seeing the flush of embarrassment in her cheeks. “My heart is in my career and Noah, and, right now, I can’t imagine us being together a lot of the time.” Her words spilled out, sounding rushed to her, and she felt foolish. Trying to get a grip and be less emotional, she finally faced him.

“Thank you, Camille,” he said, looking composed again. “We can start working out details, put down what we want in a prenuptial agreement that we can turn over to our lawyers to finalize. How’s that?”

“Sounds fine.” She returned to get her glass of wine and sit in a green-cushioned teak lawn chair. He sat facing her and sipped his drink. “I’ll get a tablet to make notes as we talk about what we want.” He left to get papers from a cabinet and returned to hand a tablet to her. She looked down at proposed schedules.

“I have schedules worked out, but you know your bookings and shows. This is just something to start from. Also, as soon as we sign the papers, I’ll have money transferred to you.”

“That’s sort of staggering,” she said, unable to imagine that she would soon become a millionaire. Her gaze ran over him, his broad shoulders, his capable, well-shaped hands.

“We’ll be married, Camille. As far as I’m concerned, your money is yours to do with as you please. I’ll pay your expenses and your housing, all that sort of thing. Just get Stephanie to keep accurate records.”

“That’s very generous considering how much money you’re giving me. I earn a good living so far.”

“I’ll treat you the same as I would a wife in the fullest sense of the word as far as finances and that sort of thing are concerned. How are your sisters and your parents with this arrangement?”

“Ashley is worried about Noah. The money means a lot because she’s saved and scraped together for her education. Stephanie is practical enough to accept this. She does not like sharing Noah, but she is going to like the money immensely. She sees the possibility of having her own business, perhaps picking up more clients than she has now.”

“Good. What about Ashley staying on as nanny?”

“Ashley will be nanny at first. Later, if you can find a good nanny, she would like to go to college full-time and finish her education.”

“Sure. Tell her to let me know when to start looking for a new nanny.”

“I haven’t told my parents yet about the money. I’d rather they meet you first and feel this is a marriage of two people in love. Otherwise, they may not get past the money and may never be able to see the reasons I want this for Noah as a tie to his father.”

Stretching out his legs, he looked relaxed, as if they were discussing the latest movie or electronic breakthrough. Watching him, no one would guess he was making life-changing decisions. The evening had become surreal. She couldn’t imagine the changes, yet they were happening. Even more impossible to imagine—she would soon marry a man she didn’t love and barely knew. She let her gaze roam down the length of him, and her pulse raced. He appealed to her, and she hadn’t really had a man in her life in a long time. To her regret, she had a strong physical response to him. Already, if he came close or if there was physical contact with him, her pulse jumped. With her life focused on her career, she didn’t want complications by becoming emotionally entangled with Marek.

“Well, what we’ve both avoided and what we have to work out is how will we share Noah? I’ve thought about all sorts of ways to divide the time. I’ve come up with something that’s a start. We can change it completely so that each of us finds it workable.”

“Right now, this part is difficult to imagine,” she admitted, fighting back tears because she felt as if she stood on the verge of losing Noah. For a panicky moment, she wanted to change her mind, but there was no turning back time and events. “The first thing I’ll do when I get home tonight is go see him. I miss him when I’m away from him for just hours,” she said, struggling to hang on to her emotions. “Days are impossible to think about.”

“The first little bit will be the hardest, and we won’t jump into a schedule the minute we marry,” he promised, taking her hand. “Stop worrying so much, Camille. I’ll work with you on this and maybe we can’t do a lot at first while he’s tiny. Besides, some of the time, you and I will be under the same roof and you’ll have him as much as ever. The difference will be I’ll be living with you, too.”

A shiver spiraled through her as his words echoed in her thoughts. How vastly her life would change. Locked into a loveless union, she would spend part of her time on his ranch. She couldn’t imagine that. His thumb lightly rubbed the back of her hand while his brown eyes hid his feelings. Yet why should he be emotional over this proposition—it was his idea and what he wanted desperately. Her acceptance of his proposal was worth millions to him, so all he hid was his desire to convince her to cooperate.

“Let’s face it, Camille,” he said in a softer tone. “We have a positive physical response to each other now. That’s a plus any way you look at it.”

Her heartbeat increased a notch. “I didn’t know you noticed.”

“I’ve more than noticed since the first day I met you,” he said. “We’ll get along,” he added in a huskier tone that surprised her, a tone that made his words sound as if he referred to a physical relationship. “We’ll just do a day here and a day there so you get more accustomed to this and see if it’s workable,” he said, getting back to the matter at hand. “When we’re in the same town, we’ll be in the same living quarters so there will be no problem. At some point, I’d like him a week out of each month. You will get him the other three weeks. That’s not even half the time. How does that sound to you?” he asked. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. Marek once again sounded businesslike, in control of the situation.

Trying to avoid thinking about Noah, she picked up the calendar. “I’ll be in Budapest in the fall, so you will have him two weeks out of those months.”

“I said at some point. For now, he should stay with you while he’s under a year old.”

She stared at him, feeling as if a huge weight had lifted. Her pulse began to race with rising joy. “Do you really mean that?”

“Of course. When you’re in New Mexico, you’ll have him all of the time because we’re just starting and he’s too little to be away from you. We’ll ease into this. As he grows, the schedule will change anyway.”

She felt as if sunshine had just spilled over her. “You didn’t say that before. I’m so relieved. I’ve been trying to imagine him in Texas when I’m in Santa Fe and I can’t even bear to think about it. That is a wonderful wedding gift. Marek, I’m overjoyed,” she said, giving him a squeeze.

He laughed in one of his rare moments with a flash of white teeth. “I think you are far happier over this news about Noah than over your ring or the money or any material gain.”

“Of course, I am. You should understand why.”

“I should have come to this conclusion from the start,” he said, still smiling, and her happiness rose. “I want Noah to be a Rangel, and I hope he loves the ranch. Kern loved ranching.”

“In our weekend together, I got that much from him, so I feel I’m giving Noah part of his dad by our marriage and seeing that he grows up knowing the ranch life. It’s a relief to know he won’t start living there without me when he’s so tiny. If I find any of what we do difficult to live with, you’ll hear from me about it.”

“I’d want to. I want something we can both live with.”

“Right now, even when he’s older, I can’t imagine him gone for almost a month.”

“We’ll work into long stays gradually. You can come visit anytime you want, and if that’s bad, I can bring him to see you or we can try to work something else out.”

He loosened his tie and pulled it off, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. Her mouth went dry watching him. He was way too appealing. She looked away, reminding herself to guard her heart carefully. There was no room in her life for love right now, and Marek was definitely not the man to be the object of her affections. Not until he could love again—if that time ever came.

“We need to pay off your lease and move you to my Dallas home before the wedding. You, Noah, your sisters, everything. I want you to look tomorrow at my house and begin to decide which rooms to make over for you and your family, a nursery, a music room—the whole thing.”

“That’s monumental.”

“Not at all. We’ll get it done,” he said with supreme confidence. “If the redecorating isn’t finished when you move in, it won’t matter.”

“I feel as if I’m caught in a whirlwind.”

He smiled. “You’re caught in a marriage of convenience that I think will make us both happy. I’ve been sort of caught in a whirlwind since you entered my life,” he said, and she laughed.

“No way. You’re insulated.”

“You’re beginning to bring me back to life, whether I want it or not.” He picked up the calendar to hand it to her. “I’d like to marry as soon as you feel you can. We can have a big church wedding or something small or something somewhere in between. I want the wedding to be whatever you would like and make it as much a real wedding as possible because we might stay together.”

“We might stay together,” she repeated, shaking her head. “This is a dream and I think I’ll wake up from it. I can’t imagine so much of this. Staying together? That seems totally impossible. I think one of us will fall in love with someone else and that will be that.”

“No matter what we plan, you can’t foresee the future. You never expected this to happen, and neither did I. That first day I was in total shock. That morning I had a list of other things I had planned for my day, my week and my month. When you left my office, my life had changed forever.”

“Actually, there we had the same experience. My life changed just as drastically. For me, though, it was for the second time. The first big change was when I met your brother.”

“Kern and I were so damn close. I still miss him every day,” Marek said, looking away, his voice changing, becoming harsh and cold. He spoke as if talking to himself, and she wondered if he had forgotten her presence and withdrawn into his shell again.

He turned to her. “Let’s get back to thinking about a wedding.”

“I haven’t given any thought to a wedding. I’ve been so busy thinking about Noah.” She studied the calendar. “Under the circumstances, I prefer a small wedding with our families and very closest friends.”

“Whatever you want,” he replied. “Big or small, I’ll pay all the expenses and we can pull the event together quickly. I’d like it as soon as possible because it would be better if we can get settled somewhat before you take off for New Mexico. I’ll lease or buy a place in Santa Fe this summer. You can select it and then I can come when I want to.”

For the first time, she realized he might be in her life far more than she had expected. “You don’t mind leaving your ranch?”

“I’d rather be on the ranch, but I do have others who’ll keep it running smoothly. I can rely on Jess as much as I can on myself.” Marek sipped his drink and set down his glass.

“Do you care for more wine?”

“No, thank you. My head is spinning enough over all the changes from your proposal.”

He sat back and studied her. “We’re going too fast for you. Want to stop and think about what we’ve said for a couple of days and then go back to planning?”

“I’m tempted,” she said, relieved he wasn’t pushing this on her too much. “We might as well go ahead. If the plans get to be too much for me, I’ll tell you. These are monumental changes coming one right after another, like a series of wrecks all in one day.”

His eyes narrowed. “I hope it isn’t as harsh as a series of wrecks. I hope you can gain more than just money out of this.”

“Noah will gain more—he’ll get a dad who, hopefully, will love him.”

“I already love him. All I have to do is look at him and think about his dad. He’s a happy baby, so that makes him doubly lovable.”

She looked away, having another moment when her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. “I can maintain better control on a stage than I can here.”

“That’s different. You can walk away from that without it tearing up your life.”

Startled that he understood, she turned back to look at him. “You’re perceptive, thank heavens,” she admitted. “That makes me feel a tiny bit better.”

“Good,” he said gently. He placed his hand on her cheek lightly. “Camille, we’ll get through this. Just always tell me and I’ll tell you if something isn’t working.”

Again he surprised her and also made her feel better. “Thank you,” she whispered, looking into his dark eyes and wondering about the future.

Picking up the calendar, he studied it. “A small wedding should be easy. How about the last Saturday in April?”

“Two weeks and a few days?” She laughed, her worry transformed to amusement over his ridiculous expectations. She shook her head. “That seems impossible, even for a small wedding. I’m free right now from any performances, so I agree it should be before I perform in Dallas and definitely before I go to New Mexico, but two weeks? It can’t be done. I’m sure I can’t even book the church with that short of notice.”