The Last Bachelor. Judy Christenberry

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      Joe held his breath. Would she understand what he was offering? Could she play the role of an adoring fiancée?

      “Yes. But I felt ashamed to come to him without my citizenship. I thought it would be better to wait,” she said, her cheeks inflamed. “I didn’t want him to be ashamed of me.”

      Apparently her response had the right tone because the two agents looked at each other and then stood. Fisher said, “Excuse me a minute. My partner and I have to talk.”

      Knowing the men were watching them even as they moved to the door to confer, Joe leaned over to Ginger and brushed his lips over hers. “Don’t worry,” he whispered.

      Ginger stared at him, questions in her gaze, but he couldn’t say anything now.

      The two men came back to them. Fisher, obviously the senior partner, said, “Here’s the deal. We’ll give you a week. If you appear at our office with a legitimate marriage certificate, we will give you a temporary green card, Ms. Waltek. Then, sometime in the next three months, you’ll be called in for an interview. If you pass the interview, you’ll receive your permanent green card.”

      “Perfect,” Joe agreed, a big smile on his face. He noticed that Ginger simply stared at them.

      Fisher looked directly at Joe. “But if she disappears,” he warned, his tone serious, “we will file charges against you, Mr. Turner, for helping her escape.” He turned to Ginger. “Do you understand, Ms. Waltek? Your friend will go to jail if you run away.”

      In a whisper, she said, “Yes, I understand.”

      Five minutes later, Ginger and Joe were alone.

      “We lied!” Ginger whispered, as if she thought the two men might be standing on the other side of her door, waiting for them to emerge.

      “But it was for a good cause,” Joe assured her. “Why don’t you find something to change into, and I’ll call Harvey and get you a couple of days off. Or I can give him your notice if you want.”

      “My notice?” she asked.

      “You know, let him know that you’re going to quit your job.”

      Her eyes grew even larger and panic filled her face. “No! No, I must have a job. Please don’t!”

      “But, Ginger, we’ll be married. You won’t need to work.” He squeezed her hand again, and realized he liked touching her. “I know you’ve been taking night classes. Now you can go to school full-time.”

      “No! I must continue to work. I must pay for myself. I can’t shift my difficulties onto you. I won’t run away, so you won’t get in trouble, but I may have to go back to Estonia soon if we don’t—I have another week. I must work all I can.”

      Joe gave her a strange look. What was wrong? She had promised not to disappear.

      “You have to take a couple of days off so we can go to Vegas.”

      “Vegas?”

      “I mean Las Vegas, the place where people go to get married quickly. We can leave tomorrow morning and be married before evening. Then we’ll come back the next day. After that, you’ll have at least three months. You can earn more money.”

      “I can’t allow you to make such a sacrifice. It will shame you, and your family.”

      “No, it won’t. Actually, it will help me.”

      She frowned. “How can that be?”

      “Because I’m the only guy not married in my family. Everyone’s been setting me up with blind dates and insisting I bring a woman to family occasions. They’re driving me crazy. Now I can take you, and everyone will be happy.”

      Ginger stared at him. Why was he not married? He was a handsome man, educated, not like that beast her mother wanted her to marry. How could Joe have no lady in his life? She stared at him.

      “Don’t worry, Ginger. I know I’m too old for you. I’ll let you go after the year when your citizenship is official. It’s just so you get your green card.”

      “You would do that?”

      “Of course.”

      She dropped her head again, trying to think. The panic still lingered, making it difficult to think clearly. “I must call Daisy.”

      “Why?” Joe asked.

      “She—she’s my friend. We tell each other things.”

      “Does she know about your being from Estonia?” he asked, sounding like he might be jealous if Daisy knew her story.

      “No. I didn’t tell her everything. I didn’t want her to get in trouble.”

      “Then don’t tell her until we return.”

      “But—”

      “I’d like to invite her to come with us as your maid-of-honor, but Harvey would kill me if I took his two most popular waitresses away at the same time. Now, you start packing. Pick something comfortable to wear on the plane, jeans or something, and pack your fanciest dress for the wedding ceremony. I’ll call Harvey.”

      “Are you sure?”

      “Absolutely.”

      Joe stood there, watching Ginger as she crossed the room and opened one of two doors. It was a small closet, but there wasn’t a lot in there. She pulled out a small cloth bag, then a simple blue dress and some sandals.

      She hesitated, looking at him, and he hurriedly picked up the phone. He didn’t want to make her self-conscious by staring at her.

      He was amazed, however, at how right saving Ginger seemed. He’d always picked up strays as a boy, bringing them home to feed and care for. His mother had believed he’d grow up to be a doctor, but he’d turned to architecture to satisfy his artistic side. He’d once considered becoming a starving artist, though his fiancée had protested his choice and had eventually left him for a man with more money. Joe had concentrated on his career as an architect to show her she’d made a mistake.

      He’d avoided women for a while, but then he became the ultimate bachelor. He enjoyed the companionship of many women, but he planned no future with any of them. Ginger, he reminded himself, was too young for any real interest. He was rescuing her, that was all.

      “Let me speak to Harvey Small,” he said to the club receptionist when she answered the phone. When Harvey picked up, Joe launched into the reason for his call. “Harvey, this is Joe Turner. I need to borrow Ginger for a couple of days. Is that a problem?”

      Harvey didn’t take the request calmly. He poured out demands and questions that Joe had no intention of answering. “I’ll explain later,” he said.

      That response didn’t satisfy Harvey.

      “Two days, Harvey. That’s all I’m asking.” Joe pulled out the heavy artillery. “Would you prefer СКАЧАТЬ