Hired Bride. Jackie Merritt

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      In a few minutes there was a small crowd around Ryan and Lily, and Zane slipped away. He peeked into the second large tent and saw the many tables set up for the wedding feast, which he could see was going to be buffet-style. Waiters in white jackets scurried to get everything ready. The long tables of food were already laden, and more was being brought in as Zane watched. There was also a small stage where musicians were preparing to entertain the guests. Zane took note of the cases of champagne, scotch and bourbon stacked behind two different bars as bartenders readied glasses, napkins and cocktail mixes.

      Grinning, Zane shook his head. Obviously a Texas-style party was in the making. A Fortune-style party, he amended. Sensing someone behind him, he turned to find his sister Vanessa, whom he greeted with a hug.

      “How are you, Zane?” Vanessa asked.

      “Couldn’t be better,” he said breezily.

      “Your lady friend took everyone by surprise.”

      “Did she really?”

      “I like her, Zane. She seems to fit you.”

      “You mean that Gwen and I look like a couple?” Zane asked teasingly.

      “The two of you strike me that way, yes, but you seem amused by the idea.” Vanessa sighed. “Is Gwen just another short-term girlfriend? She appears to be so much more.”

      Zane braced himself for an out-and-out lie. “She means a lot to me, Vanessa.” But then he saw the sudden hope on his sister’s face and quickly added, “Of course, who knows how long that will last? Personal relationships are such damnably unpredictable things.”

      Vanessa looked disappointed. “Your relationships have been very predictable, Zane, which I find terribly sad.”

      “Sad! Sis, there’s nothing sad about my life-style.”

      “Since I’m on the outside looking in, I’ll have to take your word for it. But, Zane, when you finally fall in love—I mean really fall in love—then you’ll realize what you’ve been missing by flitting from woman to woman.”

      Zane laughed with genuine relish. “I guarantee that I haven’t been missing much, old girl.”

      Vanessa couldn’t help laughing too. “Don’t you ‘old girl’ me, Zane Fortune! You’re four years older than I am, and don’t you forget it.”

      While Zane and Vanessa teased each other and laughed together, Gwen enjoyed the silence of the lovely bedroom to which she’d been shown. As Zane had predicted, her suitcase had been brought up, and she unpacked her things. The room had a private bathroom, and the two rooms were decorated in a delicate lemony color.

      Gwen wished she could stay in that lovely suite for the rest of the day, but of course that wasn’t an option. She had to earn that two-thousand dollars; Zane certainly wouldn’t pay her that sum if she hid in her bedroom. Dinner was still to come, then dancing and partying until a supper was served at midnight. The best Gwen could hope for was that Zane would call it a day long before the midnight meal.

      Sighing, she washed her hands at the sink and took stock of her face in the mirror above it. Her hairdo was still in place and her makeup was fine, except for her lipstick which took about five seconds to refresh.

      She brushed small specks from her stylish black suit and was glad she’d worn it. She’d noticed quite a few women wearing black today, and had, in fact, received several compliments on her outfit.

      Thus far, she felt that she had fielded questions about Zane and herself quite well. There’d been a lot more curious looks than outright questions, she realized, and if that pattern continued she wouldn’t have to relate any detailed stories about how they’d met and how long they had known each other.

      Of course, right now she didn’t know which was worse—lying or telling the truth. If she was honest with herself, she could not deny that she was exceptionally attracted to Zane—and becoming more so with every minute they pretended to be a couple. But she didn’t try to kid herself about how he might feel about her. Their arrangement was business and nothing more. Tomorrow he would pay her, and other than the off-chance of running into each other when she went to his house to bathe Alamo or to take care of other chores, they would never see each other again.

      The thing that seemed so unfair about it all was that she had not been even slightly attracted to another man since her widowhood. Why her hormones should suddenly come to life over Zane Fortune, a man she could never have, was an annoying mystery. He was a Fortune, and she was…well, what was she, other than a woman alone who struggled daily to feed and clothe her children? Yes, she could dress herself up as she’d done today and put on a pretty good show of sophistication, but down deep she wasn’t a bit sophisticated. She was ordinary—very, very ordinary—and Zane Fortune was anything but.

      It was time she returned to the party, and Gwen left the bedroom. She said a pleasant hello to everyone she saw as she made her way through Ryan’s fabulous home to reach the same door through which she’d entered the mansion.

      A short plump woman with a lovely silver streak in her black hair approached her. “Hello. You’re Zane’s friend, Gwen Hutton. I’m Rosita Perez. You probably met my daughter Maggie. She’s married to Dallas.”

      “Why yes, I did meet Maggie.” Gwen offered her hand for a handshake, and Rosita Perez took it in both of hers, startling Gwen into a stammer. “It’s, uh, very nice meeting you, Mrs. Perez.”

      “Call me Rosita,” she said as she turned Gwen’s hand over and peered at her palm. “Ah, yes, just as I suspected.”

      “You suspected what?” Gwen said cautiously. Was this woman a little light in the upper story, or what?

      “You’re in love,” Rosita said calmly. “And you will be married right after the new year. What’s this I see? Children! How wonderful! You and Zane will have four children.”

      Gwen yanked her hand back. “Mrs. Perez, everything you think you saw in my hand is as far from the truth as it could get. Now, if you’ll excuse me?”

      “You’re quite wrong, my dear,” Rosita called out cheerfully as Gwen hastened away.

      Outside, Gwen tried to calm her shaken system with breaths of fresh air. Without a doubt Rosita Perez was the strangest person she’d met here today. Zane’s relatives might be curious about his latest girlfriend, but at least they were polite about it.

      Latest girlfriend? Gwen’s spirits dropped another notch. She was a hired girlfriend, and she had better not forget it for even a moment!

      In the next heartbeat she saw Zane walking toward her. Apparently he’d been watching for her. How was she going to get through the rest of today and then tomorrow morning with him being so consistently attentive, when she couldn’t seem to rid herself of feelings for the man that just kept going deeper?

      Well, she had to do it, that was all there was to it. She had to smile and talk and act as though he wasn’t the most incredible guy she’d ever met. Inwardly she groaned. Why was this happening to her?

      Zane walked up to her and smiled. “Is your room satisfactory?”

      “It’s a lovely room. Zane, I met the strangest woman in the house. She’s Maggie’s СКАЧАТЬ