A Marriage of Anything but Convenience

by Victorine E. Lieske

  It was kind of cute, actually. He must have been embarrassed that he wanted to take her picture. Whatever for, she wasn’t sure. She’d come to know his shyness over the past few days. She’d never seen that in him before. He was always so serious. She just thought he was stuffy. Maybe even a little stuck up. She sure had seen a different side of him.

  Thoughts of last night’s kiss invaded her, and her face warmed. She must have lost her mind last night. She had thought he was the one who kissed her, but that was not true. It was the only thing that explained his reaction. She kissed him, and freaked him out.

  This morning, it took a while for him to be comfortable around her again. The awkwardness was tangible. But after a while, he fell back into an easier conversation with her.

  It did bother her that he wanted to totally ignore the kiss. I mean, how do you ignore something like that? It was difficult not to take a personal offense. What did she do wrong? Other than being too forward?

  She worried that he would be super standoffish today, but the ice had melted, and he was back to being his normal self now. Even going so far as to hold her in the dark when the lights were out.

  Maybe they could do another cave tour again tomorrow? She laughed at her stupidity. She was sure acting like a stupid girl with a crush. Which, was hilarious if she thought about it. She had a crush on her fake husband. What a loser.

  Something touched the top of her head and she jerked down, raising her hands up and screeching. “What was that? Was that a bat? Tell me that wasn’t a bat, please.”

  Derek chuckled, but tried to hide it with his hand. “It wasn’t a bat.”

  The tour guide turned around. “Don’t worry, there are no bats in this part of the cave.” Then he pointed up and spoke louder, to the group. “You might feel an occasional drip. It’s just water. When it rains above, the water will travel down here. This is how all of these beautiful stalactites were formed.”

  Nara felt the top of her head. Sure enough, it was a little wet. “Thank goodness,” she said under her breath. “I thought maybe a bat attacked me.”

  Derek pulled her to him again. “Don’t worry,” he said, his voice low enough only she could hear. “I won’t let anything attack you.”

  Those words sent her heart into overdrive. Goodness, why was she acting like such a fool? He shouldn’t affect her like that. He was only being nice.

  Wasn’t he?

  Chapter 17

  A cool breeze blew from off the water as Derek walked with Nara down the sidewalk. It had become overcast, which was a nice change as the past few days had been hot. They’d gotten to know the strip near their resort, and they had several restaurants on their list to try before they leave on Friday. Tonight, they were headed to one called Russel’s Spot.

  The restaurant was pretty much a tent without walls. It was raised up on a pavilion with round tables and tall stools. Each time they walked by, the smell would make them turn to each other and comment. His mouth would water, and tonight was no exception, with the smell of grilled fish and curry in the air. Derek followed Nara up onto the pavilion.

  After they were seated and had ordered, Nara leaned closer to him, holding out her hand. “You know, I kind of like this ring. It’s such a good fake. I don’t think anyone would be able to tell it’s not real. Do you mind if I keep it after we split?”

  He tried to think of something to say that wasn’t stupid. Something other than, “You’d better want to keep that diamond ring because I spent over fifty thousand dollars on it.” In the end he just nodded and said, “That’s fine.”

  “How is Brielle doing?”

  Derek held in a groan. “I don’t know. I’m no good at these kinds of things.”

  Nara picked up her napkin. “Have you texted her?”

  “No.”

  “Called?”

  “No.”

  Nara huffed. “Well, you’d better. She obviously turns to you for support when things go wrong.”

  Guilt clenched his stomach. He was so bad at this. But Nara was right. He should be doing something. “I just don’t know what to say to her.”

  “Well, you raised her. What did you do when she got upset growing up?”

  He stared at the table, feeling foolish. Dare he say what had always worked in the past? It was so stupid. Yet, she sat there staring at him, so he had to answer. “I would distract her with a toy.”

  Nara snorted. “Well, that’s not going to work.”

  “I know,” he said, feeling terrible. “I have no idea what she wants.”

  “She just wants someone to listen to her. Someone to tell her it will all be okay.” Nara reached across the table and picked up his hand. “You can do that, right?”

  The feeling of her soft skin on his muddled his brain. He nodded, because he thought that’s what she wanted, but he had suddenly lost the conversation. All he could think about what her hand on his, and last night’s kiss.

  “Okay, then just text her right now and ask if she’s okay. See if she needs to talk.”

  That didn’t sound too hard. The part he feared was when she did want to talk. But, he decided to deal with that when it came. He picked up his phone and sent off a quick text.

  Nara smiled. “There. You just let her know you’re thinking of her, and that you care.”

  His phone chimed and he looked at the screen.

  That’s so sweet of you. But you shouldn’t be worried about me while you’re on your honeymoon! I’m so sorry I called earlier.

  Derek texted her back.

  It’s okay.

  He almost texted, “We’re not doing anything,” but then decided that didn’t sound very appropriate so he left that part off.

  You’re the best big brother in the whole world.

  Derek’s eyebrows shot up and he showed the text to Nara. “Hey, that totally worked. And I didn’t have to even talk her down from another ledge.”

  She smiled and tapped the side of her head. “See? Just follow my lead and you’ll be fine.”

  He set his phone back down on the table. A server came and brought them their food. He’d ordered a plate with mahi mahi and rice. It looked as amazing as it smelled. They both ate in silence for a few minutes.

  He wiped his mouth with his napkin and took a drink of his water. “So, tell me about the designs you think you’ll submit to the contest.”

  Nara thought a minute while she chewed. “I created a casual business suit for women a few years ago. I was quite happy with it. Candice called it too ‘safe.’” She made a face.

  “Hmm. Do you think a casual business suit could win a contest like that?”

  She sighed and pushed food around on her plate. “Maybe not.”

  “What else have you designed that could get attention?”

  “I have this dress I created. It’s short in front and longer in back. I really liked it, but Candice said it was impractical. Still, I thought it was a great design.”

  “You should submit that one, then.”

  “Really? You think something impractical could win?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know a lot about design and fashion, but from what I’ve seen of runways, they seem to have a lot of impractical going on.”

  Nara laughed. “You’re right. That’s very true.”

  “I think you should give it a shot. Do you think it’s one of your strongest designs?”

  “I do,” she said as she stabbed a piece of fish. “It’s unique enough, with just one sleeve, but very flattering to the figure.”

  Great. Now he was thinking about Nara’s flattering figure. “Sounds perfect.”

  He finished eating then settled back in his chair. The air had cooled a bit more, and now it was almost chilly. Nara rubbed her arms.

  “We should go back to our room after you’re done,” he said, looking at the sky. “It’s going to rain.”

  She nodded, her gaze traveling over the ocean water. “For sure.”

  Derek’s phone rang, and a wave of
insecurity hit. Did Brielle change her mind? Did she want to talk about her breakup? Was she going to cry again? But when he looked at the screen he saw Richard Claymore’s name. Something must be going on at the company. He hurried to pick up the line. “Hello?”

  “Derek.” Mr. Claymore’s voice sounded funny.

  “Yes? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m in the hospital.”

  Concern shot through him and Derek couldn’t help but feel guilty for not talking to Nara about his suspicions. “What happened?”

  “I fell. Might have broken my wrist, they’re going to x-ray it. It’s not a big deal. The doctors are concerned about a few other things, so they are admitting me.”

  “What are they concerned about?”

  “Don’t worry about that. It’s nothing.”

  “It can’t be nothing.”

  “My white blood cell count is lower than they’d like.”

  A low white blood cell count? That didn’t sound good at all. Isn’t that what happened when a person was fighting cancer? Derek cursed himself silently for not insisting that Richard tell him what was going on, and for not talking to Nara about it. “Are you okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. Just tell Nara for me…okay?” His voice sounded soft. Tentative. Like he wasn’t sure how Nara would react to the news.

  “I will.”

  “And I’m sorry this happened while you were away. I’ll have Terry take care of things at the office until you get back. Don’t let this interrupt you. I just didn’t want you to hear about me being in the hospital from the news.”

  He let out a breath. “Okay.” After he hung up the phone, Nara stared at him expectantly.

  “Well? Who was that?”

  Derek’s mouth went dry and he had a hard time swallowing. “Your father.”

  She raised one eyebrow. “Is he okay?”

  What was he to say to that? He’d put off telling her his suspicions, and now her father was in the hospital and something serious might be going on. If she lost her father before she got a chance to reconcile, he was afraid it would tear her apart. “I think he’s sick,” Derek blurted out.

  Chapter 18

  Nara stared at Derek, not really understanding his words. Her father was sick? Why would her father call Derek to tell him he was sick? That didn’t make much sense. Was he out of nasal spray? That’s what his staff at home was for. “Like, he’s got the flu?”

  Derek seemed uncomfortable. He took his napkin and folded it, then set it on the table. “Maybe we should go for a walk. Are you done?” He motioned to the last few bites of food on her plate.

  “I’m stuffed. I can’t eat any more. It was delicious, though.”

  He paid the check and they stood. He slid his hand into the small of her back as they left the restaurant and headed down the sidewalk. It did funny things to her breathing, but she tried not to act any different. She didn’t want to freak him out again. Their resort wasn’t too far away. She could endure it until then.

  She wasn’t the kind of person who wanted things spoon-fed to her. As they walked, she looked up at Derek. “Tell me what’s going on with my father. Why did he call?”

  “He’s in the hospital.”

  Hospital? Her father? He was the type of person who never went to the doctor. He had a toothache for week when she was a teen and didn’t say a thing until one day she found him in the bathroom trying to take it out with a pair of pliers. She forced him to go to the dentist. What in the world could he be sick with that made him go to the hospital?

  “What’s the matter with him?”

  “He fell.”

  She scrunched up her nose. “Like, he tripped? Why would he have to go to the hospital for that?” She wasn’t comprehending what Derek was trying to say. Did he get sick, or did he fall? Or both?

  “He said they think his wrist is broken.”

  He must be in too much pain to deal with it at home, because the father she knew would wrap it up and keep working. “Oh. Well, that sucks. But it’s not a big deal. Why did he call you about that?”

  Derek ran a hand over his hair, his expression unreadable. “He hasn’t been well lately. I don’t know if you noticed, but he’s lost weight. I tried to talk to him about it, but he waved me away. He didn’t want to discuss it.” He sighed and his gaze penetrated through her. “I think he might be sick. Like, really sick.”

  A tiny alarm went off in Nara’s head as she stared at Derek. What did he mean, really sick? A knot formed in her belly and she had a hard time taking in a breath. “What are you talking about?”

  Lines formed across his forehead. “I think he might have something serious going on. Like cancer.”

  She stopped walking, her heart stabbing in her chest. A few fat raindrops fell from the sky, indicating it would start pouring soon. Tourists skirted around them as they stood in the middle of the sidewalk. She swallowed, trying to get her voice back. “Cancer?”

  Derek’s Adam’s apple bobbed several times in a row, his face white. He held out his hands. “I don’t know for sure.”

  “But you suspect?”

  He nodded, his lips pinched together.

  Nara tried to process what had happened. What both her father and Derek had been keeping from her. The thoughts swirling around in her head were making her dizzy. “So, he called you just now to tell you he was in the hospital?”

  “Yes. He didn’t want me to find out by watching the news.”

  Her face flushed hot and she let out a grunt. Her father called Derek to tell him he was in the hospital. Of course, he did. That was so like her father. Derek was the one he turned to in his time of need. Not her. Ouch. That really stung. She blinked as the sidewalk blurred in front of her.

  The sky opened up and rain fell in earnest, pooling on the low spots of the cement. She turned from Derek and started walking toward the gazebo that sat in the small park halfway to their resort. She sprinted the last ten feet, but it did no good. She was drenched by the time she got under the shelter.

  Derek stepped in beside her, drops of water clinging to his eyelashes. It would have been cute if she wasn’t so upset with him. Upset at what her father had done. She poked his chest with her index finger. “Why did he call you?”

  A blank look crossed his face, as if he wasn’t sure what exactly she was asking. “He knew we were together.”

  For some reason, that made her even angrier. “Don’t you think he should have called me about that? I am his daughter, after all.” The daughter he conveniently forgot about when it wasn’t to his advantage. She folded her arms, seething inside.

  Somewhere in the back of her brain she knew she was overreacting. She didn’t have a good relationship with her father. What gave her the right to be upset when he called Derek instead of her? But she pushed back that rational side of her. She didn’t want to be rational. For some stupid reason all she wanted to be was angry.

  A frown pulled at Derek’s lips. “I’m sorry.”

  She paced back and forth in the space, a surge of energy now itching at her. Words began gushing out, like someone turned on the faucet and left. “And why wouldn’t he tell me if he was sick? What kind of a selfish man keeps that from his daughter? Cancer isn’t something to push away and forget about. It won’t go away with a couple of pain relievers. What was he thinking? He wasn’t thinking, that’s just it. He never thinks. He just runs away from everything. Well, now he’s in a fine mess.”

  She wanted to pound on something. It was just like her father to wait until something was bad to do something about it. And now he’s falling and hurting himself? The image of her father, who was the strongest man she knew, falling and breaking something was not computing with her.

  And another thing Derek said wasn’t quite fitting in. He suspected her father was ill, but Derek didn’t know. He could be upsetting her for nothing. What if her father had simply been on a diet? What if he wasn’t sick at all? She rounded on him. “What makes you think he’s got cancer?”


  Derek looked like he’d rather step back into the rain than answer her question. But he spoke anyway. “He said they wanted to admit him for more tests because he has a low white blood cell count.”

  “Wait, that’s it?” Nara held up her hand, her fingers shaking. “That’s what made you jump to cancer? I’m sorry, can’t that just be a simple infection? What if he has a virus?”

  The more she thought about it, the angrier it made her. “I can’t believe you told me that he might have cancer, when all it could be is something simple like that.” She shoved Derek’s shoulder. “You made me worried for nothing.”

  Derek just stood there, like the statue he usually is, no expression on his face. It made her even more ticked off. “Why are you not saying anything? That’s not fair at all to do to me. Do you even know how mad I am right now?”

  She went to shove him again, but Derek was too fast. He reached out and took her into his arms, pulling her close to his chest. The hug surprised her, and she stood, shocked for a moment. And then tears sprang to her eyes and she began crying, even though she didn’t know why.

  His hold on her tightened, which made her cry even harder. She felt stupid, standing there, wet with the rain, crying into Derek’s chest. There was no reason to cry. Yet, she couldn’t stop. And he simply let her cry until there were no tears left.

  When her sobs turned into hiccups, he finally let her go. Embarrassed, she pulled back and wiped at her cheeks. “Well, that was stupid. I don’t even know why I’m crying.”

  “Because.” Derek didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t have to. She knew what he meant.

  “He probably doesn’t even have cancer,” she said, but even to her own ears it sounded lame. She’d seen the difference in how her father looked when she got off the plane. She’d noticed, she just hadn’t thought that maybe he was ill. She didn’t know what she was thinking. Only that she was mad at him for forcing this marriage.