The Marriage Rescue

by Shirley Jump

“Wimp.” She winked. “I finish it every time. But then I don’t eat for a week afterward.”

  He chuckled. “Well, if you’re ordering these regularly, it doesn’t show. You look amazing and beautiful, Beth.”

  She dipped her head and concentrated on spearing a piece of potato. “Thank you.”

  Clearly, Beth Cooper wasn’t used to compliments. Why not? She was a stunning woman, and any man worth his salt would see that, and hold on to it. What did it say about Grady that he was already planning to let her go?

  “So what about your family?” Beth took a bite and swallowed. “I know your grandmother was awesome. I read in the Stone Gap Gazette that the town council is talking about building a gazebo in the park and naming it after her. She always did so much for the people here.”

  That was his grandmother. A giver to a fault. It didn’t surprise him that people would erect a monument to her. Once again, a flicker of something like jealousy ran through him. What would it be like to live in a place where neighbors treated each other like family? The house where he and his brothers grew up had been far from busy Raleigh, up on a hill, as remote as their parents. His apartment in a high-rise in New York was thirty stories from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. Ida Mae’s house and the dozens of others that ringed Stone Gap Lake had been the closest thing to a neighborhood he’d ever known.

  “She was the kind of grandmother everyone wished they could have. I’m glad you knew her.”

  That shared connection linked him to Beth in a different way than the puppy training or the feigned engagement. She’d known the person he loved most in the world, and admired her just as much. Maybe that was part of why being around Beth eased every tense muscle in him.

  “I am, too. She was an incredible person.” Beth negotiated through the eggs for a bite of cheesy home fries. The two of them exchanged small talk for a while about favorite teachers and classes, and how awful outdoor gym was in North Carolina in the sun.

  “Did your parents live nearby then?” she asked. “I don’t think I ever met them if they did, and Ida Mae was always kind of vague about them.”

  “My parents live in a big house and spend their days recounting all the ways their sons are disappointments to them.” He opted for a bite of toast this time, but the bite just sat in his stomach. It was no wonder his grandmother rarely mentioned them. As soon as his father had his driver’s license, he’d left Stone Gap in his dust. Even when he came back for the annual visit, he’d stayed in town only long enough to drop off the boys. Every time Ida Mae’s son drove away, Grady had seen her heart break a little more. Maybe that was why she’d poured all her love into her grandsons. “I don’t really talk to either of them. Nick, my youngest brother, who lives here now, does. I think he’s the optimist in the family.”

  “You have a brother here? We should invite him to the wedding that isn’t going to happen.” Beth grinned and popped another bite into her mouth.

  “That would be appropriate for my family. We never really celebrated holidays or graduations. My grandmother did all that. Life with my parents was all very...staid. Buttoned up.”

  “Boring.”

  He laughed. “Exactly. Maybe that’s why I was the kid leaping off the diving platform or zip lining. I wanted to escape that stifling house. Wanted to pack all the excitement and fun I could into short intervals, because I never knew when I’d get another chance.”

  “And so you did. Going into business for yourself is a risky proposition.”

  He didn’t mention where his risks had gotten him thus far. “Which you have done, too.”

  “I just groom and train dogs. I’m not dealing with millions here. It’s a small business in a small town, which suits me fine.”

  “Don’t downplay it, Beth. Your worries about your business are the same as mine. Just because there are less zeroes attached doesn’t mean they’re different. You’ve taken as much of a risk as I have.”

  Except he’d gotten too cocky when his risks had always panned out. And the latest one...

  Why hadn’t he waited to start construction until he had the contract in hand? Sure, there were plenty of projects he’d done without a specific buyer in mind, just predicting what the market might need next, but those were smaller builds, generic facilities that could work for any number of companies. For something that big, that specific...why had he thought he could understand and predict the movements of a mercurial government?

  “I guess I never saw it that way,” Beth said. “You’re right, though. When I lose a couple of regular clients, it impacts my bottom line a lot. Some of my business is seasonal, with the snowbirds who stay in town to avoid the winters up north. I have to make sure to plan ahead for the other months.”

  “Smart and amazing. You are quite the combination, Beth Cooper.”

  She dipped her head again, picking at the last few bites of egg. “We demolished that breakfast.”

  “Hey.” He waited until she looked up at him. “You keep changing the subject when I compliment you.”

  “I’m just...not used to that.” She shrugged.

  “As in not used to men finding you beautiful? Because you must be dating only blind guys, if that’s the case.”

  That made a smile flicker across her face. “I never dated much. I never had the time. There was always someone to take care of. Someone to worry about.”

  “Is that why you didn’t go to prom?”

  She sighed. “Can we not talk about this? I don’t need a running reminder that Beth Cooper’s life sucked. It is what it is, and right now, Grady, I’m just trying to get through it without falling apart.”

  He could certainly relate to that. Half the time he felt like Humpty Dumpty, about to topple and shatter at any moment. He pushed the plate aside and reached for her hand. “You don’t have to go through all that alone, you know.”

  “What, are you going to be there? Sit beside me while I watch my father die?” She yanked her hand out of his. “Thanks for breakfast. I have to go.”

  “Beth—” But she was already up and out of the diner before he could throw a twenty on the table. She darted out into the rain, and was gone in a blink.

  * * *

  Beth glanced out into the front of her shop ten thousand times on Monday morning. All day Tuesday. Every time she heard the door, or even noticed the shape of someone walking toward her building, she paused. Waited. Hoped. When she came into work on Wednesday, she told herself she didn’t care if Grady showed up or called her or had any contact with her. There’d been a few texts back and forth, but she’d kept everything focused on the dog, not on whatever this thing was between them. He was just her pretend boyfriend—fiancé—and she didn’t need to spend any time with him.

  Although that kiss in the kitchen a few days ago had left her wondering. Well, not just wondering. Tossing and turning and reliving.

  Maybe it was just that it had literally been forever since she’d been on a date. And that her last one had been with a balding lawyer she’d met on a dating site, who had not matched his profile in height, weight or hair volume. She could have overlooked all that, but he’d also had this nasally laugh that drove her insane. At the end of the night, when he’d gone to kiss her, she’d feigned a sneeze and ducked into her house. Her fiancé had been a nice guy, but rather dull, and self-centered in the end. Maybe she should have seen that coming when he got aggravated at the time she spent working or caring for her dad. When he’d kissed her, she’d always felt like he was holding back or thinking about something else.

  Yeah, so her comparison pool for kissing was pretty shallow. That was all. Added to that, Grady was one hell of a good kisser. Who took his time, made her feel treasured—

  The golden retriever she was brushing let out a yelp. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” Beth soothed the dog and went back to grooming, determined to pay more attention to the fur than to the man who wasn
’t even here.

  Still, she wondered why Grady had asked about her family and her past. Why he kept telling her she was pretty. This was all supposed to be quid pro quo—he got the Realtor he needed, and some dog training, and she got a way to cheer up her dad. Why would Grady do so much more than she had asked, for the sake of a temporary and pretend relationship?

  Once she was done, she put two pink bows in Daisy’s hair, then helped the dog down to the floor. The golden trotted over to the corner and lay down to take a nap, not at all interested in showing off her newly groomed look to the world.

  The door to the grooming salon tinkled. Could it be Grady? Or her ten thirty, arriving early? Beth smoothed a hand over her hair, checked her reflection in the mirror—damn that man, she’d started wearing makeup to work just in case—then headed out front.

  And there he was, wearing black pinstriped dress pants and a white shirt with two undone buttons that damned near made her faint. He looked so good, like a man walking into his home at the end of the day, that it made her want to curve into him and say something crazy like how was your day, dear?

  She played it cool and casual, as if he was the mailman or a neighbor she hadn’t seen in a while. Not the man she had kissed and was now “engaged” to.

  “Grady. What brings you by?” No dog by his feet, so it couldn’t be about Monster.

  “I wanted to see you.”

  It was the second time he’d sought her out for something other than the dog. Her traitorous heart skipped a beat. Her much-more-practical mind whispered that this wasn’t a real relationship. It was a business arrangement. But that didn’t mean her body got the message, because when Grady took a few steps closer, her pulse raced and her lips tingled with their need to be kissed again. By him. For practice, yeah, practice. Just in case her dad questioned the validity of their engagement or something.

  “Did you have an issue with the dog or...?” She left the question open-ended. Because she didn’t want to assume he was here to see her for a romantic reason, especially after she’d bailed from the café the other day. And she wasn’t interested in that, anyway. Right?

  “Nothing with Monster. Although we’re still on for a training session tomorrow, right?”

  She had to stop staring at the inch of his chest she could see past the parted panels of his shirt. Her fingers itched to undo the rest of the buttons, to learn if he looked as good out of his clothes as he did in them.

  “Tomorrow?” Grady prompted, when she didn’t reply. “Did I get the day wrong?”

  She jerked her brain back to the present. “Yes, tomorrow. But...” She bit her lip. “My dad is bugging me about when you’re coming over again. He wants to get to know you more. So I was thinking maybe we could do the training session at his house? Just for a half hour and then—”

  “Of course. That’s not a problem.”

  Until her shoulders relaxed, she hadn’t realized she’d been bracing for pushback. Was it because she was more used to disappointment than agreement with any of her wishes and plans?

  But Grady agreed as easily as saying yes to chocolate sauce on his ice cream. He really was making this whole crazy thing simple for her. He hadn’t just made a promise and then broken it, which was, to be honest, what she’d come to expect from most people in her life. “Oh, good. Uh, thanks. So...what did you need to see me about?”

  “You ran out of the restaurant the other day, and you haven’t replied when I asked you about it on the phone or in texts, so now I’m here in person.” He took a step closer. “Why?”

  “I had appointments to get to.” It was a lie and they both knew it.

  “And you’ve avoided seeing me.” He took another step. “One would almost think we weren’t engaged.”

  “We’re not.”

  “As far as this town is concerned, we are. But to make it visibly official...” He fished in his pocket, pulled out a velvet box and turned it to face her as he opened the lid. A round-cut engagement ring in a platinum setting stared back at her. Not too big or flashy, but elegant in design, with a halo of smaller diamonds encircling the main stone.

  “Oh, God, Grady, it’s—”

  “Cubic zirconium. Because, well, I didn’t want you to feel pressured and this isn’t...” His voice trailed off.

  Isn’t real. Isn’t meant to be a proposal. Is supposed to be a business deal. Nothing more. Then why did she feel so disappointed? Did she really expect him to get down on one knee and pop the question with a giant diamond?

  “Yeah, that makes sense.”

  He stood there for a second, shifting his weight, then thrust the box at her. “Uh, here.”

  “Thanks.” The whole thing was surreal and sad, as if she’d been dropped into a Dali painting. Beth took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her left ring finger. The ring nestled into the space as if it had been meant to be on her finger all along.

  “I had to guess on the size. I should have asked.”

  “It’s perfect, Grady. And beautiful.” And fake. That shouldn’t bother her—but it did. Not the cost or size of the stone, because Beth had never been one of those girls who cared about Coach purses or Manolo shoes. But she realized she’d imagined the moment of getting engaged very, very differently in her head.

  “Are you sure you’re not disappointed? I mean, I know it’s not supposed to be a big deal, because this is all temporary. Still, I wanted something that your dad would believe. Not too big or small. I wasn’t sure of your taste, but I thought simple might be best. Easiest. I mean, prettiest, you know, for you. Not that I’m saying you’re simple...oh, hell. Sorry. I’m screwing this up.”

  “You’re not, Grady. I get it, I do.” He was babbling on and on. Could he be as unnerved by this moment as she was? She splayed her fingers, glanced at the ring, then back up at him. “It’s not exactly the moment little girls dream of when they’re playing with Barbies,” she said. “Not that I thought we would do anything real. I mean, we hardly know each other and—”

  He kissed her. Took her in his arms and kissed her, just as she had imagined him doing, just as she remembered. Soft and sweet, then harder and deeper. Desire ignited inside her and Beth’s arms went around his back, pulling him closer. His lips skated across hers, tasting, nipping, teasing, and made her imagine what it would be like to have his mouth on her body, between her legs.

  She could feel his erection between them, and that only fanned the fire inside her. She wished they were in her bedroom, wished they were naked, wished this was real. Their kiss deepened, and Beth arched into him as his hand came down to press against her backside. Her nipples hardened, and she both cursed and thanked the thin bra and T-shirt that told Grady exactly what he was doing to her.

  His other hand snaked under her shirt, cupping her breast in one broad palm. His touch made her ache inside, and when his thumb brushed against the nub, she nearly cried with need. Then a dog barked and Beth jerked herself back to reality.

  What was she doing? This wasn’t real. This wasn’t anything other than...confusion.

  She stepped back, and her body screamed defiance. “We shouldn’t do that. We’re not... This isn’t...”

  “What if it could be? Just while I’m in town?”

  “You’re leaving?” Of course he was. It was a silly thing to say. The house he’d inherited was on the market—he’d come to town for the sole purpose of selling it. His business—his whole world—was more than five hundred miles away.

  He nodded. “In a couple days. I should have been gone already, but I...” He brushed a tendril of hair off her face, and damn it all, she leaned into his palm. “I can’t seem to leave.”

  “I’m glad.” Then she caught herself, and drew back the emotion that had escaped. She hated showing weakness, especially to someone she barely knew. Except a part of her felt like she knew Grady already. When he’d sat across from her at
the dining room table, his eyes had been filled with...

  Longing. As if he’d never had something as simple as a family dinner. She’d wanted to explain that her life hadn’t had much of that, either. Instead, she’d had a mother who was checked out, a dad who was gone almost all the time. Beth had been on her own. Her mother had vetoed pets, although Beth did dog walking and pet sitting for extra money and to get that pet fix she couldn’t get at home. Was it any surprise she’d ended up working with dogs? Animals didn’t let her down or leave her alone when she’d been struggling through her teen years or trying to navigate life after her mother died.

  “I’m happy for my dad, I mean,” she finished, babbling on like an overflowing brook. “He’s like a different person now. For weeks, whenever I’d go over after work, he’d be sitting in the same place with the remote in his hand, watching game show number 783 for the day. But this week, every time I went over there, he’s been up and about. Organizing things, dusting. Saying he wanted to get the house ready for guests. You know, for when we...”

  The wedding was never going to happen, but she’d deal with telling her father that later. Maybe once her bond with him was stronger, and they’d laid a deeper foundation for the relationship they’d never had. For now, the lightness in his face and the pep in his movements had brought sunshine back into a very gloomy situation.

  “You...” Grady shook his head. “You are something I never counted on. I’m a leap-before-I-look kind of guy. Too much so, sometimes.” His face clouded, then he shook off the shadow. “But this, well, this thing with us is a little out of my wheelhouse.”

  “Mine, too.” Beth glanced at the diamond, so gorgeous it easily passed for real. “I’ll wear the ring for a while, then quietly tell everyone the distance between us was too hard to overcome and...with time, we’ll all forget about this.”

  That was what she wanted. No entanglements, nothing beyond this short-lived charade. There wouldn’t be any date nights and kisses under the stars—

  What was wrong with her? Since when did she want that kind of thing? She was practical, levelheaded. Not some silly romantic who dreamed of a knight on a white horse. She had a business to run, a fake fiancé to pass off and a father who was gravely ill. Foolish romantic clichés didn’t fit on that list.