Tasha blew a kiss to her friend. “Me, too.”
The phone beeped and the screen went dark.
Tasha’s heart felt sore. Even if their relationship was fake as a Hollywood tan, their ceremony was going to be the real deal. It saddened her that her BFF wouldn’t be at her side for moral support. Especially since Kelly would surely never have the chance to see her walk down the aisle again.
“How you doing?” Zed asked.
“Not so good.” Tasha rose and went to her front window to watch the moon rise like a proud queen.
She heard Zed come up behind her. “You were amazing with your friend. I know it wasn’t easy.”
Tasha kept her back to Zed. She didn’t want him to see her tears. There was a time she’d incessantly dreamed of her wedding day. She’d never imagined her life would come to this—a marriage that was a transactional business deal.
What was it about her that made her unworthy of real love and commitment? It was a serious question she had for the Lord.
* * *
Zed sat at his kitchen table and pondered the events of the past week as he watched the line of blue-gray morning clouds suspended over the mountain range. He folded the Wall Street Journal he’d just read. Tightening his robe, he rose to make another cup of coffee, adding milk, a couple of teaspoons of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon—a new addition, thanks to Tasha’s hot chocolate recipe. An unexpected smile spread across his face at the thought of her.
His phone buzzed, alerting him he had an email. Opening the new message, he saw their background checks had cleared. Zed chuckled, thinking of Tasha’s joke about the felony in Illinois. He forwarded the results to her, and shot her a text in case she didn’t read her emails frequently.
He retrieved his laptop and grabbed a pen and pad. There were four days left before the deadline Aunt Zora had established for him to be married, so they’d have to be married in the next few days. Uncomfortable with the idea of sliding up to Aunt Zora’s final deadline day, in case something unexpected happened, he checked Vista Peak’s county clerk information to see what they needed to get done.
He jotted down task notes. Thankfully, his classes were over for the semester and his dean duties were lighter, due to the university’s shutting down for the holidays.
The Victorian was already furnished, but since Tasha would be moving into it with him, he imagined she might want to bring some of her things to make it feel more familiar. He’d need to schedule a mover. And he needed a new suit for the wedding.
His phone chimed. Anton’s name gleamed on the screen. He accepted the call. “What up, dude?”
“We got it like that, right? I mean, you’re my boy, and we’re always straight with each other, right?”
Zed’s heart skipped a beat. “You know it, bro.”
“I like Tasha. A lot. But have you thought about your arrangement from another perspective—what if she falls for you? With what you’ve been through before with women thinking that they could change your mind about marriage, have you thought about that?”
“I appreciate your concern, but it’s all good. Tasha’s as adamantly against marriage as I am. That’s one of the reasons I pitched the plan to her. I knew things would be safe with her and messy feelings wouldn’t get in the way. And we’ll have a prenup that protects us both financially. We also share similar faith and morals, which means I can trust living in close proximity for three months. To put it simply, she’s perfect for my aunt Zora’s imperfect demands.”
“So when’s the big day?”
“Probably Tuesday.”
“Well, okay,” Anton slowly declared. Zed heard the surprise in his tone. “Am I to assume our invitation’s in the mail?” he quipped.
“Anton, dude, you do understand this isn’t real? I mean, yes, we’re really getting married, but it’s just an arrangement.”
“I get it, man. But you might as well know Maya’s got it in her mind this might be some sort of poetic justice—getting you, who never planned to marry, down the aisle—for some greater purpose. And if this thing turns real, she will hate having missed the big day.”
For once, Zed was happy that fate would help him. “I know. But she’s got the big art show that day. And you’ve got the holiday thing at school with the kids.” Maya, a museum director, had been working over a year on the museum’s signature event and annual fundraiser. And Anton was head of Vista Peak Middle School’s big holiday jamboree.
“Oh, yeah. Right. Couldn’t you guys pick another day?”
“We want to be married before Christmas. And the date works best for us. Plus, we have the deadline.”
Zed heard Anton sigh. “All right, playa.”
“And you can tell Maya not to get her hopes up about some kind of love story happening. I promise you this marriage will have an end date. I haven’t changed my mind about marriage.” He paused, sipping his coffee. “And I won’t do so.”
“Just one more thing,” Anton said with resignation in his voice.
Zed held his breath.
“Congratulations, bro.”
“Thanks, man,” he replied. When he hung up, Zed tried to get Anton’s admission of Maya’s hopes about him and Tasha out of his mind. There was no way he was going to cave in. He already had his first love—his career—and there wasn’t room for anything more. He was glad that he knew himself well. Sudden heartburn gurgled in his throat. He ignored it.
Chapter Five
Tasha gazed at her reflection in the Vista Peak courthouse bathroom mirror. She fought back tears. It was her wedding day, but it was nothing like she’d once dreamed. Instead, it was the beginning of a marriage that was as fake as snow on an LA movie set. How had she gotten here?
She pressed her hand to the cool petals of the camellia positioned behind her right ear. It had been her mother’s favorite flower. Its deep blushing-pink hue contrasted nicely with her vintage knee-length dress, covered in cream-colored macramé lace over silk. She held her arms out, admiring the wide sleeves that expanded like wings.
Even though her and Zed’s relationship was nonexistent, it was a reality that she was soon to be a bride. For that reason, she’d chosen her dress with care. She admired her bright teal high heels. They added a much-needed pop of color, sass and spice to her outfit.
She peered heavenward. “Lord, I hope You see my heart in what I’m about to do. It’s not just about the money, but about helping Zed save his home—a house we both love that’s so much more than brick and mortar. And, Lord, I promise to do good things with the money I get from this. I will sow into the love story of others, through my wedding business. That’s got to stand for something, right?”
Tasha stood still, almost as if she expected God to audibly answer.
Her phone pinged, and her best friend’s name gleamed on the screen. Tasha’s heart leaped. She answered. “Kelly!”
“Tasha, sweetie!” Kelly declared.
Tasha thought of the time difference in London. “Hey, what time is it there?”
“Don’t worry about that. I couldn’t let my girl go down the aisle without knowing my love and heart are with her.”
Tears welled in Tasha’s eyes. She grabbed a paper towel and quickly patted the tears away, not wanting to mess up her makeup. “Don’t be silly. Remember this isn’t real, girl.”
“The courts would beg to differ,” Kelly said.
“You know what I mean.”
“Of course I do, hon. It’s just that we’ve always been there for each other through everything and I want you to know that I’ve got your back. Always.” Kelly paused. “Actually, I’ve been thinking a lot about things since your call. I want you to hear me out. While your unusual arrangement is over-the-top, to say the least, and at first I was worried you might have been settling for less than you deserve—I’ve started to wonder if this could be a blessing in disguise.�
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Tasha heaved a sigh. “Kelly, I love you, to the moon and beyond, but understand—this marriage is strictly a business deal. For the three months. It will end. Period. Please don’t project your hopeless romantic feelings on this.” She attempted to compose herself. “I’ve accepted that happy endings don’t happen for me.” She tried to ignore the tremor in her voice.
“Oh, sweetie, I know your heart has been broken and life has knocked you down. But the only way you can lose is by not getting back up again. You can’t control what life throws at you, but you can control how you respond to it.”
“Kelly, you know I love you. And I know you love me. I appreciate your call and your support. Really, I do. I’d better be going.”
“Blessings to you, my friend,” Kelly said.
Tasha swallowed hard. “Thank you.” She ended the call.
Closing her eyes, Tasha let the quiet envelop and calm her. “Here we go.” Her lids fluttered back open. She strolled toward the bathroom exit, her high heels clacking against the tile floor as she admired the restroom’s Art Deco curved glass wall.
Upon exiting the restroom, she found Zed leaning against a marble pillar. His smile broke the serious lines of his face.
He looked like a walking magazine ad in a navy blue suit with a purple shirt and matching tie. For a quick moment she considered the saying that the groom shouldn’t see the bride before the wedding. Then she remembered it didn’t matter. This was a business agreement. It would end.
Zed strolled toward her, looking at her like he was pleased at what he saw. “You look amazing.”
Shyness overcame her. “Thank you. You clean up pretty good, too.”
“Hang on. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Tasha stood as Zed lightly sprinted behind the pillar. He returned with a bouquet of flowers.
“Zed, they’re lovely.”
He studied her. “Every bride deserves flowers on her wedding day.”
Every bride deserves to be loved and adored by her groom on her wedding day. The rogue thought escaped before Tasha could censor it. She’d said this to countless brides. Yet, here she stood, marrying a practical stranger.
“Are we doing the right thing?”
Panic streaked across his face. “You’re not reconsidering?”
“I still see marriage as sacred. Even if it’s not for me,” she said.
“I get that. I feel the same way,” he replied.
Tasha held tears at bay. “Am I cheapening the institution by marrying for money?” She heard the exasperated high-pitched tone of her words play back in her mind.
Zed held out his hand. “Come with me.”
Tasha took his hand and let him lead her to a marble bench in a corner.
“Tasha, I need to tell you something.”
He motioned for her to sit and he joined her.
“My family’s house is more special than you know.”
Her brows knitted in curiosity. “How so?”
“My great-grandparents were slaves. My grandpop was the first free man in our family. He fought in World War II. Despite the racism he faced, he was proud to defend his country. A decorated war veteran, he came home and couldn’t find decent work. But he was determined. He worked three jobs. Nightly, he’d walk home, so dog-tired he could barely see, and he always passed the Victorian.”
Zed paused as a young family, parents and a toddler, walked by. The parents held multiple Christmas-decorated shopping bags. Once they passed by, he continued.
“A white family lived here with their twin sons. Sometimes my grandpop would just stop and listen to the sounds of the kids’ laughter or the family talking while watching television. He was like a kid outside a candy shop, and he dreamed of raising a family in such a fine place.
“He met my grandmom, Gigi, on a blind date not too long after he returned from the war. She was sweet as pie, kind, funny, smart. However, she was not beautiful. Guys never got past her looks. She was considered an old maid, and my grandfather initially wasn’t attracted to her. But he decided to make the best of it and be a good sport. He pretty much put her in the friend zone, and that’s how he got to know her—her wit, intelligence, compassion, kindness. And one day he realized this woman had bowled him over. His love for her lit a fire in him.”
“What a wonderful love story,” Tasha declared. How his grandparents met and married sounded like something out of a movie.
“I know, right?” Zed replied. “They were soon married. All they could afford was a rudimentary clapboard tenement. But Grandpop had big dreams and he was a praying man. He wanted nothing but the best for Gigi. He told her one day they were going to live in the grand Victorian and that they’d have the life they deserved, like the white folks that lived there.
“Gigi would just laugh, figuring it was a nice dream. But unknown to her, he was putting away money. One night he was sitting in his usual place, admiring the house, when a drunk driver missed a turn. The car jumped the curb and hit my grandpops. Killed him instantly.”
Tasha gasped, blindsided by the shocking turn of events in the story. Her heart instantly ached for Gigi. She could only imagine the woman’s grief. “Oh, Zed, how awful!”
Zed paused. Tasha watched his Adam’s apple bobble as he swallowed several times, obviously trying to rally his emotions. He finally continued. “Before he died, they’d been trying to have children. My grandmother had three miscarriages. Two months after his death, she found out she was pregnant.”
“Seriously?” Tasha clasped her hand to her heart at this news.
“I know. Amazing, huh? Six months after his death, the family that lived in the Victorian moved. She started out renting the home, because African Americans were unable to buy homes at that time. She put away my grandpop’s life insurance and the settlement from the accident, until she was able to purchase the house.
“When she moved in, the first thing she did was plant a little garden of flowers around the tree where my grandpops used to sit. It’s still there to this day. She always said God had given her the house and that it was the house that love built. Throughout Vista Peak people knew Gigi’s house was a welcome haven. Black kids, white kids, Asian and Hispanic kids all came in and out of the house, filling up on my grandmother’s love. She never married again. However, even though she only had one child, she was a mother to countless kids. Quite a few of their kids and grandkids have come back to see the place over the years.”
“Oh, wow.” Tasha wiped away tears. “That’s a beautiful story.” She gathered her thoughts. “And I know it’s supposed to make me feel better about what we’re doing. But it’s just the opposite, Zed. It makes me feel worse. Like we’re making a mockery of their true love and what the place symbolizes.”
Zed clasped her hands. “Tasha, I get what you’re saying. But I don’t see it like that. The house is their legacy of love and desire for a better life. Sometimes I feel their blood, sweat, tears, hopes and dreams are absorbed in the plaster and the very foundation of the place. By saving the home, I feel we’re honoring and keeping alive their legacy.”
“When you talk about that legacy, Zed, it makes me wonder why your aunt would put the house in jeopardy to be sold to developers and demolished if you didn’t agree to her little plan.”
“As much as my aunt loved the house, she loved me more. She never had kids of her own. I was like a son to her. She was stubborn and wanted a loving family for me, especially after what my mom and I went through with my dad. She made the stakes high, to force my hand and to let me know she was serious about me at least giving marriage a try. She knew me well enough to trust I’d fight to keep the house.”
He stood and held out a hand. “Are we gonna do this thing?” he said softly.
A memory of her first act of bravery—jumping off the diving board at thirteen—came to mind. She’d finally closed her eyes,
pushed away her fear, and without thinking, she’d leaped into the unknown. Tasha recalled the mixed feelings of terror and exhilaration she’d felt. It was much the same right now.
Zed observed her with laser focus.
She rose and took her future husband’s hand, and they headed for the judge’s quarters.
A woman with a name tag that read “Lois,” wearing a tweed pantsuit, with stiff 1980s high hair, greeted them when they entered the office. She admitted that she was a sucker for weddings and offered to stand in as a witness, even though it wasn’t necessary to have one in Colorado. Her gray eyes sparkled with warmth.
The judge was different. His monotone voice said he’d done this too many times to count and just wanted to get it over with.
Tasha was surprised at her swirl of emotions. Although she knew their relationship wasn’t real, it would be legal. She stared at the handsome man across from her. His good looks were the thing romance novels were made of. And in minutes she was going to be his wife.
When it came time to exchange rings, Tasha placed the simple gold band she’d purchased on Zed’s finger. Then he took something from his jacket pocket.
She gasped when she saw the ring. It was a lovely vintage, obviously expensive, ring.
“It was Gigi’s wedding ring,” he whispered as he placed it on her finger.
“Zed,” she whispered back, “it’s too much.”
He shook his head. “She, her love and the house are a big part of all this. This ring makes it like she’s here with us.”
To her surprise, the ring fit perfectly. Before she realized it, the short, perfunctory ceremony was over. And the judge was telling Zed that he could kiss his bride.
She hadn’t thought about the kiss. How could she have forgotten about the kiss?
From the deer-in-the-headlights look on Zed’s face, he hadn’t considered it, either.
Lois and the judge observed them expectantly, and Tasha knew if they didn’t do something soon, it would make things even more awkward.
Claiming His Christmas Inheritance Page 6
