If I Only Had A...Husband (The Bridal Circle #1)

by Andrea Edwards

  He waved his hand at the papers. “I don’t care about any of this. Repair what needs to be repaired. Don’t repair what doesn’t and sell it for whatever you think. Just give me what I have to sign.”

  “But don’t you care about the details?”

  “Not really.”

  “If it’s priced too high, it could sit for months. But if it’s too low, you might not get what you want out of it.”

  “I don’t want to get anything out of it. I don’t need this money.”

  She sank back in her chair, just staring at him. It all became very clear. She didn’t know the whys and wherefores, but she sure did know the whos. “You donated the money for the float.”

  Restless and impatient, he got to his feet. “Where’s the contract? I just want to be done with all this.” His voice was strained.

  She put the contract on top of the other papers and pointed to the line for his signature. He signed it in a quick scrawl, then tossed the pen back on the desk. It was done. He would be gone soon.

  “So, when are you leaving?” he asked.

  “For Paris?” She was weary all of a sudden. Nothing seemed to be as easy as it was supposed to be. “The commission on this house would do it.”

  He laughed, a bitter sound. “So if this sells fast, we could be traveling together then. I’m supposed to be in Paris next week for a conference.”

  “I don’t think the house will go that fast. Though I could leave once an offer was accepted.” The idea of traveling with someone was tempting. The idea of it being so soon was scary.

  “Where are you going to live?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I figured I’d find a place when I got there.” She tore off the bottom copy of the contract and gave it to him.

  “I have an apartment there. It’s not much, but you’re welcome to use it for as long as you like.”

  “You have an apartment there?” She was dumbfounded. Who just happened to have an apartment in Paris? No one else that she knew. “What for?”

  “For when I’m in Paris,” he replied. He folded up his copy of the contract and slipped it in his pocket. “I don’t use it much since I finished up a job there, so it won’t be any inconvenience.”

  “Thanks.” There was no real reason to stay in Chesterton any longer, then. She didn’t really need that commission now to fund her until she found a place to stay and a job. So, why wasn’t she more excited?

  “No problem,” Brad said and started for the door. “Nancy can witness my signature on the probate papers can’t she?”

  “Sure,.or I can.” There was something in his step that tugged at her. Not weariness, resignation maybe.

  “Brad?”

  He turned.

  “How many languages do you know?”

  “One,” he said sharply. “So don’t even think about it.”

  The Jeep was parked right next to Dorothy’s office but Brad wasn’t ready to drive someplace. He needed to work off some energy. He started down the block in a solid stride, fast enough to get his heart pumping and quicken his breath.

  But not fast enough to escape thoughts of Penny.

  She couldn’t have had a crush on him back in junior high, could she have? He would have known. And heaven knows, he watched her constantly for any sign.

  No, he was more worried about her feelings now. She seemed to be assuming he was not going to stay, but the longer he did, the more she would be questioning that. So he ought to just get off his duff and go.

  By some strange coincidence, he was across the street from the Flying Monkeys’ Travel. A sign, surely. He crossed over and walked to the door. There was a display in the window for fares to Europe with a cardboard Eiffel Tower in the middle. Another sign.

  But try as he might, he could not open the door. Oh, it was openable for other people, since a couple went in while he stood there and some people came out. But he could not get his feet to cross that threshold.

  Which was only right. He couldn’t buy tickets for Paris and risk Penny finding out from someone else. He had to tell her himself, then get the tickets. It was the right way to do things. The way a gentleman should.

  He drove back to the nursery, trying to formulate a plan. That should be easy for him; he was good at plans. So, why wasn’t one coming?

  He drove slowly, he drove fast, but nothing seemed to jog his brain into working. By the time he pulled the Jeep into the yard, he was still at a loss.

  It was this place, he decided. His plan had to go into action somewhere else, not here. Not on Penny and Aunty Em’s turf. He’d take them out for dinner, someplace nice to show them how much he appreciated their kindness. And they’d see how successful he’d become so when he casually dropped in that he’d be leaving, they wouldn’t be surprised. Simply perfect.

  Except it proved to be neither. Aunty Em couldn’t see wasting good money on dinner out.

  “I can make us a dinner much cheaper here at home,” she said.

  “I want to save you the work.”

  “Restaurant food is full of chemicals and preservatives.”

  “Not necessarily.”

  Penny was no better. “Dress up?” she said. “Can’t we just go to the Pizza Prince?”

  “You go there all the time.” He was starting to get annoyed. “I want to take you someplace different.”

  “How about the pancake house, then? We’ve never been there.”

  The pancake house? Why didn’t she just offer to run to the grocery store for some microwave dinners? The discussion was over.

  “We’re going to the Prime Table,” Brad announced. “I am making reservations for six-thirty. That gives us all an hour to get ready.”

  There was a lot of grumbling, but both women went off to their respective rooms. Or they did once Brad parked himself in the kitchen to make sure Aunty Em didn’t sneak in and cook something anyway. The grumbling changed to sharply closed doors and something that sounded suspiciously like boots being thrown across a room. He didn’t care; he was taking them out for a good time tonight.

  An hour later, they were ready to go. They didn’t look all that thrilled, but at least they had stopped grumbling. They piled into the truck and he drove them there in silence. Luckily the restaurant wasn’t too far.

  “Either of you ever been here before?” he asked as he parked. It was time to start having fun.

  “No.” They answered in surly unison.

  “Great, then it’ll be a new adventure for us all.”

  The restaurant went in heavily for atmosphere. Massive dark wood, trimmed with brass and very dim lighting. Not exactly his taste, but the food smelled delicious. They were shown to a secluded table in a small dining room and given menus that dwarfed them.

  “Heavens to Betsy!” Aunty Em cried. “Look at these prices! We can’t eat here.”

  For goodness’ sake. Maybe they didn’t recognize a Rolex, but didn’t they realize the shirt he was wearing was silk? Or that his linen pants were handmade? Did they still really think he was penniless?

  “Of course, we can,” Brad said quietly.

  “No, she’s right,” Penny said in a harsh whisper. She leaned closer to him. “We can go to the Pizza Prince. Or we’ll stop at the grocery store and get some microwave—”

  “We are staying,” he informed them.

  “Is there a problem, sir?” The waiter had obviously been hovering nearby.

  “Not at all,” Brad said. “Shall we order some drinks first?”

  Penny closed her menu with a bright smile. “I’m ready to order. I’ll have a salad. A small salad.”

  “And I’ll have soup,” Aunty Em said. “A cup, not a bowl.”

  “Very good.” The waiter was trying to hide a frown. “And to drink?”

  “Water,” they both said.

  Brad leaned back and glared at them both. They really were determined to not have a good time. He looked at the waiter. “With their soup and salad, we’ll each have an order of prime rib, mediu
m rare. Duchess potatoes and the vegetable of the day. And—” he opened the wine list “—a bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild.”

  The waiter’s note taking faltered. “Uh, are you...”

  Brad slipped him his American Express card. “Yes, I’m certain. A 1985, if you have it.”

  The waiter collected the card, the menus, and slunk away. No doubt to make sure Brad could afford several hundred dollars for a bottle of wine. Which is exactly what Brad would do in his case.

  Aunty Em rapped his knuckles. “For a man who claims he’s got no job, boy, you spend money like a drunken sailor.”

  He should tell them. There was no reason to keep it a secret, except that the words just would not come. He’d waited for them to see the new him for so long, he didn’t know how to point it out to them.

  And if these words wouldn’t come, these easy words of no consequence, certainly the deeper, harder words of sharing would never come. It was just as well he’d be gone in a few days. For Penny’s sake.

  “I’m good at washing dishes,” he said.

  They both glared at him, but the wine steward was carrying the wine over as if it were the Crown Jewels. Good thing Penny and her grandmother didn’t know wine or he’d be in real trouble. After the bottle was opened, tasted and approved, they settled back with their wine.

  “Well, here’s to Penny’s speech at the Oz conference,” he said, raising his glass.

  “Bet they’ll want her back all the time,” Aunty Em responded.

  “It’s a one-time thing, so I don’t need to worry.” Penny sipped at her wine. “This is good. I hope it’s not very expensive.”

  Aunty Em frowned at her glass. “It sounded expensive.”

  “Yeah, kind of fools you, doesn’t it?” Brad said.

  “It is pretty good,” Aunty Em admitted.

  The soup and salads came and Brad got a few minutes’ respite to plan his next moves. He would ease into a discussion that would end in the natural assumption of his departure. Jeez, he was starting to sound like Alex.

  “I signed a contract with Dorothy to put Uncle Hal’s house on the market,” he told them as he dug into his salad.

  “Such a nice house,” Aunty Em said. “Needs a family living in it.”

  “Holds a lot of memories,” Penny agreed. “I would think it would be hard for you to sell it.”

  “Not really.” He slowed his salad eating a bit. “It always felt like Uncle Hal’s house, not ours.”

  “Hal was a fool,” Aunty Em snapped. “He should’ve married your mom and been done with it, instead of being afraid to speak his heart.”

  Brad felt his fork slip from his hand. “He should have what?” A waiter rushed over to retrieve the fallen utensil and give Brad a clean one. “Uh, thanks.”

  “He should have married your mom,” Aunty Em repeated as she ate her soup. “He was in love with her for years. In fact, he had dated her before your dad did. After your dad died, we all thought Hal would propose but he never did.”

  “I never knew any of that,” Brad murmured, feeling slightly stunned. Had he been blind or had his uncle hidden his feelings well? “He never acted like he was in love with her.”

  “That was Hal. Gave you a place to live, worked like a dog to pay off your dad’s medical bills and never said a word.”

  “He paid off Dad’s bills?” Brad said. He felt lost for a bit, like he had wandered into the middle of someone else’s dream. “I always wondered where his money went. He never seemed to have any more than we did.”

  “Took him years, but he paid them all off.”

  “And then you and your mom left,” Penny said. “That’s so sad.”

  Aunty Em snorted rudely, but waited until the waiter had cleared their plates before speaking. “It wasn’t sad, it was stupid. He lived a miserable sad life because he didn’t have the guts to speak up.”

  Brad picked up his wineglass and stared into the dark red liquid. Sad or stupid? Maybe his uncle’s life had been a little of both. But then, wasn’t everybody’s? So his uncle had been no good at opening up, either. Of course, that didn’t mean he’d had to wait around for his heart to be broken. He could have left, or sent Brad and his mother away. That’s where he and Brad were different. Brad wouldn’t just hang around. He’d find a life that fit him and live it.

  “Guess it’s best that house and its sad memories have a new start. One away from the Corrigan family.” Brad took a long sip of wine and then put the glass down. “Maybe Corrigans just don’t do well in Chesterton.”

  “Actually, we always thought the house was haunted,” Penny stated.

  Brad sighed. Derailed again. “The Civil War widow?”

  “I heard it was a poet,” Aunty Em said.

  “Oh, speaking of poets,” Penny added, leaning forward, “I almost forgot to tell you. Alex has rescheduled the poetry reading. Next Monday at Sam’s.”

  “Really, honey?” Aunty Em was grinning. “I can hardly wait. There’s gonna be no keeping me away this time.”

  Penny just smiled, then looked at him with eyes so full of hope and excitement and worry. It was like a burning arrow straight to his heart and there was nothing he could do.

  “Hey, no keeping me away either,” he assured them. “That goes without saying.”

  Okay, so he’d stay another few days. No big deal.

  Something was wrong, Penny could tell. The dinner had been delicious and probably far more than Brad could afford, but she didn’t think he was concerned about that. No, his worry was deeper than money. He talked all through dinner, telling stories about people he knew in California, but there was a shadow in his eyes the whole time. They all were silent on the drive home, but it was a good silence. A restful one. Except for Brad.

  What was wrong? It nagged at her as she tried to work on some festival business, but folding and stuffing press releases into envelopes was hardly engrossing work. Maybe Brad’s job situation was bothèring him and she should talk to him about the call she made. Though she hadn’t quite found the way to broach the subject yet.

  “I’m going to bed, honey.” Gran stopped at the kitchen table where Penny was working. “Brad still sitting on the porch?”

  Penny nodded. “Unless he’s been carried off by the mosquitoes.”

  “How about if I make you a partner in my PI firm and send you out to investigate?”

  She smiled at her grandmother. “Might be a good idea.”

  Penny had thought he had wanted to be alone, but that was hours ago. Enough was enough. Once Gran’s bedroom door closed, Penny slipped her sandals on and went out onto the back porch.

  The porch lights were off, but she could see Brad sitting on the swing. There was a square of light near him—a laptop computer. The quiet click of the keys stopped as the screen door swung shut. He hadn’t just been sitting there in the dark.

  “Am I disturbing you?” she asked.

  “Constantly, but I’m learning to live with it.”

  His voice was laughing so she assumed he didn’t mind her coming out. She went closer, then leaned against the porch rail. Now that she was out here, she didn’t know what to say.

  “Want to take a walk?”

  “Sure.” He shut off the computer and got to his feet, leaving the machine on the swing.

  Side by side, they walked down the porch steps and across the yard. Neither said anything, but somehow their hands found each other. The silence was sweet then, a sharing of their souls.

  “Where we going?” he asked as she led him around the barn.

  “The moon garden.”

  “Moon garden? You grow moons there?”

  “Very funny. It’s a garden that’s viewed best by moonlight.”

  “Vampires, huh?”

  “I should send you back to the porch and your computer.”

  But she held tight to his band as she led him behind the barn and down a path through the daylilies. The night was cool and the smell of rain was in the air, even though the sky
overhead was clear.

  She could spend forever like this, she thought suddenly, walking hand in hand with Brad. Was this what love felt like? The thought made her feet stumble.

  “You okay?” Brad asked.

  “Just fine.”

  She was not in love. She might not be the smartest person in the world, but she wasn’t that dumb. Falling in love with Brad Corrigan was the craziest idea ever. Totally ridiculous. Bizarre, even.

  She liked him. Enjoyed his company. Had fun when she was with him. But her heart wouldn’t break if he left town. Except that the organ in question almost stopped at the very idea of it. Time to change the subject.

  “I really enjoyed dinner,” she told him. “Though it wasn’t necessary for you to take us out.”

  “Yes, it was,” he said. “You and Aunty Em have been wonderful during my visit. It was just a small way to repay you.”

  Her heart turned cold. She didn’t like the finality in his words. “You’ve more than earned your keep. You’ve helped in the office. Drove me around. Kept Gran company.”

  “All things you could have hired some local teen to do.”

  “I doubt it. They couldn’t have fixed the computer.” Now was her chance to ease into the subject of those jobs in the area. “You know, you seem really good with computers.”

  He just laughed. “I’ve been told that.”

  “So, why don’t you do something with that skill?” she asked. This was going better than she had hoped and she slowed her pace so they wouldn’t reach the garden too soon. “I bet there are lots of jobs for computer people.”

  She felt something change in him, something grow still and quiet. “Actually...” he began, then stopped. She felt as if he were wrestling with some problem, some weighty dilemma, then he sighed. “Actually, I might just do that.”

  They had reached a break in the bushes and turned to enter a small clearing. The beds of white flowers all glowed in the moonlight, looking even more intense as the shadows drifted away into darkness under the trees and bushes. She felt peace wash over her.

  “Wow,” Brad said in a bushed voice. “This is really something.”