by R. R. Banks
Checking my watch, I see that I have a little more than forty-five minutes to get to Brady's house at the time he asked, and not knowing how far he lived, I figured I should probably get moving. Sliding behind the wheel, I inhale the new car scent, savoring it. I never actually believed I'd be the owner of something so amazingly gorgeous. And I nearly burst into tears when I opened the glove box and saw that the title was indeed, in my name.
As I hold that piece of paper in my trembling hands, I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear a phone ring.
Incoming call from Brady Keating, the car's computerized voice announces.
I quickly look around the car, trying to figure out how to answer it when I see a button on the steering wheel with a picture of a phone on it. I press it and hope it is what I think it is.
“H – hello?”
“Well good morning, my betrothed,” Brady says and laughs, his voice filling the entire cabin of the are. “And are we enjoying our new car?”
“It's amazing, Brady,” I say, awe still coloring my voice. “I can't accept this though.”
“Of course, you can,” he replies.
“I really can't,” I say again – even though it kills me a little inside.
He laughs softly. “You can,” he says. “And you will. It's in your name, so it's yours.”
I sigh. “Brady, we're going to have to talk about some things,” I say. “I mean, the clothes, all of the new stuff in my apartment – the car – it's all just too much.”
“Nonsense,” he says. “There is no such thing as too much when it comes to my beautiful bride.”
“Your beautiful fake bride, you mean.”
There's a moment's pause on the line before he speaks again. “Of course,” he says, clearing his throat. “But, we have to sell it, right?”
“Right,” I say slowly. “We have to sell it, I suppose.”
I wonder about that pause in his voice though – wonder if it means something or if I'm just reading too much into it. And then I think about what Valerie said – about Brady liking me a lot – and what he'd said at the restaurant when he first pitched this crazy idea to me, about me being beautiful.
All of those thoughts swirl around in my head and I have to wonder if maybe, Brady actually does like me. But, that's crazy, isn't it? He's a playboy. He likes pretty, supermodel kind of women – not women like me. And this – this is just a business arrangement. I tell myself that everything, the clothes, the furniture, and the car are all just business expenses to him.
I clear my throat. “So,” I say, trying to push all those thoughts out of my head. “What is our grand adventure today?”
“Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?”
I laugh. “I think I've had enough surprises the last few days.”
“Nonsense, darl – sorry – Amanda,” he says. “The surprises are just beginning. Now, think you can be here by eleven?”
“Ummm – I'm not sure where here is,” I say and start fumbling with the GPS unit.
I've never been all that great with technology, and the GPS unit is doing nothing more than making me feel even more inadequate. Brady, apparently hearing my struggle through the phone, laughs softly.
“Press the button on the side,” he says. “The one marked number one.”
I look at the unit and then press the button. A map to what I assume is Brady's house appears with the route already highlighted.
“Just listen to the little woman inside the box,” Brady says. “And you'll be just fine.”
“Umm – okay,” I say. “I guess I'll see you soon then.”
“Lookin' forward to it.”
He clicks off the line, leaving me staring at the GPS unit like an absolute idiot.
“Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained,” I say.
I put the car in gear and pull away from the curb – and let the little woman in the box guide my way.
Chapter Seventeen
Brady
“Hey, you made it,” I say.
She smiles and I feel my breath catch in my throat. “The little woman in the box is actually pretty helpful.”
“Glad to hear it,” I say. “Wow, you look – amazing.”
Color rushes to her face and she smiles. “Thank you,” she says. “The dress – all the dresses – are beautiful. I don't even know how to thank you.”
“You don't need to,” he says. “But, you're welcome all the same, darli – sorry – Amanda.”
I smile, knowing it's going to take a massive shift in my brain to stop using all the words and phrases that are a part of my normal vocabulary.
She really does look amazing in that dress though. The color seems to complement her perfectly and she is absolutely stunning in it. Amanda doesn't have a lot of makeup on and has a natural sexiness about her that is incredibly appealing.
Amanda looks around at the house with eyes that are wide with wonder.
“This house,” she says. “It's – gorgeous.”
I give her a smile. “Thank you,” I say. “It's where we hang our hats.”
My parents, being who they were, didn't buy one of those ostentatious places you see some of the rich and famous buy. I'm not going to lie, it's a nice home, but it's definitely not one of those gaudy mansions.
It's a two-story, red brick gothic style home. It's got seven bedrooms, though most of them are unused. With her children grown and gone, I finally talked Miss Delia into moving into the guest house that sits on the several acres of land behind the house. There didn't seem to be any sense in her paying rent on a place when she's here most of the time anyway.
I lead her into the house where her eyes grow even wider. Everything, from the floor to the moulding is done in dark wood and has a very elegant, yet simple feel about it. My mother was fantastic at decorating a home. Although large, it still manages to feel – homey. A curved staircase leads from the entryway to the upper floors where the bedrooms are, and to the left is a formal sitting room.
Family pictures and artwork line the walls, as well as an assortment of plants and flowers. Miss Delia believes that plants put off good, healthy energy, so I let her do her thing. I've actually come to like her assortment of vegetation. Sort of adds to that homey feel, I think.
“This place,” she says, “everything about it is beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I say. “We like it. And I hope that at some point, you will too. Our home is now your home.”
“Thank you, Brady.”
I give her a warm, genuine smile. There is something about Amanda that compels me. I know that this is a business arrangement, but there is something about her that draws me to her. Earlier, on the phone though, when she said, “fake wife,” I felt a small stab of pain in my heart. It's insane. I know it's insane. We barely even know each other. But there's something deep inside of me that wants to get to know more about her. Everything about her, actually. There's something inside of me that wants to see if maybe, there's something more there.
She's unlike anybody I've ever met before and I find her absolutely intoxicating. I'm incredibly intrigued by her and the more time I spend with her, the more time I want to spend with her. I know it's crazy. I know it's insane. But – it’s there, all the same.
But just seeing the way she looks at me, I can tell she doesn't feel the same. I can tell for her, this is a business arrangement and nothing more. Which means I need to rein in the thoughts and feelings that are rampaging through my head.
“So,” she says. “Is it time to unveil your big surprise?”
“Almost,” I say. “There's somebody I want you to meet first.”
She looks at me curiously and then I see comprehension dawning on her face. Quickly following comprehension is a flash of nervousness. But she reels it in quickly.
“Miss Delia,” I call. “Can you bring Nicholas in now?”
Miss Delia is holding Nicholas' hand when they come in from the kitchen. He looks from me to Amanda and gives
her a nervous little smile – not unlike the nervous little smile that had flashed across Amanda's face a moment ago. Nicholas clings to my leg, hiding his face. Miss Delia gives me a questioning look. I've never brought the women I date around to meet Nicholas before and she seems a little uncertain.
“Amanda,” Miss Delia says, recovering her Southern charm quickly. “It's very nice to meet you.”
“It's wonderful to meet you too,” Amanda replies.
I squat down and look my son in the eye. “Nicholas, this is Amanda,” I say. “This is Daddy's friend. The one I told you about. Can you say hi?”
Nicholas looks over to Amanda and takes a tentative step toward her. Amanda bends at the waist to put her eyes at his level and holds out her hand.
“Hi, Nicholas,” she says. “Your dad's told me a lot about you. It's really nice to meet you.”
Nicholas gives her a toothy grin and steps forward, a little bolder, and takes her hand in his, giving her a proper handshake. That's my boy, he's got great Southern manners and charm – mostly thanks to Miss Delia's tutelage, I'm ashamed to admit.
“So, who's ready for a little adventure,” I say.
Nicholas squeals and jumps up and down. “Me, me, me!” he cries.
Amanda is looking at him, smiling. I can tell she's at least, charmed by him. She looks at me and I can see the curiosity and excitement in her eyes as well – though, she controls it a little better than my son. Nicholas is wearing jeans, a white button-down shirt, and a pair of cowboy boots that were a gift from Kendrick. I put his own little black Stetson on his head and look at him.
“He's like a little mini-me, isn't he?” I ask.
“Not sure the world can handle another one of you running amok,” Miss Delia laughs.
“I'm pretty sure it can't,” Amanda chimes in.
“Great. We got ourselves a couple of comedians, Nicholas.”
He giggles like it's the funniest thing he's ever heard. “Funny,” he says.
“Miss Delia,” I say, shaking my head. “Can you have Derek bring the car around?”
“Right away.”
Miss Delia scurries off to call my driver as I put my hat on. Taking Nicholas by the hand, I guide him toward the front door, Amanda walking alongside us.
“Are you excited, champ?” I ask.
He nods eagerly. “What doing?”
“What are we doing,” I correct him.
He screws his face up. “What are we doing?” he says.
“Yeah, what are we doing?” Amanda giggles.
“I can't tell you,” I say and give them both a devious little smile. “It's a surprise.”
Opening the door, I let Amanda walk out first. Nicholas grabs her hand and initially, I see her tense up. But then she seems to relax and gives his hand a gentle squeeze. They look at each other and share a little laugh.
A moment later, the car pulls up and Derek holds the door open for us.
“Settle in, kids,” I say. “Next stop is fun and adventure.”
“Yay, Daddy!” Nicholas beams.
~ooo000ooo~
Derek pulls the car to a stop at the curb outside the front gates of the San Antonio Zoo and Adventure Park. We climb out and look around. There is a small group of paparazzi clustered behind a small fence that had been set up near the front gates. When they see us climb out of the car, they immediately turn and start shooting pictures.
Aside from the paparazzi though, there is nobody else to be seen. Which is perfect. It's just how I planned it. Amanda is looking around, her expression curious.
“What's with the paparazzi?” she asks.
I shrug. “Slow news day?”
“Is this place even open?” she asks. “There's like nobody here. Literally.”
“There better not be,” I say. “I rented out the park for the afternoon.”
“You rented out the park?” she asks, her eyes wide. “The whole park?”
I nod and ruffle Nicholas' hair. “What better way to see the park than to have the run of it?” I ask, smiling wide. “No lines, no distractions. We're free to go where we want and do what we want, when we want. Sounds like a perfect way to enjoy the park to me.”
Her eyes are wide and she looks absolutely floored. I squat down and look Nicholas in the eye.
“What do you think, buddy?” I ask. “What do you want to see first?”
“Elephants,” he cries. “See elephants!”
“Elephants it is then,” I say, taking his hand in mind.
We walk to the gates and park security is doing a good job of keeping the paparazzi back. Amanda looks absolutely terrified as we walk by the small cluster of people who are snapping pictures and shouting questions to us.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Keating,” says a man in khaki cargo shorts and a light blue polo shirt. “Welcome. We're glad to have you all as our honored guests. If there is anything you need – anything at all – you just give me a holler. My name is Peter West and I'm the General Manager of this facility.”
“Sounds good,” I say, shaking his hand. “I appreciate you letting us have run of the place.”
He smiles and nods his head. “Of course,” he replies. “The park is yours.”
The man turns and heads off and I grab a map of the park, locating the elephant enclosure.
“Ready to see some elephants?” I ask.
Nicholas is jumping up and down, squealing with delight. Amanda is smiling and laughing and she looks absolutely beautiful. Her smile absolutely lights up her face and makes her eyes sparkle.
“You should do that more,” I say.
She looks at me and cocks her head. “Do what more?”
“Smile,” I say. “It looks really pretty on you.”
She looks away, blushing. Taking my boy by the hand again, we head off in search of elephants.
We spend the day touring the zoo at our leisure, enjoying the different enclosures and habitats of the different animals. I can't get enough of Nicholas’ wide-eyed wonder at the different animals and his endless, non-stop questions about them – most of which, I can't answer.
We ride all the different rides in the park – some of them several times. And of course, we stuff our faces with junk food of a million different varieties. I can honestly say, this has been one of the most enjoyable days I've had in a very long time.
I check my watch and see that it's nearing six o'clock – which means it's time to head on out. They have a function later that night, so I'd only been able to rent out the park until then. But that's okay, we'd seen and done everything that was on our list.
And Nicholas is pretty much down for the count anyway. It's been a long day and he's falling asleep on his feet. I pick him up and carry him as we make our way to the front gates.
“I have to say,” I said as we headed back to the car. “That's the way to see an amusement park. Alone and entirely unobstructed.”
Amanda nods. “That was amazing, Brady,” she says. “I've never been in a park when it was empty like that before. It was just so incredible.”
I give her a smile. “Thanks for coming,” I say.
“Thanks for letting me tag along.”
I give her a long look. “You're doing a little more than just tagging along,” I say quietly. “You're part of the family now.”
Her smile is soft and she falls silent as we get back into the car. The ride home is quiet and I can't help but wonder what's going on in that head of hers.
Chapter Eighteen
Amanda
Part of the family now? Those few words feel like a kick to the gut at the same time they feel like the most wonderful thing in the world.
On the one hand, the idea of being welcomed and accepted so warmly feels amazing. I grew up feeling like I never really belonged. In a family that was neglectful and abusive. My parents were alcoholics and drug addicts more concerned with their next high than they were in making sure the needs of their children had been met.
On the other hand, tho
ugh, I have to wonder if I'm only being welcomed so warmly because of our little business arrangement. If this is all part of the facade Brady is trying to sell. If his warm and welcoming acceptance only goes as far as what we can do for one another.
I have no way of really knowing.
The interior of the car is dark, so I can't really see his face. But I'd love to know what he's thinking. I saw a side of Brady today I am shocked even exists. Seeing him with his son, seeing how warm and gentle he is with him – seeing what a devoted dad he really is – it blew me away.
I've always kind of figured that he's too selfish and wrapped up in himself to be a good father. I expected to find that Nicholas is being raised by somebody like Miss Delia. So, it surprised me to no end to see firsthand how wrong my assumptions were.
Brady is quite a bit different than I've always thought he was. He's very different than how he's painted in the tabloids. I'm seeing a side of him very few people get to see and I have to admit – it's really attractive. I mean, physically, he's a gorgeous man. But seeing him as I've gotten to see him – outside the glare of the paparazzi cameras – it's changed my perceptions of him.
I find that I'm intrigued by him. Very intrigued. He's got that whole Southern charm rap down pat. He's witty and clever. Smarter than I gave him credit for in the beginning. And passionate – his passion is something I find incredibly alluring. He has something of a hard exterior and like me, he's got a biting sarcasm. He's a man used to getting what he wants and having people do what he tells them. He's not a man that likes to hear the word “no.”
But underneath all of that is the heart of a good man. I can see it. And I find it intoxicating.
I know that I have to shut all of this down now though. I can't let myself get too invested in him emotionally. For him, this is a business deal. A way to ensure his inheritance and make sure he doesn't lose his father's company – or his precious football team. This whole sham marriage is nothing more than a mutually beneficial relationship.
And I really need to remember that if I want to keep myself from getting hurt.
