Meddling in Manhattan

by Kirsten Osbourne

  Addie's father looked at her with a worried look. "You didn't get yourself in trouble, did you?"

  She smiled at her father's old-fashioned phrase. "I'm not pregnant, Dad."

  "Why can't we meet him before the wedding?" her mother asked, looking confused.

  "He lives in Montana," Addie replied, saying a quick prayer that they wouldn't ask any more questions, but she knew they would. They always did.

  "How did you meet a man from Montana?" her father asked. "Was he here on business? Vacation?" They knew she hadn't left the state in a good long while.

  Addie sighed. "I haven't actually met him yet. We're meeting at the altar."

  Her father got to his feet. He was a retired New York City police officer, and was still in tip top shape for his age. "What do you mean you haven't met him?"

  Addie looked down at her hands. She hated disappointing her parents. "One of my roommates works for a woman who runs a matchmaking business where people meet at the altar. She tricked me into meeting the woman, but it didn't take me long to agree to let her find just the right man for me." She shrugged, wishing she could convince them. "I've gone out with so many men over the years, and not one of them was interested in marriage. I want to get married and start a family. You two have always been such a shining example of how a marriage should be. I'm ready to stop looking and start living." There, maybe flattery would work.

  "What's the name of this business?" he asked, still standing over her as if he was going to decide to discipline her at any moment.

  "Matchrimony."

  "I'm going to research it. See what I can find out. If I find that it's a bad company, do you promise not to go through with it?"

  "Of course!" Her father had been a police officer for many years. She trusted him implicitly.

  "All right then. Do you know the man's name?"

  She shook her head. "No. I'll find that out on my wedding day."

  A slow smile spread across her mother's lips. "I'm so glad you're going to give it a try. I've been worried you'd be alone forever. Just make sure your father checks him out before the wedding."

  "I promise. It'll be all right."

  *****

  Addie sat at the back of the church, wearing her eldest sister's wedding dress. Her parents had convinced her that she shouldn't buy a dress when she wasn't sure the marriage would last. She didn't tell them that she'd signed a contract agreeing to spend at least a year with the man if she went through with the ceremony. She had until she said, "I do," to change her mind, but after that, she was legally bound to stay with him unless he hurt her somehow.

  "You're going to be fine. Dr. Lachele is really good at what she does. You're going to be so happy," Danielle told her, squeezing her hand tightly.

  "I hope so." Addie looked at Danielle, wearing a dress in a soft pink, a bridesmaid dress she'd worn for another wedding. "I'm nervous." Saying the words aloud just made everything worse. She wanted to kick herself for not pretending everything was just fine.

  "You'd be stupid if you weren't. You're about to marry a man you've never met. But trust me. He's going to be right for you."

  Dr. Lachele breezed into the room then, surveying the situation. "Good gravy, girl! You're not getting nervous now, are you? Why, I found the man who's just right for you. I'd go so far as to say that he was put on this earth just for you."

  "But I don't even know his name!" Addie exclaimed. For her, that was the hardest part. She didn't care what he did for a living or what he looked like, but she hated not knowing his name.

  Lachele sat down in a chair opposite Addie, stroking a stray hair from her face. "His name is Jake. And he's going to take one look at you and think he's got an angel walking toward him."

  Addie frowned. "And then he'll realize that I'm head strong and belligerent at times, and he'll decide it's a fallen angel he found."

  Lachele laughed, shaking her head. "Not Jake. He's not going to be terribly easy to live with, but it's going to be worth it. Trust me. He's your soul mate."

  Addie wasn't even certain she believed that soul mates existed, but she just nodded to humor the older woman. "I'll take your word for it."

  "I gave his name to your father, because he wanted to have him investigated before the wedding. So we're going to be delayed by about thirty minutes while he runs a background check." Lachele shrugged as if the delay meant nothing.

  "What if he's planning on whisking me off to Tahiti as soon as we marry?" Addie asked. She'd planned for a week off after the wedding. Her assistant manager was perfectly capable of running the shop, even though Addie had rarely taken a day off.

  "Then you'll have to catch a later flight," Lachele told her. "Besides, I told him to plan on spending the night here in New York tonight. The first Matchrimony wedding ended with the couple running for a flight to Montana. I don't think a bride should have to worry about leaving her own reception early just so she can catch a flight. Do you?"

  Addie shook her head. "I guess not." She wasn't certain she'd ever be ready to leave the reception. What if the man repulsed her? She wouldn't want to actually be alone with him. What if one of his eyes was made of glass and he kept giving her a funny look? What if he had fifteen other wives spread throughout the country?

  Lachele got to her feet. "You're going to love Jake, which is a good thing."

  Addie frowned as she watched the other woman run toward the door. "Why is that a good thing?" As long as they were able to stay together, the woman had done her job, right?

  "Because I need more Matchrimony munchkins, of course."

  Addie looked at Danielle after the door had closed. "She's full of energy...but she's odd."

  Danielle shrugged. "She's more than a little crazy, but that doesn't mean she's not good at matchmaking."

  "I never said it did!" Addie protested.

  It was right at half an hour later when Addie's father came into the room. "He's an interesting man, but no criminal record. You should marry him."

  When her father said nothing else, Addie wondered what he was hiding. "And?" She wanted to know every detail her father had found out. Why wasn't he disclosing everything?

  "You agreed to marry a stranger. I'm not giving you details." He looked at Danielle. "Lachele said you need to get your sweet cheeks out there, so you can walk to the front of the church first."

  Danielle jumped to her feet and hurried from the room.

  Addie looked at her father. "You're really okay with this?"

  Mr. Myers nodded. "I couldn't be more okay with it. He's a good man."

  Addie got to her feet and smiled. "Thank you for checking him out for me. It makes me feel like I'm going to be safe." Not that she wouldn't be anyway. In her eyes, her father was equivalent to Superman. If she called him and told him something was wrong, he'd be there in moments.

  He kissed the top of her head. "You're a beautiful bride. Don't tell your sisters, but you outshine every one of them."

  Addie smiled, certain her father had said the same thing to all three of her older sisters on their wedding days. "Thank you, Daddy."

  He offered her his arm as they left the room, walking toward the door at the back of the sanctuary. Addie forced herself to breathe slowly, extremely nervous now that the time was here. She was about to walk down the aisle to a stranger she'd be spending the rest of her life with. What was she thinking?

  At Lachele's nod, the back doors of the sanctuary were flung open, and the entire congregation got to its feet. She walked slowly down the aisle, her hand clutching her father's arm harder than it should have been. She couldn't get past her nervousness.

  Her eyes went to the man at the front of the church, who was staring at her with a half smile on his face. He was a tall man with dark hair and brown eyes. They seemed to twinkle at her as she walked.

  She couldn't believe her luck. Why on earth would such a nice-looking man be searching for a bride through a matchmaking service like Matchrimony? Why, he was handsome enough, she was sure w
omen fell at his feet.

  Once they reached the front of the church, her father placed her hand into Jake's and the two of them took the three steps up to stand before the pastor.

  "Dearly beloved. We are here under unusual circumstances as we join this man and woman in the holy state of matrimony. Not many couples are able to agree to meet each other for the first time mere minutes before they exchange vows, but that's exactly what this couple just did. They set eyes upon one another as she stepped into this sanctuary and started her long walk down the aisle toward the man she'd spend the rest of her life with...a man she'd never before laid eyes on."

  Addie looked at Jake to see how he was reacting to the pastor's words and saw that he was looking right at her. He hadn't taken his eyes off her since she'd stepped into the sanctuary, and she never wanted to stop staring at him. Surely it was a good sign that they found one another so physically attractive, wasn't it?

  She repeated her vows as instructed, and accepted the ring he put onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Lachele must have provided him with her ring size.

  When he kissed her, it was as if the world stopped for just a moment. The kiss was short, but for all its brevity, it caused more rioting emotions than she'd ever experienced. Yes, she was meant to marry this man.

  Chapter Two

  Addie took Jake back to the bride's room as soon as the ceremony was over. She wanted at least a few minutes to talk to her new husband. She didn't even know what he did for a living! Not that it mattered. She didn't believe in divorce, and she'd signed a contract not to separate for a year.

  When they got to the room at the back of the church, Jake did what he'd wanted to do in front of the entire congregation. He pulled her into his arms for a real kiss.

  He put his hands at her waist and looked deeply into her eyes. "I didn't want to embarrass you with a real kiss in front of everyone."

  Addie felt breathless as she stared back at him. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown, and she felt as if she could be lost in them. "You didn't?"

  He shook his head. "No, but we're alone now."

  Her mouth turned up into a slow smile. "We do seem to be alone. I wanted to talk for a minute, but I guess that can wait." She was babbling, and she wished he'd kiss her to shut her up. She'd never been so nervous, or so excited, at the idea of a kiss before.

  He stroked her cheek with his index finger. "You guess?" He slowly lowered his head.

  Addie had enough of waiting, she wrapped one arm around the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. As soon as his lips touched hers, she felt electricity shooting through her body. She moved closer to him, her breasts pressing against his chest. Never had she felt so much passion. Even when she'd kissed other men, she hadn't felt this strongly. How had Dr. Lachele known he was the one for her? What magic formula did it take to see two people, apart, and know they were meant to be together?

  Jake let out a low groan and lifted his head. "Who'd have thought Lachele knew so much about matchmaking?"

  Addie grinned, leaning her head against his shoulder. "She was certainly right with us." She took his hand and led him over to two chairs, sitting beside him. "Can we talk for a minute?"

  He shrugged. "Do I have to stop touching you while we talk?"

  She laughed softly. "I'd rather you didn't!" She couldn't believe how strong the attraction was between them. She turned to face him. "Dr. Lachele said you live in Montana?"

  He smiled. "I currently live in King, Montana, which is a small town outside of Billings. I've lived there my whole life, but I'm open to moving." He was not only open to moving, he coveted the Manhattan Library. He'd move into it if he thought he could get away with it.

  Her eyes widened. "You are? I was hoping you'd say that!" She frowned. "What about your job?"

  "Oh, that's not a problem. I'm a writer." He watched her face carefully as he said it, hoping he wouldn't see dollar signs appear in her eyes. For some reason, people thought that if he was a writer, he made a boat load of money, which wasn't necessarily true. It was in his case, but it didn't have to be.

  "Oh," she said with a frown. "I can't make ends meet on my own. Will you be able to help with the bills at least a little?" She'd known a few people who called themselves writers, but they'd had to wait tables to make ends meet.

  Jake blinked a couple of times at her misunderstanding. He started to correct her but immediately thought better of it. Better if she thought of him as an impoverished writer trying to put out his first or second book. "I can help some. Couple thousand a month?"

  She sighed with relief. "Oh, that's great. That'll be enough with what I make. I found a little apartment, but it's just out of my price range on my own. With that added to my income, we'll be fine." She didn't mind helping him reach his dream by taking on the bulk of the bills. He may eventually have to get another job, but for now, they'd be fine.

  Jake couldn't believe how excited he was at the prospect of getting to know her without his money being a huge issue. He was almost as excited about that as he was to get back to the hotel with his new bride. "Good." He lowered his head and kissed her again. "How soon can we get away from here?"

  Addie blushed. "We have to go to the reception. My whole family is out there." But she wanted to be alone with him too. She was a twenty-five year old virgin, and she was convinced she was lacking in some way. She'd never even been tempted to sleep with one of the men she'd dated. Of course, two or three dates was all it had ever been for her.

  Jake sighed. "Fine. We'll go to the reception, and I'll pretend not to be fantasizing about removing that beautiful dress from your body." Normally Jake wouldn't have been so forward, but she was his wife. He could say what he wanted.

  She was sure even her shoulders were blushing at that point. The dress she'd borrowed from her sister left her shoulders completely bare, so she was sure he knew how embarrassed she was. "I think we should be around other people. We'll talk more later."

  He grinned, happy that he could make her so uncomfortable. He considered it a good sign. "Much later. I have a feeling other things are going to need to take precedence for me." He got to his feet and took her hand in his. "Let's go greet everyone."

  As they walked toward the church's fellowship hall, she was very aware of the man at her side. She had signed a contract to spend the next year of her life with him, no matter what. It was good so far, but was that only because their hormones were running rampant?

  Her mother made a beeline for her as soon as she stepped into the room with the rest of the guests. "Are you all right? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

  "Mom, we just talked. He's a nice man." Addie turned to Jake. "Jake, this is my mother, Carolyn Myers. Mom, this is Jake." Her mother had seemed all for the wedding the last time they talked. Hadn't her father told her that he'd only discovered good things during his investigation?

  Her mother nodded. "It's nice to meet you. My husband was a police officer and still has a lot of connections. Just so you know." With that, she turned and walked away.

  Addie was mortified. "I'm sorry. She's really freaked out about me marrying a stranger."

  "Want to know a secret?" he asked, his lips close to her ear.

  "What?"

  "I didn't tell my parents."

  "Would your mama be freaked out too?" Addie asked, giggling softly. She could just picture a tiny little woman with white hair chasing after him with a frying pan, telling him he shouldn't marry a stranger.

  "Definitely. She'd be calling you Lizzie Borden by now, convinced you'd murder me in my sleep." He didn't add that his mother would think she'd murder him for the money. Did that really matter?

  She introduced him to her brothers and sisters and finally her father, who shook his hand. "I want you to know I had you investigated," her father said.

  Jake nodded, his eyes meeting the older man's. "I assume you found nothing negative?" Did he know about his pen name? Jake knew it was a matter of public record.

  Mr. Myers s
hook his head. "Nothing. I'll still be keeping an eye on you, but for now, you have my blessing."

  "I'm happy to hear that, sir. I'll take good care of your daughter." He hadn't realized he'd be so nervous meeting her father. Of course, he was the man who would be taking the other man's daughter to bed that night. It was an odd relationship.

  "I trust that you will." Billy Myers smiled at his daughter. "You know where to find me if you have any trouble."

  Addie smiled. She didn't know why her father being overprotective made her feel safe, while her mother doing the same thing just made her angry. "Thank you. I'll be fine." She squeezed Jake's hand which had been in hers since they walked into the fellowship hall.

  "Where are you taking her for a honeymoon?" Billy asked, his eyes on Jake.

  "We're going to a small resort in South Dakota known for its healing waters. In fact, the name means healing waters."

  Addie looked at Jake. "I didn't realize we were going anywhere. That sounds interesting."

  Jake shrugged. "It's off the beaten path, and the same family has owned the place since 1874. I went to college with the man who runs it now. Kyle McDonough. He was a good friend."

  Addie nodded. His friend must have gotten him a discount. She was glad he knew how to be frugal. "I only have a week off work."

  "That's fine. I was only planning to stay for a week. I'd go crazy if I had to take longer than that off work myself."

  Billy eyed Jake. "What city is the resort in? I want to know where you're taking her."

  "It's called Whisper Creek. It's not really a city, just a small town. Closest decent sized city is Rapid City. It's got a lot of character. I've been a few times." Jake studied Addie. "Did you pack for a honeymoon?" He could think of things he hoped she'd packed, but he'd be just as happy seeing her in nothing at all.

  She nodded. "Yes, and I packed for any weather. I have bathing suits and ski suits." She shrugged. "I'll condense what I really need into one suitcase, and we can drop it at the new apartment on our way to the airport."