The Maverick's Baby Arrangement

by Kathy Douglass

  He turned and she felt the full force of his gaze. “Someone like you? Just what does that mean?”

  “I live in Bronco, Montana. That’s hardly a bustling metropolis. I’m an event planner, not a fashion model or actress—the type of woman you normally date. I’m a regular person with a regular job.”

  “You could be a model if you wanted to. You’re just as beautiful as any of them.”

  She smiled. He thought she was beautiful? She’d never given much thought to her looks. Genes were inherited and thus not something that one could claim as an accomplishment. From a young age, she had been taught a person wasn’t beautiful because of how they looked, but rather because of how he or she behaved. Brittany believed that and always tried to be kind. Still... Daniel thought she was beautiful.

  “Thank you,” she managed to say. “But that’s not my point. I don’t live a jet-set life. I don’t mingle with celebrities and millionaires. My nights out are spent with friends at a local restaurant. And I’m all right with that.”

  “So am I.” He leaned forward. “If I wanted to live life in the fast lane, I wouldn’t have moved to Bronco. Although I enjoyed the life I had, I want to live a slower life now. I want to have a horse ranch and resort. That’s why I moved here.”

  She nodded. It sounded believable when he said it.

  “And if I wanted to, I could have married one of those women. But I don’t want them. I want you.”

  A tingle raced down her spine and once more she was in danger of being swept away by his words. Her heart sped up as she thought of how great it would be if he’d really meant them. How fabulous it would be for him to want her, not just a woman who would fool a judge. What would it be like to be the woman Daniel actually chose to marry because he loved her? She cleared her throat and focused. Daydreaming was dangerous to her heart. And her goals. “Speaking of the wedding...”

  “I told you. I’m happy with whatever you come up with.”

  “I know. But we haven’t talked specifically about the marriage.”

  “Okay.” He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

  “I want to clarify the details.”

  “Okay. You’re going to move in here.”

  She nodded. “And just where will I be sleeping?”

  One side of his mouth lifted in the sexiest grin she’d ever seen, and her stomach flip-flopped. His dark eyes bore into hers. “Wherever you want.”

  She immediately pictured being wrapped in Daniel’s arms in a shared bed. She had no doubt making love with him would be heavenly. That was why they couldn’t be intimate even once.

  “Relax, Brittany,” he continued. “Our marriage will be in name only, just as we agreed. You’ll sleep in a guest room and I’ll sleep in my room. Unless you choose for it to be otherwise. My door will always be open.”

  She forced her longings down. There was no way she could walk through his bedroom door. Not when one day she’d have to walk out the front door and out of his life. “I’ll take the guest room.”

  “I thought you would. Remember, I have no expectations of a wedding night or a honeymoon. Does that put you at ease?”

  She nodded. But why did she suddenly wish he wasn’t so honorable? “I know our marriage will be in name only, but I won’t feel comfortable with you dating anyone else.”

  “No problem with that.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. I don’t want to see a different woman every night, like before. My life is different now. I have Hailey and she has to come first. I haven’t dated since she’s come to live with me. And I’m happy with that. I’d choose my daughter over a bunch of women any day of the week and twice on Sunday.”

  “Really?” She couldn’t quite keep the skepticism from her voice. If he noticed, he chose to ignore it.

  “Yes.”

  She’d expected a more detailed answer, but one wasn’t forthcoming. Instead they sat in silence as they finished their drinks, looking out the windows. She would never tire of looking at the Montana sky, especially here on the ranch where there was no light to compete with the stars. Despite the fact that she was comfortable here with him—or maybe because of it—she stood. “It’s getting late. I need to get going.”

  He stood slowly. “If you have to.”

  “I do. I have to go to work in the morning.” Work. Where she was going to have to announce her engagement. She knew her coworkers would be happy for her. They’d no doubt want to talk about her engagement all day. She didn’t know how she would manage to fake it for the next two weeks.

  They walked to the door. She turned to say goodnight as he reached for the doorknob bringing their lips within mere centimeters of touching. The heat from his body encircled her, tempting her to lean in closer. As her eyes started to drift shut, she jerked back, opened the door and darted down the stairs before she did something stupid like kiss him.

  By the time she’d gotten into her car she was breathing hard. That was close. Being around Daniel was awakening desires and emotions that needed to stay dormant. She needed to get a grip on that. More than that, she needed someone she could confide in. Someone who wouldn’t judge her or be disappointed in her. Amanda.

  Amanda was not only her roommate. She was her best friend. Brittany knew she could tell her the truth and trust her to keep it to herself. Besides, she lived with Brittany and knew there hadn’t been a whirlwind romance or a romance of any kind. Brittany might be able to fool people who didn’t know she’d spent most nights at home alone, but she couldn’t fool Amanda even if she wanted to. That meant she could tell Amanda the truth. And Brittany really did need to talk.

  * * *

  Luckily, Amanda was home when Brittany arrived.

  “Hey,” Amanda said.

  “Hey, yourself. Got a minute?”

  Amanda put down the laundry she was folding at the kitchen table. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  “Good. I need a favor.”

  “Name it.”

  Brittany blew out a breath. “I need you to be my maid of honor.”

  Amanda laughed. “Good one. The Brittany Brandt I know is not even thinking about marriage. In fact, she’s not even dating anyone seriously.”

  Brittany held out her left hand, revealing the gorgeous engagement ring. She still couldn’t believe she was wearing it, but couldn’t imagine taking it off.

  Amanda’s eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open. She raced over and grabbed Brittany’s hand. “Is that real?”

  “Yes. And no.”

  “Yes and no?”

  Brittany nodded. “The sapphire and the diamonds are real. The ring is real.”

  “Is it ...an engagement ring?”

  “Yes. And the engagement is real. Sorta.”

  Amanda blinked a few times and put her hand to her head. “You’re going to have to spell it out a little bit more for me. Like whom you’re engaged to, for starters.”

  “Okay. But first you have to swear on all that you love to keep what I’m about to say a secret.”

  Amanda drew an X across her heart. “I swear on all that I love to keep what you’re about to say a secret.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Now, tell me what is going on.”

  “You might want to sit down for this. And I know I need to.”

  Brittany pulled out a chair and dropped into it and Amanda did the same. Amanda stared at Brittany. “Tell me.”

  “Daniel Dubois asked me to marry him and I said yes.”

  “Excuse me, what?”

  “You heard me.”

  “You and Daniel Dubois? The same Daniel Dubois that you called a rich guy who thought he was entitled to have whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. That Daniel Dubois?”

  “That would be the one.”

  “And you’re going to marry him. Why? Did he
decide he wants you?”

  “Sort of.” Brittany closed her eyes for a second. “He’s in a custody battle and needs a wife to improve his chances of winning.”

  “Custody? Of whom?”

  “His daughter. Actually, she’s his niece.” Brittany explained about Daniel’s sister’s death and the lawsuit brought by Hailey’s paternal grandparents. “He really loves Hailey and wants to honor his sister’s wish that he raise her.”

  “And you’ve met Hailey?”

  “I have. She’s the sweetest little thing. Cute as a button.”

  “Does your family know?”

  “Only about the wedding, not the reason behind it. They met Daniel and Hailey today. They liked them.”

  “Of course they did. Your family likes everybody.”

  “True.”

  Amanda tapped her lips with a finger but didn’t say anything else.

  “You’re thinking about something. Go ahead and say it.”

  “I can see what Daniel and Hailey get out of this. He gets to raise her and she gets to stay with the person she knows. But what do you get? The way I see it, you have a lot to lose and nothing to gain.”

  “What am I losing?”

  “Possibly your heart. I know you say you don’t want kids, but I’ve seen you with them. You’re great. What if you fall in love with Hailey and then have to say goodbye to her when this marriage ends?”

  “We’re not going to be married that long, so I don’t have to worry about getting too attached. Not only that, Daniel and I aren’t emotionally involved, so we aren’t going to have a bitter breakup when we end our marriage. I’m sure he’ll let me see Hailey from time to time if I want.”

  “And what happens if you become emotionally involved with him? What if you fall in love with Daniel Dubois?”

  “That’s not going to happen. He’s not my type.” Brittany mentally crossed her fingers, as if that childish gesture would somehow make the lie the truth. Because Daniel Dubois might not have started out as her type, but he was definitely becoming her type. The better she got to know him, the more she liked him. “And as far as not getting anything out of this, Daniel is going to give me enough money to start my own event planning business.”

  “That’s something, I suppose.”

  “I can tell you aren’t totally on board with this.”

  “I didn’t say that. I admit the plan is a little crazy—well, a lot crazy—but I understand why you agreed. And it’s not for the money. You’ve always helped anyone in need. You’ve never gone this far before, but it’s completely in character.”

  “So, does that mean you’ll stand up for me?”

  “I guess it does. Just tell me when.”

  “Two weeks from now.”

  “Wow. That’s fast.”

  “Yes. It can’t be helped.”

  Amanda smiled and grabbed the ever-growing stack of bridal magazines from the table. “I guess we’d better start looking at wedding dresses for you, too.”

  * * *

  “So, tomorrow’s the big day.”

  Daniel turned to look at his best friend, Stephanos Dimitry. Daniel’s friends had arrived last night, and they’d had dinner out. Tonight they were hanging out together at his house. It had been just like old times. The four of them had spent hours recalling the past and embellishing stories that they’d all known were exaggerations of the truth.

  Daniel then glanced briefly through the glass door at Rodney and William inside. He had missed his college friends—especially Stephanos. He’d missed the time the two of them had spent working to make their company a success. They’d filled long hours together at work, building their bioengineering company, and even more hours at play, dating some of the hottest women in Texas and then jetting off to Greece, where Stephanos’s father lived, for long weekends. Despite the good times, Daniel didn’t regret leaving the company and moving to Montana. But having the three of them here made him realize that no matter how many new friends he made, he still needed his old ones. He vowed not to lose touch with them like he had with Jane.

  Looking back at Stephanos, who’d walked outside with him onto the patio, he said, “Yes, it is.” Excitement had been building over the past few days.

  “It’s not too late to call the whole thing off.”

  “Why would I do something like that?”

  “Because,” Stephanos pointed out, “you’re treating marriage like a business deal instead of a sacred institution.”

  “A sacred institution?”

  “You know what I mean. Marriage isn’t something to be used to win a lawsuit. Or to get seed money for your business.”

  “I shouldn’t have told you. If I had known you were going to judge me, I wouldn’t have. And you haven’t met Brittany yet, so don’t base your opinion of her on this deal. She’s marrying me to help me keep Hailey.”

  Only yesterday his lawyer had informed him that the Larimar’s attorney had demanded custody once more. And that they were insisting on weekend visitation—at their home—as if he would ever agree to let them take Hailey anywhere. Daniel had also been informed that a social worker would be making a visit in the coming weeks. No, there would be no backing out. Everything depended on this wedding taking place as scheduled.

  “And for the money you’re giving her,” Stephanos pointed out.

  “That was my idea. She never asked for a cent.”

  “But she’s still taking it.”

  “Stephanos.” Daniel’s voice was steely, designed to stop Stephanos in his tracks. Nobody, and that included his best friend, was going to malign Brittany in Daniel’s presence.

  Stephanos held up his hands in surrender. “Okay. So she’s not a gold digger. My point is still valid. Marriage is special and should be treated that way.”

  “I know. But this is an extraordinary situation.” Daniel looked at his friend. “I’m sorry for putting you in this position. I shouldn’t have confided in you and asked you to keep it from Rodney and William.”

  “I’m your best friend.” Stephanos heaved out a sigh. “I understand why you’re doing this. It’s not the way that I would have handled things, but I get it.”

  “I just can’t lose Hailey.”

  “You won’t. Now, come on back inside. We’re getting ready to call it a night and head to the hotel.”

  “You guys know you could have stayed here. I have plenty of room.”

  “And a baby who needs her sleep.”

  Daniel followed his friend back into the house. William and Rodney stood when he entered. “Thanks again for coming, guys. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Daniel watched as his friends climbed into their rental car and drove away. Stephanos’s words haunted him as he turned out the lights and headed upstairs. Was he doing the right thing by marrying Brittany? Or was he making a huge mistake? Whatever, it was too late to back out now. He would just say his vows tomorrow and hope for the best.

  Chapter Ten

  Brittany’s heart was thudding so hard she wouldn’t be surprised if it forced a way out of her chest. In exactly twenty minutes, she would be walking down the aisle to marry Daniel Dubois. The doubts that she’d shoved down over the past two weeks suddenly surfaced and threatened to overwhelm her.

  What in the world was she doing? Why had she agreed to marry Daniel? Sure, she believed that he and Hailey belonged together, but did that mean Brittany had to marry him? It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that the seconds were ticking down, Brittany’s feet were beginning to feel a slight chill.

  Guests were arriving. Though they’d put the wedding together rather quickly, she’d done everything in her power to make it elegant. DJ’s Deluxe might not be the Ritz, but she and Reese, who was acting as her wedding coordinator, her sisters and Amanda had transformed it. They’d covered the walls with silk fabric and
added pedestals wrapped with greenery and flowers. The entire place looked like a fairy-tale wedding was about to take place. In a way, it was. Not in the romantic sense where the couple would live happily ever after, but rather in the sense that nothing about it was real. It was all make-believe.

  A string quintet was playing chamber music and it floated into the makeshift dressing room. Every detail had been seen to, down to the order of the musical selections. Only three more songs before the wedding would start.

  Stephanie finished Brittany’s makeup and Tiffany adjusted her veil.

  “You look really beautiful,” Tiffany said, clasping her hands against her chest. “Daniel won’t be able to keep his eyes off you.”

  “Thank you.” Brittany’s voice caught in her throat. Turning to look at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t believe that the glamorous reflection was her. Suddenly she felt like a bride. Though Brittany had chosen a white dress that stopped at the knee, the bodice had an elaborate lace-and-bead design. Her veil, though simple, reached the hem of her dress.

  “You three look beautiful, too,” Brittany said, rising from her chair. “Thanks so much for being a part of my special day.” She hugged her sisters and Amanda. “I have gifts for you.”

  “You didn’t need to do that,” Amanda said. Brittany’s sisters echoed the sentiment.

  “Of course I did. It’s tradition. More than that, you all mean so much to me.” She’d found silver bracelets and earrings that would look lovely with their dresses. They’d selected elegant pink silk that fit at the waist, skimmed their hips and floated around their knees. Their silver shoes matched the color of the groomsmen’s ties.

  They opened their gifts, then quickly removed their earrings and put on the new jewelry.