Something Emma swore she would never do again since she always found herself unlucky to get a box with missing screws or screws and parts that didn’t quite mesh together as displayed on the cover of the box. She vowed to pay extra for ready-assembled products in the future since DIY was not her strong suit.
Ms. Wiggins eyed some more pictures displayed face out in front of some books. Ms. Wiggins noticed that Emma had a lot of mismatched furniture in her apartment. It was neat. Just humble.
“Where are the pictures of you and your fiancé?”
Oops!
Emma gulped.
She hadn’t figured she would have anyone visit out of the blue and certainly didn’t think she would have to answer such questions.
She knew her grandfather would be too ill to get a pass to leave the hospital to visit her. She hadn’t factored any of that in.
Then, a flash struck her.
New York.
Emma leaped to her feet. Excitement rose in her chest. She had her digital camera with the images of her trip to New York—with Evan.
Emma and Evan, having a blast in the Big Apple. As a couple—well, sort of.
She scrambled over to her bag that was plopped over by the dining room chair to locate the silver Panasonic camera—the one she’d purchased when she graduated college after being one of the last people on earth to use the old-fashioned 35mm.
She powered on her camera when she finally had it in her grasp. Her heart racing, her feet twitching. Her eyes narrowing. Waiting. Anticipating. Longing to prove her point. Provide the proof.
The lying proof.
Nothing.
No image appeared on the camera’s display screen.
Her heart leaped. Then plunged.
Her mother drew closer.
“Something wrong, dear?”
“Oh. Um. No. Nothing’s wrong.” She frowned. She fidgeted with the buttons on the camera.
Still nothing.
Where were those images? Just my luck. That’s what happens, I suppose, when you concoct a soup of lies. You get to chug down a bitter remedy of karma.
She was about to tell her mother the whole, unadulterated truth when the images appeared on the screen.
Like a miracle.
“Oh, he’s handsome.” Her mother leaned in closer to get a look. “He’s drop-dead gorgeous!”
Her mother clasped her hands to her chest.
“Congratulations!” Her mother threw her a huge bear hug. The first, Emma noticed, since her arrival.
Emma stopped cold.
What had she just done?
Mentally, she clapped her hand over her forehead. Oh, great. I’ve just dug myself in deeper to this hole of deceit. How am I ever going to climb out of it?
She swallowed hard, a thick lump of guilt and felt the bitterness ride down her throat.
Oh, how she wished she were getting married to Evan—for real.
17
Evan leaned back in his swivel chair in the boardroom, his team encircling him around the table. He eyed Emma.
She looked ravishing—but she was a pleasant distraction he didn’t need right now. He had missed a couple of days at the office on business and had to get back on top of things.
He had a lot on his mind. His father’s downward spiral—which thankfully had tapered off. Doctor’s reported he was currently stable. Then there was that fake wedding. Painful as it was, he’d go along with it.
It was Tuesday morning and the Texas sun blazed through the tall office glass windows of the boardroom exposing the beautiful township of Mercy Springs.
Evan noticed it highlighted Emma’s best features. Her lustrous, ebony curls glistened. Her hair looked so healthy, so vibrant. Much like her.
The team discussed action plans and brainstormed ideas for upcoming product launches for various clients. Each member present talked about what specific project he or she was engaged in and for which client.
Lucinda bolted through the glass double door of the boardroom. “Sorry, Evan. You have a call on line one from Leanne Daniels.”
“Leanne Daniels?” Evan was puzzled. He didn’t recognize the name. He couldn’t place it from his roster of friends, family, colleagues, casual acquaintances. And often those were some of the finer details he seldom forgot. Very little slipped his sharp mind.
“Did she say where she’s calling from or what it’s about?”
“Well, no. She just said it was a personal matter.” Lucinda waited for a response. Her earphone piece still dangling from her ear.
Evan noticed Lucinda often would leave reception to personally deliver certain phone call messages though he didn’t quite understand her rationale for it. Still, he didn’t feel too easy about leaving the reception area open. Especially if a client walked in or a courier had an urgent package to deliver or ship out.
He was tempted to tell her to take a message that he was in a meeting. But something, he wasn’t quite sure what it was, but something compelled him to take the call.
Emma froze as she sat glued to her chair in the boardroom, her eyes widened as she ignored her notes in front of her. She was about to deliver her ideas for projects she was working on when Lucinda walked in.
But it wasn’t that. She felt a lump climb in her throat. A knot tied itself in the pit of her belly, squeezing her last bit of nerve.
Leanne Daniels. Leanne Daniels.
Where on earth have I heard that name before?
It wasn’t an ex-girlfriend of his. She didn’t think it was. But she knew that name from somewhere. And it bugged her that it was on the tip of her tongue but buried at the back of her mind—it wouldn’t depart her lips.
She knew she heard it before. But why did it cause the hairs to stiffen up on her due-for-a-wax legs?
Evan excused himself to take the call in his office. “Okay, take five everyone. Let’s get back to discuss the week’s projects.”
Emma excused herself to make a quick trip to the restroom. She’d whipped by her office afterwards to make a quick phone call to the florist. She had ordered flowers for the occasion on Friday. Her wedding day. Her grandfather’s proud moment in his last days.
She knew how much her grandfather cherished his gardening and flowers. She ordered the variety he’d be proud of.
She even went as far as to get his old favourite pin-striped suit altered. He’d lost so much weight since the long battle with his illness, but he always talked about that striped suit. The one he bought when he came to America and worked hard during the early days. The one he took her grandmother out on a special date in.
Ever since she could remember, he’d told her that he would walk her down the aisle in that suit. He had it dry-cleaned and would take it out of his closet when he was much stronger and admire it. There was just something about that suit. For some reason, it meant a whole lot to him.
Which in turn meant a lot to Emma.
Now, in his final days, he’d be able to wear it the way he wanted. Only thing she hoped she wouldn’t go straight to hell for not being up front and honest about not really marrying Evan or not actually being engaged.
Tears from her large, soft brown eyes spilled down her cheeks. She dried them quickly.
How could she not be moved? Touched? Affected by all of this? She so wanted this to work—for his sake.
This was Gramps' dying wish. The man who sacrificed everything for her. To make her life as normal and happy as could be. Especially when her own parents deserted her.
And yes, she’d secretly wished she were marrying Evan for real. She had feelings for him she could not explain. She’d always had them and fantasizing about a way to make him real to her in a relationship.
That was why it seemed to roll off her tongue so easy when her grandfather asked who she would be marrying. In her mind, they had a relationship. In reality, they worked closely with each other. And they respected and looked out for each other. It didn’t seemed that farfetched.
As Emma hung up the phon
e in her office to get ready to head back into the meeting, a shocking thought paralyzed her.
She knew where she’d heard the name Leanne Daniels!
Emma winced. She felt faint.
It was the hospital’s chaplain. The very person who would be performing her ceremony. Evan still didn’t know exactly what he would be getting into—yet.
.
18
Emma’s heart thumped heard when she heard the heavy footsteps stomping towards her office.
It was Evan.
Anger dressed his face. His hands shoved in his pockets. He looked like he was ready to explode. Emma hadn’t seen this side of him before. His eyes glistened wild like a boar's. Horror crept up her. She didn’t think he’d respond quite like this, but then again.... Another thought slapped her hard in the head.
He was gamophobic.
She was forcing him to marry her.
Evan slammed the door shut and closed the blinds of Emma’s office. He didn’t know how he was going to contain himself.
“You mind telling me what’s going on?”
The blood vessel in his forehead was about to explode—if that was at all possible. Oh, he felt it, alright.
“Evan. I…I’m so sorry. I tried to tell you but…”
“Tell me what? You were forcing me to marry you?”
Emma felt shattered inside. She could not think.
“Please give me a chance to explain, Evan.”
“I don’t think I can listen to any more of your lies, Emma. You tricked me. The chaplain at the hospital started asking me all these questions. Wanting ID and everything. Date of birth. I thought you were just going to pretend we were married or getting married.”
He paced with his hands shoved in his pockets, frantic. Occasionally pulling them out of his pockets to thrash them about the air. “I didn’t know you were really going to go through with it.”
“I’m so sorry, Evan. I should have told you everything but—"
“But nothing. You tricked me.” He was so angry he didn’t know if he could think straight or listen to her. He should have taken time out to deep breathe or something, but oh, this was deeper than words. This stuff kicked him hard where it hurt the most.
He narrowed his eyes in disgust and pointed a finger at her. “You’re just like all the rest. Lies. Deceit. I’m not gonna be part of your little game, Emma. Guess you’ll be walking down the aisle alone on Friday.”
He stormed out as hard as he blew in.
Emma collapsed in her chair.
Shock.
She could not move, speak, or think.
She was shaken to the core. She’d just lost one of the most valuable relationships she’d ever had.
And what about Gramps? Now he'd never forgive her. He’ll go to the grave angry. Sad. Oh, God, will he die of a broken heart? She’d heard of these things happening. She clasped her hands to her chest. She had to perish the thought.
Did she deserve it?
That’s what happened when you told huge lies—even if it was to help someone. So you think. She realized she may have made things worse. How could she face Gramps? Or Evan? Did that mean that she was fired?
And how could she ever face herself again?
Okay, he does have a phobia about marriage. And what did she do? Try to force him to marry her. For real.
Oh, God!
Later, Evan left the office early and drove up to see his old man who was now out of the hospital and back home. He needed someone to talk to about his own personal crisis.
He felt like he was about to explode.
He turned off the ignition and grabbed his BlackBerry then flung it on the passenger seat. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone. Except his old man. He slammed the car door shut and walked up to the stone driveway leading to his father’s home. He sucked in a deep breath.
Did he have the guts to follow through with what he was about to do?
19
Three days later, the flowers in the visitor lounge looked beautiful with the colourful decorations. A mini wedding banquet room.
It was Friday, the day of the ceremony that never would happen. Emma sucked in a deep breath as she walked up the death pathway, so she’d thought, to deliver the terrible news to her grandfather.
Prepared for the worst.
The last few days were a blur. She hadn’t heard from Evan. He hadn’t returned any of her calls. And her mother said she would be staying with a friend until the wedding. Someone she hadn’t seen in a while. Genie was studying for finals. She’d felt so alone during the most difficult crisis she’d have to face.
Alone.
She would have to tell her Gramps that she lied to him about the whole damn thing. The more she walked up and saw the smiles of the nurses and patients congratulating her about the ceremony that would happen in the afternoon, the more her stomach churned in agony.
She could not do this.
She hesitated when Mr. H approached her and told her he was looking forward to seeing her and Evan get married in the hospital visitor lounge. Her grandfather’s room would be too small. He told her that he and her grandfather were excited and trying on ties for the special occasion. Of course, the nurse had to help Emma's grandfather.
The aroma of the fresh cut flowers, the whiff of the hospital pine smell, it was all calming. But she needed a whole lot more for her nerves. The balloons and laid out table looked so lovely. Weddings R Us couldn’t have done it better. Wait a minute, she thought. The placemats looked like something from her client but she couldn’t have been sure. She did a double-take and blinked it off.
She walked up to the door. Tears flooded her eyes.
“Baby, what’s wrong with my little pumpkin? You should be getting ready for this afternoon.”
“Oh, Gramps. I’m so sorry.” She was about to spill everything.
“You know, it’s only good luck to cry on your wedding day when you are getting married. Not before.” A deep, low voice sounded from behind her.
It was Evan.
He was there! Dressed in a fine evening suit. Black tie affair. As if he were the... groom? He looked dashing, hands shoved in his pocket. His dimpled smile, gorgeous black hair slicked back, leaning casually against the countertop behind the door. He had been talking to her grandfather apparently.
“What? What’s going on?” Emma looked puzzled.
“Oh, pumpkin, I had the most amazing talk with your fiancé here.”
Evan didn’t take his eyes off Emma. She swallowed. She didn’t dare spoil anything.
“You know sometimes people do foolish things, but when it’s for a good reason, a good cause, sometimes you just gotta know when to let things slide. Especially if she means a lot to you.”
Just then, Genie walked in with a garment bag holding her bridal attire. “Well, Cinderella, you just gonna stand there? We have a wedding to attend.”
Emma turned to Evan and mouthed the words thank you and I’m so sorry I put you through this.
He whispered to her as he held her and told her it was alright. A little later he pulled her aside.
“You were right,” he said, “I was hiding behind fear. I had a long chat with my old man the other night. He kinda put things into perspective. You’re not like other girls. I was upset about being burned one too many times.”
“Oh, Evan! I was wrong to not be upfront about everything in the first place. I shoved my foot in my mouth and got you into this.”
“No. No. Well, yeah, you did. But they way I see it, you did it because your heart’s in the right place. Your ideas are a little off but…” he teased her.
She brushed his arm playfully.
“I wanna do this for real.” His voice was deep and throaty and sent tingly shivers zipping about her midsection. He turned to face her, his dark, sexy eyes holding her gaze intently. “I love you, Emma. And…crazy as it may sound right now, given the circumstances that we’re here today, I do wanna be with you for as long as time can handl
e. I can’t keep living my life afraid because of things not working out or because of the past. And I can’t live my life through the men in my family who’ve dealt with the curse. I’ll explain later,” he told her when he noticed the puzzled look on her face.
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