Mail-Order Cinderella (Fortune's Children: The Grooms Book 2)

by Kathryn Jensen

  “I think we’ve reached the time when we should talk about our personal histories,” he said.

  “But I told you that my parents—oh…” Julie belatedly read the message in his eyes. “That kind of history.” She moved a step back from him and pressed a hand to the top of his desk, as if checking to make sure it would hold her, then perched on one corner. “I guess you can tell I’ve had less experience than you. I know I can make a nice home for you, love your children and care for them. But I’m not—” she lifted one thin shoulder then let it drop “—I just hope you’re not expecting me to be like those women in the movies who drive a man crazy in thirteen different positions.”

  This time there was no way he could stop himself from smiling so hard his cheeks hurt. She was adorable. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

  “But—”

  He quieted her lips with another tap of his finger. “I’ll show you everything you’ll need to know to please me, Julie. And I’ll never force you to make love with me. It has to be something you want, too. I’m counting on our hungers being mutual.”

  Her eyes slid away from his, to the floor. “I’m not a very…responsive person.”

  “I don’t believe that.”

  “You said I should be honest with you. I’m trying to be,” she insisted sadly.

  “If you say so.” He couldn’t believe that the woman he’d felt melting in his arms moments earlier wouldn’t share his passion if she were given the chance. He reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand. She couldn’t seem to look at him now. “Come on, living with me isn’t the worst possible fate, is it?”

  She shook her head and gave him a weak smile. “Not at all,” she murmured.

  “So,” he said watching her expression hopefully. “Do we do this?”

  She lifted her gaze to meet his, looked deep into his eyes and nibbled anxiously at her bottom lip. He wished he could read her thoughts at that moment, but he doubted even she had yet made sense of the muddle of doubts, needs, fears and dreams he saw reflected in her expressive hazel eyes.

  When he was sure her hesitation meant she’d decided against his plan, she let out a soft breath of resignation and murmured a single word he only half heard.

  “What?” he asked, his heart beat rising to a rapid tattoo.

  Julie blinked up at him. “Yes,” she said more clearly. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  The morning passed into afternoon before Julie knew it. Once she’d given Tyler her decision, he seemed determined to introduce her to every landmark in town. Pueblo wasn’t anywhere near as large as Tucson, but it was big enough for its own shopping mall (a very exclusive one it appeared to Julie), a fifties’-style diner called the Copper Mine and a local steak house whimsically known as the Camel Corral. Tyler described this last establishment as a “guy hangout.” He and his brother Jason still met there at least once a week for a juicy sirloin and beer.

  The headquarters of Fortune Construction took up most of an entire block along Feather Road. Tyler walked her through the main entrance and into his office on an upper floor. The corridors were lined with magnificent southwestern woven rugs and oil paintings of Tyler’s ancestors. An original Remington bronze held an honored place in the central foyer.

  Finally, they looped back through town in his pickup truck, past several churches, two bakeries, a large pharmacy positioned midtown and a smaller one close to the Saguaro Springs residential community of two-story Mediterranean-style condos and houses.

  “That’s where I live,” he told her. “We’ll come back in a while, but I’d like you to meet my parents first.”

  “So soon!” Julie gasped.

  He grinned. “No time like the present. Don’t worry, they don’t eat Texans.”

  Julie studied Tyler’s profile as he turned the truck down a private road then steered between a graceful row of poplar trees dressed in new green leaves. He was a proud redwood of a man; she a spindly willow. He made heads turn when he entered a room; she could pass through without anyone realizing she’d been there. How would she ever survive in his shadow?

  Tyler stopped the car at a wrought-iron gate, rolled down his window to punch a code into a keypad. The tall, scrolled panels, each emblazoned with a large F, swung open. Some five hundred feet down the drive was a rambling ranch-style home of stucco and red tile, as close to a mansion as she’d ever seen on one floor.

  “Is this where you grew up?” she asked.

  “Yes. My parents live here now, and my grandmother Kate has been visiting from Minneapolis for the winter. Sterling, who she married several years ago, is away on business for a few weeks. But with any luck my brother or cousins will drop in for supper.”

  With any luck, Julie thought with trepidation. She was anxious enough about meeting Tyler’s parents without having to make a grand appearance before his entire family.

  Tyler flung open a door at the end of the house without knocking. “Anyone home?” he called out, his voice booming through the big house.

  “In the living room, Ty,” a soft voice answered.

  Julie looked at Tyler. “You have a sister, too?”

  “That’s my mother, Jasmine. She’ll be thrilled to hear you thought she sounded like a twenty-something. Come on, don’t look so terrified.” He chuckled.

  Watching cool pinky-gray slabs of marble flooring pass beneath her feet, Julie tried to think what she would say to the mother of her fiancé—for that was what Tyler was to her now. Her fiancé. The concept both excited and terrified her. Glad to meet you, Mrs. Fortune. I’ve known your son for less than one full day, and I’ve decided to marry him. Would a sane woman be doing this?

  Yet Tyler seemed a very practical man who didn’t leap blindly into ventures. If he believed they could marry for their mutual benefit and make it work, why shouldn’t she also believe? After all, he’d had a lot more experience with relationships than she.

  They rounded a corner and stepped into a spacious parlor decorated in cream, rust and a spectrum of tans with touches of turquoise—southwestern motif and colors. The room was twice as large as her entire apartment, with dark wood beams holding aloft a soaring cathedral ceiling and a stone fireplace that occupied the entire far wall. A couple sat on a love seat, close enough to hold hands without reaching. The man was tall, thin and strong looking. His hair was beginning to gray around the temples. Julie immediately saw a strong resemblance to Tyler. Chiseled stone, a warrior’s proud nose and watchful eyes.

  On seeing her son enter the room with a woman on his arm, Jasmine looked puzzled. An older woman sitting across from Tyler’s parents turned to smile graciously at them. Her hair was a crisp white, arranged in swirls around her face. Her eyes were sharp and blue when they shifted toward Julie. This must be Kate, the matriarch of the clan, Julie thought.

  Kate seemed instinctively to know how to fill the awkward moment. “Ah, what a lovely surprise. You’ve brought a friend, Tyler dear. Are you two staying for dinner?”

  “If there’s enough to go around.” He vigorously tugged Julie farther into the room when she balked, and pinned her to his side with one strong arm.

  “Grand! We’ll have a small crowd then. Jason and Adele are also expected, bringing little Lisa, of course. I love it when the brood gets together around the same table.” She winked at Julie. “It doesn’t happen often enough in this family, everyone is so busy. And who is this pretty creature with you?”

  Julie felt the muscles in Tyler’s arm tighten even though his expression remained amazingly relaxed.

  “Everyone, this is Julie Parker, an old friend. We ran into each other again just recently in Houston. She lives there.”

  Tyler completed introductions all around. It was all Julie could do to nod shyly at the threesome and murmur something vague about being pleased to be in Pueblo.

  “It’s strange,” Jasmine said, a note of apology in her voice, “I don’t recall hearing about you before, Julie.”

  “I don’t introduce all
my dates to you, Mother,” Tyler said smoothly.

  “You don’t introduce any of them to us,” his grandmother corrected him. She turned to Julie with a gracious smile. “You must be a very special young woman to have earned the honor. You’re not his usual sort of companion, thank goodness. I approve entirely.”

  “Thank you.” Julie smothered a nervous laugh behind her hand. It was easy to see where Tyler got his no-nonsense manner of dealing with people.

  “This is a lovely house,” Julie said. “Is it very old?”

  “My husband built it for the family,” Kate explained. “Devlin and Hunter were already teenagers. Hunter lived here until he married. Devlin has never left, and Jason and Tyler grew up here.” She looked around her at the stucco walls and heavy, dark beams overhead with love in her eyes. “I hope that Tyler, Jason or one of their cousins will have it some day. I would hate for it to be sold out of the family.” She looked pointedly at her son, then her grandson.

  “That’s understood, Mother,” Devlin assured her affectionately.

  Kate’s sharp eyes flicked back to Julie. “We’re having drinks while we wait for the others to arrive. Sit here and tell us about yourself, Julie.” She patted the long stretch of sofa beside her.

  It was more a command than a request. Julie accepted a glass of white zinfandel and sat between Kate and Tyler on a plump, sand-colored cushion. He slipped his arm around her waist. She tensed for an instant before reminding herself it would seem odd if her fiancé didn’t display a gesture of affection. She eased back against his arm and sipped her wine, trying to look as if she was accustomed to visiting the wealthy and concocting outrageous tales about herself.

  “There isn’t a lot that’s very interesting,” she began, hoping they wouldn’t pursue the topic if she sounded bored with it herself. “I work for the Houston Public Library system. I was born in southwest Houston and grew up there. I’ve never really left.”

  Kate’s eyes widened. “You’re a librarian? How wonderful. I hope all my great-grandchildren will be avid readers, but I fear these computer games and movies….” She rolled her eyes.

  “Children still read a lot. Educational Internet sites actually encourage children to seek out traditional books.” Julie warmed to her topic at the spark of interest in Kate’s eyes.

  She caught a glimpse of Tyler watching her with a curious expression, and suddenly realized she was talking with a great deal more animation than at any time since she’d met him. He looked amused, thoughtful and a little less sure of himself.

  The time passed quickly. Jasmine told her about Tyler’s cousin Shane, who was an expert in Native American cultures. Kate assured her that Shane would want to consult with her about research he was doing on the Papago tribe. And when Jasmine eventually brought up the subject of Julie’s family, she was able to answer honestly. “Families are terribly important to me. I’ll be forever grateful I had my father as long as I did. But I always envied children who had a bevy of brothers and sisters.”

  She noticed Jasmine and Kate swapping hopeful looks. Tyler took this as his cue.

  “Before the others arrive, I’d like to make an announcement.” He glanced down at Julie, as if for approval, but she knew nothing short of a Texas twister would stop him. All she could do was play along.

  “Whatever you think is best, darling,” she murmured.

  Tyler’s parents and grandmother stared at him…then her…then him again. Pulling Julie closer, Tyler planted a noisy kiss on the crest of her head. Although she understood this was part of the act, a ripple of heat spread down through her body—like sweet maple syrup slowly poured.

  “Nothing ever happens in this family in the expected way,” Tyler began. “You three have been after me for years to get serious, settle down with one woman, marry and start a family. But I’ve always had the feeling I hadn’t met the right woman. I was wrong.”

  Julie let her eyes float shut for a moment, trying to borrow strength from the protective circle of Tyler’s arms. His family had treated her graciously, believing she was just another of his dates. Now came the moment when they would tell her she wasn’t worthy of him and throw her out of their home.

  Her fingers felt ice-cold. Her right foot had been so tightly wedged beneath her knee on the couch cushion, it had fallen asleep. She grimaced, tried flexing her toes, but pins and needles danced up her leg. She desperately wanted the next five minutes to be over.

  Oblivious to Julie’s emotional and physical discomfort, Tyler wove a tale of their brief courtship while nuzzling his chin into the nest of curls atop her head. “I didn’t recognize how special Julie was when we dated years ago. It wasn’t until we ran into each other again that it became obvious to me—she is the woman I want to marry.”

  Julie arranged a semblance of a smile on her lips and watched her future in-laws’ shocked expressions gradually mellow to pleasure, while Tyler continued creating their love story out of thin air. His Julie had utterly charmed him with her sweet gentleness. He was as smitten by her gourmet cooking as he was by her intelligence. They agreed on so many issues…including having children.

  Actually, everything but his feelings for her were the absolute truth. And she almost believed even those parts.

  By the time Jason arrived with his new wife, Adele, and his daughter Lisa, dinner was on the table and everyone was congratulating the happy couple, offering Julie words of encouragement and welcome into the clan. Julie was stupefied. Had they actually bought it? The proof seemed to be that she was still standing in their home, being hugged and kissed by everyone, including the cook, who seemed a member of the family.

  Jason offered a toast at the beginning of the meal then leaned across the table with a solemn expression. “You’re not going to turn cheap on your fiancée, are you, Ty?”

  Tyler scowled at him. “What are you talking about?”

  “I don’t see a diamond on that pretty lady’s finger.”

  Julie sensed Tyler’s momentary loss for an explanation. Words rushed out of her mouth before she could consider what she was saying. “That’s because I asked him to wait.”

  Tyler stared at her. “You did, yes,” he said slowly, buying time while he tried to figure out where she was headed, “because…”

  “Because I wanted him to tell his family first.”

  “Ah, yes.” He picked up the story, shooting her a thankful look. “Silly woman thought there might be an objection to her. Lord only knows why. I told her you’d all adore her.”

  “You still should have offered Julie a ring,” Jasmine scolded her son. “It’s traditional, Tyler. Sometimes, I swear you think you can make up your own rules as you go along in life.”

  “Mother, I didn’t—”

  Julie came to his rescue a second time. “I asked that we pick out a ring together. I was afraid he’d choose a huge, gaudy stone. My hands are so small, I look silly in big jewelry.”

  Kate laughed, pressing a damask napkin to her lips. “My dear, a woman can never have a diamond that’s too big. My advice to you is to pick out the largest perfect diamond my grandson can afford, and, believe me, that’s a whopper. He’s had plenty of time to save up for it!”

  Julie returned the older woman’s conspiratorial smile. “I’ll remember that when we visit the jeweler tomorrow.” She glanced with innocent sweetness at Tyler.

  “Tomorrow?” he asked, dark brows lowering.

  “Tomorrow,” Julie repeated, proud that her voice didn’t quaver. Maybe the courage came from the wine. Or maybe it was the way Adele was viewing her approvingly from across the table.

  “Good, now that that is settled,” Kate rolled on joyfully, “you two need to set a date, arrange for a church, choose a cake and photographer, order flowers—”

  “Can I be the flower girl?” Little Lisa bounced on her chair. “I’ll practice real hard.”

  “That’s Julie’s decision,” Kate said briskly. “As is the location of the wedding. Do you have a church in mind?”
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  “Well, no,” Julie replied. “I just assumed since Tyler has a big family and mine is so small, and distant, we’d be married in Pueblo.”

  “Wonderful!” Kate exclaimed. “The reception will, of course, be here at the house.”

  Tyler was shaking his head emphatically. “Julie and I have agreed on a very small, simple wedding. With work on the hospital running behind schedule and losing my foreman, I don’t have time for—”

  “You don’t have time for your own wedding?” Jasmine cried. “Oh, Tyler.”

  “Julie doesn’t want a lot of fuss either,” he insisted. “Do you, darling?”

  Everyone turned to her.

  “Aren’t we going to have a wedding?” Lisa asked plaintively.

  Julie looked up into Tyler’s dark eyes, by now close to black. He was definitely a man not to be crossed.

  “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” he asked again, more tightly.

  She dared not push her luck. “Ah…yes,” she whispered. “Just a simple ceremony.” But she couldn’t help feeling the sting of disappointment. Flowers, stained glass, a huge celebration! What fun it would have been. “The town hall will be just fine,” she added.

  “Well, I won’t hear of it!” Kate fairly bellowed, flinging her napkin on the tabletop as if it were a gauntlet tossed down in challenge. “You’d better not let your son have his way with this, Devlin. Every girl deserves a formal wedding. Tell him he can’t run off with this sweet little thing to a sterile clerk’s office to take her vows. That’s not fair.”

  Devlin didn’t get a chance to speak.

  “Of course he won’t do that—will you Tyler?” Jasmine’s glare, Julie thought, could easily have melted one of his steel girders.

  “Well, I—” Tyler rolled his eyes in defeat.

  “Julie,” Kate interrupted smoothly, as if everything had now been settled, “I know a precious shop in The Mall in Saguaro Valley that carries one-of-a-kind wedding gowns. Any style you can imagine. Your gown will be my gift to you. We’ll shop tomorrow afternoon, after you and Tyler pick out the ring.” She shot her grandson a challenging look. “I will want to see it. And while we’re choosing your gown, Tyler can call the church and arrange a date.”