Million Dollar Marriage

by Maggie Shayne

  “You want me to call your husband, have him come in and—”

  “No!” Lucy clapped a hand over her mouth. “No, I… No.”

  “Okay. All right. Listen, you look a little thrown. Why don’t you go home, take the rest of the day off, and deal with this news?”

  “My patients…”

  “Karen and I will cover for you. Okay? Do this, Lucy. You look like you just got hit between the eyes with a mallet. Go home. You need time to digest this, obviously.”

  Feeling as if she were in a daze, Lucy nodded. “All right. Okay, I’ll just…I’ll just go home.”

  Holden wouldn’t be there yet. She could hide in their bedroom, and try to think. This was a dream come true, and a nightmare. She would have the miracle baby she’d prayed for, but probably lose the man she’d let herself fall in love with in the process.

  Fall in love with? Who was she kidding? She’d been in love with Holden Fortune since she was a teenager. But this would end it. This would show him the devious sort of woman she really was. And then it would be over.

  Over. Because if he cared about her at all, it was all based on the false image he had of her. He’d put her on some kind of pedestal. Thought of her as flawless and good.

  Lucy pressed her palm to her abdomen. Tears flooded her eyes, and her knees felt watery and weak. “What have I done?” she whispered. “Oh, God, Holden, what have I done?”

  Holden whistled his way through the morning meeting at the plush offices of Fortune TX, Ltd. Logan had been sending him odd looks on and off, but Holden didn’t really care. He was feeling good about himself, and good about his life for the first time in a long time. He’d decided on a course of action, and just knowing what he had to do seemed to make his steps lighter and keep a constant smile teasing at his lips.

  He was going to woo his wife. Court her. And make her fall in love with him. Because he could be the kind of man who would make a woman a decent husband. Hell, with Lucy at his side, he could do anything.

  His brother followed him to his office when the meeting adjourned, and even that didn’t upset him. Holden just filled his coffee cup, and took a seat behind his gleaming hardwood desk, tipped back his leather swivel chair and propped his feet up on the blotter.

  Logan stood in the open doorway. Just beyond him, Holden saw Emily Applegate peering intently at her computer screen.

  “How’s that acquisition research coming, Emily?” Logan asked, without turning.

  “Just fine,” she said, looking at him and smiling. “It’s on your desk.”

  Logan came inside and closed the door. “So, what’s up with you, anyway?”

  Holden lifted his brows, sipped from his cup. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re smiling. There’s a bounce in your step. I actually heard you humming in the elevator, Holden.”

  “So?”

  “So, you don’t hum.”

  Holden shrugged. “Maybe I just started.”

  Frowning, Logan came forward, and sank into one of the two comfortable chairs in front of Holden’s desk. “Something’s different about you. It’s Lucy, isn’t it?”

  Holden grinned. “I’m planning a surprise for her.” Then his smile died and he bit his lip. “I just hope she likes it. I mean…I’m not really sure she will, but I think—”

  “You’re in love with her!” Logan said it as if it were an accusation.

  “Well, she’s my wife. I’m supposed to be, right?”

  “I can’t believe it.” Logan was on his feet again, but his frown was gone. He was smiling now. “I honest to Texas can’t believe it. Maybe you’re not as dense as I thought you were after all, big brother.”

  “Runs in the family,” Holden said.

  “Huh?”

  Holden shook his head. “Have you taken a good look at your assistant lately, Logan?”

  Logan’s face puckered in confusion. “Emily? No. Why, is there something wrong with her?”

  “And you call me dense.” Holden’s phone buzzed, and he snatched it up, then put a hand over the receiver. “Mom’s on the line. I’d better take it.”

  Logan nodded, frowning. Holden understood that frown. It wasn’t like Mary Ellen to call either of them at the offices—unless something was wrong. He thought of little Bryan. Perhaps there was some news, and he prayed it was good. Holden punched a button on the phone panel. “Mom? What’s up?”

  She sighed first. “I probably shouldn’t be butting in, Holden, but your Lucy just came home, and—”

  “She came home?” He glanced at his watch. She couldn’t have been at the hospital for more than an hour. “Did she say why?”

  “Something about not feeling well.”

  “She’s sick?” Holden was on his feet. “Is she all right? Maybe you should call a doctor.”

  “Holden, your wife is a doctor. Besides, I have a feeling it isn’t so much physical as…as something else.”

  “What kind of something else?”

  Another sigh. “Holden, she’s pale, a bit shaky, and, um, if I’m not mistaken, she’s been crying. Did something happen between you two that—”

  “No. Hell, everything was going so well…or I thought it was. Look, I’ll be home as soon as I can. I’m leaving now.”

  “Good,” Mary Ellen said. “I think that’s for the best.”

  Holden hung up the phone, glanced at his brother, having almost forgotten Logan was in the room. “I have to go—”

  “I heard. Go ahead, I’ll handle things here.”

  Holden nodded his thanks, snatched his keys from his top drawer, and headed for the door.

  “Holden?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Work it out, okay? She’s… Hell, she’s one of the best things that ever happened to you.”

  Glancing back over his shoulder, meeting his brother’s eyes, Holden said, “Wrong, little brother. She’s the best thing.”

  The gentle tap on her bedroom door made Lucy lift her head from the pillows. It ached when she moved it. And she knew her eyes were puffy and red, and she didn’t really want to face anyone right now.

  “Lucy? Darling, it’s Mary Ellen. Please, let me come in.”

  Blinking, brushing her eyes dry, Lucy got to her feet, and opened the bedroom door. Her mother-in-law stood there, looking like the epitome of motherhood—graceful, caring, wise. Perfect. She held the cat in her arms, stroking him absently. She and Cleo had become best friends, just as Holden had predicted they would. Mary Ellen was such an incredible woman.

  “I can’t believe Holden ever thought I was like you,” Lucy whispered, turning her head, averting her eyes.

  “He told you that, too, did he?” Mary Ellen came in and closed the door. “When he said it to me, that you reminded him of me, I thought it was the highest compliment I’d ever been paid.”

  A burst of air escaped Lucy’s lips. “It was no compliment, Mary Ellen. I’m not half the woman you are.”

  “You are the woman my son loves,” she said softly. Coming closer, she put a hand on Lucy’s shoulder. “That makes you perfect in my eyes.”

  “He doesn’t love me. He can’t. He thinks I’m something I’m not, and I’ve been…I’ve been horrible. Oh, Mary Ellen, when he realizes what I’ve done…” Lucy closed her eyes to fight off new tears.

  “Come with me, Lucy. I’ve got tea waiting in your sitting room. It will do you a world of good.”

  Lucy let herself be led. Mary Ellen tucked her into a cozy chair, draped a woven blanket over her shoulders, and then placed a cup of steaming tea into her hands. She felt comforted. It was almost like having a mother of her own again.

  “Now, why don’t you tell me about this horrible thing you think you’ve done?”

  Lowering her head, Lucy said, “I—I deceived him, Mary Ellen. I was selfish, and thoughtless. I married him with a plan, with my own agenda, one he knew nothing about.”

  Mary Ellen nodded. “I assumed this arrangement began as a part of Holden’s own agenda. To coll
ect his inheritance.”

  Nodding hard, Lucy said, “It did. He promised to fund my clinic for the lower income women in the Hispanic and Native American communities in return for being his wife for a year.”

  “And you agreed,” Mary Ellen said softly. “And now you’ve fallen in love with him.”

  Setting her teacup into its saucer, Lucy said, “It’s so much more complicated than that.”

  “Well, now. Let me see if I can guess. I did have a rather interesting phone call from Rosita Perez this morning. Rosita is a bit of a psychic. Most of the family just humors her, but I’ve seen her pick up on too many things to be entirely skeptical. Rosita said she dreamed about tree frogs last night.”

  Lucy, distracted for just a moment from her misery by this odd twist in the conversation, sniffled, and looked up. “Tree frogs?”

  “Oh, yes. You see whenever Rosita dreams of amphibians, someone in the family turns out to be pregnant.”

  Lucy’s teacup clattered to the floor.

  She stared at the spreading liquid, staining the carpet, soaking into its fibers bit by bit.

  Mary Ellen gathered both Lucy’s hands into her own. “So, tell me, Lucy. Are you going to make me a grandmother?”

  Lucy squeezed her eyes tight and managed to nod. She felt the hot tears seeping through despite her best efforts to hold them back. And then she felt warm arms around her, holding her gently, a hand stroking her hair.

  “This is not the disaster you think it is, you know. It’s a blessing, Lucy. A blessing.” She backed up a bit, framing Lucy’s face with her hands, and smiling. Mary Ellen’s eyes were damp, too. “You’re going to make such a beautiful mother. You know that?”

  Lucy couldn’t help it. She smiled, too, through her tears. “Do you think?”

  Tears rolling freely now, Mary Ellen nodded. “If I could have chosen a mother for my first grandchild, I would have picked you.” She closed her eyes. “Oh, Lucy, do you know how lively this old house will be? The birthday parties, and slumber parties and…” She drew a big breath, eyes flying wide. “And Christmas! Oh, Lucy, it’s been so long since I’ve seen the wide, wonder-filled eyes of a child on Christmas morning.”

  Everything she said brought an image to Lucy’s mind. And bit by bit, the anguish left her. Mary Ellen was thrilled for her, and it felt good to relish the idea of motherhood, to cherish the thought, and celebrate the beginning of a new life with this woman. But when she thought of Holden, the images faded. And the joy with them.

  “Holden is not going to be as enthusiastic, I think.”

  “Holden will be thrilled, just as I am, Lucy. I promise you that.” Mary Ellen took a breath. “I won’t say anything to him. I’ll leave that to you. You tell him when you feel ready, all right?”

  “Thank you, Mary Ellen.”

  Mary Ellen nodded, getting to her feet. “No, Lucy. Thank you.” Leaning down, she pressed a warm kiss to Lucy’s forehead. “Now, go wash your face. Your husband is on his way home.”

  Lucy’s head came up fast. “What?”

  “I’m sorry. I was worried about you.”

  Nodding slowly, Lucy said, “It’s all right.”

  “It’s as it should be,” Mary Ellen said. “I’m going over to the Double Crown for a while. You two will have the place to yourselves today.”

  Nodding again, Lucy forced a smile as Mary Ellen took her leave. Dragging herself to her feet, she retrieved the toppled teacup. Then she went to the bathroom to splash cold water on her tearstained face.

  Thirteen

  Holden hurried through the house, into their wing, worried half to death. Things couldn’t go bad now. Not when he’d just figured out what he wanted in life.

  He found Lucy in the bedroom, standing sideways in front of a full-length mirror, staring hard at her reflection.

  “Honey? You okay?”

  She looked up, startled, turning away from the mirror almost guiltily. “I was a little under the weather, so I came home early. Your mom really shouldn’t have bothered you at work.”

  Holden took his time studying her face. Her eyes looked a little puffy, and there was a worried look about her that bothered him. “So…it’s just some kind of bug?”

  “Probably a summer cold.” She sighed, and crossed the room toward him. “You really didn’t have to rush home.”

  “I was worried. Mom thought you looked upset.”

  She lowered her eyes. Holden took her hands in his. “If I’ve done something to upset you, Lucy, you have to tell me about it.”

  She smiled, but it looked false. “You have been absolutely wonderful to me. I promise, it’s nothing you’ve done.”

  “What is it, then?”

  She pulled her hands from his, turning away. “Nothing. A bug, like I told you. You can go back to the office, and I’ll be fine.”

  “No.”

  Blinking, she turned back to him. “Well…why not?”

  “Because if you’re sick, then I want to be here to take care of you. You know, prop your feet up, feed you chicken soup, get you tissues…”

  “I’m not that sick.”

  “I don’t think you’re sick at all.”

  She closed her eyes when he said that, and he knew he was right. “Holden, I—”

  “We’re going to talk it out, whatever it is. I have some things to say to you. And maybe I should have said them sooner, but—”

  “Holden, don’t. Please.”

  He fell silent, studying her face, the hint of pain he could see in her eyes. With a sigh, he reached out, took her hand. “Come on.” She didn’t resist as he pulled her to the bed, pressed her until she sat on its edge. Then he dragged up a chair and sat beside the bed.

  “Talk to me.”

  Taking a breath, letting it out slowly, she seemed to be steeling herself. She parted her lips. Then closed them again and sighed.

  “Fine,” Holden said. “I’ll start. I want to call off our deal.”

  Her eyes widened. “Y-you what?”

  “Oh, I’ll still fund the clinic. Fully. No limits, whatever you need. But…okay, I’m just gonna plunge in and say it. I don’t want to end this marriage when the year is up.” Leaning forward, he took her hand. “I want to try to make it real, Lucy. I want to try to make it work.”

  “Oh, Holden.” It was a whisper, a sigh. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “I know that I feel something for you. That I pretty much always have.”

  “No,” she said, her voice stronger now. Firmer. “You don’t.”

  Holden lifted his brows. “Give me some credit. I know what I feel.”

  “But you don’t know me.” She got to her feet, pacing away from him in quick, agitated strides. “You think I’m perfect. Some kind of angel.”

  “You are.”

  “No, Holden, I’m not. I never have been. These feelings you think you have aren’t for me. They’re for some false image of me that you’ve built up in your mind. But that’s not who I am.”

  He couldn’t help it. He smiled. “All these years I had myself convinced I could never be good enough for you. Now you’re trying to tell me you’re not good enough for me?”

  She turned slowly. “Y-you thought you weren’t good enough for me?”

  “Yeah. That’s why I stayed away from you. It was a battle, I can tell you that. But you seemed out of reach for a man like me.” As she lowered her head, shaking it, Holden went to her, stroked her hair away from her face. “I always believed I was destined to be just like my old man. But you made me see that I’m better than that. I can be exactly what I want to be. You showed me that, Lucy. And what I want to be is your husband.”

  He didn’t know what he’d said wrong, but all of a sudden there were tears standing in her eyes.

  “You were always good enough for me,” she said. “Holden, I lied to you, and plotted against you.”

  He frowned, staring down at her. “What?”

  “I was dishonest with you from the start.
I had my own agenda when I agreed to be your wife. A cold, calculated plan to get what I wanted from you. Because for some screwed-up reason I believed you were just a womanizing jerk who would never care anyway.”

  He lowered his head. “I…probably deserved that.”

  “No. No, Holden, you didn’t. You see, I was wrong. You were never the kind of man I thought you were. Never the kind of man you thought you were, either. I saw that almost from the start, and I knew then that I couldn’t go through with m-my plan to trick you.”

  Frowning, he searched her face.

  “I swear, Holden, I changed my mind. I did.”

  “So, then…there’s no harm done.”

  She sniffled, brushed at her eyes with the back of one hand. “There is. Because you need to know the kind of scheming I did, and I just don’t think you’ll feel the same way about me anymore once you do. I think you care for the woman you thought I was. But that image is going to be shattered.”

  Nodding slowly, Holden lifted her chin until she looked into his eyes. “Only one way to find out,” he said, knowing full well that no confession she might make was going to make him feel any differently about her. “Tell me this devious plot you couldn’t go through with. What was it? Were you going to sue me for divorce and try to take half of everything I own, the way Sophia is doing to Uncle Ryan?”

  “No. No, it’s worse than that, Holden.” She licked her lips. “I—I wanted a baby.”

  He felt his jaw go lax, snapped it closed again.

  “I wanted to get pregnant right away. And that was why I—I seduced you the way I did, at Kingston Lake.”

  Holden gave his head a shake. “That…that was why?”

  She lowered her eyes. “Well, that was why the first time. I mean, I wanted you, Holden, don’t mistake that. But…I wanted a baby, too. I’ve always wanted a child of my own, and my time was running short, and when you made your offer I thought it was the answer I’d been looking for.”

  Turning in a slow circle, Holden pushed both hands through his hair. “I can’t believe this. I was…I was a damn sperm donor to you?” He stopped when he faced her again. “And just what were you planning to do with this…this baby?”

  “Keep it. Raise it as my own. I wasn’t even certain I was going to tell you about it. I thought I could leave town before I started to show, let our marriage go on until the end of the term we agreed on, and then get a quiet divorce.”