Siria shrugged her shoulders turning to the stairs remarking, “From what Jassi was telling me the other day, she has vacation time saved up that she hasn’t used since she started working.” She omitted the vacation Jassi had requested for her honeymoon.
Waren watched Siria go down the stairs with thoughtful brown eyes before he continued on to the room he knew his father had given Jassi.
“Come in,” he heard after he knocked on the door and he opened the door stilling in the doorway.
“Anita, I’m going over to my grandmother’s house in a few days,” Jassi said drying her hair before she tossed her hair back letting it slide down her back to gasp when she met her husband’s eyes.
She was off the bed the towel still in her hands as she stared at him tensely before asking, “Have you learned when your friends’ party will be?”
“No, not yet,” Waren told her staying near the door seeing the wary look in Jassi’s eyes.
Jassi nodded her head telling him quietly dropping her hands which still held the towel. “Just let me know so I can rearrange my days off for it.”
Waren studied her without blinking asking roughly, “Can you take off time when you feel like it?”
Jassi smiled ruefully telling him honestly. “I don’t know since I’ve never tried to ask for days off although I do have vacation time that I haven’t used.”
Waren stared at her for a full minute before he told her, “Don’t do anything yet until I double check with Craig.”
Jassi nodded her head slowly a confused look on her face but she didn’t bother asking any questions concerning the situation. “Anything else you would like to know,” she asked tilting her head to the bed. “I was planning to go to bed since I have to work tomorrow.”
Waren’s scowl was more than evident on his face when he snapped, “That’s all for now. I’ll let you know about the days for my friends’ party.”
Jassi nodded her head telling him, “I promised that I would attend and I will” getting a hooded glance from Waren before he turned around and left closing the door abruptly behind him.
“Strange,” Jassi muttered shaking her head before she ran her hand through her partially dried hair putting her towel over the chair.
She climbed into bed pulling the covers up thinking about her husband and wondering why, after all this time he was showing an interest in her now.
“Don’t think about it,” Jassi ordered in a low voice burrowing herself in her pillow. “I’m sure that if he had a way out of it, he would’ve since I doubt he wants to be stuck with the woman he was forced to marry even for an hour much less two days.”
With those words on her lips, Jassi drifted off to sleep unaware of the tears that slid down her cheeks that hinted at a deep ache inside of her.
Waren let himself in his apartment with a deep frown on his face closing the door behind him with a bang.
“What in the hell is wrong with me,” he snapped harshly in the silent room. “She is merely a tool for my father, and me, to get revenge on the Jenkins family for…
Waren cursed loudly at his thoughts before he realized other than his father, he had no clue what this damn grudge was all about although he had done what his father had told him to do.
“Damn it,” he uttered in a low voice going into the kitchen where he grabbed a beer from the refrigerator.
Taking it back into the living room, he collapsed on the couch just as his cell went off and he glanced over at it with a heavy scowl which deepened when he recognized the number.
He shook his head before taking a gulp of beer letting his head fall to the back on the couch when the phone on the table next to the couch rung.
He answered it abruptly. “Hello.”
There was silence before Craig said dryly, “Well, what ruined your day?”
Waren sighed heavily before revealing, “You don’t want to know, believe me.”
There was again a moment of silence before Craig stated, “I’m about twenty minutes from your place. I think some pool and a few gallons of beer are needed for the evening.”
Waren chuckled hanging up the phone a second later shaking his head before he got up from the couch draining the rest of his beer and heading to his bedroom changing into more comfortable clothes hearing his cell ring again.
He was sticking his wallet in his back pocket of his jeans when the doorbell sounded while his cell went off again.
Waren muttered an expletive picking up the phone checking the caller id before slipping the phone in his pocket going to answer the door.
“What took you so long,” Craig joked shifting so he could see inside the apartment. “Were you and your wife having a little…?”
Craig raised his eyebrows comically only to stop seeing the scowl that crossed Waren’s face before closing the door behind them.
“Okay,” Craig stressed out giving his friend a long stare. “There’s a story here.”
Waren sighed running a hand through his hair before he stated roughly, “It’s a long one.”
“Pool and beer can take all night, and Delilah is fine with it,” Craig told him walking toward the elevator putting a hand on Waren’s shoulder. “Besides, we need to discuss the party that we are inviting you and your wife.”
Waren gave him a hard glare eliciting laughter from Craig as the doors closed on them.
Two hours later, and some beers, Waren was relaxed back in his chair while Craig sat across from him watching him.
“Who were you thinking about this afternoon,” Craig asked out of the blue seeing Waren’s eyes shift toward him. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that look of interest in your eyes and it wasn’t for Pricilla which I’m going to admit I’m really grateful for.”
Waren chuckled and shook his head. “You asked about my wife,” Waren began slowly allowing his eyes to linger on his beer bottle. “Jassi and I’ve been married for almost ten months and yet, two days ago was the first time that I’ve spent any time with my wife besides our wedding day.”
Craig sat back in stunned silence at Waren’s words.
“It was an arranged marriage to settle a debt that Jassi’s family owes my father,” Waren explained sensing Craig’s unasked question.
“Why would your father agreed to something like that,” Craig questioned in a bewildered voice.
Waren couldn’t answer that question so he said truthfully. “I don’t know, Craig, and I wasn’t too thrilled about it either especially since I learned that day…”
Craig’s eyes widened briefly sitting forward in his seat. “You learned who that girl was, the one that caught your attention in that bar almost three years ago.”
Waren nodded his head taking a swig of his beer before he chuckled. “Would you believe I learned her name almost two hours before my wedding, and then to walk into that house…”
Waren stopped shaking his head, and Craig sighed.
“I’m sorry, Waren,” Craig stated. “I wish there was something I could to help you.”
“There is,” Waren remarked suddenly with a quick smile.
“How,” Craig asked confused at his friend’s words.
“Imagine my surprise when I walked into that house on my wedding day,” Waren explained with a wry twist of his lips, “And found myself staring at the woman who for the past three years lingered in my thoughts and dreams.”
Craig froze in his seat bottle almost to his lips. “You mean…”
Waren nodded his head. “My wife, and the woman who lingers in my dreams, is the same person. I’ve tried to fight it since my father decided to orchestrate this whole marriage business, but after the other night, I’ve decided that I want to get to know my wife.”
Craig grinned. “So what do you want my help with, Waren?”
Waren sighed in shame. “I need you to help me with some plans to woo my wife during your party.”
Craig laughed loudly which wasn’t heard among the other noise in the bar.
“Waren,
you are out of touch if you’re asking for my help with wooing a woman,” Craig teased mind already working.
Waren shook his head. “You don’t need to remind me.”
Craig chuckled sitting back in his seat again a thoughtful look on his face. “Waren, have you thought about the plans for your property?”
Thinking about Craig’s words, Waren suddenly thought about Jassi and wondering what she would think about the area.
“I think,” Waren began slowly his brown eyes starting to gleam, “Jassi may like to take a look at the land. Do you still have the plans that I designed a few years ago?”
“Safe and sound waiting for you to give me the go so I can start it for you,” Craig reminded him with a nod of his head.
“I want to show them to Jassi see what she thinks,” Waren stated with a slow smile. “I think also I need to go shopping for new furniture.”
“Huh,” Craig uttered in confusion, and Waren grinned leaning forward to explain.
“Do you think my wife would be interested in decorating our future home?”
Craig choked on the beer he had just sipped before he caught his breath starting to see what Waren was thinking about. “Do you think that would be enough?”
“No, but it’s only the beginning,” Waren stated his eyes becoming focused deep in thought, and Craig merely sat back knowing that when Waren got that look in his eyes, anything was possible.
Chapter 3
A few days later, Jassi walked into the house after two days of twelve hour shifts only to be met by Waren who was waiting for her in the hallway.
Jassi stilled at the sight of him before she sighed and continued for the stairs commenting as she passed him. “Let me take a shower and change my clothes before we talk.”
She didn’t see the sharp look he gave her or the smile that began to cross his face watching her walk up the stairs.
Waren walked back in the living room where the rest of the family sat after eating dinner.
“Jassi will be down in a minute,” he remarked taking the chair he had been sitting when he heard Jassi’s car.
Bowen scowled but didn’t comment puffing on his cigar and his hand clenched tightly around the glass of liquor in his hand.
Siria and Brody continued where their conversation had left off when Waren suddenly left the room. Brody watched his brother glancing at the door a frown beginning to form on his face.
“Waren, what did Craig say about the party,” Siria asked getting her brother-in-law’s attention.
Waren stared down at the glass in his hand before saying, “Craig and I talked last night,” a slight lie, “and he told me that the party will be held in three weeks. It will be for the entire weekend, but Delilah wants to meet my wife before the party begins so I was thinking of leaving Thursday night if Jassi can get the time off.”
“I’ll talk to my supervisors tomorrow and request those four days off,” a soft voice drifted across the room.
Waren’s head snapped up and around to stare at Jassi standing in the doorway her hair wet from the shower falling around her shoulders and her body was encased in a thigh length shirt over a pair of slim jeans along with a pair of black flats on her feet.
“Is there anything else we need to discuss this evening,” Jassi asked leaning against the doorframe her eyes dim with weariness.
“Jassi, why don’t you have something to eat,” Anita advised coming into the living room.
Jassi chuckled closing her eyes for a second before she opened them up again. “I’m too tired to eat, Anita, but thank you for your concern.”
She straightened from the doorway and turned her eyes to Waren. “I’m off tomorrow so if you want to give me more details, then we can meet up for lunch say around two. I’m going to see my grandmother in the morning.”
Waren’s mouth tightened but he nodded his head in agreement watching Jassi sigh in relief before she turned and left the room as quietly as she came.
“What party,” Bowen immediately asked in a tight voice. “What about Delilah and Craig? Waren, what is going on?”
Waren turned back around telling his father. “Craig and I had business the other day, and he mentioned that Delilah was throwing a party along with the fact that she heard I was married. She wants to meet my wife.”
Bowen gritted the cigar between his teeth. “Why didn’t you take one of your other girlfriends even Pricilla, if you have to take someone?”
“Because Craig knows almost every girl I’ve dated,” Waren reported to his father. “Besides, he knows how I feel about Pricilla.”
Bowen took the cigar from his mouth and shook his head before repeating. “But what about…”
“Dad, they are Waren’s oldest friends. Do you really want him to lie to them about something like this?” Brody quizzed his father leaning forward on the couch where he sat with Siria.
“Craig knows the truth,” Waren suddenly admitted putting his glass down on the table. “We went out for pool and beer, and I told him the truth. He still wants to meet my wife, though.”
Bowen shook his head before he put his cigar in the ashtray before draining his glass and putting it on the table next to him.
“I hope that you don’t regret it, Waren,” Bowen replied getting up from the chair shooting his oldest son a look that left Siria and Brody confused. “Remember, the marriage was only to pay off the debt that the family owes us. Once the year is up…”
“I know my responsibilities, dad,” Waren stated getting up from his chair. “I’m going home. I will see you tomorrow.”
Waren left the room without a backwards glance and Brody stood up slowly while Bowen stared after Waren.
“Dad, you never explained to me why Waren had to marry Jassi in the first place,” Brody asked shaking his head when his father frowned and opened his mouth. “And don’t tell me that they owe us because you wouldn’t force Waren to marry someone he didn’t love.”
Bowen sighed running a hand through his completely silver hair admitting in a low voice. “I didn’t know that it was going to be Dylan’s youngest granddaughter. I thought it was going to be the middle granddaughter instead.”
“What is the difference, dad,” Siria questioned sharing a confused look with her husband.
Bowen scowled before telling them. “She was the one that was mentioned when Dylan first broached the subject.”
“What,” Siria and Brody asked at the same time unaware of Jassi standing outside the door hand out to knock when she froze listening to their conversation.
“I thought…” she heard Brody began to speak only to stop when his father sighed.
“Dylan was the one who suggested the marriage idea, and then asked if I would go along as if it was my idea. Why do you think that Waren was so upset when I accepted it?” Bowen admitted. “Dylan hinted that her middle granddaughter Freya would be the one she was going to use to settle the debt so I was shocked when it turned out to be the youngest.”
“Did you know about Jassi,” Siria was asking while Jassi leaned her forehead against the doorway.
“I heard some rumors about her youngest granddaughter and let’s just say that it made me shudder at them,” Bowen revealed with a slight frown. “Now, I don’t know what to believe.”
“Poor Jassi,” Siria muttered shaking her head getting searching looks from both her husband and father-in-law, but she didn’t know how to explain to them that Jassi had believed her grandmother was the one person who truly loved her.
Jassi slowly stepped away from the door, and with tears slipping down her cheeks, she turned and went back upstairs to her room.
She locked the door behind her before going over to the bed where she collapsed on the edge sobbing quietly.
She had wanted to believe that her grandmother had finally come to love her for being the daughter of her only son, but now she knew it had been merely a ruse so she would do as her grandmother asked her when the time came.
Jassi used the back of her h
ands to wipe the tears from her face staring down at the grayish-blue carpet her hands clenching on the bed.
“No more,” Jassi promised in a hard voice. “I have two months left and then I’m gone from here.”
For a brief moment, she thought about Waren before she pushed him from her thoughts knowing that he could care less what happened after their marriage was finished.
“He was forced in this even more than I was,” Jassi’s soft voice echoed around the bedroom before she closed her eyes and fell back against the bed her forearm going over her eyes.
Feeling sleep tugging at her senses, Jassi forced herself to get up and change into her nightclothes before crawling underneath the covers.
The next day, Jassi got ready for her morning with her grandmother and she headed downstairs only to be met by Waren who was waiting for her at the bottom.
“I thought we could go visit your grandmother together,” Waren suggested searching her face seeing that instead of rest, her face reflected weariness more than what had been there the night before. “Jassi…”
“Do you want to drive or would you like me to,” Jassi cut him off sliding on her jacket pulling her hair from the collar.
“I will,” Waren immediately answered his hand going out to touch Jassi’s arm but she moved away.
“Let’s get going,” she volunteered turning at the sound of footsteps seeing Siria coming down the stairs.
Unable to face her after what they both learned last night, Jassi hurried out of the house unaware of Siria’s sad face or the questioning look that Waren slanted between the two of them.
Waren followed Jassi out to his car where she had already climbed into buckling herself in and he stood staring at her before he did the same.
“You’re welcome,” Waren replied buckling his seatbelt and reaching for the ignition key while out of the corner of his eye seeing the bewildered look that Jassi sent him.
“Huh,” Jassi uttered turning her face to him.
“I’ve always been considered a gentleman”’ Waren slanted her a wicked grin, and he watched confusion flash across Jassi’s face until understanding dawned.
Arranged Marriage, Wanted Wife Page 4
