The Wedding Planner

by Millie Criswell

  She was a tough lady, and so was her daughter.

  Adam was glad he’d been there for Meredith during the emotional ordeal. She’d held up well, considering how frightened she’d been, though there’d been times when the tension had gotten to her and she’d broken down and cried. He’d held her close during those times, whispering words of comfort, offering his strength to bolster hers.

  Being with her at such a time had made him feel as if they were two halves coming together to make a whole. And he realized he liked the feeling.

  “When’s Meredith gonna wake up? I want her to read me a story.”

  “She’s sleeping ’cause her mom’s sick. Don’t you know nothing?” Andrew shook his head, clearly irritated that his younger sister could be so totally dense.

  Noting the hurt look on his niece’s face, Adam held out his arms, and she crawled up onto his lap. He treasured the closeness that had developed between the kids and him, and he had Meredith to thank for it. Without her encouragement and support, her gentle insistence that he take the first step toward furthering their relationship, he would never have opened up to them, felt comfortable around them.

  “Is Mrs. Baxter going to get all well, Uncle Adam? Meredith said her bear, Morgan, was the first thing she packed to take with her to the hospital.” The little girl had been inordinately pleased by the news.

  Adam’s brow shot up. “Mrs. Baxter has a teddy bear named Morgan?” How very peculiar, considering the woman’s distaste for him.

  The child explained about the bear, then asked, “You sure do like Meredith, don’t you, Uncle Adam?”

  “Well o’course he likes her, dummy. Why do you think he kisses her all the time? Have you given her a baby yet, Uncle Adam?” Andrew’s question made his uncle’s face turn crimson and Megan’s eyes widen at the possibility.

  “A baby! We’re gonna gets us a baby?” She began to bounce up and down.

  “No.” Adam gritted his teeth, holding her in place with as much firmness as his voice held at the moment. “And, Andrew, I’d like to remind you to mind your own business and keep your voice down. Children should be seen and not heard.” That was one of his mother’s favorite sayings, and Adam had to agree that it held a great deal of merit, especially as it pertained to an eight-year-old boy with a mouth as wide as a mine shaft.

  Her eyes still closed, Meredith smiled inwardly as she eavesdropped on their conversation. It seemed Andrew and his uncle had already had a discussion about babies and her possible involvement with them. Adam must have been totally mortified. She could just picture him stammering and hemming and hawing, and wished she’d been a fly on the wall at that discussion.

  Her hand resting on her abdomen, she wondered what it would be like to carry Adam’s child beneath her breast. It would be a boy, she was certain, with dark hair, silver eyes and an engaging smile that was sure to melt the hearts of females everywhere.

  They hadn’t used protection on several of the occasions they’d come together, and it was entirely possible that the fantasy could become a reality, though she’d seen no signs of it yet. Of course, her periods had always been irregular, so there was no way of knowing for sure, short of taking one of those home pregnancy tests.

  Did she dare?

  What if she found out she was pregnant? Then what?

  Oh, Adam would surely marry her. He wanted to, anyway, to suit his own purposes, and he wasn’t the type to abandon his own flesh and blood, at any rate.

  But what kind of a marriage would it be?

  Did she have enough love for both of them?

  Tired of questions she had no answers to, she opened her eyes and smiled at the millionaire’s bloodred face, feigning innocence. “Why, Adam, what’s wrong? Are you ill? You look like you’re burning up.” She leaned forward and placed her palm on his forehead, knowing full well what she’d find. “No fever. Hmm. How curious.” Adam might not be ill, but his smile was certainly sickly.

  “Andrew said you was gonna—” Adam’s hand clamped over the little girl’s mouth, effectively silencing whatever else she was about to say.

  “Sleep forever,” he finished for her, keeping his hand firmly in place.

  Eyes twinkling at the man’s discomfort, Meredith couldn’t hold back a smile. “I was waiting for my Prince Charming to kiss me awake,” she told the little girl.

  “Like in Sleeping Beauty?” Megan asked wide-eyed, unaware of the peculiar look on her uncle’s face at the comment. Of course, she had no way of knowing that Adam hadn’t had the privilege of being read to as a child, and didn’t know one fairy tale from another.

  Allistair Morgan hadn’t believed in anything smacking of fantasy or fabrication, and his wife had been forbidden to clutter the children’s brains with what he’d perceived as a bunch of nonsensical drivel.

  “That’s right, squirt. Sleeping Beauty doesn’t wake up from the bad witch’s spell until the handsome prince comes along and kisses her lips. Must have been some kiss, huh?” She winked at Adam, surprised to find his cheeks ruddy again.

  “Is he the prince who used to be a frog?” Andrew wanted to know, despite his aversion to all the mushy talk about kissing. The frog part was okay, though.

  Adam leaned forward, fascinated by the tale, hoping the prince, who seemed like an upright sort of guy, hadn’t started out life as a ghastly reptile. “Well?” he asked. “Is he?”

  Meredith and Megan exchanged knowing looks, then the little girl giggled and rolled her eyes.

  “Men!” they said in unison.

  MEREDITH ENTERED THE KITCHEN just as Adam hung up the phone. His frown was so lethal, his eyes so cold, it sent shivers of apprehension tap dancing down her spine.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Then it hit her, and she choked on her fear, tears filling her eyes. “Oh, God! It’s my mother, isn’t it?”

  “No. No!” He shook his head. “Forgive me, Meredith. I’m sorry.” He drew her into his arms, holding her close, vowing that no one would ever hurt this woman, including him. “It was Peter. He’s been trying to reach me since this morning. The battery on my cell phone must be low.”

  Relief flooded her, and she calmed. “Did he say what was wrong? Nothing serious, I hope.” Tired from the trip, she didn’t think she could deal with another crisis at the moment.

  After dropping the kids off with Mrs. Fishburn, Adam had brought her directly home. She had visions of a hot bath, a cup of cocoa, and sleeping in her own bed. Not even the thought of making love with the handsome millionaire could tempt her tonight.

  Taking her hand, he led her into the living room, patting Harrison absently on the head before taking a seat on the sofa. He wondered briefly how Meredith was going to react to what he was about to relate. He didn’t want to scare her; she’d been through so much already. But for her own safety she had to be told.

  “Curtis Tremayne is in town,” he said finally, making her gasp.

  “How do you know?”

  “He came into your store while you were in Baltimore. Sally spoke with him, then later identified him from a flyer Peter showed her.”

  “Is Sally all right? Did he hurt her?” Fear for her friend’s safety consumed Meredith, and she covered her mouth at the possibility that Sally had suffered at the hands of a madman.

  “Sally’s fine, love. Tremayne left after finding out you weren’t there.”

  Releasing the breath she’d been holding, her forehead suddenly wrinkled in confusion. “But what does he want with me? I don’t even know the man.”

  Adam caressed her hand, noting how small it looked in his own larger one, how soft and tender it felt, and knowing how vulnerable she would be to a killer like Tremayne. His blood ran cold. “Tremayne hates me as much as I hate him. Maybe more. He obviously knows you and I have been spending a great deal of time together, and has probably put two and two together about our relationship.”

  “Our relationship? Oh, you mean that we’re having an affair?”

  Adam recoiled at
her choice of words. An affair implied nothing beyond sex. No feelings, no commitment to the relationship. He’d had affairs, and this wasn’t one. “We’re having much more than an affair, Meredith. At least, I thought we were.”

  Green eyes widening, she asked, “Oh?”

  “We care about each other, and we’re going to get married as soon as you stop being so stubborn.”

  She searched his face, saw the tenderness there, the confusion in his eyes and wondered. “Do you love me, Adam?”

  “I’m…I’m not sure.” He wouldn’t lie. Not about something that important, something that meant so much to her.

  It wasn’t a no, Meredith thought, taking heart in the notion. However, it wasn’t exactly a qualified yes, either. “Well, when you are sure, then we’ll talk about marriage. But until then, we’ll just keep things the way they are.”

  His eyes filled with panic. “But my time’s running out, Meredith. I need a wife. The wedding invitations have already been printed for June 21.”

  “Then I guess you’d better do some soul-searching between now and then. In the meantime, just in case you decide that you’re not in love with me, I’ll continue interviewing candidates.”

  With unqualified vehemence, he said, “No. I don’t want to see any more videos.” He couldn’t bear the thought of living his life with someone, anyone, other than Meredith. All women paled in comparison next to his wedding planner.

  But was that love?

  Damn! Why did this have to be so hard? He conducted successful business dealings every day, made million-dollar decisions that weren’t half as difficult. Of course, he’d been dealing with men for the most part. Women weren’t nearly as reasonable or sensible. Meredith was living proof of that!

  “Would you like to conduct in-person interviews instead? It’s your money. You can spend it any way you want.”

  “What good is money if it can’t get me the one thing I truly want.”

  “Which is?”

  “You.”

  His declaration touched her heart, and she felt a soft fluttering in her chest, but she wouldn’t dwell on it. She wouldn’t get her hopes up only to have them dashed.

  And there were other issues, life-threatening issues, to consider at the moment. “What about Tremayne? Have the police located him yet?” She hoped so. The idea of someone stalking her…She shivered.

  The question had him bounding off the couch, and he began to pace the length of the room, clearly agitated. “He’s disappeared. But I have a feeling we’ll hear from him again. In the meantime, I’d like you to do something for me.”

  “Of course. Anything.”

  “I want you to move into my house. You’ll be safer there. I can’t run the risk of Tremayne finding you alone and unprotected here.”

  She thought about all those creepy feelings she’d been having lately about someone watching her and wondered if it had been Tremayne. The possibility made Adam’s offer all the more tempting, but she couldn’t accept it. She couldn’t afford to grow more dependent on him than she was already. If the worst happened, the end would be too devastating.

  “Anything but that, Adam. I won’t move in with you.”

  Frustration marred his features, and he plowed impatient fingers through his hair. “For God’s sake, Meredith! It’s not a marriage ploy. I’m trying to protect you from a vicious animal.”

  “I’ll be fine here. I’ll call 911 if I see anyone suspicious lurking about. And I have Harrison. Don’t forget what a good watchdog he is.”

  Looking down at the mutt, who had fallen asleep at Meredith’s feet, Adam rolled his eyes. “You’re going to trust your safety to an oversexed, playful canine?”

  Harrison looked up at that moment and bared his teeth in a friendly grin, then fell back to sleep.

  “See? He can’t even rouse himself to defend my insults. What kind of protector does that make him?”

  She patted the dog’s head. “Harrison would give his life to protect me, Adam. Never doubt it.”

  “But he isn’t with you all the time. What if Tremayne comes back to your store?”

  “Living at your house isn’t going to solve that problem. And I do have a business to run, at any rate. Then there’s my mother. What reason would I give her for not living at home? I can’t tell her the truth. She’d be sick with worry and scared stiff if she thought I was in danger. And that would hardly be good for her recovery.”

  Pausing before her, he held out his hand, and she went immediately into his arms. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

  “I could move in here instead,” he suggested, knowing from the stubborn set to her chin that she wasn’t buying the idea.

  “Now how would that look to the folks at social services? You’re applying for guardianship. You can’t be living with a woman who isn’t your wife.”

  “Well that’s your fault.”

  “And think about the bigger picture, Adam. If we don’t go about our lives exactly as we’ve been doing, Tremayne could get spooked. If you want to catch him, you’re going to have to let him play out his hand. It’s the only way.”

  He thought over everything she’d said, then cursed aloud. “You’re without a doubt the most exasperating female I’ve ever met.” Covering her mouth with his own, he kissed her with all the passion, tenderness and devotion he possessed, then said when he finally released her, “I hate it when you’re right.”

  Meredith caressed his cheek tenderly and smiled. “Do you think I could have that in writing, Adam? It’s so infrequently you admit that I’m right about anything.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The weeks flew by with no further sign of Curtis Tremayne. He hadn’t tried to contact anyone and hadn’t been sighted anywhere in the area.

  The police suspected Tremayne’s brazen attempt to contact Meredith had been nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment decision, and that he’d probably left West Virginia for good, knowing his risk of discovery was even greater now than before, due to increased police surveillance and the additional private investigators Adam had hired.

  Meredith decided that she’d spent enough time worrying about whether or not the man was going to show up on her doorstep. Even Adam had finally conceded that his former brother-in-law wasn’t stupid enough to risk capture by showing his face again.

  And she had a lot more important things to think about at the moment, like finding Adam Morgan a bride.

  A glance at her desk calendar revealed that the millionaire’s wedding deadline was fast approaching, and she had yet to find a bridal candidate who met with his approval.

  If such a woman even existed.

  At this point she had serious doubts. And since he had yet to render any heartfelt declarations of love, she had not accepted any of his continual pleas—make that demands—to marry him.

  “What are you going to do, sweetie?” Randall asked, opening the front door to let the June air in. The absence of humidity made the recent warm temperatures delightfully comfortable and most welcome after long dreary months of winter and an unusually wet spring.

  Resting her chin on her hands, she heaved a dispirited sigh. “I wish I knew, Randall. Adam and I seem to be at an impasse.”

  “Even Sally and Peter are talking about marriage, sweetie. Don’t you think maybe you should reconsider his—”

  She shook her head. “No! I’m happy that Sally has finally allowed herself to love again. And I know she and Peter will be very happy together.”

  Sally had admitted to Meredith her fears and misgivings about getting involved again so soon. Her track record had not been the best, and she was afraid of making another mistake. But Meredith had sat her down and convinced the frightened woman that Peter wasn’t like any of the other men she’d been involved with, that he loved and cherished her, and that Sally was now a totally different person from that needy, insecure woman she used to be.

  Apparently her advice had sunk in. At this very moment the happy couple was out shopping for an eng
agement ring, and Meredith had to admit, if only to herself, that she felt envious of her friend’s newfound joy. But as envious as she was, she had no intention of settling for a loveless marriage.

  “I’m not going to compromise my beliefs. I can’t,” she said finally, and her assistant bit back a curse.

  Randall hated seeing Meredith so depressed and wished for the hundredth time that the stupid millionaire would come to his senses and tell the anguished woman what she wanted to hear. It was as obvious as the lovesick look he continually wore that Morgan loved Meredith. Why, then, didn’t he just tell her so?

  Men! Randall thought with no small amount of disgust.

  “You’ve been moping around here for days, sweetie. Even those delectable chocolate éclairs I brought in yesterday from Lovett’s weren’t enough to put a smile on your face.”

  The sight of the confections had turned her stomach, but Meredith didn’t want to admit that to Randall and risk hurting his feelings. She always felt listless and out of sorts in the spring, though her passion for chocolate did not usually diminish. That, in itself, was rather alarming.

  “Okay. I admit it—I’ve got spring fever. Sometimes it’s hard planning weddings for other people, seeing how happy and contented they are, and knowing I’m never going to have a wedding of my own.” It was an irony she was finding hard to live with these days.

  Perching himself on the edge of her desk, he engulfed her pale hand in his tanned one. “Stop talking like that, or I’ll be forced to find you in contempt. Mon dieu. You’re a beautiful woman, as pretty on the inside as out. Someday it’s going to happen for you. I just know it.”

  “It’s already happened. Don’t you see, Randall? I’m doomed to live my life like one of those spinsters I read about in romance novels, loving a man who’ll never love me back. Never having children.” Her eyes filled with tears, and she wiped them away with the back of his hand. Randall stared in horror, trying hard not to scrunch up his nose in distaste.