The Kincaid Bride

by Jackie Merritt

  The table talk was subdued tonight. In deference to the newlyweds? Melanie wondered sadly. Newlyweds who were careful not to touch or smile or even speak to each other. Where were all those flirtatious urges now, the teasing glances, the daring, feminine smiles that said, “I’ll get you to unbend yet, Mr. Forrester!”

  Suddenly full of tears, Melanie was about to excuse herself so she could bury her face in a pillow in her room and bawl her eyes out. But before she could make her move, Irma came in with a beautifully decorated three-tiered wedding cake.

  She smiled at Melanie, but it wasn’t a big, happy, jovial smile; it was a sad little movement of her lips that tugged at Melanie’s heartstrings.

  “Every bride deserves a cake,” Irma announced.

  “It’s lovely,” Melanie said huskily because of the tears in her throat.

  “Eli, it’s also for you,” Irma added.

  “Thank you.” Eli gave her a warm smile.

  Irma disappeared for a few seconds and returned with a tray containing small plates, dessert forks and a cake knife with a pink ribbon tied around its handle. “The bride and groom should make the first cut in the cake together,” Irma said. “For good luck.”

  Melanie’s mind raced, but she could think of no way out of this. Everyone had meant well—the men who’d arranged for her to sit next to her husband, and Irma, who did not approve of such a hasty wedding but would make the best of things.

  Since she could do no different without making herself look like a fool, Melanie got up from her chair. Forcing a laugh, she tugged on Eli’s arm. “Come on, Mr. Forrester. This is one of the other things that a husband and wife do together,” she quipped for the benefit of the men, who guffawed and elbowed each other in the ribs. Only Collin and Garrett looked bereft; everyone else seemed to be enjoying the impromptu party.

  To Melanie’s relief, Eli went along with her. “Anything you say, Mrs. Forrester,” he agreed meekly, much like a henpecked husband, which brought another round of laughter from the men.

  Melanie picked up the cake knife and Eli laid his hand over hers. “You’ve done this before,” she whispered quietly, then wondered about the questions Irma had asked her. Has he talked about his past? His family? For the first time since they’d met, Melanie fully grasped how little she knew about Eli. Perhaps most disturbing was that no one else on the ranch knew much of anything, either.

  “Do you want to discuss that now?” he whispered back.

  The table had fallen silent as everyone watched the cake-cutting ceremony. The cake tasted as delicious as it looked, but Melanie had a hard time eating it. A wedding cake for a loveless marriage didn’t seem quite right to her, and pretending otherwise put a strain on her acting skills.

  When it was finally over, Garrett pushed back his chair and said, “Eli, could you please come to the office with me?”

  “Yes, of course.” Eli rose and left the room right behind Garrett. The men filed out, including Collin, and Melanie and Irma looked at each other.

  “I shouldn’t have made the cake,” Irma said dolefully. “I thought it might cheer you up, but it caused just the opposite. I’m sorry, Melanie.”

  Melanie got up. “You must never apologize for being kind, Irma. The cake was wonderful and everyone loved it. Thank you for going to so much trouble.” Melanie began stacking dirty plates, but Irma stopped her with a hand on her arm.

  “No, not anymore,” Irma said firmly. “You have things to work through, important things, and you are not going to spend your evenings in the kitchen with me. There are three men on this ranch who are all torn up, and you are probably the only person in Montana who can heal their wounds. Go find one of them and play the part of the weaker sex. Put on a sweet smile and let him tell you where it hurts and why. I know all three are older than you, but don’t forget that women are the nurturers and probably all those big tough men need is a few minutes of your full attention.”

  “I can’t quite believe it would be that easy,” Melanie said with a sigh. “But I’ll try.” Not with Eli, because I already know what even just a little “nurturing” would do to him. But Collin and Granddad are miserably unhappy, maybe because of me, maybe because of something else, though I sincerely believe that my name tops their list of problems. How could it not?

  Well, maybe Dad and his secret sons hold the number one spot, but I would certainly have to be a very close second.

  Feeling terribly guilty, Melanie started looking for Collin. When she saw that the office door was closed, indicating a private discussion between Eli and her grandfather, her stomach tensed. They weren’t shut up in that office to talk about ranch business; they were talking about her!

  What if Eli told Garrett about her annulment plans? she wondered. Granddad would probably tell her to pack her things and go home! He’d probably say, “If that’s what you’re going to do, why put it off?” And he’d never ask her back again. Then he’d die and she’d never know him any better than she knew Dad!

  Forgetting all about finding and consoling Collin, Melanie frantically ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

  Garrett had begun the discussion with a blunt question. “Do you and Melanie love each other?”

  Eli never moved a muscle, but the question penetrated his gut and lay there like a lead weight. He felt trapped between a rock and a hard place. Whatever he said was going to hurt someone—either Garrett or Melanie.

  You made a promise to Melanie.

  True, but you work for Garrett and you’ve known him a whole lot longer. Melanie plans to cut all ties with you; Garrett doesn’t. Think of yourself, what’s best for you.

  The problem with that advice was that in trying to foresee his future, Eli saw nothing but a vast wasteland of loneliness. It was a startling insight, but he no longer wanted things the way they were before Melanie had burst upon the scene. He’d lived alone long enough. He liked being part of the Kincaid family, and he liked Garrett and Collin.

  Truth was, he more than liked Melanie, and another truth was that they were married and he wanted to stay married!

  Eli cleared his throat. “I can only be honest with you about that, Garrett. My personal belief is that Melanie and I were in the process of falling in love when you saw us together.” It’s not a lie, it isn’t! Not when I can’t believe that Melanie sleeps with just any man.

  “A most unfortunate incident,” Garrett murmured. “I overreacted, of course, for which I apologize.”

  Eli leaned forward. “Garrett, in your shoes, I would have reacted in exactly the same way.”

  “Why didn’t you object to the marriage?”

  Eli sat back again. “Why didn’t Melanie? Garrett, there are feelings between Melanie and me that neither of us has admitted or talked about.”

  “You seem to be admitting them now.”

  “Maybe facing them is a better term.”

  “Yes, well, facing and then admitting them to yourself would be a crucial first step, wouldn’t it? Do you feel that Melanie is going through the same emotional exercise?”

  “I…couldn’t say.”

  “The two of you haven’t discussed it?”

  “No, sir, we haven’t.”

  “That’s right, you said only a moment ago that you and Melanie hadn’t admitted or talked about feelings.” Garrett tented his fingers and soberly regarded Eli over them. “So that really is the way it’s done today? Without one word of affection between a couple, they freely enjoy the physical side of a relationship?”

  Eli felt about two inches high. He’d known from the time he started working for Garrett that the ranch owner was a dignified, reserved man of honor. Eli could recall wondering more than once how a man of Garrett Kincaid’s nature could ever have produced a son with Larry’s irresponsible characteristics.

  It hurt terribly for Eli to see the situation as Garrett must. A man he trusted seducing his beloved granddaughter? Defeated without firing a shot, Eli’s shoulders slumped. Of course Garrett didn’t know what a sensu
al woman Melanie was, and how could Eli tell him? There was nothing he could say in his own defense. In fact, he might have already said too much with that statement about Melanie and him being in the process of falling in love. Maybe she did sleep with just any guy. It sure wasn’t something most women would boast about to their brothers and grandfathers, and Eli couldn’t doubt that Melanie was an accomplished flirt.

  “All I can do is apologize, Garrett,” Eli said quietly.

  “No, son, there’s a lot more you can do. You can be a good husband to my granddaughter. I didn’t do right by that girl. Neither did Larry. I invited her here to try to make amends. So what happened then? As I told you and Irma in confidence, I learned about six grandsons I never dreamed existed. Again I neglected Melanie, and it wasn’t fair of me to turn her over to you. I wasn’t thinking of her or of you. My mind was full of problems I didn’t know how to solve. I’m not at all proud to say that I still don’t.”

  Garrett leaned forward. “Let me ask you something, Eli. If you were one of those young men, one of Larry’s illegitimate sons, would you appreciate or resent a grandfather you’d never met—and possibly never knew about—suddenly appearing out of nowhere?”

  Eli didn’t immediately answer that question. If they were talking about him, he would have to say, “Garrett, I left my family on purpose and I would not appreciate any of them contacting me.” But Garrett was speaking of those faceless, unknown young men who might be thrilled to death or deeply angered to meet any relative of a father who’d never been there for them. At least that was the impression Eli had from what he’d been told of Larry’s secret sons. “That’s the question you’ve been wrestling with, isn’t it?” Eli finally acknowledged.

  “It’s been bothering me, that’s certain.”

  “Garrett, do you have any reason to think—or perhaps some actual proof—that any of those men know about Larry’s family?”

  “Eli, I don’t have proof that any of them even know about Larry.”

  “But someone mentioned birth certificates.”

  “Yes, copies of their birth certificates were in Larry’s safety-deposit box, Eli. I left them with my lawyer until I could figure out which end is up.”

  “Well, I would think they’d have the originals, wouldn’t you? Is Larry named as father on them?”

  “Yes, he is.” Garrett’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re right. If those boys are in possession of their birth certificates, then they’d know the name of their father. But that’s even more confusing, Eli, because not a one of them ever came around looking for Larry.”

  “How do you know? Garrett, it’s painfully obvious that Larry didn’t tell you everything.”

  “He sure didn’t, Eli, but he wasn’t the only one, was he?” Garrett asked.

  Eli felt a wave of embarrassment color his neck and face. “No, Garrett, he wasn’t.”

  Garrett swung out his hand. “Go and spend some time with Melanie.”

  Eli got to his feet. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more help.”

  “Eli, I’m beginning to wonder if anyone can help me with this problem. It’s so far out of the ordinary that I’ve never heard of anything even remotely similar before. I mean, one or maybe two illegitimate grandsons would have been shock enough—but six?” Garrett shook his head and said sadly, “Larry should have told me.” When he noticed Eli still standing there—and looking concerned—he said again, “Go on. Spend what’s left of the evening with your wife. You’re not without problems yourself, you know.”

  “Yes, sir, I do know.” Eli hurried out and shut the door behind him.

  The Kincaid family was in turmoil, and while Melanie didn’t feel that she was alone in the eye of the storm, neither did she feel united with anyone. Even Collin, sympathetic as he seemed to be with her predicament, was much more unnerved and on edge over the problem of all those half brothers he’d known nothing about.

  And it hurt that Garrett, the grandfather she’d wanted so very much to get close to, would rather discuss her and Eli’s relationship with Eli rather than her. Why hadn’t he asked her to join him in his office after dinner instead of Eli? She hated to think that Garrett might be a die-hard chauvinist with little respect for women’s intelligence, but wasn’t that the way he’d treated her since her arrival? He’d been acting as though she couldn’t possibly understand the business that he and Collin were forever driving off to take care of, so she should be happy staying behind while the big, strong men of the family braved the rigors of complicated business affairs.

  Melanie was suddenly disgusted with the whole situation. She probably understood the business world better than Collin ever would. Not that she resented her brother’s close ties to their grandfather. In fact, she was glad that Collin had made a good life for himself in Montana. But why leave her out of everything they did together? Dare she go so far as to blame them for her and Eli’s present situation? If they had taken her with them instead of putting her in Eli’s hands, then maybe nothing would have happened between them and they wouldn’t be trapped in this farce of a marriage.

  Frowning, Melanie sank to the edge of the bed. Was there any truth in that conjecture? A bit of truth, at least? Was anyone other than herself to blame? She’d been attracted to Eli when they’d been introduced—outrageously attracted, to be honest. But she’d certainly never thought that a little flirting or even some wildly exciting lovemaking would lead to this.

  The bedroom door opened and Melanie turned her head to see Eli walking in. “It wouldn’t kill you to knock,” she said coldly. “I could have been undressing…or something.”

  “Turn off the chill, okay? I’m in no mood for another unnecessary argument.” Eli went into the bathroom and closed the door.

  Melanie waited anxiously until that door opened again. “Did you and Granddad have an argument?”

  “Garrett and I have never had an argument. I was talking about us—you and me.” Eli set his hands on his hips and gave her a long, challenging look. “What I can’t figure out is why you were so hot on my tail before Sunday and now you can’t keep enough distance between us.”

  “I think I explained it clearly enough,” she retorted.

  “The annulment.”

  “Yes, the annulment. Speaking of which, did you tell Granddad about it?”

  “No, but from some of his remarks, I doubt that he’d care if you went to an attorney tomorrow.”

  Shocked and disbelieving, Melanie jumped up. “What did he say to make you think that?”

  “He apologized for overreacting on Sunday.”

  “He did? And what did you say?”

  “I said that in his shoes I probably would have reacted the same way. Then he told me to go and spend the evening with my wife.”

  Melanie frowned. “That doesn’t sound like he wouldn’t mind if I saw a lawyer tomorrow. What did he say to give you that impression?”

  Eli realized that he’d already said too much. If he had any chance at all of changing Melanie’s mind about that annulment, then he’d better change his tune.

  “You know something? You’re right. I don’t know how I got that impression when Garrett said not once but twice that I should spend some time with my wife.”

  Melanie’s eyes widened. “He said it twice? My Lord, he’s really thinking of us as a married couple.”

  “Afraid so,” Eli said, his gaze downcast. “But then, why wouldn’t he? We went through the ceremony without a single objection, and now we’re sleeping together.”

  “With sleeping being the key word,” Melanie reminded him sharply.

  “You and I know that. No one else does.”

  For some reason, Melanie’s gaze strayed to the bed. Last night had been easy because they had both fallen asleep so fast, but what about tonight? And tomorrow night and the next and the next?

  Her heart sank because she knew herself so well. If she should awaken in the middle of any given night with that feeling, that curling heat in the pit of her stomach, and
Eli—a man who wasn’t just sexy and gorgeous but also happened to be her husband—was in reach…?

  Panic seized her. “Eli, we have to do something about the, uh, the bed.”

  Eli looked at it. “Is something wrong with it?”

  Melanie began walking in a frenzied circle. “What’s wrong with it is that there’s only one!”

  Eli held back a hoot of laughter. “Do you know of some way to, er, make it multiply?”

  She stopped to glare at him. “Don’t you dare make fun of me! This is a serious problem.”

  “Seems to be quite a few of those floating around the ranch these days,” Eli drawled.

  Melanie startled him by dropping onto a chair, covering her face with her hands and moaning, “I’m so confused. You’re right, even if you were trying to be funny. This place is overrun with problems, and I’m one of them!”

  Eli read her agony as real and heartfelt and he knelt in front of her to offer consolation. “The situation’s a problem. You’re not.”

  Melanie let her hands fall. “For crying out loud, Eli, I caused the problem!”

  “Not alone, you didn’t,” Eli said softly. “I was there, too, in case you’ve forgotten.”

  Looking into his eyes was like languidly swimming in a warm sea of brilliant blue. “No,” she whispered, shaken and unable to hide it. “Don’t remind me of anything we did, please.”

  “Isn’t it constantly on your mind the way it’s on mine?” Eli laid his forearms along the outside of her thighs. His chest was against her knees, and he leaned forward to bring his face closer to hers. “Are you absolutely, one-hundred-percent certain that you want to forget everything we did? Melanie, can you forget?”

  “Why are you doing this?” she whispered raggedly. “I have to forget, and so do you.”

  “No, sweetheart, maybe you think you have to forget, but I’m not even going to try.”

  “Eli, you’re not going to talk me into…into—”