by Regina Duke
“Why not? Won’t she wonder where you went?”
Uly held up his cell phone. “She can reach me in Vegas as easily as she can reach me here. Don’t worry about it. Aren’t you going to buy some clothes? I have a ton of phone calls to make.”
Belle nodded eagerly. “Yes, I’m on my way. But hey, I wanted to check with you first. Did you know you gave me hundreds?”
Uly nodded. “Sorry, they stopped issuing the bigger bills in sixty-nine. My father says it’s a pain in the butt to have to carry so many hundreds, but what are you going to do?”
Belle suggested, “Credit card? Checkbook?”
Uly laughed. “Oh, I have those. But sometimes, especially when you’re traveling, cash is the only way to go. Do you need more?”
“No, no. As long as you’re aware you gave me two grand.”
Uly winked. “Like you said, I can always take it off the million.”
Belle held up a finger. “Oh, one more thing. I don’t know if this means anything to you, but there was something written on one of the bills.”
Uly’s brows drew together in a question mark as she took the bill from her purse. “See?”
Uly read the message silently. Then he pulled out his wallet, extracted another hundred, and held it out. “Trade you.”
Belle accepted. “Note from a friend?”
Uly looked pensive. “You could call it that.”
“Okay,” said Belle. “I’ll be back by noon.” She pinned him with her best nurse’s stare. “That way I can be sure you take your pills.”
Uly lifted his eyes from the cryptic message. “Oh, noon is perfect. We should be ready to roll by then.”
“Great. Be careful with your crutches.”
“See you soon. Oh, if you get a chance, stop in at The Muffin Man and bring me some Mexican wedding cookies, will you?”
Belle took a moment to jot the request on her list. Then she was out the door.
Back in her room, she collected her toiletries, threw her few things into her suitcase, and went to the lobby to check out. If they were going to Vegas, she didn’t want to spend money on a hotel room she wouldn’t need. She put her suitcase in her car and was finally ready to go shopping.
Her first stop was a gas station. She loved her little car, but ever since she went on unemployment, she’d been forced to buy gas two dollars at a time. She pumped a full tank and topped it off. The clerk wasn’t happy about having to change a hundred, but considering the price of gas, Belle had little sympathy.
Her next stop was The Muffin Man bakery. She bought two dozen Mexican wedding cookies for Uly, a couple of chocolate chips for herself, and a coffee. After that, she drove slowly down the street, looking for a parking place.
If she hadn’t been on a clothing mission she would have walked from the hotel. But she didn’t like the idea of toting shopping bags. Besides, the cookies had to stay in her car. If she carried them around, she’d end up eating them all.
She found the perfect parking place on the east side of Mina’s boutique. She pulled her list out of her purse, took a deep breath to calm her excitement, and headed inside.
“Good morning!” The woman who greeted her had gray hair worn in a thick braid. Her pink cheeks and big smile made Belle think of Mrs. Santa Claus. “You’re my first customer of the day. Coffee?”
“No, I’m fine.” Belle looked around at the racks of clothes and accessories. “You’re very well stocked.”
“Thanks. My shop looks small, but somehow, like the Tardis, it seems bigger on the inside.”
Belle smiled and pretended to understand the cultural reference. She knew from her FaceBook scrolling that it had something to do with Dr. Who. She made a mental note to watch the show once she was a millionaire. “I brought a list.”
“Oh, I love a prepared shopper.” Mina beamed at her. “Where would you like to start?”
They’d checked off undies and socks and jeans and dress slacks by the time Mina’s store manager arrived. Mina introduced her.
“This is Madlyn Lake. She runs the place for me when I’m off doing other things.”
Madlyn’s red hair and horn-rimmed glasses appealed to Belle. She also admired the young woman’s style.
“I love your outfit,” she said. “I wish I could put colors together like that.”
“Thanks,” said Madlyn. “Are you new to Eagle’s Toe?”
“Yes, but I think I’ll be settling here for a while. After Vegas, that is.”
Madlyn’s eyes lit up. “Vegas! Cool. That’s the perfect place to try some color.”
Mina checked her watch. “I’m turning you over to Madz, my dear. I need to run.”
“Thank you,” said Belle. Then to Madlyn, “She seems nice.”
Madlyn nodded as she locked her purse in the cabinet under the cash registers. “She’s a great boss, too. Taught me all about the retail biz.”
Belle allowed herself a smile. Maybe it would be fun earning her million in a quaint little town.
“Okay,” said Madlyn, “let’s finish your list. Is this your cart? Yikes. You are really into black and white, aren’t you?”
“I’m a nurse,” said Belle. “All too often I have to wear blue scrubs. So that’s not my favorite color anymore.”
“Understood. But with your coloring, that gorgeous dark hair, you can wear almost any color you want. Try on this burnt orange jacket. It’s linen, so it’s light weight.”
“A jacket? For Vegas?”
“Those casinos are air conditioned beyond belief. My BFF and I went on a girl’s weekend and I was so glad I packed sweaters. One hundred degrees outside, sixty inside. Well, it felt like sixty after coming in from outdoors.” She made a face, conceding exaggeration.
By the time Belle finished her list, she had added several colorful touches to her wardrobe, and even better, she felt like she’d made a friend.
“When you get back,” said Madlyn, “come on by. I’d love to introduce you to some of our regulars, and to my friend Vicky.”
“I’d love that,” said Belle. “How much do I owe you?”
Madlyn finished checking her out. When Belle paid with twelve crisp hundreds, Madlyn didn’t bat an eye.
Another shop attendant had arrived and several ladies were perusing the clothing racks as they finished. Madlyn picked up two of Belle’s bags. “Let me help you to your car.”
Belle accepted the offer. They placed the bags in the back seat of her little car.
Madlyn said, “Gee, I hope you can see out the rear window.”
Belle gave her a genuine smile. “Thank you, Madlyn. Say, do you know the Garrisons?”
Madlyn nodded eagerly. “Leading citizens. Thor is on the town council. He owns Thor Security around the corner over there. Are you looking for his place?”
“Oh, no. I just—” She hesitated to say too much. “I just met his mother yesterday, and she seems like quite the character.”
Madlyn glanced around, then leaned close. “When you’re as rich as the Garrisons, you can be as big a character as you like.” She winked at Belle.
Belle grinned. “Thanks. I’ll definitely be back, and I’ll take you up on your offer of introductions.”
Madlyn gave her an impulsive hug. It ended before Belle even knew how to react. She wasn’t accustomed to such effusiveness, but she couldn’t help but like Madlyn. It was nice to know she’d have a friend during her year of marital fakery.
This time she laughed out loud at herself. This might be the most fun job she’d ever had. She got into her car and headed back to the Cattleman’s. She’d parked her car in the shade and eaten one of her cookies before she realized she hadn’t thought about the horrid Dr. Zivo in nearly two hours.
She was about to go inside for a bellhop and a trolley for her shopping bags when a familiar limousine pulled up behind her car. The rear window slid down and Uly leaned out.
“You got my cookies?” His features looked six years old in anticipation of his treats.
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“Right here.” Belle held up the bag.
Uly grinned at her. “Excellent.” He turned to address the driver. “Wilson, would you help Miss Daireng transfer her things to the limo?”
As Wilson emerged from the car, Uly faced Belle again. “I am impressed with your timely arrival. It’s just now ten to twelve. I thought I’d have to wait for you.”
“Supernurse, remember? They don’t let you be late when you’re doing rotations for nursing. You arrive on time, no matter what. Snow, sleet, floods, doesn’t matter. You find a way to get to the hospital.” She opened the back door of the car to allow Wilson access, then opened her trunk and pulled her suitcase out.
Uly’s features reflected his admiration. “Now I’m really impressed. You already packed your suitcase?”
Belle shook her head. “I did my shopping. I’m not sure this suitcase is big enough to hold what I bought. I came here expecting to stay long enough for my interview, then go back to Denver.”
“Don’t worry about it. I have an extra suitcase. Come on. Bring yourself and them cookies and get in. Wilson will fit everything in the trunk.”
Belle fetched her purse. “I was hoping to change before Vegas.”
“You’ll have time,” said Uly, enigmatically. He handed her a bottle of cold water from a small refrigerator tucked behind the driver’s seat.
Belle accepted gratefully. “You, too,” she said. “Time for pills.”
Uly obliged. When Wilson finished packing the trunk, Belle aimed her keys out the window and locked her car. Then she leaned back on the seat and admired the interior of the limo.
“This is nice. Kind of fun, getting a limo ride to the airport.”
“Yep.” Uly wagged his brows at her. He opened the white bakery sack and inhaled. “Yum. I’m going to need a napkin.”
“More like a blanket,” said Belle. “All that powdered sugar is going to make a huge mess.” She picked up his crutches. “Do you mind setting these on the other side?”
“No problem.” Uly opened a satchel at his feet and pulled out a cloth napkin. It was red, like the ones that came with room service.
“Did you swipe that?” Belle gave him an accusing stare.
“Nope. Can’t swipe what you’re still paying for. We’ll need the suite when we get back. I just borrowed a few things from the bar.”
“You’re not really going to eat cookies for lunch, are you?”
Uly paused. “No. Not really.” He handed her a napkin. “Lasagna, right?”
Belle’s eyes grew big as he lifted a covered plate out of the satchel and set it on her lap.
“Oh, you should buckle up,” he said. “Hold that a sec.” He reached forward and pulled a travel tray out from the back of the driver’s compartment. “There you go. And here’s your silverware and your napkin.”
Belle laughed with delight. “This is awesome!”
Uly shrugged. “Aw, shucks, ma’am. It’s just lunch.”
“Gourmet Italian in the back of a chauffeur-driven limousine? Just lunch?”
Uly raised a brow. “I did good?”
Belle pulled the tray closer so she could reach it while buckled in her seat. She took a moment to survey the scene. Uly was uncovering his own lunch. She guessed boeuf bourguignon. The limo’s interior was all white and cream. The windows were tinted for privacy. A small TV was playing at their feet, showing the Weather Channel on mute. The sliding window between passengers and driver was closed. And Uly was looking even more handsome with those flashes of boyish glee.
Belle spread her napkin across her lap. “A girl could get used to this in a hurry.”
After her first bite of lasagna, she decided her napkin would do more good tied around her neck. She didn’t want to drop sauce on her white tee because then she’d really look terrible. At least the tray kept things from dripping on her scrub pants.
Lunch in a limo was a pleasure she would add to her list of Life’s Great Pleasures. Uly made small talk all the way to the airport. Belle enjoyed his banter, but when they turned into the lot at the airport, she grew uncomfortable.
“I thought I was going to get to change my clothes.”
“No problem,” said Uly.
Belle made a face. “I was hoping not to do it at the gate.”
Uly reached out and covered one of her hands with his. It was warm and large, but very gentle. “It’s okay. No gate involved.”
“But—” Belle cut herself off as the limo cruised through Public Parking and into a different area of the airport. “Where are we going?”
“To our plane,” said Uly simply. “Well, okay, my brother’s plane. But he said we could use it.”
Belle was flabbergasted. “A private plane?!”
“Yep. And it has a separate area for sleeping, so you’ll be able to change your clothes there. And my extra suitcase is on board, so you can transfer your new clothes into it. Best way to travel. And Thor even promised not to tell mother where I was going until it was too late for her to try to stop us.”
Belle looked at him sideways. “Your mother could stop you?”
“Only because I love her. If she called and begged me not to leave, I’d have to stay. Or I’d have to spend an hour trying to explain what’s going on, and she still wouldn’t be happy, so I’ll call her from Vegas.”
“Well, all right, then. As long as you have a plan.” Belle shook her head and wondered what the formidable Mrs. Garrison would think when she found out her son was marrying his nurse behind her back.
CHAPTER TEN
The town car Uly ordered picked them up at the Las Vegas airport and delivered them to a gated community in the low hills to the west.
“I thought we’d be staying in a hotel on the Strip,” said Belle. “Is this a resort?”
“Better,” said Uly. “My godparents live here. My godmother adores me. I may be able to keep things from my mother, but Lulamae Franklin can never be fooled.”
Uly wasn’t sure how Belle would react to his godparents, but he hoped she would like them.
Strange. Why should it matter? He found himself wondering about that. After all, she was going to be paid to pretend to be his wife. It didn’t really matter if she liked his friends or if they liked her. And yet, he had to admit he cared what she thought.
Part of it was how much better he felt since she took charge of his medications. He certainly felt better about his condition, knowing she was there if he had a problem or a question. Yes, she was his Supernurse.
Another part of it was his admiration for her. She was an orphan who’d worked hard and acquired a profession. He knew something else was going on. He could only hope she would share it with him. Or maybe he could do some digging. Whatever it was, he couldn’t believe she’d done anything wrong. She took her duties too seriously.
He hadn’t been to the residence before. Lulamae and Tex had purchased the property while he was away, and even though he’d seen them less than six months before, that was in Texas. So he did his own share of gawking as they emerged from the cool interior of the town car into the merciless Vegas sun.
Considering the short notice, he was also pleased with the clothes that Belle had acquired. On the plane, she’d changed into a pair of cream linen slacks and a sleeveless white blouse. Her belt was red leather and matched her flats. He knew that Mina’s Boutique was popular because of the fashion guidance provided with every purchase, but still, how Belle managed to buy everything, including shoes, in the brief window of time she had was beyond him. He hated shopping. He’d once spent an hour just trying to choose a navy blazer from a rack of navy blazers.
He watched her unfold from the car and straighten into a tall, cultured, well-dressed woman of substance. How did she manage to travel for hours and have no wrinkles whatsoever in her clothing? He felt a definite sense of pride walking up to the shaded entry with Belle at his side. Why couldn’t they have met under different circumstances? It felt like every corner of his life was colored by his
father’s business needs. And now, thanks to his old man, he was hiring a bride instead of enjoying Belle’s company.
Well, he could control that last part. He would just enjoy her company on the sly, and his father never had to know about it. He reached out to press the doorbell, but before he could touch it, the front door swung open behind the heavily screened storm door, and a familiar Texas twang greeted him.
“Your Mama is royally pissed off at you, young man.”
Uly grinned as the storm door opened. “Hello, Lulamae. I have missed you so much!” He stepped forward, bent at the waist, and gave the regal lady standing there a tender hug. When he let go of his left crutch, it fell backwards. Belle caught it before it hit the ground.
“Come in, come in, before that sun tans your hide. Oh, hello, missy. Who is this?”
Uly stood aside and let Belle enter before him. Without a word, she slipped the crutch back under his arm. Then she stepped into the cool tiled entry and took Lulamae’s frail, bony hand. “How do you do? I’m Belle Daireng. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”
“Lulamae Franklin. Welcome to my home. Oh, I love your haircut. I wish mine would hold a stylish cut like that.” She touched her own dark hair, pulled into a bun low on her neck. Then as if sharing a confidence, she added, “When you get old, your hair gets all limp and won’t do a thing.” Then in a normal tone, “Uly, darlin’, you’ve never seen this house. Come on, I’ll give you a tour.”
“Let me get our bags,” he said, turning his crutches toward the door.
“No, no,” said Lulamae. As she spoke, a compact man dressed in white appeared behind her. “That’s Kamal’s job. He’ll bring your bags.”
Kamal nodded greetings and moved silently past them.
Belle said, “What a beautiful home you have. Are these plants native?”
“Oh, dear, no. I’ve brought in some of my favorites from my house in Houston. They love it here in the entryway, with all the light but none of the scorching heat. Why, that lemon tree bears fruit here. But if I set it outside? Dead in two days.” She snapped her fingers.
Belle giggled.
