The Wanted Bride (A Contemporary Romance)

by Sylvia McDaniel

  Ah, the perfect opening.

  “Verification that she is who she says she is. Check out Valerie Brown, and let me know what you find,” Matt said. “If her wallet was stolen, I’m sure she would have let DPS know that her license is missing since she didn’t let you know.”

  “Sure,” Jesse said. His lips curved up in a smile. “It will also show any outstanding warrants.”

  Matt shrugged. “At least I’ll know that she’s not Lizzie Borden’s great-granddaughter.”

  Jesse shook his head. “Okay, on one condition.”

  “What’s that?” Matt asked.

  “That you will accept Valerie for who she says she is and drop this.”

  Matt frowned. “As long as I know you have the right Valerie Brown.”

  “Man, you are impossible. Don’t be surprised if you find out that Valerie Brown has no record and really does live in Phoenix, Arizona.”

  Right, Matt thought. “Yeah, and don’t be shocked if my instincts are right. She’s hiding something. I don’t know what. She had no intention of staying here, and yet she’s serving chow at Fran’s diner.”

  “That’s what happens when you have no money,” Jesse replied. He glanced over to where Valerie was serving the loggers. “And the men in the area are going to get fat from coming to Fran’s every day.”

  Why did it frustrate Matt whenever he saw other men appreciate Valerie’s looks? She was probably a high school dropout, running some kind of con. He would do well to remember that behind that polished smile was no Mensa member.

  Chapter Five

  Three days later, the brisk January wind slashed right through Matt as he scurried into the warm café. An eerie glow radiated from the frost-blanketed windows.

  He opened the door, and the tinkling bell announced his arrival. He searched for the one woman he couldn’t shake from his mind. Fran stood next to a table taking an order, but Valerie was nowhere in sight. He breathed a sigh of relief and saw Jesse at their table, nursing a cup of steaming coffee.

  Matt hurried over to his friend, who had his face buried inside the Denver Daily News.

  “Hey man,” Matt called as he slid into the booth.

  “You gotta read how this woman got revenge on her fiancé,” Jesse said as he handed him the newspaper.

  Matt shrugged out of his coat and glanced at the paper, wanting to get to the real reason he was here. “Give me the scoop.”

  “This woman in Dallas set fire to her fiancé’s Corvette,” Jesse said, his voice rising with indignation. “A classic 1965.”

  “Is she nuts?” Matt exclaimed.

  Jesse shook his head. “She must be. The paper says the couple were to be married. Five minutes before the ceremony, she rushed out of the church and drove off in his Corvette. Later authorities found the car burning.”

  “I hope they arrested her!”

  “No, the paper says she’s a person of interest they want to talk to. Seems she’s disappeared.”

  Valerie walked up. “Hello, Mr. Jordan, what can I get you?”

  She was here. Her voice drew him, and he gazed into her cornflower eyes, which twinkled with warmth and laughter. “You can start by calling me Matt. And then I’d like some coffee.”

  “All rightee, Matt.”

  Why did the sound of her voice, deep and melodious, send delicious shivers down his spine?

  She stepped over to a serving area and grabbed a pot of coffee. She returned, flipped his cup up, and began to pour the hot liquid.

  Jesse shook his head. “That’s cold blooded. Torching your fiancé’s ’65 Corvette.”

  Matt watched as she stared at Jesse in horror, her mouth open in shock, while the coffee overflowed from Matt’s cup. Coffee splashed onto the table and ran unchecked onto his lap. The hot liquid stung as it hit Matt’s thigh area.

  “Hey!”

  Suddenly she realized what she’d done. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.”

  Valerie grabbed a napkin, setting the pot down on the table, and started dabbing at Matt’s thigh.

  He took a deep breath and tried not to react to the touch of her hands on his leg. The close proximity of the table and the booth had her near enough he could smell her bold, flowery perfume.

  But worse, he had an excellent view down the front of her sweater and the lacy pink bra that covered her luscious breasts. Those breasts swayed with the motion of her body, and her hands were close enough to a certain area of his anatomy that he had to bite back a groan.

  The napkin brushed the zipper of his jeans, and he could feel himself hardening. He grabbed her hand and took a shaky breath. “I’m fine.”

  “I’m so sorry, Matt. Are you sure I didn’t burn you?”

  Two inches higher and there could have been some serious damage, but his jeans had protected his skin from the hot coffee, just not from the appeal of Valerie.

  “I’m okay. My jeans soaked up most of the liquid.” She stared at him worriedly.

  He gritted out. “I’m all right.”

  She wiped up the coffee she had spilled on the table and then gave him an awkward look. “If you need anything else, just wave.”

  Jesse was trying hard not to laugh. “Are you okay?”

  Matt growled. “Two inches higher and I would be singing soprano.”

  Jesse smiled and shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t tell if you were in physical pain or having your own personal meltdown.”

  “I think it was a little of both. She was practically in my lap, with her hands rubbing a little too close for comfort.”

  “Maybe I should get you two a room at the Springtown Inn so you can finish what she started.”

  “Like that’s going to happen.” Though it was a pleasant thought. Matt took a deep, relaxing breath and pushed the still-dry newspaper aside. “Let’s get to the real reason why I’m here. What did you find out?”

  Jesse took a sip of his coffee and his eyes darkened. “That you are a suspicious lawyer who needs to quit being so stubborn. Valerie Brown has no record.”

  “Yeah, but I mean did you find her in the system?”

  “I found hundreds of Valerie Browns. None of them were serial killers or axe murderers. One had been married five times, but since she was in her fifties, I don’t think it’s the same Valerie.”

  Matt leaned back and frowned. His glance slid over to the girl across the room. She smiled and chatted while she filled the other guests’ coffee cups. She seemed like a natural in the café. “Maybe I've been a little over the top regarding her. If she hadn’t moved in with McKenzie, it wouldn’t have mattered whether she stayed in town.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that.” Jesse paused and took a sip of coffee. “Have you ever considered that having another woman there might be good for McKenzie? They can do that female bonding thing that women like to do.”

  “Maybe.”

  “You don’t sound very convinced.”

  “If it was a woman I knew, I wouldn’t care. But I don’t know anything about Valerie.” He sipped from his coffee and sighed. “McKenzie has made it very clear that it’s her decision. Fran certainly seems to like the girl. I’m the only person in town who hasn’t fallen under her spell, and even I could be susceptible, if I’d let myself.”

  “From watching the two of you just a minute ago, I’d say things were a little hot.”

  Matt frowned at his friend’s joke. “The only thing hot was the coffee.”

  Jesse grinned. “Give it a week or two, and who knows? Valerie may decide small-town life is boring and move on.”

  Matt thought for a moment and once again wondered why he was having such a reaction to this woman. Something in his gut warned him that she wasn’t who she said she was.

  “Over the years, I have learned to hone in on my instincts when alarm bells are going off. And they clang in my head whenever she’s around.”

  “You should see a doctor about that,” the sheriff teased.

  “Funny.”

  “M
aybe those warning bells are because you’re attracted to our cute little waitress.”

  Matt opened his mouth to protest, took one look at Jesse’s smiling face, and knew he’d be wasting his time. And no matter how much he wanted to deny it, he was attracted to Valerie. Instead he scowled at his friend, giving him his best lawyer warning face that he used at trial.

  Jesse looked sheepish. “Of course, I’m sure it has something to do with you wanting to protect McKenzie.”

  “Of course it does,” Matt said. He was tired of fighting a battle over Valerie he wasn’t winning with McKenzie, Jesse, or anyone at the café, and he hated to admit that maybe they were right. “In the meantime, I’ll stop in to see McKenzie and the kids more often. Which is going to take me away from the office more, and right now I don’t have the time.”

  “What happened to you hiring some part-time help?”

  Valerie strolled up, making Matt instantly aware of her presence. “More coffee, gentlemen?”

  Jesse grinned at her. “Sure. But in my cup, please.”

  “Cute. It was my first spill as a waitress,” she said, pouring his coffee. “How about you, Matt?”

  “I’m wearing all the caffeine I need.”

  “This time I’ll put it in your cup.”

  “That would be nice.”

  She glanced at the newspaper lying on the table. “Are you through with that newspaper, Jesse? Fran wanted me to save it.”

  “Sure.” He handed her the newspaper.

  Matt watched Valerie walk away, enjoying the sway of her jeans before he turned his attention back to Jesse. “Do you know any teenagers that might be looking for a part-time clerical job? Someone who could do data entry and filing? I need someone who can file, do spreadsheets and general office work for twenty hours a week.”

  Valerie stopped in her tracks and faced him. “I can do those things.”

  His eyes met and held hers. “I don’t think so.”

  She shrugged. “Suit yourself. I graduated summa cum laude from college last year. I was going to start…”

  She halted, her forehead creasing in thought as she quickly clammed up.

  His Mensa comment haunted him, and he realized he had so misjudged her. Not only did she not have a criminal background, she was a college graduate. Usually he could read people very well, so why had he missed with Valerie?

  Still, the lawyer in him knew that she wasn’t telling everything, but then, who did?

  “Gotta run, guys. Table three is calling me.”

  He watched her go, more intrigued with her every day.

  “Why didn’t you offer her the job?” Jesse asked, his voice incredulous.

  “It wouldn’t work.”

  “What do you mean it wouldn’t work? You have a college graduate that obviously needs the money. She’s the one you need to hire.”

  “If I can’t trust her with my sister, why in the hell do you think I’m going to trust her with my business?”

  “Because you’re working on your paranoia, and you need the help. And so far you have nothing to show for your suspicions except that it illustrates how much your job is getting to you.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He frowned, realizing that what Jesse said must be true for him to act so distrusting of Valerie. She was a beautiful girl down on her luck, and he wanted to make her out to be a criminal.

  “Well, listen to yourself. You have the perfect candidate, and you’re afraid to hire her. Lighten up, man. The girl needs a break.”

  Matt thought of his upcoming caseload and the mounting work. “I do have the Gilmore case coming up next month, and I still have a lot of research to do.”

  “Then hire some kid from the local high school who you’re going to pay to play around on the Internet. They won’t get half the work done that a more mature college graduate could accomplish.”

  “Go screw yourself, Jesse.”

  “I’d have a better chance than getting through your thick skull.” He paused. “Besides, most of the kids are more into the ski season than working.”

  The last time he'd used a teenager to do his filing, he’d found the kid didn’t really know the alphabet. Not to mention the fact he’d caught him with his girlfriend at the office. Matt frowned. He didn’t have time for a lot of nonsense.

  He motioned Valerie to their table.

  “Yes, gentlemen?”

  Matt noticed how she seemed not to have a care in the world. “How fast can you type?”

  “I haven’t been timed in a long time, but probably around 75 words a minute.”

  Jesse let out a whistle.

  “Have you ever typed legal briefs before?”

  She paused. “No.”

  “The position is only twenty hours a week.”

  “Why are you telling me? You don’t want to hire me.”

  “Maybe I reacted a little too quickly.”

  “Maybe I’ve changed my mind,” she retorted.

  “Maybe you have. But it pays fifteen dollars an hour.”

  Valerie stopped and contemplated that information.

  She put her hands on her hips. “We don’t like each other. What makes you think we could work together?”

  He frowned at her question. She believed in going for the jugular. “Who said I didn’t like you?”

  She counted off on her fingers. “One, trying to convince your sister to kick me out. Two, thinking I would steal from McKenzie. Three, talking about me to Jesse and Fran. And four, wondering why I was still here. Want to try for five?”

  Jesse cleared his throat. “She’s got a point, man.”

  Matt shrugged. “So I’m overprotective of my sister. That doesn’t mean that we can’t work together. My house is big enough that you could work in the kitchen and I’ll take the office. We won’t even share a room.”

  “You’re not afraid I’m going to put all your Post-it Notes on the black market?”

  He laughed and gazed into her blue eyes. He really wasn’t concerned about her stealing. He still thought she was hiding something, but maybe keeping a close tab on her would be best. He could get to know more about her and find out just why she’d decided to stay.

  “I didn’t know there was a black market for Post-it Notes. Maybe you can hook me up,” he said, responding to her challenge.

  “Glue shortage.” She bit her bottom lip, her brows drawn together in concentration. “I could still work here at the café?”

  “Sure. I can work around Fran’s schedule.” He could see the money had tweaked her interest. “We could try it for just a few days to see how it works out.”

  “On one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You pay me in cash, no questions asked.”

  “That’s illegal,” he said, knowing he was allowed so much contract labor, but hoping that she would give him her legal information.

  “You’re the lawyer. You figure out a way to make it work.”

  He smiled at her response. “Can you start tomorrow?”

  “I’ll be there right after the lunch rush.”

  After she walked off, Matt turned to Jesse. “I hope I have not made a colossal mistake that I’m going to regret.”

  #

  As soon as she could, Valerie took the newspaper and went into the restroom. She shut and locked the door of the stall. She flipped through the paper until she found the small paragraph. She read through the article and breathed a sigh of relief. They listed her first name, not her middle name. They were searching for Diane Burrows. For once going by her middle name had paid off. In the past she’d hated that they called her by her middle name. But not this time.

  The article was more humorous than newsworthy and said only that the bride-to-be, Diane Burrows, was a person of interest.

  When Jesse mentioned the article, she’d almost fainted, and after spilling coffee in Matt’s lap…well, she now had no doubt the man filled his jeans out very nicely.

  God, what was she thinking? A
week away from her disastrous wedding and already she was dwelling on the pants worn by yet another lawyer. No more lawyers.

  Yet oddly enough, she didn’t miss Carter. They were supposed to be on their honeymoon, and somehow she didn’t miss Carter or the Caribbean. Instead she felt a sense of relief at being here, though working in the café was harder than she’d ever labored before, and now she would be taking a second job.

  Her father would be shocked to learn she was doing menial labor.

  Working with Matt would build her cash much quicker and get her to Denver, where she could once again start her journey to a different nowhere.

  But working beside the handsome lawyer was going to be a challenge. Especially when he said he trusted her. Ha! He’d had his lawyer face on, and she knew she had her battle cut out for her to convince him that she was just plain Valerie Brown, needing to make an extra buck.

  She’d soon have him eating out of her hand, believing her, and when she had enough cash, she’d be out of here. And though it would be hard to leave Fran and McKenzie, putting as much distance as she could between her and Matt would be a good thing.

  The sexual attraction she felt for him was just that, sexual. She didn’t need to be involved with anymore freakin’ lawyers, or even men for that matter. It was time to get her head on straight without a man to muddy up the process.

  Now all she had to do was hang on until she had enough money to leave.

  #

  Valerie rang the bell of Matt’s little house right off Main Street. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a quaint frame home that appeared comfortable. The sort of place people used for offices. A sign in the front yard read Matt Jordan, Attorney at Law. She’d cringed when she saw that sign, another law office, but quickly remembered he would be paying her double what she earned at the café.

  Being without her trust fund was an awakening life experience. What little she made didn’t go far enough, and she knew until the wedding fiasco, she'd lived a very indulgent lifestyle. Color her spoilt. But she was learning to make do.

  She rang the bell again, and finally he opened the door, a portable phone to his ear. He motioned her in while he explained the legal process to a client.